Its not a technological problem we

have, its a human one.

BLACK MIRROR and its dystopian narrative on technology, social media,
surveillance and the technobody.

Table of contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Part 1: Black Mirror and dystopia ........................................................................................................... 6
1.1 Utopia ............................................................................................................................................ 6
1.2 Dystopia ........................................................................................................................................ 8
1.3 Dystopia in BLACK MIRROR........................................................................................................ 10
1.4 BLACK MIRROR as an anthology show........................................................................................ 12
1.5 The anthology and its aesthetics .................................................................................................. 14
1.5.1 Editing .................................................................................................................................. 14
1.5.2 Colour................................................................................................................................... 15
1.5.3 Environment and set design.................................................................................................. 16
1.5.4 Music .................................................................................................................................... 21
Part 2: BLACK MIRROR, social media, technology and surveillance ..................................................... 25
2.1 Social media and internet ............................................................................................................ 25
2.2 Social media on BLACK MIRROR ................................................................................................ 27
2.3 Visibility is a trap (Foucault 200) ............................................................................................ 30
2.4 Frames of surveillance practices ................................................................................................. 32
2.5 Black Mirror and surveillance ..................................................................................................... 34
2.5.1 The Panopticon... or is it? .................................................................................................... 36
2.5.2 Resistance to surveillance; personal or political? ............................................................... 39
2.5.3 Mob mentality ....................................................................................................................... 42
2.6 So what is the role of entertainment? .......................................................................................... 48
Part 3: BLACK MIRROR and the cyborg/technobody ............................................................................. 51
3.1 What is a cyborg? ........................................................................................................................ 51
3.2 The cyborg in BLACK MIRROR.................................................................................................... 53
3.3 Ash, the ultimate cyborg? ............................................................................................................ 55
3.4 Going beyond the body?.............................................................................................................. 59
Part 4: Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 62
Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 64

Abstract
The British television show BLACK MIRROR is an anthology show. The overarching
theme of the show is about how people deal with technology and the consequences of their
behaviour. It uses a dystopian narrative to criticise current society. The aesthetics support the
dystopian stories and accentuate the twist present in every episode. Social media and
surveillance technology consist of the notions ubiquity, conformism, non-optionality and the
possibility of resistance. In addition both have issues with privacy. They have the possibility
to create a mob mentality, also through populism. Entertainment in BLACK MIRROR is used to
normalise surveillance. It is also used as a distraction, turning the viewers into docile and
spending bodies. Besides criticising reality television, the show also passes judgment on the
UKs obsession with the Royal Family. The cyborg is put in a negative light and is not an
enhancement to society. The human body and technology should not be combined. The
cyborg beyond the body cannot exist, because human interaction is the most important and
technology fails to recreate this interaction. Eventually it is not technology that is the
problem, but humans using technology.
Key words: BLACK MIRROR Dystopia Technology Social Media Surveillance
Cyborg/Technobody

If technology is a drug and it does feel like a drug then what, precisely, are the side-effects.Brooker 2011.

Introduction
Humanity and technology; a complicated relationship. Traditionally technology is
perceived as a giant advancement leading to a utopian world where man and machine live in
harmony with each other. But there is evidently also a dark side to technology. Ever since the
Industrial Revolution stories about dystopia have been thriving. Technology is predicted to be
our downfall. Man and machine at war with each other. Or at least machine making it even
harder for man. As spectacular and exciting as these two extremes sound, the ambivalent area
in between the good and bad is much more interesting than picking either side. It is about
seeing how humans interact with technology and which choices they make when doing so.
What happens for instance when you are having your personality transferred to a an egg
which looks suspiciously like the latest Apple product? Or when you are being chased by an
armed gunman whilst people silently film you with their mobile phones? What happens when
the British Prime Minister is pressured through social media to perform a sexual act with a pig
to save the crown princess? These scenarios seem to be far apart thematically, yet they have a
lot of things in common. Technology, social media, but mainly the way humans deal with
them. The interaction is the most important motivator behind Channel 4s series BLACK
MIRROR.
BLACK MIRROR is a satirical show about the advantages of technology being used and
abused by society and it was first broadcast in 2011. Charlie Brooker is the big name attached
to the show. He is a columnist for The Guardian, known for his acerbic and cynical views. He
is also a TV maker, known for panel shows such as THE 11 O'CLOCK SHOW and for spreading
his sceptical views of current affairs and culture in the different Wipes shows, such as
WEEKLY WIPE, SCREENWIPE and NEWSWIPE. He has also ventured into fiction with the shows
DEAD SET and NATHAN BARLEY. DEAD SET is the obvious predecessor of BLACK MIRROR.
Situated in the BIG BROTHER house, a group of people locked in try to survive the zombie
apocalypse whilst being watched by whoever is still able to watch the live stream. The future
is bleak and entertainment television is calling the shots. The internet and digital technology
3

