Dollhouse
A great series everyone should watch, I don't know how it went under my radar. In college I wrote some cyberpunk about a similar powerful corporation that ended up running its massive computer system on human brains. It was more about shared memories and defining if humanity had anything unique to offer, or if everyone's feeling of self-identity was just a persistent dream fueled by incomplete perception. The conclusion I reached, and why I stopped writing, is that even cyborgs will be in a similar 'dollhouse' predicament, constantly changing their definition of self, and not having any real reason to live. It was depressing.
Every state of consciousness involves perception to generate, and every state of perception is flawed. Nobody can see everything, or be aware of what everyone is thinking, planning, dreaming; even when connected in a group think like star trek borg system... at that point the bandwidth slows down the thought, so even if every human in the universe was assimilated, the borg still wouldn't be fully self-conscious. And still while each unit is perceptive of each other's perceptions, they will never truly be aware. Eliza Dushku's "Echo" had to shift her states of consciousness from one identity to the next, which was the power she held... if she was just the sum of her parts, there would be only ever one thread and the strengths and weaknesses would blur together and average out into a dulled self-model (think borg), taking away from the strength that comes from a single identity each with a unique sharpened edge able to focus on a particular task and be less perceptive of the rest. The comment on self-models is interesting. When actors get into a role and find it hard to get out, or when a young adult is suicidal and wakes up every morning feeling terribly empty... why are we unable to easily switch our model of self? Or grow new ones quicker than we do?
Are actors who perfect this talent skilled in some way, a kind of meta human? After watching this series, I would argue so. Although, is it any coincidence that Heath Leger killed himself while becoming the Joker? Got into role a little too much... perhaps even taking many of those drugs in order to find the self identity the Joker would have?
The conclusion I come to, is that everyone is in the dollhouse. Acting, having to come to terms with the fact that they will never be able to perceive accurately. Alcohol makes people 'happy' in the sense that it stops (or at least slows) their self model, and their thread of consciousness returns to a more base level at some point in the BAC spectrum, not unlike the 'dolls' in the show. Happiness and relaxation with the sentiment "I try to be my best"... I loved that - we really are programmed with an idea that we can be 'better', that we're broken, and will have to always strive to become more than what we are.
Often relationships start at a subconscious level because people want to 'become more'.
How many divorces happen simply because people become connected and are unable to find any way in which they can 'become more' together, so they simply get bored and feel like they have to look elsewhere to 'be their best'?
And how many relationships (at least sexual) start after alcohol? Men all over the planet, creating dolls by having them drink, then imprinting them.
These (somewhat negative) thoughts aside, I wish there was a Topher episode, entirely centered on his character. My favorite episodes were the ones where his identity was implanted into Victor. He would have built a lot more interesting gadgets and toys, and he never got to play with these.
A dream recorder - it would have been great to see the dolls', void of memory, dreaming up reality before they ever knew it. The concept of The Attic, a shared dream... why did Topher not see that coming? Or take place in its creation? He definitely should have had at least some tech related to it. Also, he should have cloned himself in all the houses and developed the group awareness module, (the borg chip) or at least tweaked it after getting it from Echo. This was a MAJOR hole in the series, one I consider unforgivable. Joss Whedon, I am going to meet you someday, and slap you for thinking you could maintain the curtain over the geek population without them realizing Topher would have tried to hack into the Attic.
Also, in the last episode where they had him building at gunpoint, they would have had 50 of him working together. 1 is just not nearly as efficient, especially with bodies being so cheap. I was very confused that he would be malnourished with a boss that pigged out on a feast amidst a population resorting to cannibalism because finding food was difficult. Wouldn't you feed the guy making your tech? ;0
IMDB is so weird. I end up wanting to stalk the writers of the show. Its awesome that Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon helped write it and are engaged. I love it when writers give themselves minor roles in the film in some way. But Hollywood seems so odd to me. Even the biggest stars are somewhat at the whim of what work is going on that year and have to accept small parts in it, only really touching the art piece in small ways. Was Dushku fully conscious of the levels of meta going on in her character, or just saying her lines? God she's gorgeous. I can't imagine she's all there though, choosing a boyfriend (Rick Fox from Celtics/Lakers) who previously dated Tyra Banks, then wed Tyra's friend Vanessa, and divorced (after having a kid, the ultimate crime). I suppose you can't judge a person on their past though, since we're always becoming something different, right? Learn through mistakes?
Then I wonder how up to date IMDB is on its star-stalking and if it matters if I know these sort of things anyway. Why do I care? Why am I judgmental?
Dushku's tattoo is somewhat related, I looked it up (I'm considering getting one, always curious why others have gotten theirs and what they mean to them).
Her tattoo is "Lead Kindly Light" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead,_Kindly_Light which somehow comes from Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." -- very awesome for an actress to have. Her path is definitely written, and I was bummed to find out she once said someone would sooner see God than see her naked, yet she did film topless. And why haven't you shut down such sites as http://www.elizadushkunaked.net/ yet? Obviously fake and tarnishing your image. If I was you I'd be google stalking myself every day, just to pick the weeds from my garden. I'm so glad I've never had to date anyone famous, I'd go crazy trying to protect them.
