Yes, this thread won’t be about China, or about Trump, or about politics. It’s about the movie Idioracy. I’m putting this in IMHO, because it’s more an opinion thing. Basically, the discussion from my perspective is based on this YouTube video called: IDIOCRACY: Is It Deep or Dumb? – Wisecrack Edition, BUTT (or, I should say by), of course, Wisecrack. It’s one of the channels I subscribe too, and basically they critique movies to see if they are insightful or informative, or if the movies sort of miss the mark in what they are trying to do. So, a few things. First off, obviously, spoilers for the movie will almost certainly be happening, so if you don’t want the movie (from 14 or so years ago) to be spoiled, you should probably move along. Secondly, you don’t have to watch the video, as always…I provide it because I found it interesting. Based on past responses, that means only I will find it interesting.
Why this movie? I’ve seen this movie mentioned quite a bit in the past on the board, usually in passing, and mostly by using quotes or phrases from it that the posters don’t go into detail about but are there and usually make me laugh or smile. I liked the movie when it came out, and watched it again a few months ago when it popped up on HBO. I don’t think the movie is really insightful or predictive, so I agree with the video that it misses the mark. To me, the irony is that a lot of people who DO think the movie is some sort of prophetic vision of the future are doing so from a very biased and uninformed basis. Something I could see pseudo intellectual types with pretensions thinking is the trajectory we are on. It seems a lot of people think the world is getting dummer (it’s not), that populations are out of control and it will be the ‘stupid’ people who take over (they aren’t and it’s not), that crime is out of control (it isn’t) the world is going to hell in a hand cart (it isn’t) and dogs and cats living together (ok…they actually are in this case) with MASS HYSTERIA!!! The reality is far different than the narrative, and I think that this movie demonstrates the narrative, but misses (mostly) the reality.
I still love the movie. It’s one of my own dirty pleasures to watch it and if you haven’t seen it (why are you still here?? SPOILERS!!) I recommend watching it at least once.
Agreed. Whatever the genre, if you’re looking for discussion about the movie, Cafe Society would be the most appropriate venue. I’ll relocate it from IMHO.
One common mistake people make about this movie is thinking it’s about the future. It’s not. Like most science fiction, it’s set in the future. But like all science fiction (and, indeed, most fiction of any sort), it’s about the present. The main underlying premise is not that we’re getting stupid, but that we already are. It’s just exaggerated in the movie to drive the point home.
Which is also why the movie never shows us just who is making all of this wondrous technology that’s so well-engineered that even idiots can use it.
It cribbed shamelessly from from Cyril Kornbluth’s “The Marching Morons” (and his other works). At the very least, they should have given his estate credit.
I do like the movie, but the fact it was using another author’s work left a bad taste in my mouth.
Brilliant people who have been dead for a long, long time. Their society is running on inertia. Things are breaking down, and no one knows how to fix them. A plane crashes during the movie and no one seems to even notice. “My first wife was 'tarded. She’s a pilot now…”
I think a point lost by casual viewers is that the society is right on the verge of a country-wide famine. Once they started using Brawndo on plants, they have no food growing at all. Take the throw-away scene with the Carl’s Jr kiosk. It didn’t give food because the machine was broke, or run by idiots, but because there is no food! If it wasn’t for Joe, 70-100% of America would be dead within a year. And they wouldn’t even know it was happening.
It’s not really all that similar to Kornbluth’s work. Those weren’t about humanity getting dumber, but about humanity splitting into a dumb population and a smart one.
It is funny to note in the 13 years since the movie came out, how large the anti-vax movement has grown, or how many people will now blindly believe a “fact” if it is printed on a meme. The dumbing down of society is already here.
But that’s the point of the video linked in the OP. The problem isn’t anti-intellectualism, it’s pseudo-intellectualism. Flat earthers and anti-vaxxers construct complicated arguments for their positions. They are complete BS, but they are more than “Does that look round to you!?” or “Ain’t nobody sticking no needle in my baby!” People aren’t any more dumb than they ever were, but the new media allows misinformation to spread incredibly fast.
As I recall - I thought it started out quite good, but then ran out of steam. Really loved the very beginning part, when they discuss why some folk have fewer offspring than others.
I liked the movie for multiple reasons. For one less educated people actually do have more kids. I’m not sure of the connection between iq and fertility but there is a negative correlation between education and fertility. It won’t matter as biotechnology and machine intelligence advance but it’s a trend.
But also idiocracy is actually better than a real life idiocracy.
The president was black and people tolerated different races. Women held positions of power. The leaders admitted when they were wrong and needed help from people smarter than themselves. None of that happens in a real life idiocracy.
No, it was about society getting dumber, and for the exact same reason shown in the movie. The only difference was that in Kornbluth some people saw the trend and managed to keep things from falling into chaos.
They also both had the device of putting the protagonist into suspended animation. Common enough, but I can’t believe the screenwriters never read Kornbluth.
They didn’t use Kornbluth’s ending, which is very problematic, not to mention that it contradicts itself. (“It’s impossible to do this.” “Now we’re doing that and it’s working.”)
This right here is why I get annoyed whenever I see someone compare Trump to President Camacho. We’d be way better off if Trump were as “stupid” as President Camacho.
