Abstract

There are few artistic genres more intertwined with politics than dystopia. In its very essence, dystopian fantasy is a method of criticising ideology, at the same time that it serves as a tool for the dissemination of the issuer’s own ideology. Black Mirror’s “Men Against Fire” episode provides a rich case study for considering ideology in one of its most violent formats: the creation of monsters. In the episode, deceived by a helmet that changes reality, soldiers fight and exterminate cockroaches - individuals with a genetic predisposition to diseases - while the civilian population, immersed in that bellicist ideology, dehumanises individuals even without a literal alteration of the real. This article analyses the creation of monsters, putting into dialogue theories on ideology, dystopian fantasy, and dehumanisation to construct a framework of how this dehumanisation process and its relationship with ideology works.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.