Black Mirror’s “The National Anthem” — are we living it?
Black Mirror has — hands down — got to be the most trippy and mind-boggling show that I have ever seen. Ranging from topics such as social media addiction (“Nosedive”), the post-truth era (“The Waldo Moment”), or corporal abuse of individuals (“Fifteen Million Merits”), this Netflix series has predicted and tackled many issues our society faces today.
However, “The National Anthem” (S1E1) in particular has stood out to me. If you haven’t seen it, British Prime Minister Michael Callow is forced to react after Princess Susannah, a member of the royal family, is kidnapped. Nevertheless, the entire room goes quiet when the ransom is heard: the Prime Minister must “make love” to a pig. On live national television.
Callow proceeds to tell his secretary to withhold such demands from the public; however, we quickly discover that the video was already posted on YouTube hours ago. Although removed after nine minutes, many members of the public have already viewed and downloaded the clip, reaching international audiences that air the news almost immediately. And despite the expected disgust, they still choose to watch Callow have sexual intercourse with a pig — their eyes glued to the screen the entire duration. The irony is that Princess Susannah was released before the end of the scheduled broadcast, shedding light to a bigger issue at hand: while people are too busy focusing on their screens, they become unaware of what’s truly significant.
If you asked me how likely we are to experience this dystopian reality now back in 2011, when this episode first premiered, I’d laugh and tell you that you were crazy. That we would never reach the point where technology ruled every aspect of our lives. However, I’m now realizing that I was wrong. We’re already there.
Everywhere I go, people are on their phones. Whether they’re in class, at the movies, or at concerts, they seemingly have that small device held up in front of them, missing out on whatever is happening before. It appears as if if a controversial event did occur, we’d be occupied more so on the logistics of its overall orchestration, rather than the intent itself. Characters in “The National Anthem” didn’t care for Princess Susannah’s safety as much as they wanted to see a renowned figure perform an indecent act.
Because it’s the controversy that sells.
Nobody wants to see the Prime Minister sitting at his desk, serving the nation. People want scandals. Nobody wants to follow a healthy, celebrity relationship that spans over 10 years. People want to read about their break-ups and make-ups.
And I blame ourselves. It’s human nature to want to read about gossip or something “juicy” and the norm for media outlets to blow topics out of proportion for a story to be born. In fact, we’re so caught up with the fictional world that we tend to disregard the simple normality of life, especially since everything is at our fingertips.
“Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we’re too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.”
— Steven Spielberg
I find myself simply astonished at how accurately Black Mirror reflects the world now, and I wonder if this has always been our fate. As if it was predetermined by a television show, created years ago for mockery and entertainment purposes. And if I’m honest, I am terrified.
