In chapter 5 of "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Postman suggests that the invention of the telegraph changed how discourse was conveyed. The telegraph eventually became the ideal way of sending information. But the information sent in the years following its debut was highly irrelevant. Information sent from another state that didn't concern the receiver was eventually called 'news'. Unfortunately, this is the function of the T.V.
Today, I can turn on the T.V. and watch something in Japan from my living room and it will have no effect on my life but I would watch because it is entertaining. Now that doesn't make sense does it? But that is exactly what many of us do. We watch a show mainly because it is entertaining and don't see or understand the message of the show and we buy into that program's lie. Postman has foreseen the initial objective of television programs, whether good or bad, and has warned the world fervently. We should heed his warning and discover for ourselves the goal of a specific show.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Truth Telling
How do you know what is the truth? Is it an opinion or a fact?
In Huxley's world, it was what you were conditioned to believe. All contradicting truths were eliminated in favor of stability. Your truth was what they told you, what you learned in your sleep, what you knew from your environment. What is your truth now? Is it what you believe? If it is true to you, is it true to another as well?
All these thoughts were planted in my mind by the time I finished Brave New World. How do we know what is a lie? Bernard knew that conditioning exercises were all that the masses would know, but he also knew that there was other information beside it. The masses believed that entertainment was all they needed to know; that thinking for themselves was overrated. In reality, how were they to advance and evolve with this truth that others had woven for them?
Do the little truths that we know equal a bigger truth or is the real truth lost because of censorship, white lies, and machinations of another kind?
In Huxley's world, it was what you were conditioned to believe. All contradicting truths were eliminated in favor of stability. Your truth was what they told you, what you learned in your sleep, what you knew from your environment. What is your truth now? Is it what you believe? If it is true to you, is it true to another as well?
All these thoughts were planted in my mind by the time I finished Brave New World. How do we know what is a lie? Bernard knew that conditioning exercises were all that the masses would know, but he also knew that there was other information beside it. The masses believed that entertainment was all they needed to know; that thinking for themselves was overrated. In reality, how were they to advance and evolve with this truth that others had woven for them?
Do the little truths that we know equal a bigger truth or is the real truth lost because of censorship, white lies, and machinations of another kind?
Matt Groening's Brave New World
As you may all be aware of, Matt Groening is the creator of the popular tv series, The Simpsons. That is what many of you know him by. But aside from the Simpsons, Matt also created another cartoon series called Futurama. This series features a clueless guy named Fry, a bending robot named Bender, and a ex job determination worker Leela. Upon watching the pilot episode, one might see a great similairity with Brave New World.
During the pilot, Fry is in the year 1999 as a loser who lost his girlfriend and is working in a dead-end job as a pizza delivery boy. On a delivery, he accidentally falls into a chamber. There he is frozen where he is transported 1000 years into the future to the year 2999. When he is unfrozen, he sees the new and technological future. Its more than he ever thought was possible. Then he is told by the scientists who unfroze him to go to the Fate Determination Officer. There he meets Leela, a one eyed alien woman. Leela tells him that he has to have a pre determined chip implanted in him that determines his job based on his physical and mental attributes. He is labeled as a delivery boy once more because he is best at it. When he asks Leela why she's making him do this, she relies by saying that its their job and that "you have to do, what you have to do." Otherwise saying that he has no choice in the matter. Hating the job he flees and escapes from Leela for the time being.
He explores the new world. Upon trying to find his great great...etc. grand nephew, he finds himself in a suicide booth with a robot named Bender. They survive and become unlikely friends. They then get sighted by Leela and flee once more. They find themselves hiding in a museum with the only way out being a barred off window. Fry says that since Bender is a bending robot he needs to bend it. But Bender replies that he is only programmed for business purposes and denies. Fry asks if even if hes programmed to fly off a bridge then should he do it? Bender checks his programming and says yes because he is programmed to do so. Bender crashes into a lightbulb and changes his mind to bend the bars and get away. While in the sewers, Fry visits the old New York. He states that he is alone and that all he knows is in the past. Leela finds them once more but decides to take off her chip and join them in unemployment. They then go to Fry's great great...etc. nephew Professor Farnsworth. They find that he is an old man, Crazy and wierd like Fry (because their related) but ultimately a great source of knowledge. After escaping, they are offered a job by the Professor as space delivery people. (Which is ironic because this is what Fry was running away from the whole episode)
After watching these events unfold, many things came to my mind. A big idea was that this was super similar to Brave New World. Fry could be labeled as John the Savage in that he is a generally unappealing person who is then exposed to the new world. Although unlike John, Fry is very dumb. But non-theless finds flaws in the somewhat utopia of Futurama.