(in this case digital television) already featured in NATHAN BARLEY. Fusing these ideas was
only a matter of time. Where in DEAD SET surveillance was signified by television cameras,
Brooker is taking it to the next level in BLACK MIRROR, demonstrating its usage and
appearance in our society.
The title BLACK MIRROR refers to all the screens of devices that are turned off which
in this day and age also almost resembles a small current dystopia for the technology
diehards. But it also represents the dark side of technology and society, the show makes us
look at ourselves through this so-called black mirror. So far there have been two series of
three episodes and a Christmas special. The episodes are disconnected; the characters,
environments and stories are standalone. The show is both critically and publicly acclaimed
and has won several prizes.1 So what is the fascination with this show? Is it about the
technology? Is it about a certain form of voyeurism? Or is it the twist occurring at the end of
an episode, turning all your perceptions and beliefs upside down whilst creating a shock felt
in the mind as well as in the body? Obviously all are incorporated, but I argue that it is the
atmosphere and the dystopia which ring close to home. It is not about science fiction created
through new technologies, but predominantly about how people and society happen to deal
with them and the problems that could occur in situations that are not out of reach for long.
We are all using social media, we are all dependent on technology, it is not difficult to
imagine the possibility of taking it all one step further. In the United Kingdom there is a lot of
CCTV already, cameras are directed at us on a daily basis. How is that being dealt with in
BLACK MIRROR? How do the main characters deal with the new technology shaping their
worlds in each episode? These ideas have led me to my main research question:

Through the genre of dystopia, how does BLACK MIRROR deal with and critique
technological advances and surveillance?

First I will have a look at what a dystopia is and which types of dystopia exist. Then I
will apply the genre to BLACK MIRROR as an anthology show. I will examine the aesthetics,
which I have divided into the following subcategories: Editing, colour, environment and set
1

See: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-20406749 http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/black-mirror-returns http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/dec/05/charlie-brooker-black-mirror

design, and music. The aesthetics will underline that even though the episodes are completely
different, the dystopian theme runs throughout the series. I will also briefly deal with the idea
that the episodes could take place in the same universe.
In the second part I will address the technology. This consists of social media and
surveillance. The question here is how and what kind of surveillance is being used? How can
this be related to technology of current society? Social media will be explained through
utopian and dystopian lenses, but also the notion of ambivalence will come up. Because
conformism to technology and surveillance is an important theme, the question of resistance
also appears. When it comes to resistance, is the personal political in BLACK MIRROR? It turns
out resistance is only seemingly possible and is advised against by the show by lining it up
with deviance. Also it is highly commodified. Besides these themes I have also established
the concepts of mob mentality and entertainment and their importance in BLACK MIRROR and
surveillance. Mob mentality problematises the concepts of justice, morality and populism.
Entertainment exists to undermine criticism and to normalise surveillance.
In the third part I will look at cyborg theory and how it fits in utopian and dystopian
thinking. After establishing what a cyborg is, I will apply it to the cyborgs in BLACK MIRROR.
Important themes are ubiquity, (in)visibility and humanity. BLACK MIRRORs cyborgs will add
to the dystopian ideas surrounding the technobody and reject positive theories and the idea of
going beyond the body. The majority of the themes in all three parts are intertwined with each
other and will without a doubt create an overlap within the different parts, which will be
addressed in part four, the conclusion. This paper attempts to show that BLACK MIRROR
portrays a negative point of view on surveillance, social media and the cyborg, but that there
are also traits of ambivalence surrounding these topics. BLACK MIRROR emphasises that the
usage of these devices causes the problems, not the technology itself. To strengthen this
vision, every story is set in a dystopian society, which in turn criticises current society and its
characteristics in general and the United Kingdoms in particular.

Each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they're all about
the way we live now and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy. Brooker 2011.

Part 1: Black Mirror and dystopia

In this part I will look at what a dystopia is and I will illustrate the theory with several
examples. I will first explain its counterpart, utopia. Then I will apply the theory of the
dystopia to the series as an anthology as well as to the separate episodes, namely Fifteen
Million Merits, The Entire History Of You, The Waldo Moment, White Bear and
White Christmas.
1.1 Utopia
There is one word that appears in every review of BLACK MIRROR: dystopia. A
dystopia is the other side of the coin to a utopia; where there is a dark side, there also has to
be a positive counterpart to provide a balance and to create the opposition. However,
gradually the idea has come about that utopia and dystopia are not necessarily the strict
opposites as they have often been made out to be. To define the bad of dystopia, the good of a
utopia also needs to be able to exist, or more importantly, the idea of a utopia needs to exist.
They cannot be existent without each other. Utopia and dystopia go hand in hand like heaven
and hell (Williams 97).2 In addition, someones utopia can be anothers dystopia. For example
Disneyworld is a fictional yet also real place, which can be joyful for one and a fairy tale hell
for another (Booker 15). To move towards a definition of and understand the workings of a
dystopia, it is helpful to see what a utopia can be and what it consists of.
The term utopia was coined by sir Thomas More in 1516 when he wrote the book with
the same name. His Utopia is a fictional island where people try to create an idyllic society.
The moral and cultural improvement needed for his ideal society is brought forward through
natural science. And whilst his concept of science might not be exactly what is understood
as modern science today, the key aspect is that science has been linked to utopian thinking
since the very beginnings of modern science (5). Technological advancements in modern

