a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by briandmyers
A similar idea is explored, in episode two of the excellent British mini-series "Black Mirror" - from the wikipedia page :

"A satire on entertainment shows our insatiable thirst for distraction set in a sarcastic version of a future reality. In this world, everyone must cycle on exercise bikes, arranged in cells, in order to power their surroundings and generate currency for themselves called Merits. Everyone is dressed in a grey tracksuit and has a "doppel", a virtual avatar that people can customise with clothes, for a fee of merits. Everyday activities are constantly interrupted by advertisements that cannot be skipped or ignored without financial penalty. Obese people are considered to be second-class citizens, and work either as cleaners around the machines (where they receive verbal abuse) or are humiliated on game shows. "





thenewgreen  ·  4523 days ago  ·  link  ·  
This sounds absolutely amazing. I will definitely see if it's available online. My kind of humor, from your description.

All of this reminds me of the future as shown in the movie WALL-E except the fat people ruled supreme in their future.

briandmyers  ·  4523 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I thought "Black Mirror" was really good - just three episodes, and those three are unrelated, except in concept (exploration/extrapolation of current trends). There is some humour there, but it is dark indeed.
thenewgreen  ·  4523 days ago  ·  link  ·  
Thanks for the clarification, I had assumed it was a comedy based on the premise. Dark can be good too though. It's best when they're intertwined though.