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re: Black Mirror S5 - In Game Thread (SPOILERS)

Posted on 6/10/19 at 3:08 pm to
Posted by Baloo
Formerly MDGeaux
Member since Sep 2003
49645 posts
Posted on 6/10/19 at 3:08 pm to
Man, reading this thread and thre reviews online, I feel like I'm on an island here... I really liked it. Some thoughts on each episode:

VIPERS
OK, it does suffer from the fact its a not as good version of San Junipero, which is one of the best episodes of any TV show ever, so that's a bit of an unfair standard. What I liked about this episode is that the central conflict is solved AND created by communication.

The problem is that straight men do not have a toolkit in our daily lives to communicate platonic love towards each other. It's illustrated before they ever plug into the game, and how they don't know how to find out the details of each other's lives, even though they do care about one another. They lack the ability to communicate their love for one another until the game comes along, and then we have the problem of him not communicating with his partner, keeping it a secret, and then cutting off the game without speaking about it.

This conflict is solved by simply talking about it and coming with a workaround. Everyone can voice what they desire or aren't getting, and they make a solution together. I liked that. Talk to people. be honest.

As for the gay issue... they aren't gay. Their real life encounter shows that they don't have physical attraction to one another (though there might be a repressed flicker in one of their eyes, though I don't think that's important). People misrepresent themselves online ALL THE TIME and try and be someone different. It's only when one of them inhabits a female body that his platonic love can blossom to physical attraction. It's not real, but there is the basis of you underneath, so in a way, it is. But arguing they are gay is like someone who plays a female character in a video game is trans.


SMITHEREENS

Man, I loved this one because it destroys one of the basic arguments against the show that it is "what if cell phones, but more"? And people claim that Booker is some sort of Luddite arguing against technology. But pointing out problems with technology does not mean you hate tech or want it thrown out.

Here, he rails against the addictive nature of apps, and how they are designed to dominate your attention, but in the end... he admits his own culpability. He killed his wife, not the app. He was responsible and he simply needed someone to confess to, he doesn't even want Topher to redesign the app. He doesn't care about the app. He cares about himself and his own failings... and also fake human interaction. He's most angry when people are fake and don't speak like their true selves.

The final montage truly reveals this: tons of people using the app... and the interacting with each other. OK, one person delays at a stop sign, but you see people check their phones and then play basketball as well. It's not technology, it is how we incorporate it into our lives. Booker's issues are about people not tech.

ASHLEY TOO

It's a departure episode, and one of Black Mirror's funnier entries. It's a direct satire of Disney movies, and the episode is structured like a Hannah Montana episode, right down to the ridiculous plan to outsmart the bad guys through the cunning use of disaguises and the absent minded parental figures. Improbabilities keep adding adding up, and then we get our happy ending wrapped up in a neat bow.

Now, there's also a critique of "empowerment" and how we use up celebrities, too. It's not a real relationship, but its one of the more important one teenagers have. Also, a nice bit of subtle shade making the pop song a NIN song. There's no real difference between the "edgy" alternative stuff and the "empty" pop. It's the same stuff that's being sold to you, just packaged in the opposite way.
Posted by WilliamTaylor21
2720 Arse Whipping Avenue
Member since Dec 2013
35936 posts
Posted on 6/10/19 at 4:18 pm to
quote:

SMITHEREENS

Man, I loved this one because it destroys one of the basic arguments against the show that it is "what if cell phones, but more"? And people claim that Booker is some sort of Luddite arguing against technology. But pointing out problems with technology does not mean you hate tech or want it thrown out.

Here, he rails against the addictive nature of apps, and how they are designed to dominate your attention, but in the end... he admits his own culpability. He killed his wife, not the app. He was responsible and he simply needed someone to confess to, he doesn't even want Topher to redesign the app. He doesn't care about the app. He cares about himself and his own failings... and also fake human interaction. He's most angry when people are fake and don't speak like their true selves.

The final montage truly reveals this: tons of people using the app... and the interacting with each other. OK, one person delays at a stop sign, but you see people check their phones and then play basketball as well. It's not technology, it is how we incorporate it into our lives. Booker's issues are about people not tech.

I loved this episode. People are calling it mediocre but I thought it was really good. Some of the best acting in the entire BM series.
Posted by mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Member since Nov 2015
35817 posts
Posted on 6/10/19 at 4:56 pm to
Well that Cyrus episode at least showed that she can't sing better than a crack whore.

Seriously, what is up with her voice? They need to auto-tune her just to speak like a girl.
Posted by WG_Dawg
Hoover
Member since Jun 2004
86624 posts
Posted on 6/11/19 at 7:39 am to
Baloo, I usually agree with everything you say but I couldn't disagree more with your take on Vipers.

quote:

The problem is that straight men do not have a toolkit in our daily lives to communicate platonic love towards each other.


IMO, this is wholly 100% false. I think now more than at any time I've been alive this is actually the opposite. I'm reminded of the scene in Grease when danny agrees to drive other dude's car in the race, they excitedly hug for like one second then push each other away and act cool because showing any type of affection for a dude must be gay. I wasn't alive in the 50s but I imagine that that wasn't THAT uncommon back then. Fast forward to today. Our society has invented new phrases like "bromance" and bro hugs. Guys have really close guy friends, do things in a 1 on 1 setting, give hugs, etc all the time. Popular recent movie gave mileage to the phrase "I love you man". In 2019 I just don't think that there is any stigma at all about having a best friend and being close or chummy with them.

quote:

They lack the ability to communicate their love for one another until the game comes along,


I don't necessarily see this as something to do just wiht these 2 protagonists, I see this as something that happens to literally everyone in their life in taht you eventually grow apart from people as you do your own things. When the 2 dudes were younger they were staying up late, hanging out, playing video games, all seemed well with their friendship. When we fast forward to adult-hood (I assume this is what you're referring to specifically) it's apparent they've lost touch but they are clearly at very different points in their lives. One is married and hosting backyard bbqs with other married friends while the other is still a swingin bachelor out on the town most nights. I don't think that "lack of communication" is really some big issue with them, since like I mentioned this is a story as old as time. Now you can say that that in itself is an issue with communication, but I don't think it's specific or mind blowing to this particular case at hand or to Black Mirror.

quote:

we have the problem of him not communicating with his partner, keeping it a secret, and then cutting off the game without speaking about it


To be honest I think that would be a pretty normal human reaction if I was in a VR game and another dude tried to frick me.

quote:

This conflict is solved by simply talking about it and coming with a workaround. Everyone can voice what they desire or aren't getting, and they make a solution together. I liked that. Talk to people. be honest.


That sounds nice but what is the outcome exactly? One dude is virtually cheating on his wife with a man. The wife gets to frick a random stranger (IRL!) once a year to provide some kind, ANY kind of spice to their marriage. And the 3rd party likely waits 364 days out of his year simply to have virtual relations with his best friend, but it's not gay because he's pretending to be female. I mean sure everyone seems ot get somethign they desired but does all that seem normal or ok? If communication is the end all be all here how about talking ot a therapist? "Hey doc, I transport myself into a woman's body to get virtually railed by a buff dude being controlled by my best friend" "Hey doc, I virutally turn into a dude and have virtual sxe with a woman that isn't my wife but is being controlled by my best friend" "Hey doc, my marriage is boring and losing passion so I get a hall pass to have an affair once a year on my husband's birthday". I mean all of these issues should be addressed by proessional help.

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