If you asked me what my favourite genres of fiction are, I'd probably tell you I like sci-fi, fantasy, horror, etc. But the truth is, there's nothing inherit in those genres that interests me. I'm not a nufty when it comes to monsters, or magic, or futuristic tech, or anything like that. What I really like, is explorations of society, culture, politics, morals, ethics, emotions, motivations, and the human condition; and it just so happens that those particular genres tend to give a writer the freedom to explore those things in ways that "reality-based" genres don't.
There was a lot of hype around the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive" (the Facebook one). While I thought the idea was good, I wasn't a huge fan of the execution. It's hard to describe, but it felt very … American—and not in a good way. But that's not to say everything that comes out of America is bad. For instance, I saw The Orville the other day.
If you were ever a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I highly recommend checking it out. As most reviews of the show have noted, there are some issues with the humour. It's obvious that the creators wanted to make their own Star Trek, but the only way they could do so without getting sued is to make it a parody. Hence, a lot of the jokes come off as stupid, forced, and out of place. It's by no means a deal-breaker though.
Getting back to my comparison with Black Mirror, there's an episode of Orville towards the end of season one that covers exactly the same ground as Nosedive, and in my humble opinion, does it in a far superior, and more satisfying way. Also, I thought the episode on child genital mutilation was particularly well done; and I was pleased to see that, not only did they not take the easy way out, but the events in the episode are continuing to have major repercussions in the show. It even managed to do a fine job of highlighting the insurmountable problems that emerge from the unrealistic ideal of multiculturalism.
If you're in Australia, or can fake coming from an Aussie IP, you can check out the entirety of season one, and the first part of season two on the SBS on-demand website. Squib, if you're keen, I can probably send you the episodes the same way I did with The Book Club.
3 comments :
I haven't watched ANY Black Mirror at all (keep meaning to). Hard to imagine a Star Trek parody can bring up an issue like female genital mutilation in a valid way! But the trailer looks interesting. Yes please. I was trying to find something to watch last night as I need to give my brain a little R&R
Squib, it's interesting that your mind seems to have gone instinctively to female genital mutilation, and not considered male circumcision as part of the issue. It's not surprising though, as I think that's a fairly common way of thinking in Western culture. In fact, it's something that's brought up in the episode.
Also, Black Mirror is an anthology of short films made by different people, so the episodes are all over the place quality wise.
"National Anthem" (season 1) and "Shut Up And Dance" (season 2) are probably in my top twenty list of best films I've ever seen. Absolutely fantastic. "White Bear" (season 1) is not that great over all, but has an ending that's so powerful and haunting that I still think about it from time to time. I would advise watching those three at the very least.
The first three are up, Squib. I've sent you an email with the link, but it's not from the email address that I normally contact you from, so you might need to check your spam.
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