In Raymond Williams book heaven and hell are also forms of a utopia and dystopia, albeit rarely.

times have created a shift in thinking about societies. Francis Bacon for instance, a pioneer of
new science, saw the prospect of revolutionising society through the beneficial impacts that
science and technology might have (5). Also it is not just the practical benefits he became
aware of, more important is the sense of purpose and direction that scientific thinking gives
to his idealized society (5). And that is what a utopia entails, it is seen as the final ending of
where our world could be heading towards. Several possibilities could lead to this ultimate
societal achievement as well, as described by Raymond Williams. For instance by an
unlooked for natural event, which is utopias externally altered world. Willingly
transforming society means adapting to a new society after a new kind of life has been
uncovered through human achievement. By far the most important aspect throughout history
will still be the technological discovery (95). The latter also speaks to the mind the most.
Adapted to the advancements and developments in our current society, a utopia has become a
place where technology and humanity have formed a balance and where they strengthen each
other. Inventions starting from the Industrial Revolution have all brought the same premise:
new technology will bring universal wealth, enhanced freedom, revitalized politics,
satisfying community, and personal fulfilment (Winner 1001). The people who believe in
this type of society, the techno-utopists, celebrate technology and believe that we will []
no longer be bound by bodily limitations (Davis 956). One could imagine science fiction
technologies such as cyborgs, the famous depiction of half machine-half man. But also
nowadays the idea of technological enhancements are available, for instance through creating
prosthetic limbs with a 3D printer. Imagination creates endless possibilities for printing. Here
technology benefits humans and it functions as both an aid and an enhancement.
However, the different possibilities of forming a utopia could evidently also be applied
harmfully, creating several types of dystopia. It is a term which triggers the imagination and
expectations about what type of world is being depicted. It is a greatly used inspiration for
fiction, more than the world of utopia it seems. A few recent programmes tried to fictionalise
the world of utopia yet again. For instance there is a Dutch reality TV show along the lines of
Big BROTHER called UTOPIA, where people are trying to build a new society. Also a British
fictional programme exists with the same name where a group of people find a secret
manuscript that predicts disasters which they try to prevent from occurring. An Australian
show with again the original name of UTOPIA, deals with the problems of actually creating a
7

utopia. Problems are easier to imagine than everything being perfect. Especially throughout
the 20th century a scepticism about utopia appeared which made it easier to imagine
nightmares than to imagine dreams about the future. So instead of the idyllic, books and films
have shown us the dystopia. Who is not familiar with novels like 1984 and Brave New World
and films such as THE MATRIX trilogy (The Wachowski Brothers 1999), the TERMINATOR
(Cameron 1984) and METROPOLIS (Lang 1927)? Or at least the dystopian concepts used in
these works of fiction?
1.2 Dystopia
The question raised now is, what exactly is a dystopia? According to Oxford
Dictionaries it is an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad,
typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. Merriam-Webster sees it as an
imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives. Sargent creates the
following definition of a dystopia: a non-existent society described in considerable detail and
normally located in time and space that the author intended a contemporaneous reader to view
as considerably worse than the society in which that reader lived (9). Missing from these
definitions are the notions of the (near) future and that worst-case scenarios are being overly
dramatised to criticise current society and politics. This demonstrates there is not one exact
definition of a dystopia, also because several types of dystopia exist. Williams categories for
utopia can be turned around to describe diverse forms of dystopia. There is an externally
altered world, which is the new situation caused by natural events which alter the basic ideas
of human laws, often catastrophically (96). Think about catastrophes caused by nature
changing the world we live in. For instance, even though man and technology play an
important part, the world in 12 MONKEYS (Gilliam 1995) is depicted as a post-natural disaster
film.3 On television THE 100 (The CW 2013) can be seen as externally altered when the
dystopian situation emerges after a nuclear disaster, which makes it hard for humans to build
a new society. The so-called willed transformation is the more classic idea of a dystopia.
Tyranny, ideology and dictatorship control the universe created, which is more important than
technology used to build and sustain a controlled society. George Orwells 1984 comes to
mind here. Even though the Big Brother technology is important, the technology is clearly
3

The film has been made into a television series as well for Syfy in 2015.

