Inescapable

 

Ready Player One’s idea of inescapable advertisements reminds me strongly of the episode Fifteen Million Merits in Black Mirror where there is also this concept of being unable to, without the funds, escape advertisements.

Whilst Ready Player One is optimistic and allows the hero to win and come to a healthy compromise of the Oasis being available 5 days of the week – this is not the case for Black Mirror. Black Mirror takes a far more pessimistic approach where the character passions are exploited and life until the very end remains only a simulation of reality. This foreboding imagery serving as a warning regarding the capitalist structure of our society.

Additionally, Ready Player One exhibits aspects of escapism where the characters enter this world to go on adventures. The intertextuality of the novel also lends itself to this idea of escapism as the many pop culture references to mostly other science fiction works creates this universe of fiction removed from reality. However, this is not the case for Black Mirror where the characters are unable to escape their simulated reality nor the advertisements.

Whilst the two share this theme of wanting to escape forced advertisements the differing approaches and tones to the works create this juxtaposition where there is either hope or forfeit.