Explore interpretations of 'the future' through technology within the science-fiction genre, with specific reference to Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, Hanna-Barbera’s The Jetsons, and Netflix's Black Mirror.

1. CaenaJade Lewis,WJECMedia,Summer2018
Explore interpretations of 'the future' through technology within the science-fiction genre, with
specific reference to Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, Hanna-Barbera’s The Jetsons, and Netflix's
Black Mirror.
My studycentresonthe genre of science-fiction, focusing on the theme of technology to represent
creators’ interpretations of ‘the future’. Through my research I have identified two main themes
withinthe science-fictiongenre – utopia and dystopia – and both revolve around the development
of futuristic technology to present a specific interpretation of ‘the future’.
Utopian interpretations of the impact of future technology exist throughout the genre. The word
utopiaisdefinedas“a future-historicgoal,to be achieved by the active efforts of human beings” 1
,
and is thought to have come from Thomas More’s novel Utopia (1516). While the organic, society-
based utopia crops up occasionally, most interpretations fit into the science-fiction genre through
their inclusion of technology and its benefit to society.
Dystopianscience-fiction,however,takesapessimistic and critical view of “contemporary societies
by hiding underlying messages about current issues and events, possibly implying fault in how
modernsociety isstructured” 2
. Dystopianinterpretationsinfiction have become more common in
the last 10 years, with literature (Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games), film (Proyas’ I, Robot) and
television (Netflix’s Black Mirror) using the concept to create dysfunctional but often potentially
realistic fictional societies.
“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 both utopian and dystopian universes rely on technology in order to
portray an interpretation of the future. From as far back as Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) creators
have been dreaming up new advances in science and technology to portray a society that is
obviously futuristic in nature.
Many sources online are interested in how creators’ fictional visions of futuristic technology are
slowlybecomingarealityinmodernsociety.The StarTrek television series, for instance, contained
numerousreferencestoinnovative technology, such as the PADD (a handheld computer interface)
describedbythe Telegraphas‘eerily similar’ 4
to the modern iPad despite the series being written
and broadcast almost 30 years before the release of the latter. In fact, Star Trek is credited as
particularlyinventiveforitsinclusionof then-fictional technologysuchasthe Replicator(now the 3D
printer) and the Virtual Display Device (the same basic premise of Google Glass).
Olderscience-fictiontelevisionseries,suchas the aforementioned Star Trek, tend to take a utopian
viewof technological advances.Thesemedia texts are representative of the classic interpretations
of the future,where technologyhasadvancedforsociety to run more smoothly, and give members
an ease of life. Automated appliances make manual labour redundant, with tasks like household
cleaning and communication possible through the touch of a button or a simple voice command.
Thisoptimisticview of the future comesfromthe era in which the texts were published – both Star
Trek and The Jetsons were originally broadcast in the 1960s, a decade described as “the halcyon
1 The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction – Utopias (2017)
2 Georgia Instituteof Technology – The Fluid Definition of Dystopia (2017)
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)