Bender in my opinion could be labeled as Bernard. He is an outcast robot that is trying to find his new place in the world. When he fails to kill himself, he finds that he has a new place in the world, to live it up as Fry's friend no matter the consequence.. Bernard as you might have read, felt insecure, isolated, lonely. The same applies to Bender as that was the reason he was trying to kill himself in the first place where he met Fry. This new friend makes Bender willing to participate in his antics as well as with the meriment of society. Albeit he trys to steal stuff from society, he wants to participate in it non-theless as it provides him with the pleasure of self and instant gratification. Bernard became popular and famous along with the finding of a new person in John. With his finding, he participates in pleasure with self and instant gratification when he sleeps with so many women.
Leela could be labeled as the Director in some way. For one, she is in charge of assigning people with their fate. The Director like Leela, is in charge of how the different castes are destined to be by pre determining their fate. She also goes against society by removing her chip, which is considered blastphamy. The Director on the other hand, is the father of a child who would ultimately go against society.
Finally, Professor Farnsworth could be labeled as Helmholtz Watson. Although not attractive or strong, the Professor is filled with knowledge as he has made many inventions. His relationship with Fry could mirror the relationship between John and Helmholtz. As John and Helmholtz share simliar ideas (about Shakespeare for example) they undoubtly have different views about how its presented. He sees the greatness of Shakespeares works but laughs at the ideas of things like mothers. He is defined by what that culture makes him. This shows that even the smartest of people aren't entirely invincible to how society tries to manipulate them. The same could be said about Fry and the Professor. Fry is amazed at the future. But even though Fry and the Professor share the same ideas, (granted Fry's are more abstract and vague) the Professors ideas are influenced by the future by the way he sees things.
Is it just merely chance that Matt Groening has made his basis of a show on that of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World? Is it just chance that these cartoon characters could share these similar traits with those from the book? Coincidence?...I think not.
During the pilot, Fry is in the year 1999 as a loser who lost his girlfriend and is working in a dead-end job as a pizza delivery boy. On a delivery, he accidentally falls into a chamber. There he is frozen where he is transported 1000 years into the future to the year 2999. When he is unfrozen, he sees the new and technological future. Its more than he ever thought was possible. Then he is told by the scientists who unfroze him to go to the Fate Determination Officer. There he meets Leela, a one eyed alien woman. Leela tells him that he has to have a pre determined chip implanted in him that determines his job based on his physical and mental attributes. He is labeled as a delivery boy once more because he is best at it. When he asks Leela why she's making him do this, she relies by saying that its their job and that "you have to do, what you have to do." Otherwise saying that he has no choice in the matter. Hating the job he flees and escapes from Leela for the time being.
He explores the new world. Upon trying to find his great great...etc. grand nephew, he finds himself in a suicide booth with a robot named Bender. They survive and become unlikely friends. They then get sighted by Leela and flee once more. They find themselves hiding in a museum with the only way out being a barred off window. Fry says that since Bender is a bending robot he needs to bend it. But Bender replies that he is only programmed for business purposes and denies. Fry asks if even if hes programmed to fly off a bridge then should he do it? Bender checks his programming and says yes because he is programmed to do so. Bender crashes into a lightbulb and changes his mind to bend the bars and get away. While in the sewers, Fry visits the old New York. He states that he is alone and that all he knows is in the past. Leela finds them once more but decides to take off her chip and join them in unemployment. They then go to Fry's great great...etc. nephew Professor Farnsworth. They find that he is an old man, Crazy and wierd like Fry (because their related) but ultimately a great source of knowledge. After escaping, they are offered a job by the Professor as space delivery people. (Which is ironic because this is what Fry was running away from the whole episode)
After watching these events unfold, many things came to my mind. A big idea was that this was super similar to Brave New World. Fry could be labeled as John the Savage in that he is a generally unappealing person who is then exposed to the new world. Although unlike John, Fry is very dumb. But non-theless finds flaws in the somewhat utopia of Futurama.
Bender in my opinion could be labeled as Bernard. He is an outcast robot that is trying to find his new place in the world. When he fails to kill himself, he finds that he has a new place in the world, to live it up as Fry's friend no matter the consequence.. Bernard as you might have read, felt insecure, isolated, lonely. The same applies to Bender as that was the reason he was trying to kill himself in the first place where he met Fry. This new friend makes Bender willing to participate in his antics as well as with the meriment of society. Albeit he trys to steal stuff from society, he wants to participate in it non-theless as it provides him with the pleasure of self and instant gratification. Bernard became popular and famous along with the finding of a new person in John. With his finding, he participates in pleasure with self and instant gratification when he sleeps with so many women.
Leela could be labeled as the Director in some way. For one, she is in charge of assigning people with their fate. The Director like Leela, is in charge of how the different castes are destined to be by pre determining their fate. She also goes against society by removing her chip, which is considered blastphamy. The Director on the other hand, is the father of a child who would ultimately go against society.
