This document summarizes and compares the portrayals of future technology in three science fiction works: The Jetsons, Rick and Morty, and Black Mirror. The Jetsons presents an optimistic view of the future where technology improves life through automated appliances. Rick and Morty takes a more balanced approach, acknowledging both benefits and risks of futuristic inventions. Black Mirror depicts a dystopian future where advanced technology negatively impacts and isolates people. Overall, the document analyzes how each work uses futuristic technology to represent different interpretations of what life could be like in the future.

1. CaenaJade Lewis,WJECMedia,Summer2018
Explore interpretationsof 'the future' through technology withinthe science-fictiongenre,with
specificreference toAdultSwim's Rick andMorty, Hanna-Barbera’s The Jetsons,and Netflix's
Black Mirror.
My studycentresonthe genre of science-fiction, focusingonthe theme of technologytorepresent
creators’interpretationsof ‘the future’.ThroughmyresearchIhave identifiedtwomainthemes
withinthe science-fictiongenre –utopiaanddystopia– and bothrevolve aroundthe development
of futuristictechnologytopresentaspecificinterpretationof ‘the future’.
Utopianinterpretationsof the impactof future technologyexistthroughoutthe genre.The word
utopiaisdefinedas“a future-historicgoal,to be achievedby the active effortsof human beings”1
,
and isthoughtto have come from ThomasMore’s novel Utopia (1516).While the organic,society-
basedutopiacropsup occasionally,mostinterpretationsfitintothe science-fictiongenrethrough
theirinclusionof technologyanditsbenefittosociety.
Dystopianscience-fiction,however,takesapessimisticandcritical view of “contemporarysocieties
by hidingunderlyingmessagesabout current issuesand events,possiblyimplyingfaultin how
modernsociety isstructured” 2
. Dystopianinterpretationsinfictionhave become more commonin
the last 10 years,withliterature (Suzanne Collins’ TheHungerGames),film(Proyas’ I,Robot) and
television(Netflix’s BlackMirror) usingthe conceptto create dysfunctionalbutoftenpotentially
realisticfictionalsocieties.
“One of the biggest roles of science fiction is to prepare people to accept the future
without pain and to encourage a flexibility of mind.” 3
ArthurC. Clarke,a Britishauthor,inventorandfuturist,comparedthe rise intechnological advances
to “advanced magic”, and bothutopiananddystopianuniversesrelyontechnologyinorderto
portray an interpretationof the future.Fromasfar back as Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) creators
have beendreamingupnewadvancesinscience andtechnologytoportrayasocietythat is
obviouslyfuturisticinnature.
Many sourcesonline are interestedinhow creators’fictionalvisionsof futuristictechnologyare
slowlybecomingarealityinmodernsociety.The StarTrek televisionseries,forinstance,contained
numerousreferencestoinnovative technology,suchasthe PADD(a handheldcomputerinterface)
describedbythe Telegraphas‘eerilysimilar’4
tothe moderniPaddespite the seriesbeingwritten
and broadcastalmost30 yearsbefore the release of the latter.Infact, StarTrek iscreditedas
particularlyinventiveforitsinclusionof then-fictional technologysuchasthe Replicator(now the 3D
printer) andthe Virtual DisplayDevice (thesame basicpremiseof Google Glass).
Olderscience-fictiontelevisionseries,suchasthe aforementioned StarTrek,tendtotake a utopian
viewof technological advances.Thesemediatextsare representative of the classicinterpretations
of the future,where technologyhasadvancedforsocietytorunmore smoothly,andgive members
an ease of life.Automatedappliancesmake manual labourredundant,withtaskslikehousehold
1 The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction – Utopias (2017)
http://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/utopias
2 Georgia Instituteof Technology – The Fluid Definition of Dystopia (2017)
http://blogs.iac.gatech.edu/yadystopia2017/2017/01/22/the-fluid-definition-of-dystopia/
3 Arthur C Clarke– The Making of Kubrick’s 2001 (1970)
4 OliviaRudgard,The Telegraph – Sci-fi or real life? Six fictional ideas that are happening now (2015)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/11698607/Sci-fi-or-real-life-Six-fictional-ideas-that-are-happening-
now.html

