The Dystopia(s) of My Youth
I'm done (as of Sunday[8/15]) of watching "Max Headroom"; all I have are memories of spiced rum coolers and ranch chip dip. /obtuse
(LJ/DW extra): I'm going to watch the extra features just because I can, and I want to know more. I may search FF.net to see if anyone shipped any Edison Carter/ Theora Jones stories. I don't want to know about Murry/Bryce/Grossburg/Cheviot slash though... [shudders] Or perhaps a crossover or two.
It got me thinking of all the movies that were played out in a dystopic settings (yes, especially "Blade Runner") similar in a way to MH: the outcasts, the corporate control of society in general, and whatever tech the creative types who were dreaming nightmareing up these potential futures. (I'm referring them as potential as they haven't happened... yet.)
Max Headroom's society is based on the possibility that the future will have ten thousand channels/networks that everyone will get for free, yet there is really nothing on,let alone a computer network scheme that doesn't take the Infotubenethingamajig that we enojoy today into concideration, until Edison Carter's mind and memories are copied to computer files after getting into an "accident" when he discovers a dangerous TV advertisement technology (30 second ads compressed to 3 seconds a.k.a. "Blipverts") that causes fatal side effects to the lazy. Those files, plus Bryce's (Mr. Whiz-kid of the show) ability to make a digital avatar of those files,creates a simulation of Edison who in turn becomes a sentient program that bears the MH moniker.
The real difference between MH and all the rest, aside from the witty one liners from The Governator's that sometimes he said, is that the series can actually be funny and smart at times to buffer the depressing scenery.
To those who didn't get the food ref, Seagrams had a spiced rum cooler and Frito-Lay had a dip that was ranch flavored. I liked them too much before they got ganked just like Max did. Oddly enough, I consumed these products during during the show.
(LJ/DW extra): I'm going to watch the extra features just because I can, and I want to know more. I may search FF.net to see if anyone shipped any Edison Carter/ Theora Jones stories. I don't want to know about Murry/Bryce/Grossburg/Cheviot slash though... [shudders] Or perhaps a crossover or two.
It got me thinking of all the movies that were played out in a dystopic settings (yes, especially "Blade Runner") similar in a way to MH: the outcasts, the corporate control of society in general, and whatever tech the creative types who were dreaming nightmareing up these potential futures. (I'm referring them as potential as they haven't happened... yet.)
Max Headroom's society is based on the possibility that the future will have ten thousand channels/networks that everyone will get for free, yet there is really nothing on,let alone a computer network scheme that doesn't take the Infotubenethingamajig that we enojoy today into concideration, until Edison Carter's mind and memories are copied to computer files after getting into an "accident" when he discovers a dangerous TV advertisement technology (30 second ads compressed to 3 seconds a.k.a. "Blipverts") that causes fatal side effects to the lazy. Those files, plus Bryce's (Mr. Whiz-kid of the show) ability to make a digital avatar of those files,creates a simulation of Edison who in turn becomes a sentient program that bears the MH moniker.
The real difference between MH and all the rest, aside from the witty one liners from The Governator's that sometimes he said, is that the series can actually be funny and smart at times to buffer the depressing scenery.
To those who didn't get the food ref, Seagrams had a spiced rum cooler and Frito-Lay had a dip that was ranch flavored. I liked them too much before they got ganked just like Max did. Oddly enough, I consumed these products during during the show.