the reality of science fiction around us
TRANSCRIPT
The Reality of Science
Fiction Around
Us…
By: Carolina Lopez
As we were kids we grew up watching different science fiction movies and shows on TV. Some made us happy and entertained, while others made us mad and sad.
However, these emotions were all based on the literal presentation of what we saw. Have you ever stopped and wondered what the meaning behind these movies and shows were? Did you know that the majority of these science fiction movies and shows have an underlying meaning and theme relating to the real life issues? The actors/actresses that you idolize when watching TV, are playing a role to bring out the underlying meanings to life. Everyone watches TV and has watched a science fiction related movie or show. However, many are not aware that science fiction is mixed with real life issues such as racism, gender roles, technology and control by
superior figures (to name a few). My goal for this project is to deepen an individual’s perspective on science fiction elements and think beyond the literal
representation. Individuals should be able to see the various themes and real world issues that are emphasized in some of the most popular science fiction shows,
movies and figures.
Creator Statement…
A is for ALIENS
Aliens is a movie that represents women empowerment and is primarily surrounded by gender issues. Ripley, the woman protagonist of this movie, encounters various situations where male figures try to control her, due to the many masculine figures she was surrounded by. However, Ripley holds her own ground, using her
strength and intelligence takes charge in the obstacles she encounters.
B is for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Battlestar Galactica depicts the conflict encountered between the Asian interracial families. This TV series highlights a variety of interracial relationships and indirectly shows conflicts between these types of
relationships. For the most part, everyone in this show is in a relationship with someone of a different race.
However, the marriage of an Asian woman with a white man, illustrates how the U.S/Asian relations has altered
overtime.
C is for Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a term that represents the oppression in a society dominated by computer technology. This genre of science fiction pertains to the loss of morality and humanity, due to a sense of helplessness and misery. Most films that are based on cyberpunk are about individuals who use their technological expertise to dominate those around them. These individuals use
their computer-based knowledge to control the lives of others either for their own benefits or to benefit their
government and society.
D is for DARK ANGEL
Dark angel is a television series that pertains to the use of technological means to alter the human genome. This
series is full of bioengineering, in order to make the ‘Dark Angel’ strong and fit for survival. The government uses a combination of human DNA with feline DNA, to increase the individual’s strength, high stamina, enhance vision and quick healing (to name a few), to create the
perfect soldier that they could benefit from.
E is for ELYSIUM
Elysium explores a variety of themes. However, this movie primarily reflects on class struggles between the
wealthy and the poor. Additionally, there are comparisons of the ‘American Dream’, the reasoning why many immigrants come to the United States. Elysium is considered to be like the U.S, a place that many people believe to be the good life, surrounded by opportunities and less hardships. Everyone who lived in the Elysium space station are considered to be the wealthy and this is where everyone who lived in the corrupted Earth wanted to go to, to either survive the hardships or life
itself.
F is for FIREFLY
Firefly depicts a an indirect theme of social class and the lack of help by the government to those in need. In this show the Alliance, the federal government formed by the American and Chinese culture, are considered the top class and potentially live a good life with all the resources they have. However, the Alliance push the
frontier and those below them aside, depriving them of any resources and help, due to the little benefits the Alliance would get from helping them. The Alliance in
this show would rather see others die and sick, as long as their own necessities are met.
G is for GATTACA
This movie focuses on the future of technological developments, regarding genetic manipulation and
discrimination. The idea of the ‘perfect gene’ is what is looked upon and studied. However, if the perfect gene did exist and technology had the capability of inserting these genes in humans, wouldn’t the human population
be closely related. Now a days, many possible technological advancements are possible, which is why this movie reflects such a possibility of creating the perfect individual, if they acquire the perfect gene.
