Alicia and Sarah discuss the role unfettered consumerism has in the Amazon Prime dark comedy Upload. They touch on the ways that all three seasons challenge viewers to see how our conditioned need for newness and individualism impact the way we view our role in community, our relationships, and even our response to death. At the end of this week’s discussion, they talk about the things they've been reading, watching, and analyzing outside of the classroom.
Literary terms of the week: Consumerism, Commercialism
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Music by Craig Harmann
Cover art by Matt Holman
Show Notes:
Literary terms of the week:
Consumerism
From https://www.thoughtco.com/consumerist-culture-3026120
Consumerism is the idea that increasing consumption of goods and services purchased in the market is always a desirable goal
Values individualism over deep community
Values transience over stability
Values newness and reinvention over durability (Tucker movie)
This piece is a fascinating look at economic inequities and commercialism in the show: https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/upload-digital-afterlife/
What are we enjoying right now?
Alicia: Under the Whispering Door (TJ Klune), Poor Things (Hulu)
Sarah: Yellowface (R.F. Kuong), Winning Time (HBO)
Related Episodes
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Chapter 4.15 - Consumerism in Upload