the servant, not the master of the Party (Beauchamp 55). Technology actually serves
ideology. The dystopia which focuses on technology and the changes it creates is aptly called
the technological transformation. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the idea that
machines could do harm has taken shape and has been a prevalent concept of doom. This
started with the Luddites, who did not in fact fear technology, but who were primarily against
its fraudulent and deceitful manner of going around the standard practices of (human)
labour of that time (Conniff 2). Dystopian views can provoke strong actions to oppose the
dark side of the technology (Fuchs et al. 300). The Luddites considered being human the
most important above all and therefore preferred human practices over automated labour. The
idea that the machine [] will become the measure of all things, the model for man to
emulate is called mechanomorphism (Beauchamp 59). This fear was most noticeably
brought forward in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, which is the earliest science fiction novel
depicting the idea of going too far with experimenting with technology and the human body.
This can be perceived as one of the first techno bodies in fiction. Even though it is partly a
satire on the failed aspirations of the Revolution, Frankenstein is also personal fear of
technology and what it can do to humans personally (Claeys 113). The film which depicts this
concept intensely is THE MATRIX , where a society lulled into a false sense of happiness is
kept asleep by evil technology and robots, which in reality have taken over the world. Albeit
there are different forms of dystopia, the general and most familiar form taps into the fears of
technophiles and being controlled by (Matrix-like) technology. Historically, technological
determinism has become the dominant philosophy of dystopian novels (Beauchamp 55). In
fact, a dystopia manages to combine two fundamental fears of humanity: the fear of utopia
and the fear of technology (53). Dystopias are often seen as these distant futures being ruled
by technology, a science fiction of how things could be.
Another important trait of dystopian worlds is that there is a form of control which has
a tight grip on the inhabitants of society. Control is about repression, disturbance is not
tolerated. Control is needed to keep the false impression alive that society is perfect in every
way. Control can for instance be maintained corporately, bureaucratically, technologically or
through the implementation of a strict philosophy or religion. Corporate control is where one
or more large companies use media, advertising and products as means of control. MINORITY
REPORT (Spielberg 2002) is an example of such corporate power, where advertising is made
9

personal and unavoidable through an eye recognition system. Bureaucratic control uses neverending Kafkaesque bureaucracy, waiting lines, regulations, office windows and inadequate
civil servants to keep citizens in check. BRAZIL (Gilliam 1985) is a famous film dealing with
this concept. The technological form puts the control in the mechanical hands of machines,
robots and/or other scientific resources. This is the territory of Terminators and other androids
and MATRIX-type societies. Different types of philosophy or religion could also be the
regulator of a dystopian society. An apt example is Margaret Atwoods novel The
Handmaids Tale, where a new religion makes women possession of men and their primary
existence is to bear children. The viewer is encouraged to witness the dystopian society
together with the protagonist of the story. Their perspective makes us question parallels with
our society, whilst in the meant time we identify with the struggling central characters who
are trying to escape, change things or try to figure out what exactly is wrong with the society
they are living in. This can be accompanied by a sense of not knowing, of confusion or even a
form of amnesia. They try to break away from control or expose the problematic structure of
the dystopian society. Through scenarios which are exaggerated and ring closer to home, a
dystopia is constructed to criticise current societal values and tendencies. Therefore dystopias
need not be set in the most technologically advanced science fiction surroundings to work.
This is an important aspect, it is where fiction and themes in current society can overlap and
inspire each other. Also this demonstrates that a dystopia is also in need of a utopia being able
to exist, because dystopian critiques of existing systems would be pointless unless a better
system appeared conceivable (Booker 15). It is something to aspire to, a construction to
work towards even though it might not entirely be achieved. According to Williams society
can only be classified as dystopian in the technological sense when it is used as an image of
consequence to function, socially, as conscious [] warning (Beauchamp 15).
1.3 Dystopia in BLACK MIRROR
For his show BLACK MIRROR, Charlie Brookers idea was to base the gadgets on
current technology, but only a few (disastrous) steps further. This supports the notion that
dystopias do not have to be pure sci-fi, but might work even better as criticism when it is set a
little closer to current times. He is not even interested in science fiction for the sake of being
sci-fi:
10

I have to feel like its saying something about my boring everyday life. [Black Mirror] are
what-if stories, and the sci-fi element is a McGuffin to allow us to do that. Plus, we wanted to
do a show that was driven by ideas, and that ended up being sci-fi by default. Though, of
course, some of the things in Black Mirror could happen today, if the world was much worse
(Doyle 2013).

As a result, the device called the Grain in TEHOY combines the technology of a DVR/ or
TiVo recorder with the technical characteristics of the Google glass (figs. 1, 2 and 3). Storing
your memories and your social media expressions online to become virtually immortal is
actually already possible with the website Eternime.4 This is similar to the premise of the
episode BRB, where people live on virtually after their death.

Fig. 1 The Grain behind the ear as shown in a

commercial on a screen in a taxi.

Fig. 2 What the person using the Grain sees (the

Fig. 3 Liams eyes when using the Grain.

Fig. 4 The egg device.

image of fig. 1 is still slightly visible).