H is for HALLE BERRY
Halle Berry, represents an opposing view on gender roles when it comes to women. Women are seen to be passive
and dependent on the power of a masculine figure. However, in ‘Catwoman’, Halle Berry uses her femininity to control those around her. She is independent and shows no sort of attachment to a masculine figure for her well being. She instead, shows that women can use their
sensuality and feminine attributes for their own benefit and control. Halle Berry not only shows this image in
science fiction, but she shows this image of an empowering feminine woman in other genres of movies, which shows that not only science fiction movie depicts real life issues, this message is depicted in other type of
entertainment as well.
I is for INCEPTION
This movie is a representation on how the government uses technology to acquire what they need and are
looking for. In inception, technology is used to invade a person’s dreams and inner most thoughts, in order to steal one’s plans and ideas. In this world of inception, being physically safe from burglary isn’t good enough. Now, those who are targeted are invaded through
shared dreams, so that people like the government or others can get information that one wouldn’t speak of in
a conscious state.
J is for JULIANNE MOORE
Julianne Moore plays a dominant role in the movie “Children of Men”. She is the leader of a terrorist
organization, looking into and fighting for bettering the rights of illegal immigrants. In order to do so, Julianne is not afraid to use weapons and be physical to get what she wants. Her character in this movie represents the
traditional masculine behaviors and shows how a female can adopt these behaviors as well. In this movie, it is evident that Julianne didn’t use her femininity to get
what she wanted, she adopted the masculine behaviors and got physical.
K is for KATNISS EVERDEEN
Katniss Everdeen plays a unique feminine, yet dominant role in “The Hunger Games”. She is a typical bad a** female protagonist who kills, fights and protects her
own. However, the gender role is seen with her partner, Peeta, who is physically masculine and strong, but
emotionally a stereotypical female. In this relationship between Peeta and Katniss, Katniss plays the man in the relationship and shows little dependence on a male in her life. She is hard to read and isn’t the typical lovey dovey, emotional female protagonist in a relationship, which shows that not all women are vulnerable in
relationships like many believe.
L is for LOOPER
This movie depicts the benefits criminals get from the use of technology to time travel to the past and future. The point of time traveling in this movie is to allow criminals to kill whom they like or need dead, but to avoid any evidence in the
future (body or remains), the victim is sent to the past and killed there, leaving their remains behind. This shows how intelligent criminals are getting over time and although time traveling isn’t available now, there are other means criminals can use to avoid getting caught and successfully commit their
crime.
M is for MELANIE STRYDER
Melanie Stryder plays the leading role in the movie ‘The Host’, a movie about extra terrestrial species taking over the human race. These species want to capture every human on earth and in order to find the last humans alive, they use Melanie’s body and memories to do so. These creatures are trying to alter the human body and use Melanie for their beneficial purposes and needs, just as seen in the novel Dawn with Lilith and the Oankali.
N is for NATASHA HENSTRIDGE
Natasha Henstridge in the movie ‘Species’ shows her audience how it is to be a combination of two races,
human and alien, due to a DNA exchange and ATTEMPT for a successful experiment. In this movie, Henstridge uses her sensuality and human-like, supermodel female body to seduce men and potentially target them as
mates. However, her extreme violent alien side comes out when these men don’t fit her criteria and she considers them to be in suitable for her needs. Her
character depicts how she uses her different human and alien like attributes to get what she wants and for her
control.
O is for OBLIVION
In this movie, it is though that a different race of species, aliens, invaded the earth and the protagonist (Tom
Cruise) is fighting to save humanity. However, the reality is that humans are going against each other to acquire and keep as much of earth’s resources to themselves. In order for this to occur, Tom Cruise is lied to and cloned,
making the process easier and beneficial for their superiors. This movie depicts how humanity can go
against one another to benefit from the loss of others.
P is for PLANET OF THE APES
In this movie franchise, humans experience a world that is dominated by members of a different species, apes. In this world, the humans are known as the “others”. It is evident that there is a reversal in social order, when
humans are being shot, killed, held captive and tortured by the apes, a species that we would normally see as the “others”. This representation of social order, can be compared to the mistreatment many minority groups
experienced by those in dominant groups.
