Suhua Yu
The
objective of this work in writing is to examine the production of the show
‘Fifteen Million Merits” and to answer as to the non-narrative elements used
including such as music, color, imagery, symbolism and to answer what is used
in this production to make it an effective and compelling dystopia. In
addition, this study will answer what of today’s world is it satirizing and if
the present society is getting closer to its reality.
“Fifteen
Million Merits” is the second episode in the series of Black Mirror. This show is a satire on shows that are produced for
entertainment purposes and the audiences desire for entertaining distraction in
television and movies. In this dystopia all individuals are required to ride
exercise bicycles because this energy is utilized to provide power in the
society and earns the individual ‘merits’ which is the currency form in this
society. This is a slave society in which the individuals in society are at the
mercy of the powers that be. In addition, the people’s daily lives are barraged
with advertisements that they have to pay attention to or they will be charged
fines.
The music used in this production is a happy type of
music that sounds like a song of love and generally is used at moments to
produce an aura of joy. The instrumental soundtrack used in this production sounds
like it has guitar and perhaps some reed. The instrumental soundtrack is
disharmonic to a great degree and has a sense of foreboding as the music
travels through the composition with movements that are joyful then returning
to a sound that is not nearly as harmonic. Some of the music is reminiscent of
a type of carousel music and reminds one as well of the music used in cartoon
productions for children. The use of this type of music makes the dystopia more
compelling because the cartoon music combined with the actions, setting, and
realities of the characters in this production creates such disharmony
combining reality with sounds associated with children and entertainment of
children. In the society of today a comparison could be the use of cartoon
viewing for prisoners while they are being put to death by lethal injection. It
is the sharp difference in the use of this type music in a very harsh reality
that makes such a disharmonic combination. The music in this show works well to
give an eerie feeling of dystopia and the mirrors that are present everywhere
certainly add to this feeling of dystopia.
This
production is a satire on the present society which demands entertainment and
which contains sensationalism that is liked to sexual messages prevalent
throughout all of television production and advertisement. This is true in the
present society as well as advertisements in between scheduled programming contain
and relate all types of sexual messages from what type of clothing one should
wear to the type of feminine products one should use. Advertisements tell the
audience what they should drive and what type of perfume they should wear in
order to have sex appeal. In today’s programming the same element of sexuality
is presented indicating that sleeping with many partners is to be desired and
that infidelity is the norm among those whom are married. Today’s society is
very much like the society in ‘Fifteen Million Merits’ in that, in order to
watch television programming one is essentially required to cope with if they
are to watch television in the present society. This type of sexual
indoctrination is also present in children’s shows with innuendos that adults
fully understand and while not yet understood by children instills certain
concepts into their minds in the manner of planting seeds that will take root
in their minds and personalities as they become older.
The episode ‘Fifteen Million Merits’ is a futuristic type
world and features ‘black mirrors’ which are ever present in all aspects of the
lives of the characters. In many ways, the black mirrors are similar to the
cameras that exist everyone that one goes in society today. Security cameras
dot the landscape throughout towns and cities both on the streets and inside
buildings, in restaurants, department stores and even in the workplace in
today’s society. These black mirrors add to the air of dystopia in this
production and are a symbol of the lack of liberty and privacy in the society
in “Fifteen Million Merits”. The merits
earned from the power generated riding the bicycles are used and every little
need of the individuals whether it be something from a vending machine or even
purchasing some toothpaste results in merits being taken away from the net
worth of the individual. The idea of the Verichip that has been introduced only
minimally by volunteers in today’s world by which they can be tracked
everywhere they go and the ability to track their purchases by this chip
inserted under their skin makes the idea of a merit tracking system in the
present society something that is an ominous reality.
This
particular episode is focused on a character named Bing who owns more merits
than most people due to inheriting these upon the death of his brother. His
daily life is comprised by awaking in a room that is very small with walls
comprised completely by screens. Today’s world is much like this as one cannot
pump their gas at Wal-Mart without being in the presence of a screen attached
to the top of the gas pump that is spouting out information to the purchaser of
the gas. There are many other such screens already present in society and it
appears the writer of this work is aware of such in society and making an
effective statement of the potential of such ever-present screens in the life
of an individual.
Bing
rides his bike and looks at his avatar who is also riding a bike. When Bing
returns to his room his mind is flooded with porn and what are called ‘Hot Shot’
ads which he can skip if he wants to but this costs him some of his merits. Bing
meets a woman named Abi and urges her to go on ‘Hot Shot’ purchasing her a
ticket at the price of 15 million merits, an awfully large amount in this
production. Abi enters the competition but does not win but because she is very
attractive is offered a role in porn which would allow her to get away from the
daily bike riding earning her merits to live. Later in the show, there is a
scene where Bing is forced to watch Abi in a porn advertisement and when he
attempts to shut his eyes there are sirens and flashing lights and he is forced
to open his eyes and watch. Bing manages to save enough merits to buy himself a
slot on the show ‘Hot Shot’ and in his performance he rants about the terrible
way that the society is in this world. One of the judges likes his performance
complete with a shard of glass in his hand threatening to cut himself and he is
given a 30-minute slot performances which are featured next to avatars and porn.
While Bing has managed to earn enough merits to
retire in wealth and this is indeed how the show ends the truth is that
the society in which he lived did not undergo a change due to what he states as
true about the society but instead the powers that be in this society have used
his rantings as a form of entertainment and therefore has demonstrated to the
people in this society that Bings ‘reality show’ while revealing the ills of
this society is no more than fanfare and entertainment for the masses. Bing has
earned for himself a better life but ultimately has not bettered society or the
lives of others in this society.
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