From: natashavita@earthlink.net
Date: Wed Aug 21 2002 - 10:35:16 MDT
From: Anders Sandberg
....
>>I'm think'in that the idea of "Post-Human" is gonna get a lot of mileage
>>with the ad budget from this piece of up coming work.
>But will it be a *positive* or *negative* spin on posthuman themes?
>Linking transhumanism with supersoldiers (especially a movie trying to
>draw on, or seem to draw on, real experiments) might be a bad thing.
>There are already enough people who think that transhumanism is just
>about helping the ruthless power elites stay in power forever using any
>means necessary...
>A lot of people in our community seem to be happy about our ideas being
>noticed in the mainstream, regardless of the slant of the presentation.
>But even a message that is not obviously negative can associate ideas
>with negative images and imagined threats. The there seems to be the
>idea that our ideas are so self-evidently good that everybody else will
>embrace them as soon as the tech is here. But if that is true, why are
>people not embracing genetics enthusiastically? In fact, the resistance
>is to a large extent influenced by negative images from Hollywood.
>The real issue isn't about getting people to present our ideas in a
>positive way - that is nice, of course, but the really useful movies and
>books would be the ones that make people think about the issues rather
>than just cheer for one side. A scenario where transhuman ideas are
>analysed and put in a context of other ideas, so that people could start
>linking them with their own ideas.
You are so right Anders.
Recently Greg Bear was on the splash page of the "Hollywood Reporter" which
headlined his 3-picture deal on posthumanist sf. I haven't read yet who
the executive producers and director choices, but this could have some
bearing (no pun intended) on the thematic interpretation of the storylines.
I think one of the best ways to instill a more positive approach to
storylines here in our jolly Hollywood Hills is to keep the documentaries
rolling in. The documentaries can provide a more positive view of
transhumanist and posthuman ideas because it is the ideas that drive the
scripts, not action or horror.
Further, I think is it very important for those of use involved in
Hollywood to get spreading positive memes, no matter the raised eyebrows.
Action!
Natasha
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