Hey everyone!I recently bought Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World in order to make a comparison of the dystopian future that he presents to the one presented in George Orwell’s 1984.While stumbling last night, I found this really interesting webcomic that compares the different fears that the two books had in regards to media and the way that information is presented to us and also what information is presented to us on a daily basis, as well as the way media changes and shapes our lives as a tool of communication.We already talked in class about some interesting trends on TV news and what is reported in newspapers, such as more crime reports when crime is going down, the reporting of “news” of questionable importance [Tiger Woods] and the preponderance of reports over missing White women as opposed to women of color.With the current debates over net neutrality and copyright vs. fair use issues, it seems like we’re starting to run into some of the issues that Huxley and Orwell wrote about.So I was wondering if you guys could take a look at the comic and tell me whose fears (Orwell’s or Huxley’s) you think are more real today and to what extent?I’m really interested to know what you guys think about the media’s role in shaping not just our present, but our futures as well.Thanks, hopefully I’ll hear from you guys.
Both "utopias" (or should i say dystopias?) are pretty scary. But I guess Huxley's utopia is a lot scarier than Orwell's. I remember reading Brave New World for my summer reading assignment in high school. It gave me the chills up to my spine. (Orwell's? Not so much.) Everyone is happy..in an eerie way. We become static dolls. Society is shaping in a way that creativity and innovation is non-existent. Everything is static. Perhaps this is one better way to help humans evolve to a higher state of mind.* But are we still human (without creativity and innovation)?
Orwell's utopia is much like ours today. The govt tries to make us think that everything is good, although we know that it's not. The govt in Orwell's 1984 keeps track of our thoughts, yet we STILL think about rebelling somehow, sometime. However, in Huxley's utopia..when everyone's desire is fulfilled..no one is complaining OR even thinks about complaining. There is only a minute number of us in our society who will think about bring changes. But that is pretty rare. This is because our desires are fulfilled. But I guess this can also happen in Orwell's utopia..
*I'm referring to Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End. If you're into evolution, utopia, and human instrumentality, Childhood's End is most definitely a recommendation for you. This sci-fi classic is a bible to me. I even went to buy the hard cover and gold plated copy that costed me a fortune. But it IS that good.
It's quite recent that I start digging into sci-fi, mostly about dystopias, evolution, human instrumentality and all that depressing stuff..I can recommend you a few good books. So, just hit me.
Image courtesy of recombinantrecords.net
Both "utopias" (or should i say dystopias?) are pretty scary. But I guess Huxley's utopia is a lot scarier than Orwell's. I remember reading Brave New World for my summer reading assignment in high school. It gave me the chills up to my spine. (Orwell's? Not so much.) Everyone is happy..in an eerie way. We become static dolls. Society is shaping in a way that creativity and innovation is non-existent. Everything is static. Perhaps this is one better way to help humans evolve to a higher state of mind.* But are we still human (without creativity and innovation)?
ReplyDeleteOrwell's utopia is much like ours today. The govt tries to make us think that everything is good, although we know that it's not. The govt in Orwell's 1984 keeps track of our thoughts, yet we STILL think about rebelling somehow, sometime. However, in Huxley's utopia..when everyone's desire is fulfilled..no one is complaining OR even thinks about complaining. There is only a minute number of us in our society who will think about bring changes. But that is pretty rare. This is because our desires are fulfilled. But I guess this can also happen in Orwell's utopia..
*I'm referring to Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End. If you're into evolution, utopia, and human instrumentality, Childhood's End is most definitely a recommendation for you. This sci-fi classic is a bible to me. I even went to buy the hard cover and gold plated copy that costed me a fortune. But it IS that good.
It's quite recent that I start digging into sci-fi, mostly about dystopias, evolution, human instrumentality and all that depressing stuff..I can recommend you a few good books. So, just hit me.