The tension between Utopia and Dystopia under late capitalism: control, alienation and resistance in &quot;Mr. Robot&quot; and &quot;Black Mirror&quot;

By examining two of the most acclaimed and popular televisual productions recently released, Mr. Robot (USA Network, 2015 - present) and Black Mirror (Channel 4/Netflix, 2011 - present), I wish to show up to what extent they portray the expansion of capitalism into the political, cultural and social dimensions of our Western contemporary reality as a phenomenon weakening our utopian sense of the future. Drawing upon the field of social theory, I will argue that Mr. Robot, with its emphasis on the political and cultural domains, shows how mechanisms of control and manipulation responding to the logic of late capitalism and consumerism are influencing our ability to imagine a new and alternative system to the current one. In the case of Black Mirror, criticism towards late capitalism revolves around the use and abuse of new technologies, which implement the spiral of image addiction, the power of commodities, and cause a dramatic change in the way we perceive the boundaries between...Show moreBy examining two of the most acclaimed and popular televisual productions recently released, Mr. Robot (USA Network, 2015 - present) and Black Mirror (Channel 4/Netflix, 2011 - present), I wish to show up to what extent they portray the expansion of capitalism into the political, cultural and social dimensions of our Western contemporary reality as a phenomenon weakening our utopian sense of the future. Drawing upon the field of social theory, I will argue that Mr. Robot, with its emphasis on the political and cultural domains, shows how mechanisms of control and manipulation responding to the logic of late capitalism and consumerism are influencing our ability to imagine a new and alternative system to the current one. In the case of Black Mirror, criticism towards late capitalism revolves around the use and abuse of new technologies, which implement the spiral of image addiction, the power of commodities, and cause a dramatic change in the way we perceive the boundaries between life and death. Throughout my analysis, I will refer to the utopian genre, and, specifically, its most recent variation of critical dystopia, with the aim of considering the tension and interaction between utopia and dystopia in the two TV series as a strategy, first, to raise awareness in the public about the most degrading aspects of our reality and, secondly, to reinvigorate a concept of utopia not as escapist thinking, but as a transformative impulse to change society and potentially overcome the cultural deadlock of capitalism.Show less

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The tension between Utopia and Dystopia under late capitalism: control, alienation and resistance in "Mr. Robot" and "Black Mirror"