Are we all getting too self-aware and the "Rick and Morty"-fication of TV and film

I sit in front of the TV with this entitled demand shouting from within my mind, like a circus owner waiting for his monkeys to perform: “ENTERTAIN ME!”. I am here to have fun and nothing else. Thoughtless, abundant, indulgent, hedonic fun. Fun for the sake of fun. This remote might as well be a whip: no, I’m not keeping up with the Kardashians today *SWITCH* the news? I don’t need to hear about another car accident *SWITCH*. Watching TV may be the closest thing we’ve got to being in a sleep-like state while still being fully awake and conscious. It’s awesome. No responsibilities, no stakes, no expectations, no obligation to reply. We lean back, forget all worries, and give up control, waiting for whatever it is that the channel owners decide to air or whatever the algorithm anoints as For-You-Page worthy. This, however, happens only at our own will. We know we’re doing this…and we let it happen.

It seems though that even in this inconsequential pocket of “reality”, we still can’t catch a break. We’re never really free. This became apparent when I was watching Fleabag (2016): did she just turn towards me and…talk to me? No! Get back to your story! And just like that, another 4th wall bites the dust. How does it feel like to find out you’re being watched from behind what you assumed to be a one-way mirror?

…it’s startling.

This breach of our agreement between the observer and the observed feels like the characters are taking the control we gave up to them and doing what they want with it, spinning it back on us and nudging us out of our TV-induced trance.

It has become commonplace for these meta-interceptions to take place on the silver screen, to the point that some shows are almost videogame-like (think Bandersnatch, 2018). But when did the TV start talking back to us? And why does it seem like we can’t get enough of it?

In the 50’s we had religion. In the 90’ and 00’s we had our jobs. What’s there to have today? What is it that we bow down to the way we once revered the divine and the productive? As a convicted Gen Z-er, I can’t help but notice the malignant purposelessness that has dug its roots in our perspective on life.  A general sentiment of today’s generation is that, however hard you work, there is no certainty of winning or receiving what you deserve in the end: there’s not enough money, not enough housing, and not enough free time. People seem to be creatures of purpose and if achieving is no longer as realistic as it used to be…then what are we doing? Has life become like a joyride in GTA in which you choose to be irreverent to the missions?

With no solid collective belief, we have created the cult of the self. No longer having an all-powerful deity or performance report to answer to or be fearful of, people’s focus has shifted inwards on one’s own existence and consciousness. And if we were to look up to something, the media has become our ultimate example. Tyler Durden said it best:

 “We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television […].”

This lack of conformity to traditional values permeates the media we consume and manifests itself through these unconventional practices such as breaking the 4th wall and meta references. There is no point anymore in sticking to Hollywood’s recipe of what a good movie is. No amount of cliffhangers, no “Luke, I am your father”-level plot twists are enough to make us pay attention.

We need to be looked at and addressed.

If we don’t feel seen in our lives and in society, maybe what we watch is what can acknowledge us. It is no longer just a matter of relating and connecting to the characters, but also the other way around. Shows like Rick and Morty (2013) in which Rick seems to be the only one who is aware that he is in a cartoon series and confesses this to the viewers while leaving the supporting characters perplexed, make us feel like we are in on a secret. Same with Fleabag; she makes us her witnesses. All of a sudden, I sound like a man watching a football game, screaming at the screen, trying to warn the other characters, as if that would do anything.

It’s not just the movies we choose to watch that indicate our current zeitgeist, but also our language and the way we talk to and about each other. For example, “NPC” may be the most unexpected slur to come out of the 21st century. What’s the worst thing that could happen to you? Not be special? And of course, the collective obsession of being the “main character”…as if we have to audition for a part in our own lives.

Why do we lay this interface between ourselves and “the real world”?

The truth is, looking at life from a safe distance, as a “player” controlling a “character”, creates a sense of comfort and autonomy. Treating life as a game or as a TV show makes things feel reversible and reassures us that maybe there is in fact something after the “GAME OVER!” freeze screen or after the credits roll. We may even get comfortable thinking we get three little red hearts in the top right corner…but to be honest, I’m afraid that’s not the case in the real world. I think this is really IT…

But what if we’re overdoing it? Are we all getting too self-aware? A glaringly obvious place where our debilitating self-awareness is shining through is social media, particularly the phenomenon of “core-core” content. While the aesthetic and the message of this type of video are hard to put into words, they mostly revolve around central themes of today’s society: capitalism, environmental crisis, consumerism, and social media. While criticizing various aspects of the modern world, core-core content adds fuel to the fire by contributing to the endless flow of information streaming through our feeds, thus strengthening the very things that it is mocking. Although this may seem like a trademark of hypocrisy, this is in fact one of the core components of core-core content. Watching these sorts of videos can leave one feeling seen but also backed into a corner by existential dread.

While it would be nice to have an antidote for all of these issues, I think the closest thing we’ve got so far is a prescription to “touch-grass” every now and then. Diverting focus from ourselves and seeking community, developing interests and hobbies unrelated to the self and fighting for causes that matter, could potentially diminish the “magnifying glass”-way in which we have begun to observe our life and existence.

Ok, I will be ending this article in a fitting way for this topic. Are you guys ready? Here it goes: Somebody get me out of this draft!! PLEASE SOMEBODY – GET ME OUT OF HERE!! PLEASE, PLEA-…