Through social media data a deceased person can chat online with their loved ones and even
phone them. Eventually it is even possible to build a technobody looking like the deceased
4

http://eterni.me/

11

person, which reacts according to all known online data.5 The egg in WC looks as streamlined
and white as any Apple product in shops today (fig. 4). The functions are essentially modelled
on the idea of the Amazon Echo gadget.6 This is a voice recognition activated device
connected to a cloud to control the technological equipment in your house. Apart from not
having an identical copy of yourself inside it like in WC, the features of this already existing
device are pretty much the same as the ones from the egg. It is designed to make life at home
easier. With a little imagination, your copy is already in the Echo gadget. Thus where in
Victorian times technology consisted of large, easy to destroy machines, technology is much
more integrated and sometimes even almost invisible today, which makes it harder to wipe
out. It is omnipresent. Information and communication technology (ICT) have become an
integral part of our daily lives. This happened because ICT as an enabling, generic
technology easily adapts to other technologies which in turn manage, monitor and regulate
other technologies, keeping the circle going (Hetland 9). Also ICT is able to connect
technologies and people together in ways that have not been done before (9). BLACK MIRROR
makes even more distraught connections than previously imaginable.
1.4 BLACK MIRROR as an anthology show
Since it is the genre term applied to the show in every review, it is intriguing to see
which types of dystopia can be found on BLACK MIRROR and which kinds of society and
control are represented in the different episodes. Being an anthology show, it means that the
episodes are not connected and that every episode is a fresh, new look on a dystopian society
set in the UK. These dystopian societies can be created in several ways and the technology
differs; the message however never changes. This message is beware of technology, or at any
rate, beware of how you deal with new technologies and how you incorporate them in your
life. Thus what all episodes at least have in common is a view on technology intended to
make our lives better taking a turn for the worse, but all technology is being controlled by
humans. The bleakness partly came about because all the episodes are self-contained and
only 50-minutes long; it would feel like a cop out to have everything reset and be okay again
(B. Doyle 2013). Show runner Charlie Brookers aim is to unsettle and unnerve the viewer.
5
6

See part 3.
http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo

12

This is in line with the show not evolving around a hero or heroine saving the day, rescuing
the world from the evil that technology can be. It is about regular people leading their regular
lives dealing with unforeseen consequences. We didnt want to do a show that was about
reassuring people, which most programs are (B. Doyle 2013). To ensure this sensation each
episode has a twist which turns the episode upside down. Happy endings cannot be found on
BLACK MIRROR, which strengthens the claim of the series being dystopian even more, making
the form of an anthology series the appropriate one to depict dystopian stories.
The show does not make any statements about times when technology was not around
either, there is no no technology nostalgia, it simply accepts it as a given, as something that
is ordinary and all around us. In several episodes there is not even a choice whether to make
use of new technologies or not, they are already inherent to society. The real life block system
on WC, the Grain and the redo function of it at airports and job interviews in TEHOY and the
artificial society of FMM, no citizen is complaining about which systems have been
implemented, they just deal with them day by day.7 This reflects on how quickly people adapt
to new technologies nowadays, but also on how they are not ready yet to deal with the
consequences of new technology. This makes that all episodes have in common that they
depict familiar technologies and that a lot of the situations are not as different from our real
world as it first may seem. This also means that societies purely led by technology and/or
robots are absent. This can easily be related to Brooker not wanting to be in science fiction
territory for the sake of making a sci-fi programme. But also something as ordinary as
bureaucratic control, which is also a characteristic of dystopia, does not feature on this show
either. Corporate control can be found, for instance in FMM. In this episode television and
therefore also the unavoidable advertising are an important part of the citizens daily lives
(fig. 5). Judge Hope owns most television channels (he offers the time slot to the protagonist)
and judge Wraith owns the adult channels.8 Both are in the jury of Hot Shot (fig. 6), which is
this dystopian societys BRITAINS GOT TALENT. The former reveals himself to be the
dictatorial Simon Cowell of this society who is in charge, or at least has the power to make
essential decisions about peoples lives. Even though technology is important, it is a means
7

See part 2 and 3 for more about the Grain and the block system.
Judge Hope seems to offer hope, but does not in the end. Judge Wraiths name is aptly chosen, since his
drugged porn stars come across as numb ghost-like versions of themselves until they die. A talent show is
anything but a Charity, the name of the third judge. Also it is a wordplay on Hope, Faith and Charity.
8

13

for an unnamed and unknown company to keep the citizens in check, using entertainment and
virtual currency to keep them pleased and make them well-behaved citizens. However, in the
other episodes the show focuses most prominently on Williams technological
transformation dystopia with a slight deviation here and there.

Fig. 5 Wraiths porn channel advertising has a habit

Fig. 6 Hot Shot judges Wraith, Charity and Hope.

of interrupting at the most inconvenient moments.