2. CaenaJade Lewis,WJECMedia,Summer2018
cleaningandcommunicationpossiblethroughthe touchof a buttonor a simple voice command.
Thisoptimisticview of the future comesfrom the erainwhichthe textswere published –bothStar
Trek and The Jetsons were originallybroadcastinthe 1960s, a decade describedas“the halcyon
days of American prowessand power”. 5
Citizenssaw Yuri Gagarinbecome the firstman inspace in
1961, the marketingof the birthcontrol pill,andthe rise inpopularityof televisionsets,aswell as
significantadvancesincomputing;withsuchanaccelerationintechnological progression, people
couldonlyimagine howmuchfurthertechnologywouldbe developedinthe future.Because of this,
olderscience-fictiontextsoftenportraythe future tobe a worldof innovationandpossibilities.
The firsttextI have examinedisanexample of the optimistic‘60sview of the future.Airedin1962,
The Jetsons exploredthe lifeof afamilylivinginthe year2062 (exactly50 yearsfromits initial
broadcast). The settingof a ‘futuristicworld’isclearfromthe onset,asthe familyare shown
travellingtogetherinagreenflyingcar.Furtherinventionsare introducedthroughoutthe
introduction,suchasthe ‘pods’that membersof the familytravel toschool orthe shoppingcentre
in,and the buttonwhichfoldsGeorge Jetson’scarintoa carriable briefcase.The show is
immediatelyportrayedaslight-heartedbefore the introductionisover –George’swife,Jane,is
offeredabanknote tospendat the shoppingcentre,butinsteadtakesGeorge’swalletandejects
herself fromthe car.Althoughthisperpetratesthe modernstereotype thatwomenare greedyand
materialistic,atthe time of broadcast this representation of womenwasseenasharmlessfrivolity
and allowedthe publictorelate tothe characters by portrayingthe Jetsonsasa nuclearfamily
(heterosexualparentsandtheirtwochildren)whichwasacommonplace structure forfamiliesinthe
‘60s.
Notonlyare the householdtasksin TheJetsons automated(withRoseythe Robotresponsible for
cooking,cleaningandlookingafterthe twochildren,and aradio-controlledconsolewhichcould
activate the washing,ironingandvacuuming),otherinventions(suchasthe conveyorwalkways
commonplace inbuildings) serve tomake life objectivelyeasierandmore enjoyable –a“comforting
portrayal ofthe future” 6
promisingaworldof opportunitytolookforwardto.
My secondtext, Rickand Morty,isalsoan animatedseries,whichpremieredonthe late-night
programmingblockAdultSwimin2013. Rick and Morty takesa superficiallylight-heartedview of
the future,butusesdarkerand more seriousundertonestopresentamore balancedinterpretation
of technology.
The showrevolvesaroundthe Smithfamily,particularlythe eponymouscharacters –Rick Sanchez,
an eccentricalcoholicwhoisthe epitome of the ‘madscientist’trope,andMorty,histeenage
grandson.While the showissetinthe modernworld,Rick’sextensivescientificknowledge has
allowedhimtodevelopcountlesstechnological deviceswhichgive the show itsfuturisticvibe.Many
of these inventions visuallyemploythe commontropesassociatedwithscience-fictiontechnology
while “[mocking]science-fiction’suse ofneologisms… [and]pseudo-scientificbabble.”7
Many
episodesof the show combine twosubplots –the “crazed, dimension-hoppingadventures”8
of the
eponymouscharacters,andMorty’sordinaryfamilydealingwiththe falloutof Rick’sexperiments.
Although,like TheJetsons, Rickand Morty usesupbeatmusic,brightcoloursandentertainingquips
to keepthe audience engaged,there are significantdifferencesintheirportrayalsof technology.The
former,setinan obviousutopiaof technology,seesverylittle problemwiththe developmentof
5 Chance Kinney, ChipChick – The 50th Anniversary of The Jetsons: A Look Back and A Look Forward (2012)
6 Bruce Handy, Vanity Fair – Tomorrowland Never Dies (2000)
7 Rhys Williams,ScienceFiction and Television –Rick and Morty: Season 1 (2016)
8 Tom McLean, Animation – No Holding Back (2015)

3. CaenaJade Lewis,WJECMedia,Summer2018
technology;eachdevice featuredinthe show servestomake life easierforsociety,withthe only
negative effectbeingthat –like moderntechnology–sometimesdevices stopworkingandcause a
brief inconvenience. The latter,however,equallyweighsupthe positivesandnegativesof Rick’s
technological developments –thoughdevicesintroducedthroughoutthe show (suchasa helmetfor
a dog to increase itsbraincapacity,life isinitiallymade easierforthe family(withtasksliketaking
the dog outside tourinate redundantdue toitshyper-intelligence),butthe drawbacksquickly
outweighthe benefits;the malfunctioningtechnologyputstheminseriousphysical dangerrather
than merelyinconveniencingthem.
My thirdtext, BlackMirror, takesanother,evenmore critical view of the advancementof
technology.The creator,Charlie Brooker(awell-knownsatirist),injectshispessimisticview of the
worldintohiswriting,describingthe seriesas“an interestingconceptwith a preposterousidea”.9
Be Right Back,the firstepisode of the secondseries,tellsthe storyof ayoungwoman,Martha,
whose boyfriend,Ash,iskilledinacar accident.The plotfocusesheavilyonsocial media,particularly
the consequencesof itsabuse.Ashisdescribedathisfuneral as‘a heavyuser’ – the connotationsof
drug abuse combinedwiththe sombre settingof the churchcomparesAsh’sdeathtothat of a drug
overdose,emphasisingBrooker’scynicismof the benefitsof technology.Marthadiscoversadigital
program whichusesAsh’ssocial mediaactivitytosimulate anonline conversationinwhichthe
automatedreplies‘soundlike’him, whichlaterdevelopsintobeingable to‘talk’tohimverbally.
Throughthe episode,Marthabecomesmore andmore dependentontechnology,exclaiming“I
droppedyou,”as she dropsand breaksherphone,signifyinghergrowinginability toseparate the
device fromhermemoriesof Ash.
Throughthe contrastbetweenMartha’sintense emotions,andAsh’sroboticresponses,the episode
givesa directcontrastto my otherreferencedtexts –The Jetsons presentationof autopian
wonderlandand Rickand Morty’scritical questioningintothe benefitsof innovativetechnologyare
worththe negative effectsonsociety –bypresentingapurely dystopianinterpretationof the future,
where technologyinitiallyadvertisedaspioneeringendsuphurtingmembersof society,insome
casesirreparably.
9 Jenelle Riley, Variety – Dark Reflections (2016)