Black Mirror is a series that has been broadcast in the United Kingdom since 2011. It has recently been added to Netflix and has since blown up around the world. It makes frequent comments on how technology is affecting the world, and harsh and intense realizations for the viewer. The very first episode that aired is one that has stuck with me the most due to the harsh reality that is told at the end of the episode.
*WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD*
"The National Anthem" is the first episode of the first season of Black Mirror and it is quite the one to start on. In the beginning, the Prime Minister of England views a video of the princess of the royal family tied to a chair in a mysterious setting. The man who kidnapped the princess tells the Prime Minister that in order for the princess to be released, he must have sex with a pig on live television at 4 pm exactly that day. This of course gets spread around the country rather quickly, and various polls are presented to the public about what the Prime Minister should do and it is finally decided that he will go through with it. At 4 pm, every television was screening the same thing and everyone in the country sat in silence and watched as the disgusting act was performed. An hour later, the Prime Minister is told he can stop because the princess had been found. It was discovered that she had been released from capture at about 3:30. This comes at a great shock to the Prime Minister because it means he could have never committed the act.
The man who kidnapped the princess and performed the entire crime did all of it as an art statement. He knew that everyone in the country (especially the surrounding area of London) would be flocking to a television, thus leaving no one outside to see the princess wandering the streets. Once the broadcast ended, people started to go outside and eventually find the princess.
The show was making a comment on how technology has impacted people and what their priorities are. In the episode, everyone was completely willing to drop everything and watch the Prime Minister do the unspeakable but no one bothered to stay out and look for the missing girl. This extreme acknowledgement is calling for everyone to look up from their screens every once in a while to check what is going on in the real world. It is possible that something super important will happen and it will go right past you.
Showing posts with label Black Mirror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Mirror. Show all posts
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
15 Million Merits
Recently gaining more attention, Black Mirror episodes are primarily satirical commentary on different aspects of society and the way it functions. One episode that stuck out in particular for me is "15 Million Merits." Beware - spoilers and details about the episode are ahead.
"15 Millions Merits" is the second episode of the first season of Black Mirror, and was originally released in 2011. It is set in a dystopian future in which most people must ride exercise bikes to power their world and earn merits, which are their form of currency. Their society is highly driven on the amount of merits one has, and what they can buy with those merits. People can also use merits to skip advertisements that come on screens while they are riding the exercise bikes or in their rooms.
The main character, Bing, is a man who has inherited 12 millions merits after his brother died. The plot really begins when Bing meets Abi, who is an incredible singer. One of the most expensive items a person can buy is a ticket to perform on a game show called Hot Shot, which costs 15 million merits. Bing convinces Abi that she should audition, and gifts her a ticket. She performs after being drugged with a compliance drink called Cuppliance, and the judges tell her that they have no place for an "Above Average Singer." They then offer her a position as an adult actress which she accepts, and following this, Bing returns to his room without Abi and with hardly any merits. This becomes an issue when a pornographic commercial featuring Abi comes on the screen in Bing's room, and he is unable to skip it because he does not have enough merits. Following this, Bing begins to save up his merits until he can afford a ticket to Hot Shot for himself. Bing begins by performing a dance routine, and at the end of his audition breaks down and delivers a speech, which you can watch here.
The entire episode, and especially Bing's speech, is a commentary on how we place so much emphasis on material things that truly have no substance. We as a society have become heartless; we can feel nothing in violence portrayed by media, we can buy into a system that thrives on an imaginary concept of worth, and we can separate ourselves based on how much of something we have. Additionally, there is an element of body image and how it plays into a person's abilities and worth, which strikes many similarities with what we value today in our society.
Following Bing's speech, the judges applaud him for his "performance" and offer him his own show, where he can talk freely about what he thinks is important. He accepts, and is removed from his everyday position of cycling, in addition to getting a larger room with an actual window. All of this goes to show that when offered, even those who think they have figured out the system will still buy into it when given a good opportunity.
"15 Millions Merits" is the second episode of the first season of Black Mirror, and was originally released in 2011. It is set in a dystopian future in which most people must ride exercise bikes to power their world and earn merits, which are their form of currency. Their society is highly driven on the amount of merits one has, and what they can buy with those merits. People can also use merits to skip advertisements that come on screens while they are riding the exercise bikes or in their rooms.
The main character, Bing, is a man who has inherited 12 millions merits after his brother died. The plot really begins when Bing meets Abi, who is an incredible singer. One of the most expensive items a person can buy is a ticket to perform on a game show called Hot Shot, which costs 15 million merits. Bing convinces Abi that she should audition, and gifts her a ticket. She performs after being drugged with a compliance drink called Cuppliance, and the judges tell her that they have no place for an "Above Average Singer." They then offer her a position as an adult actress which she accepts, and following this, Bing returns to his room without Abi and with hardly any merits. This becomes an issue when a pornographic commercial featuring Abi comes on the screen in Bing's room, and he is unable to skip it because he does not have enough merits. Following this, Bing begins to save up his merits until he can afford a ticket to Hot Shot for himself. Bing begins by performing a dance routine, and at the end of his audition breaks down and delivers a speech, which you can watch here.
The entire episode, and especially Bing's speech, is a commentary on how we place so much emphasis on material things that truly have no substance. We as a society have become heartless; we can feel nothing in violence portrayed by media, we can buy into a system that thrives on an imaginary concept of worth, and we can separate ourselves based on how much of something we have. Additionally, there is an element of body image and how it plays into a person's abilities and worth, which strikes many similarities with what we value today in our society.
Following Bing's speech, the judges applaud him for his "performance" and offer him his own show, where he can talk freely about what he thinks is important. He accepts, and is removed from his everyday position of cycling, in addition to getting a larger room with an actual window. All of this goes to show that when offered, even those who think they have figured out the system will still buy into it when given a good opportunity.
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