R is for RESIDENT EVIL
Resident Evil is a movie pertaining to biotechnology manipulation, in order to make the strong soldier. The pharmaceutical company, Umbrella, made the T-virus, which is used to change the host’s DNA, allowing the person’s body to biologically be able to take on the
enemies and differing it from the normal human body. This virus allows the host to lack the sensation of pain and fear. However, a side effect for this virus can potentially turn a person into a zombie and provide
them with the opposite effects.
Q is for QUARANTINE
Quarantine is yet another, but popular film pertaining to the loss of humanity from changing the human race into zombie like creatures. These zombies are a product of a mysterious strain of rabies, that once infected by a bit or
scratch urns humans into incontrollable maniacs attacking other humans. This transformation from
humans into zombies, can represent how humanity acts towards the negativity going on in the world around them. Humans aren’t getting any more passive than
zombies themselves.
S is for STAR WARS
In this movie series we encounter various characters that make up the racial and stereotypical profiles of different ethnicities. The high ranking officers are white males, which shows the power by a dominant racial group.
Additionally, the Neimoidians are described with Asian stereotypical profile and the Gungans have more of an
African American profile.
T is for TERMINATOR
Masculinity and the depiction of white males as the ‘superheroes’ is highly evident in this movie. However this movie franchise has altered its image on masculinity
throughout time. The first movie in this franchise, masculinity is seen in an exaggerated amount (hyper masculinity), to the point that a lack of reality and humanity was present in this individual. When the
second movie came out, masculinity was more humane and relatable to the present day masculine figure,
strong, yet consisting of emotions.
U is for ULTRAVIOLET
In Ultraviolet we see the how the government uses their control for their own benefits, rather than help the
people in need. The government is trying to capture and exterminate citizens who are infected with a virus, that gives them vampire-like symptoms. In order to avoid the spread of this virus, their first and only approach is to kill these citizens, when they could easily just try to isolate them and find a cure. This movie depicts unnecessary violence and in a way shows a form of genocide to the
infected population.
V is for VENDETTA
This movie depicts a form of gender and mistreatment to minority groups who are classified under
homosexuals, political opponents or those considered to be undesirable. In Vendetta, gays and lesbians are imprisoned by the government and are subjects to medical experimentations in concentration camps. These people were tortured, due to their sexual preferences, which made them undesirable to the
community or society at that. Vendetta on the other hand, shows how violence can be used to fight for
freedom and obtain equal rights for others.
W is for WOLVERINE
A theme that is considered to be very powerful is the idea of immortality. In this movie, Logan also known as the Wolverine has the power of being immortal, never dying. With that said, everyone who wants to hurt the wolverine can’t physically hurt him, but they do so by killing the people closest to him. This movie depicts a sense of helplessness and loneliness by the wolverine’s part, because he can’t prevent anything from happening to his loved ones, due to his curse and the hate of his
enemies.
X is for X-MEN
X-men shows a representation of racism and oppression to the mutants, those humans who have the X gene and are different from the rest of society. In various ways these mutants and x-men are compared to African
Americans, because similarly to them these species are attacked by the government and mobs. Professor X is known and considered to play a role like Martin Luther King, because he is fighting to stop the oppression
against these species. Racism doesn’t necessarily need to be against different ethnicities, in this case racism is
seen against the different species.
Y is for YESTERDAY WAS A LIE
Yesterday was a lie depicts the idea of reality and illusion. This movie is based on a detective who is
looking into an investigation, that in all sense may be out of reality. She is faced with many obstacles and
unforeseen twists as things around her start to feel surreal and disconnected to reality. This film represents how the literal, things that we literally see going on may
not necessarily be its significance.
Z is for ZOMBIES
Zombies are seen in many science fiction movies and depicts the loss of humanity. Although this idea of
zombies can seem absurd to a certain extent, zombies can relate to real life issues in different ways. These creatures lack motor and coordination skills, as well as memory, due to a malfunctioning of specific areas of the brain. An exact representation of a zombie can be quite
difficult to obtain in the real world, but various neurological diseases and viruses can cause a person to
act similarly to a zombie.
THANK YOU