The
question of reality and experience is one that is often pondered
upon by many. In a Black Mirror episode
called San Junipero, this idea of reality is presented in a unique light. Once
one is unable to have their own experiences through illness, death, or old age,
they have the option to enter into the world of San Junipero. It is a city in a
year of their choosing where everyone who has entered into this reality can
have life experiences as if they were healthy, young, and/or living during that
time period. Two women, Yorkie and Kelly, have met and fallen in love in this
new reality. However, in the real world, Yorkie is about to be pulled off life
support and has chosen to enter into this reality permanently. Kelly, on the
other hand, is old and getting more sick, but does not wish to cross over
permanently after death.
Like
in The Experience Machine by Robert
Nozick, there is much debate on whether or not one should enter into this new
world. The argument between Kelly and Yorkie begins with Yorkie probing as to
why Kelly would not want to live eternally in this perfect world with her. Much
to Yorkie’s surprise, Kelly was married and lost a daughter before this
technology was available. When Kelly’s husband passed he chose not to live
eternally in this new reality because his daughter never had the chance to.
Kelly had the same mentality; she has lived a full life. She was married, had a
child, and lost both her daughter and husband. Yorkie did not have an
opportunity to live her life. She was paralyzed in a car accident at a young
age after coming out to her parents as a lesbian.
The Experience Machine addresses the different
situations Yorkie and Kelly are in by addressing the question of experience. Is
a false reality and experience worth living for? In Yorkie’s mind, it is
because Yorkie’s experiences in San
Junipero are the only life experiences she has had outside of adolescents. In
Kelly’s mind, it isn’t because she has had a full life outside this false
reality of San Junipero.
Kelly
seems to have had some traumatic life experiences that she does not want to
continue remembering into her enternal life. Yorkie did not have the opportunity to have as many life experiences and wishes to continue her life in San Junipero. Kelly does
decide to life eternally in San Junipero, but I do not know if I would have
made the same decision in her situation.
If this had been you, what decision would you have went with? I think that I might behind you on this point. If my experience had been similar to Yorkie's, staying in San Junipero would have been the best decision. You would finally be able to experience a life - something you have been deprived of doing previously. Yet, like you said, Kelly had those life experiences. She was able to go out there and see the real life reality versus this plugged in experience. Similar to you, I really don't know if I could have either. But then again, I think Kelly ended up staying, essentially, for Yorkie. She had a chance at real life, who would step away from that? Isn't that what everyone wants? To be in love and not end up alone? I think that also influenced her decision - she didn't want Yorkie alone like she had been since her husband and daughter passed away. Sometimes I can't help but want to write to Black Mirror and ask them to explain all the questions they left me with, haha.
ReplyDeletePersonally I never thought much about the pressing life traumas of Kelly before reading your post, mostly because Nozick and the episode seem only to touch on present and future experiences. So, I think the real concept of San Junipero's own "Experience Machine" lies in the way that it can exist without the incorporation of past life events. Kelly and Yorkie were able to create a whole new life in a way that is completely different and separated from the trauma of their previous life experiences. Seeing the choice of San Junipero as a choice of a life with no past traumas, seems like a pretty good deal in my opinion.
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