Jamie Lee Curtis: "It is nobody's business, and it's interesting because obviously in today's marketplace people don't abide by that. There are no boundaries that people won't cross...We're in a bit of a "Wild West" thing with media, and, I think, it's just kind of like no holds barred - the Internet. You know, there are no criteria on the Internet..."
I REALLY like the 'Wild West' Internet analogy. It is a gold rush still...
Every state of consciousness involves perception to generate, and every state of perception is flawed. Nobody can see everything, or be aware of what everyone is thinking, planning, dreaming; even when connected in a group think like star trek borg system... at that point the bandwidth slows down the thought, so even if every human in the universe was assimilated, the borg still wouldn't be fully self-conscious. And still while each unit is perceptive of each other's perceptions, they will never truly be aware. Eliza Dushku's "Echo" had to shift her states of consciousness from one identity to the next, which was the power she held... if she was just the sum of her parts, there would be only ever one thread and the strengths and weaknesses would blur together and average out into a dulled self-model (think borg), taking away from the strength that comes from a single identity each with a unique sharpened edge able to focus on a particular task and be less perceptive of the rest. The comment on self-models is interesting. When actors get into a role and find it hard to get out, or when a young adult is suicidal and wakes up every morning feeling terribly empty... why are we unable to easily switch our model of self? Or grow new ones quicker than we do?
Are actors who perfect this talent skilled in some way, a kind of meta human? After watching this series, I would argue so. Although, is it any coincidence that Heath Leger killed himself while becoming the Joker? Got into role a little too much... perhaps even taking many of those drugs in order to find the self identity the Joker would have?
The conclusion I come to, is that everyone is in the dollhouse. Acting, having to come to terms with the fact that they will never be able to perceive accurately. Alcohol makes people 'happy' in the sense that it stops (or at least slows) their self model, and their thread of consciousness returns to a more base level at some point in the BAC spectrum, not unlike the 'dolls' in the show. Happiness and relaxation with the sentiment "I try to be my best"... I loved that - we really are programmed with an idea that we can be 'better', that we're broken, and will have to always strive to become more than what we are.
Often relationships start at a subconscious level because people want to 'become more'.
How many divorces happen simply because people become connected and are unable to find any way in which they can 'become more' together, so they simply get bored and feel like they have to look elsewhere to 'be their best'?
And how many relationships (at least sexual) start after alcohol? Men all over the planet, creating dolls by having them drink, then imprinting them.
These (somewhat negative) thoughts aside, I wish there was a Topher episode, entirely centered on his character. My favorite episodes were the ones where his identity was implanted into Victor. He would have built a lot more interesting gadgets and toys, and he never got to play with these.
A dream recorder - it would have been great to see the dolls', void of memory, dreaming up reality before they ever knew it. The concept of The Attic, a shared dream... why did Topher not see that coming? Or take place in its creation? He definitely should have had at least some tech related to it. Also, he should have cloned himself in all the houses and developed the group awareness module, (the borg chip) or at least tweaked it after getting it from Echo. This was a MAJOR hole in the series, one I consider unforgivable. Joss Whedon, I am going to meet you someday, and slap you for thinking you could maintain the curtain over the geek population without them realizing Topher would have tried to hack into the Attic.
Also, in the last episode where they had him building at gunpoint, they would have had 50 of him working together. 1 is just not nearly as efficient, especially with bodies being so cheap. I was very confused that he would be malnourished with a boss that pigged out on a feast amidst a population resorting to cannibalism because finding food was difficult. Wouldn't you feed the guy making your tech? ;0
IMDB is so weird. I end up wanting to stalk the writers of the show. Its awesome that Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon helped write it and are engaged. I love it when writers give themselves minor roles in the film in some way. But Hollywood seems so odd to me. Even the biggest stars are somewhat at the whim of what work is going on that year and have to accept small parts in it, only really touching the art piece in small ways. Was Dushku fully conscious of the levels of meta going on in her character, or just saying her lines? God she's gorgeous. I can't imagine she's all there though, choosing a boyfriend (Rick Fox from Celtics/Lakers) who previously dated Tyra Banks, then wed Tyra's friend Vanessa, and divorced (after having a kid, the ultimate crime). I suppose you can't judge a person on their past though, since we're always becoming something different, right? Learn through mistakes?
Then I wonder how up to date IMDB is on its star-stalking and if it matters if I know these sort of things anyway. Why do I care? Why am I judgmental?
Dushku's tattoo is somewhat related, I looked it up (I'm considering getting one, always curious why others have gotten theirs and what they mean to them).
Her tattoo is "Lead Kindly Light" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead,_Kindly_Light which somehow comes from Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." -- very awesome for an actress to have. Her path is definitely written, and I was bummed to find out she once said someone would sooner see God than see her naked, yet she did film topless. And why haven't you shut down such sites as http://www.elizadushkunaked.net/ yet? Obviously fake and tarnishing your image. If I was you I'd be google stalking myself every day, just to pick the weeds from my garden. I'm so glad I've never had to date anyone famous, I'd go crazy trying to protect them.
Jamie Lee Curtis: "It is nobody's business, and it's interesting because obviously in today's marketplace people don't abide by that. There are no boundaries that people won't cross...We're in a bit of a "Wild West" thing with media, and, I think, it's just kind of like no holds barred - the Internet. You know, there are no criteria on the Internet..."
I REALLY like the 'Wild West' Internet analogy. It is a gold rush still...