2. CaenaJade Lewis,WJECMedia,Summer2018
days of American prowessand power”. 5
Citizenssaw Yuri Gagarinbecome the first man in space in
1961, the marketingof the birth control pill, and the rise in popularity of television sets, as well as
significantadvancesincomputing;withsuch acceleration intechnological progression,people could
onlyimagine howmuchfurthertechnologywouldbe developedinthe future.Because of this, older
science-fiction texts often portray the future to be a world of innovation and possibilities.
The firsttextI have examinedisanexample of the optimistic ‘60s view of the future. Aired in 1962,
The Jetsons explored the life of a family living in the year 2062 (exactly 100 years from its initial
broadcast). The setting of a ‘futuristic world’ is clear from the onset, as the family are shown
travelling together in a green flying car. Further inventions are introduced throughout the
introduction,suchasthe ‘pods’ that members of the family travel to school or the shopping centre
in, and the button which folds George Jetson’s car into a carriable briefcase. The show is
immediately portrayed as light-hearted before the introduction is over – George’s wife, Jane, is
offeredabanknote tospend at the shopping centre, but
insteadtakesGeorge’swalletandejectsherself fromthe
car. Although this perpetrates the modern stereotype
that women are greedy and materialistic, at the time of
broadcast this representation of women was seen as
harmlessfrivolityandallowedthe public to relate to the
characters by portraying the Jetsons as a nuclear family
(heterosexualparentsandtheirtwochildren) which was
a commonplace structure for families in the ‘60s.
Not only are the household tasks in The Jetsons automated (with Rosey the Robot responsible for
cooking, cleaning and looking after the two children, and a radio-controlled console which could
activate the washing, ironing and vacuuming), other inventions (such as the conveyor walkways
commonplace inbuildings) serve tomake life objectivelyeasierand more enjoyable – a “comforting
portrayal of the future” 6
promising a world of opportunity to look forward to.
My second text, Rick and Morty, is also an animated series, which premiered on the late-night
programming block Adult Swim in 2013. Rick and Morty takes a superficially light-hearted view of
the future,butusesdarkerand more seriousundertonestopresenta more balanced interpretation
of technology.
The showrevolvesaround the Smith family, particularly the eponymous characters – Rick Sanchez,
an eccentric alcoholic who is the epitome of the ‘mad scientist’ trope, and Morty, his teenage
grandson. While the show is set in the modern world, Rick’s extensive scientific knowledge has
allowedhimtodevelopcountlesstechnological devices that give the show its futuristic vibe. Many
of these inventionsvisuallyemploy the common tropes associated with science-fiction technology
while “[mocking] science-fiction’s use of neologisms… [and] pseudo-scientific babble.” 7
Many
episodesof the show combine twosubplots –the “crazed, dimension-hopping adventures” 8
of the
eponymouscharacters,and Morty’s ordinary family dealing with the fallout of Rick’s experiments.
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
Although,like TheJetsons, Rickand Morty usesupbeatmusic, bright colours and entertaining quips
to keepthe audience engaged,there are significantdifferencesintheirportrayalsof technology.The
former, set in an obvious utopia of technology, sees very little problem with the development of
technology; each device featured in the show serves to make life easier for society, with the only
negative effectbeingthat –like modern technology – sometimes devices stop working and cause a
brief inconvenience. The latter,however, juxtaposeslight-hearted humour with a critical analysis of
the positives and negatives of Rick’s technological developments – though devices introduced
throughoutthe show(suchas a helmetfora dog to increase its brain capacity), life is initially made
easier for the family (with tasks like taking the dog outside to urinate redundant due to its hyper-
intelligence),butthe drawbacksquicklyoutweighthe benefits; the malfunctioning technology puts
them in serious physical danger rather than merely inconveniencing them.
My third text, Black Mirror, takes another, even more critical view of the advancement of
technology.The creator,Charlie Brooker (a well-known satirist), injects his pessimistic view of the
worldintohiswriting, describing the series as “an interesting concept with a preposterous idea”. 9
Be Right Back, the first episode of the second series, tells the story of a young woman, Martha,
whose boyfriend,Ash,iskilledinacar accident.The plotfocusesheavilyonsocial media,particularly
the consequencesof itsabuse.Ashisdescribedathisfuneral as‘a heavy user’ – the connotations of
drug abuse combined with the sombre setting of the church compares Ash’s death to that of an
overdose, emphasising Brooker’s cynicism of the benefits of technology by inferring its addictive
qualities. Martha discovers a digital program that uses Ash’s social media activity to simulate an
online conversationinwhichthe automatedreplies‘soundlike’him, whichlaterdevelopsintobeing
able to ‘talk’tohimverbally.Through the episode, Martha becomes more and more dependent on
technology,exclaiming“Idroppedyou,” as she drops and breaks her phone, signifying her growing
inability to separate the device from her memories of Ash.
9 Jenelle Riley, Variety – Dark Reflections (2016)

4. CaenaJade Lewis,WJECMedia,Summer2018
The episode climaxesinanemotion-fuelledinteraction between the two characters, where Martha
leadsthe roboticsimulationof Ashuptoa cliff andcommandshimto jump.The dull, muted colours
of the scene reinforce Martha’s feelings of hopelessness and regret – although the ability to
reconnectwithAshinitiallybroughthersolace after hisdeath,herabuse of the availabletechnology
eventuallyleadstohermemoriesandexperiencesof Ash being tainted and causing a moral conflict
– does her distress hold more weight in the situation than the life of the simulated Ash; can Ash’s
existence even be defined as a ‘life’? Brooker describes the series as cultural criticism, placing
emphasis on its portrayal of individuals as victims of technology rather than idiots blinded by the
optimism of digital advances.
“[Black Mirror’s] intention has always been to make people look like people. Flawed,
bruised and lacking the requisite software to cope with the threats and promises of
the digital age.” 10
Through the juxtaposition between Martha’s intense emotions, and Ash’s robotic responses, the
episode givesadirectcontrastto my otherreferencedtexts –The Jetsons’ presentation of a utopian
wonderlandand Rickand Morty’scritical questioningintothe benefits of innovative technology are
worththe negative effectsonsociety –bypresentingapurely dystopianinterpretationof the future,
where technology initially advertised as pioneering ends up hurting members of society, in some
cases irreparably.
Upon beginningthis investigation, I had considerable knowledge of the science-fiction genre, and
the utopian and dystopian portrayals of the future, and my research has enabled me to expand on
that knowledgebyexploringarange of texts.Additionally, it has allowed me to begin investigating
the reasonsbehindatext’sdepiction of future technology and the impact it has on individuals – for
example,the significant contrast between The Jetsons’ optimism and Black Mirror’s scepticism can
be partiallyattributedtothe time periodinwhichthe textwas created. This broader understanding
will aid me in creating an authentic portrayal in my own work.
10 Angus Harrison,Vice– We Spoke to Charlie Brooker About'Black Mirror', Fear and the Future of Satire (2016)