Come one, come all -- Into 1984

It's funny -- I'd been reading books about how people are being 'manufactured' or mass-produced in future; cultivated inside test-tubes, raised in laboratories and only live to fulfill the community's need of workers to sustain the economy. They've lost all sense of self, freedom, individualism and feelings.

All these books have one thing in common -- a dystopia set in the not-too distant future on earth.

A dystopia can basically be explained as an 'utopia' gone wrong. All the things that humans have been trying to achieve since the beginning of time -- peace, happiness, comfort -- at the expense of individuality, religion, freedom and love.

Back in the 1930s - 40s -- people were afraid that technology and science would bring the downfall of humanity. All those talk about age of machines, Le Corbusier's modernist buildings, and mass-production...

People believed that in the future, humans will be mass-produced the same way pills and machine parts are being made. We will slowly lose our sense of self -- in order for harmony and sameness. Just like mass-produced parts, when there are defects in the human being (mental problem, physical deformity, rebellious behaviour...), it will be eliminated.

Scary thought, ain't it?

With this awareness people of the 1960s - 70s wrote books about dystopias and the loss of freedom in humanity. People living like machines, all conforming to the societal rules set upon them. Creativity and individuality will be discarded. People will be all the same.


However. It's funnier to know how the real future ended up being exactly the opposite of that imagined dystopia future.

With the invention of the Internet, it celebrates individualism more than ever.

Look at Youtube. Everyone wants to become famous. All kinds of creativity is being harnessed in the Internet. Video-making, singing, acting, cooking, writing novels, selling clothes... the list is endless.

With Wikipedia, people have more access to information; instantly and freely, too. With the chat feature, people are more aware of the different races and religion in the world. Having the advantage of being anonymous online brings out a sense of freedom in speech and opinion.

In fact, logically it's not possible for humans to live like machines. First of all, we're too selfish to want a society like that. Secondly, humans are never satisfied. Even if they have everything in the world, they want more. How can humans settle for something as restricting and conforming as that? Thirdly, if it *does* happen, God will strike down that society anyways.




P.S: I've just realized that Incubus' 'Talk Show on Mute (1984)' is probably based on a novel called 1984 by George Orwell (FREAKIN' GREAT BOOK. READ IT) The song really does suit the tone of the book.