1.5 The anthology and its aesthetics

There are several stylistic choices to create coherence in BLACK MIRROR, which adds
the overarching theme of people and technology.
1.5.1 Editing
The stylistic editing choice which makes the series look the same is the division of
every episode into four parts. Every part is announced, apart from the first, and all finish with
an end of part ... , apart from part four.9 These intertitles divide the episodes into the arcs
(Newman 23). Arc is to character as plot is to story (23). Being an anthology show the aim
of BLACK MIRROR is different from a serial show. Instead of the character arc stretching
across many episodes, the characters need to be introduced quickly for the viewer to form a
bond with. At the same time enough space is necessary to outline the story. This gives every
episode the same build up, even though the story and protagonists are completely different.
Just as in episodic shows, the viewer does not need memory from other episodes to
understand what is going on. Where the narratives of episodes differ, the overarching theme
in every episode and every series is about the dangers of technology in human hands. These
9

In BRB between the end of part 1 and the start of part 2, the White Bear logo briefly flashes on screen. This ties
the episodes together, but mostly serves as a nice gesture for the viewer paying extra attention or re-watching the
series.

14

themes are the only things crossing over each episode. The intertitles function as a countdown
towards the inevitable twist, to the shock of the horrific ending created by the dystopia. They
not only provide the narrational structure, they also serve as a reminder that the viewer is
watching the same show during different episodes. The intertitles strengthen the overarching
theme and emphasise the necessary twist occurring in every episode. Thus the anthology form
is appropriate to portray dystopian stories, because the twist need not have any consequences
for other episodes and it is counted down to with the intertitles.
1.5.2 Colour
To create a coherent structure in an anthology series, all episodes have a colour filter
which accentuates darker colours and mainly favours earth tones over bright colours. This
colour scheme stands out when there are episodes with a different set design, which
emphasise the coherent uses of colourisation throughout the series. In FMM we see
performances on Hot Shot. Because it is about an audition on a TV show, the lighting is as
spectacular and appealing as you would expect it to be on such a show. In WC we see a scene
in a hospital and from inside the egg, which also have a different look because of the
abundance of the colour white. However, apart from these scenes the show has a gritty,
unglamourising look which gives it a present-day feel.
Colour is also used to increase the shock of the twist. For instance, TEHOY is
basically a love story between Liam and Ffion. He is afraid of losing her and he is using the
Grain to see find evidence of his suspicion of her unfaithfulness. The warm colours emphasise
the love in this story, whilst their relationship is actually slowly unravelling. This contrast
leads to the twist, where Ffion leaves Liam and he is tortured by constantly replaying
memories of her. He sees no other way out than removing the Grain. In the mean time, the
colours have slowly turned more blue during each part to emphasise Liams loneliness and
loss of love. At the end the blue colour represents Liams new uncertain and Grainless life.10
Colour is furthermore inserted to add a layer of criticism to the generally dark colour
scheme within an episode. For instance, in FMM colours criticise the treatment of people in
that society. The general public all wear grey tracksuits, creating a uniform mass for everyone
to blend into. Dimmed white ceiling lights are accompanied by the brighter colours provided
10

See part 3, figs. 41-44.

15

by enormous television screens. The absence of colours in their reality and the abundance of
colours on the screens create an uncomfortable atmosphere which wants us to favour the
virtual avatars over the real people. The avatars of the humans are living the lives humans are
supposed to lead. The other people clearly below the workers class are the cleaners. The
bright yellow clothing of the clearly overweight cleaners brings an unbalance to the
monochrome/colour dichotomy representing respectively the negative and the positive. The
cleaners clearly are the lowest class in this society. They are being used as maintenance
slaves, are often bullied (one of Bings colleagues cannot get enough of this) and are
portrayed in a videogame as the villains to abuse and even kill for personal entertainment
which makes them the victims eventually (figs. 7 and 8). This criticises the verbal abuse
overweight people receive as well in our society.

Fig. 7 Cleaner and Bings work area.

Fig. 8 Video game killing cleaners.

Also the colours symbolise the good and contrast the virtual colours putting them in a bad
light. Even in this society, things are not as black and white as they seem at first sight. The
brightly coloured Hot Shot set does not offer the escape it gives the impression to offer after
all. The usage of colours criticises the power of the entertainment industry and the idea of
being slaves to the (virtual) economy. BLACK MIRROR reinforces the notion of entertainment
as an opium for the masses, which will be more thoroughly addressed part two. BLACK
MIRROR uses colours to contrast, emphasise or criticise storylines which eventually lead to a
dystopia.
1.5.3 Environment and set design
Within an anthology series, there are different aesthetics of the surroundings in every episode.
The ending of TWM, seen during the closing credits, has a very familiar, distinctive dystopian
16

look. In contrast to the other episodes, society has become dark and dirty and it is raining all
the time. This look is very reminiscent of old dystopian films such as BLADE RUNNER (Scott
1982) (figs. 9 and 10). This is unexpected, as the environment throughout the episode is like

Fig. 9 Society after Waldo.

