Far more than "unpleasant", Black Mirror is trying to show a certain kind of situation that humanity is about to face, and even currently faces. This 3-episode-per-season miniseries depicts a series of "human lives transformed by technology" through several independent stories: public opinion in the age of social media, humanity in the cycle of consumerism, the outer brain and big data reinforcement Personal histories in action, mass violence using technology as a means and an excuse... They are outside of real life, but they are so realistic. Look at the way the hero replays his memories in "The Entire History of You", does it look like we're flipping through the chat history? Does Bing on a bike in 15 Million Merits look like us on the subway and in the office? Have you ever waved the flag on Weibo everyone, tacitly using hysteria to respond to violence is the most pleasing way? Then when the calendar at the end of "White Bear" was crossed out by the "director" for another day, the mystery of the heroine Toni and the mystery of a larger story was suddenly revealed - perhaps this is difficult to comment on the show in a single word. Why: This is the life each of us lives in — rich and full of pitfalls.
From Brooke's point of view in The Guardian, the emergence of Black Mirror is a sort of continuation of the tradition of media studies and criticism. The "black mirror" of the title is the one you'll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone), in this era, they are increasingly replacing reality, "building" people's cognition of the world, and then "cultivating" people life. These “Black Mirrors” blind us to many phenomena of alienation by technology, which is what media critics in the history of communication theory try to draw attention to and reflect on.
Brooke talks to us through Black Mirror about these concerns: terrorism, the economy, media/media, privacy, and the relationship between people and technology (Guardian article)...From season one to two, he The "Tucao object" also keeps pace with the times. It is not difficult to find that in the second season, the concept of "mobile terminal" is highlighted. Whether it is the hero and heroine in "Be Right Back" or the "extras" in "White Bear", the mobile phone is always in hand— - This device, which is called the "third screen" by industry researchers, has penetrated into people's lives to a great extent, and it almost becomes a part of the body. A mobile phone that becomes a social tool, a mobile phone that becomes eyes and ears, and a lover. It is a purchase order. It is a payment card. It is an indicator. It is a weight and measure. You are so good at pleasing you, and at the same time covering or covering you, you can't live without it.
The medium is the metaphor. The rise of mobile devices means a new round of changes in the way people see and be seen by the world. The picture of "big data predicting the future" is approaching. Mobile Internet data brings a denser network. Time data, location data, selection of content, and response to stimuli can unreservedly describe the behavior of the owner. McLuhan said in "The Machine Bride" that "we entrust our bodies and dreams to the production and consumption process of machines" is becoming an unprecedented reality, developers use data to measure programs, and advertisers are enthusiastically discussing the power of technology prospects, people are more closely under siege in the dream of "more choices".
"We will destroy what we love." This is the metaphor in Huxley's Brave New World and the reality that Postman worries about in "Entertainment to Die."
But Black Mirror's elaboration doesn't stop there.
Are there other possibilities for coexisting with apathy, anxiety and despair? Is the only way for people to be alienated by powerful technological tools? If we recognize the nature of media and deeply participate in the process of media operation, are there some people and opportunities that can bring about a turnaround?
In the second episode of the first season, "15 Million Merits", many people thought that the part where Bing persuaded Abi to participate in the competition was really beautiful. The phrase "You've got something real" is better than countless emotionally complicated confessions. In a time and space where people cannot escape control (even if it is sugar-coated and entertained), such an expectation is like a blooming flower. Even if the male protagonist is finally "received", he still fights for himself to face the whole logic of life imposed on them. His ability to anger and pain is always alive, so there may be reason to believe that he is still willing to treat love well and true.
In the first episode of the second season of "Be Right Back", the heroine Martha finally woke up from the nostalgia of drinking poison to quench her thirst. Even though the android locked in the attic still symbolizes the painful and irreversible past, she is finally able to coexist with him without letting anyone destroy anyone.
In the third episode of the first season, "The Entire History of You", when Liam, the hero at the end of the film, took off the chip and became bloody, he was so painful to despair, but who can deny that this kind of nostalgic despair, self-mutilation and Saying goodbye in the past may also bring a little bit of courage to restart.
Well, that's the point. These real defeats, as well as the compromises and struggles after a good time, are like an extension of a dark humorous story, and they also give birth to a bit of ambiguous hope. Even if the story is full of doubts about technology, if there is something useless but beautiful, there is still room for manoeuvre. So "Black Mirror" is admirable: not total destruction, not the cynicism of bystanders - Brook's off-line sensitivity is completely different from researching how to use data to create more positive social value, his attitude in telling the story , when people face despair, they can still spit out a series of grooves, just like he himself complained about TV programs in "How TV Ruined Your Life"; when the vomit ends, treat it as a joke, not the end of fate symbol.
Yes, this sensitivity is a source of suffering, but it is also the only soil in which freedom can thrive.
And the only way to face these "black mirrors" in life - is to "face them" itself.
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