Finally, Professor Farnsworth could be labeled as Helmholtz Watson. Although not attractive or strong, the Professor is filled with knowledge as he has made many inventions. His relationship with Fry could mirror the relationship between John and Helmholtz. As John and Helmholtz share simliar ideas (about Shakespeare for example) they undoubtly have different views about how its presented. He sees the greatness of Shakespeares works but laughs at the ideas of things like mothers. He is defined by what that culture makes him. This shows that even the smartest of people aren't entirely invincible to how society tries to manipulate them. The same could be said about Fry and the Professor. Fry is amazed at the future. But even though Fry and the Professor share the same ideas, (granted Fry's are more abstract and vague) the Professors ideas are influenced by the future by the way he sees things.
Is it just merely chance that Matt Groening has made his basis of a show on that of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World? Is it just chance that these cartoon characters could share these similar traits with those from the book? Coincidence?...I think not.
Stability?
I find it quite odd how much the people in Brave New World discuss that stability is very important. Not only that, but they say that it's the primal and ultimate need. However, while Mustapha Mond is talking about this with the students, Lenina is conversing with Fanny and Fanny is telling her that she must not be so committed with Henry Foster. She specifically tells her that she must be more promiscuous. If stability is so important, then why do they encourage promiscuity? How can there be stability in a relationship if both the man and the woman in the relationship are continually with others? I believe Huxley made both of these conversations occur simultaneously so that the readers could open their eyes and make the questions stated above. The reason why in our culture (although this has decreased) it is taught to wait until marriage or wait until we are more mature to have sex, it is because that way we won't be promiscuous, which could lead to being in relationships only for sex. Hence, these relationships would be unstable since there is no real connection between the couple. Instead, we are taught to start off the relationship with that connection. In the book, the characters are taught to be promiscuous since a very early age, which would lead to unstable relationships when they are older. Therefore, it is contradicting to what they say that all they do is in order to have stability throughout the people.
Mario Ayala
Mario Ayala
Ummm, Mrs. Fletcher...
Does my "Sort of off topic but an important point for an AP English blog" thread count? I am not actually certain if it qualifies.
Sort of off topic but an important point for an AP English blog
This post is quite unrelated to what is usually talked about on this blog, but I felt it was interesting and something to think about.
Today I watched the final episode of one of my favorite television shows, Scrubs. In the last few days I have spent watching the final episodes, of which I obtained through the internet, I noticed a theme that is reproduced within another, though extremely different, hospital show. I found that the character traits between Dr. Percival “Perry” Cox and Dr. Gregory House (obviously from the primetime television melodrama, House) amazingly similar. Both doctors shun the thought of “touchy-feely” emotions; they seem to think that such feelings make them seem weak. Contrary to this, as you get to know these characters you will find that they are actually the most vulnerable of all. Dr. Cox actually cares too much for the well being of his patients. This may seem like a noble trait but it causes Cox to come down extremely hard on himself, furthermore, while he pretends to loathe previous student and now college Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian, on certain occasions he shows his utmost respect for the man. In the series finale he actually corrects an intern’s opinion of J.D. by saying that Dorian is the best doctor to ever walk the halls of the Sacred Heart Hospital, and that he is not restricted to being an amazing physician, but also an amazing person in general. While Dr. House cannot be characterized as an over-caring doctor, he is actually an extremely vulnerable man when it comes to a relationship, whether friendly or otherwise. Dr. House has met disappointment or scorn time after time. This unfortunate history has given way to his rather abrupt and extremely abrasive personality. House is constantly seen as a man that only takes from others and also one that distances himself from even his closest friend. House, as it turns out, is afraid of disappointment and therefore sabotages all possible relationships, whether it be consciously or not. These characters represent a very common character type in literature, and that is the abrasive, rude and unpleasant person who may seem unreliable, but at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, they are the hero that saves the day.
Want or Need?
As I reached the end of Postman's book, many things started to make more sense to me. In chapter 10, it talked about how teachers nowadays are trying new teaching methods to get the students interested in learning. It states that, "learning increases when information is presented in a dramatic setting" (150) and students only learn well when they are " interested in what they are learning" (146) Yes, that is very true and mostly likely can be proven, but why is it that leaning is always for the convenience of the learner? What students do not understand these days is that you can not learn what you want, but learn what you need. In a sense, learning, school, reading, memorizing... etc. is not at all fun, but don't we just have to deal with it? We can't always get what we want and I think that is the biggest problem we have today in America. Everyone is always wanting to this and to know that. But in reality, they are missing out on what they need. Then people are so surprised that people can't make their own conversations, or think for themselves anymore. But that is only half our fault. The other half consist of the shows, and new gadgets that people want other people to buy, know, own, talk about. The media and entertainment businesses don't care for what the people need, they give them what they want so they can forget what truely matters more.
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