Fig. 10 Scene from BLADE RUNNER.

it is nowadays. The viewer sees a regular election process. The only thing which is distinctly
different is the presence of a virtual, blue bear who at first interrogates the politicians in his
TV show and then later decides to join the elections himself. However, at the end during the
closing credits, there is a new, gloomy place outside in the city, filled with screens and
slogans. This society has become a totalitarian regime. Riot police are patrolling the streets,
immediately beating down any disturbance. Homeless people are being chased off the streets.
Jamie, sleeping on the street as well, experiences brutal police violence firsthand when he
throws his bottle at onscreen Waldo out of anger. He is being tasered and beaten. This
dystopia falls into the willed transformation category and this time it is clearly Waldos
will. The virtual blue bear has taken over the world, its blue face is everywhere, from the UK
to Asia, in the Arabic world and everywhere in between. Since the true dystopia is only
shown during the closing credits, we can only guess what has become of the world. This is
most likely a social order with a form of philosophical control. Waldo comes across as the
dictator ruling the world (his face is even portrayed on fighting planes, suggesting military
violence and hostile takeover) and he is being used a part of education in class. His
philosophy encompasses political slogans such as hope, change and believe. Populist
politics have clearly got out of hand and turned into this worlds philosophy. BLACK MIRROR
warns that technology can also be used for political bad by aligning it with a dystopia. 11

11

See part 2.5.3. Mob mentality.

17

The episode that aesthetically is very distinctive and looks the most science-fiction is
FMM. In contrast to TWM, this is a very stylised and clean looking environment. It also
stands out from the other episodes by being set in a far future, the setting is not one to identify
with at this point in time. In this episode, the citizens have to pedal on home trainers to earn
merits the currency of this society (and most likely provide the society with electricity,
however this is never disclosed). With these merits they can buy accessories for their avatars,
TV programmes or videogames. The society is mostly virtual and the citizens live in closed
off, claustrophobic spaces. Bing is the protagonist of this story. The dystopian sensation in
FMM is created by the monochrome, mostly grey and black look of both the people and their
surroundings. FMM is looking and feeling very claustrophobic, without any type of flora let
alone fauna, because everything is artificial and technological (fig. 11). The only natural
things are the human workers and the people on television shows (and there even the audience
is virtual!). Bing even comments on the food inside the vending machines: The most natural
thing in there is probably grown in a petri dish. Thus the organised looking style and the
cleanliness are not used as a positive science-fiction design, they actually emphasise the
isolation, sterility and artificiality in lifestyle.

Fig. 11 Confined space in FMM.

Fig. 12 Bings bedroom cubicle with screens.

When Bing progresses to a better class of worker at the end of the episode (from
pedalling on a bike to a presenter of his own TV show), his room is bigger and he seems to
have more freedom. He first lived in a small cubicle bedroom surrounded by screens, which
has been rebuilt in his new room for the television show (figs. 12 and 13). He is pretending to
be a revolutionary voice for the workers, whilst he is actually above them in this society

18

now.12 The enormous window in the new room depicts some type of forest, creating the idea
that he has really made it in life and is therefore being rewarded with a permanent view of the
beautiful and bright green outside world. On closer inspection however, it might not be a
window at all. Since the forest looks so radiant, we can safely assume it is not a window but a
huge screen instead. Also after a closer look the view resembles the top of a rain forest, which
is definitely not a common sight in the UK (fig. 14). It makes the society of his former
colleagues look even grittier, they do not even have an image of nature in close proximity.
This science-fiction looking setting is not an improvement and leads to an artificial, dystopian
atmosphere.

Fig. 13 Reproduction cubicle in new big room.

Fig. 14 Window or screen?

Fig. 15 Silent onlookers with their mobile phones

in WB.

Fig. 16 The White Bear logo.

WB is another episode which immediately sets off the dystopian surroundings alarm.
Protagonist Victoria wakes up in a strange house, not knowing where she is or how she got
there. At first it seems she is all alone. The empty and silent suburb creates a very eerie
atmosphere. It has tones of an externally altered world. She spots a few people behind
12

See 1.5.4 Music.

