Take the second episode, for example.
In this highly evolved society, "telescreens" replace the walls, non-stop broadcasting of TV shows and commercials that the protagonist hates so much - and the commercials can't be skipped, and you'll be fined for skipping them. The hero lives in depression all day long...
Wait a minute, we have to ask: Is there only one monopoly state TV station left in this society? Or have citizens lost their right to choose TV stations? Or have they simply lost the right not to install this disgusting "telescreen", and they are forced to accept it?
Later, our heroine went to a very popular talent show and sang a song. The screenwriter hoped that the effect should be to make us feel that her voice is like the sound of nature. (Actually, I think her voice agrees with what the judges said, "it's not bad".) The judges persuaded the heroine to let her become an AV actress. (The subtext of the screenwriter is of course that a singer is a much nobler profession than an actress, and of course, I think Teacher Sora Aoi is definitely more virtuous and artistic than many singers)
Wait a minute, we have to ask: Why did the heroine succumb to the judges , turned into an actress? In fact, although the screenwriters show contempt for the porn industry, I don't think it's a shame that there is a profession like an AV actress in a society. That's not the tragedy of the whole thing. The tragedy is that the heroine has an extraordinary talent for singing, but there is no way to get ahead with it.
Is this the judges' fault? To a certain extent, they can indeed be blamed for not discovering the talent of the heroine. But what's even more tragic is that the heroine can't seem to find other channels for upward circulation besides participating in talent shows. It seems that there is only one talent show in the whole world, Hot Shot, and it seems that the heroine is only allowed to change her destiny through this show.
It is not terrible that one or two judges did not find the talent of the heroine. What is terrifying is that it is this small group of powerful people who control the fate of the vast majority of the people. The people have no other choice but to cater to the dignitaries and squeeze into this single-plank bridge.
From this perspective, all talent shows in the world are not comparable to Hot Shot. Because even if the judges of American Idol ask you to be an actress, you can just refuse and continue your dream on other talent shows, or on Youtube and other stages. And our education system is actually somewhat similar to Hot Shot.
What should we fear most in the story of Black Mirror?
What exactly should we be afraid of from Black Mirror? Is it the fear of vulgar TV shows, or should we also be afraid that we are deprived of the remote control and can only watch one TV show? Should we be afraid of the venomous judges, or should we be afraid that we only have the Hot Shot channel for upward mobility?
Black Mirror proves that entertainment—even if it’s vulgar and excessive—is never the enemy of freedom. Of course, the development of technology and entertainment has indeed given us a different vision for the future. Had George Orwell lived in the present, the plot of Nineteen Eighty-Four might have changed slightly. But no matter how technology develops, the enemy of our freedom has not changed much, and what it is, I think everyone will have their own thinking.
View more about Black Mirror reviews
