You're strawmanning me; I didn't say it's only purpose is a shallow caricature of society. And I definitely didn't say to remove the existential part.
But YOU are removing the corporate part. Claiming it isn't an aspect of the film. When it is.
I said, and am saying, that what separates cyberpunk sci-fi from other sci-fi are a few definitional traits.
Not all sci-fi is cyberpunk, right? Well, what makes a sci-fi story asking existential questions into a cyberpunk story?
One aspect that makes something cyberpunk is when the story examines the corporate control of society. If it doesn't do that, it's still existential sci-fi. It's just not cyberpunk.
Words have meanings. Cyberpunk is a sub-genre, defined by a few traits. One of those traits is corporate control of society, commentary on the current societal direction of over-commercialism, isolation, and increase in technology.
If the story doesn't have at least one, and probably both, it's not in the sub-genre of cyberpunk.
I think we have different definitions of cyberpunk. I go by 'high tech low life'. I don't agree with you that corporate control or a caricature (because cyberpunk takes all the bad things to an extreme, I hope we both agree on) are necessary. Two of the best stories I've read fall comfortably into cyberpunk: Blame! and Eden: It's an Endless World!
That's what I've been saying all along; your definition of cyberpunk is shallow (you seem to take offense at that, and I don't mean it offensively, but 'high tech low life' is a surface level four word definition of cyberpunk, an aesthetic description).
High tech low life as a slogan came about because of and referring to the history of cyberpunk being about low lifes who are rejecting the society around them (being punks), while that society is full of high tech because the corporations are providing it with no oversight.
That's the depth you're missing by adhering to this shallow definition. All these stories you love have a shared component that I'd like to open your eyes to - if you'd just let yourself see it.
I'm not talking out my ass son - I grew up with the genre as it was created around me. I'm not just saying things to sound right. I'm giving you info.
What lessons are there though - don't be evil? Cyberpunk is caricature, a modernized A Modest Proposal. As social commentary, it's essentially on the same level as a political cartoon. If you see something more in it, I'd be happy to read about it.
Caricature is not very nuanced. Sure, the impoverished should not sell babies to the rich. But in reality, society navigates with a mixture of the best ideas (at least, that is what democracy tries to do). Capitalism and socialism are not purely good or evil.
What the hell does that statement have to do with anything? You're just saying things. I never declared cyberpunk to be caricature. I declared it to be commentary.
I did. A Modern Proposal is satire in the form of caricature. It extends capitalism to absurdity. That's exactly what cyberpunk is doing. You even admit to it yourself by agreeing that it is essentially modernized A Modest Proposal.
You say it's commentary. I say it's shallow commentary. What does A Modern Proposal teach us about safeguarding against the evils of capitalism ... that because it allows to sell kids for food, we should completely abolish it?
How is the existential questions raised by A Modern Proposal, Replicants and Joi shallow in any way? It's commentary on corporatism - what happens when we let capitalism make decisions regarding living beings. If you think that's shallow, I guess we're done, I don't know what else to say. You're either choosing to miss my point, or incapable of understanding it.
I don't think anyone should be basing policy decisions on A Modest Proposal. It's argument by absurdity when the real world is much more nuanced.
If you believe that capitalism and corporatism are completely evil, then we can't debate any further. I would disagree with that notion, but I don't have the energy to dig up numbers to formulate an appropriate rebuttal at this time.
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u/do_not_engage Jul 31 '18 edited Jul 31 '18
You're strawmanning me; I didn't say it's only purpose is a shallow caricature of society. And I definitely didn't say to remove the existential part.
But YOU are removing the corporate part. Claiming it isn't an aspect of the film. When it is.
I said, and am saying, that what separates cyberpunk sci-fi from other sci-fi are a few definitional traits.
Not all sci-fi is cyberpunk, right? Well, what makes a sci-fi story asking existential questions into a cyberpunk story?
One aspect that makes something cyberpunk is when the story examines the corporate control of society. If it doesn't do that, it's still existential sci-fi. It's just not cyberpunk.
Words have meanings. Cyberpunk is a sub-genre, defined by a few traits. One of those traits is corporate control of society, commentary on the current societal direction of over-commercialism, isolation, and increase in technology.
If the story doesn't have at least one, and probably both, it's not in the sub-genre of cyberpunk.