19

windows in other houses looking at her through their mobile phone cameras. Soon she is
being hunted down by a masked stranger, whilst people keep looking at their mobile phone
screens to see what is going on. Asking them for help is futile, they act like a silent mobile
army of techno zombie onlookers (fig. 15). Victoria most definitely has amnesia,
accompanied by involuntarily triggered flashbacks. The viewer goes on the journey with
Victoria, figuring out where she is, what has happened and why there are people set out to kill
her. She encounters other people, who are victims too, and more strangely dressed and
masked killers. After the twist it turns out there is no such thing as mobile zombies and that
there is no externally altered world to adapt too. She is merely a pawn in what can only be
perceived as a justice theatre. Victoria was an accessory to murder, she and her boyfriend
kidnapped a little girl. The cuddly white bear left behind became the mascot of this terrible
case, hence the name of the park being White Bear. The control turns out to be at least
partially corporate in the end. The White Bear Justice Park rangers are the ones in charge
setting up the same justice show every day and giving instructions to the visitors on how to
behave during this elaborate play. Baxter, who comes across as the leader of the park, is the
one erasing Victorias mind every night, having the ultimate control over Victorias fate. She
has to relive this dystopian nightmare every single day. There is some advertising to be seen,
with the White Bear logo (fig. 16), but it is used as a trigger for Victorias mind rather than as
an act of capitalism.13 Therefore this episode can be seen more as having a philosophical form
of control than strictly corporate control. It is mostly about the philosophy and morality of
crime and punishment. The episode keeps the viewer on their toes by tricking them into
thinking an apocalyptic type of dystopia has been created where Victoria is the good girl
trying to make sense of it all. However in the end it is still debatable whether Victoria is the
abuser or the victim of this story (or both) and what justice exactly is.
The other episodes are not as distinctive in creating a highly recognisable dystopian
appearance as the ones above do. These episodes are rooted in daily life, which is also
underlined by the use of social media on BRB and The National Anthem. These episodes
demonstrate most visibly that dystopias are generally more or less thinly veiled refigurations
of a situation that already exists in reality (Booker 15). BRB is very plausible up until the
13

The logo back to Victorias crime and confuses her because she does not know where she has seen it before.
Turns out it was her boyfriends striking tattoo in his neck.

20

very human looking cyborg appears, which is still impossible in our reality.14 TNA is an
episode which has no new technology and the events are a possibility to happen in current
society, making it the dystopian nightmare most within our grasp. 15 Or it actually makes us
wonder if we live in a dystopia already, which means that a science fiction appearance is not a
necessary condition for criticism on society.
1.5.4 Music
First of all, melodic music is not used a lot on BLACK MIRROR. Usually they are
obscure sounds or soundscapes setting the mood and tension on the show. This tension leads
the viewer towards the inevitable twist, the foreshadowing of the dystopian ending. The
absence of happy melodies means the show is serious, the absence of sad melodies means the
show does not aim for a melodramatic effect. Therefore the use of music stands out
massively. Not only because songs are largely absent, but also because the songs used in
FMM actually foreshadow the dystopian narrative of this episode.
The first of the recurring songs is a cover of ABBAs I Have a Dream. It is being
sung by the biggest star coming from the TV programme Hot Shot, which gives an authentic
song a layer of artificiality associated with talent show pop stars. It is an uplifting song sung
in a bleak environment which does not miss making its cynical mark. Lyrics such as a song
to sing to cope with anything, a fantasy to help me through reality, and my destination
makes it worth the while, pushing through the darkness still another mile give meaning to
what is not being said by the citizens living in the FMM society (ABBA 1979). The working
class people will not only provide power and virtual currency for themselves, they silently
also keep on paddling to find that bright future. Yet the song also works as a forecast of
Bings own particular narrative in the episode. Bing also believes in an angel, in this case Abi,
who represents the beautiful and authentic in a largely artificial world. He creates a dream for
her, besotted with her and her voice, he decides everyone should listen to it. However, Bings
dream turns into a nightmare when judge Wraith recruits Abi for his porn channel through
peer pressure and the Compliance drug, which makes Abi unable to resist the fantastic offer.
14

See part 3.
If someone is crazy enough to attempt creating an art piece like that, which goes as follows: The British Prime
Minister gets a rather strange ransom demand when the crown princess has been kidnapped. He has to have sex
with a pig in order to grant her release. It turns out to be some sort of art exhibition event in the end.
15

21

When Bing finally steps up by going on Hot Shot, but instead of performing making a
statement whilst holding a glass shard to his neck, he fits the when I know the time is right
for me I'll cross the stream part of the lyric. However his act of desperation does not save
Abi and after being employed by judge Hope. For Bing the only positive after crossing his
stream seems to be a larger room and not having to pedal any more, but everything around
him including the message of the shard and his own revolutionary rant- is still as
unauthentic as before. The wooden penguin, representing the little paper penguin Abi had
made him earlier (one of few earthly possessions he had before), only intensifies this feeling
of artificiality. A bigger room means nothing when you cannot be with the person you love.
The other prominent song used on the episode is Irma Thomas Anyone Who Knows
What Love is (Will Understand). This is what Bing hears Abi sing in the restroom and the
song she sings for her Hot Shot audition. It is a soul song from the 60s. An era still regarded
by some as the time of real music, this song represents authenticity as well as her soul. The
melancholic tones of the music foreshadow Abis future. This song shows her unspoken love
for Bing. The Hot Shot judges can shame her, blame her or pity her, she still will care for him.
Even though in the song the lyrics say I wont ever let you go, she unwillingly will have to
let Bing go in her life. It is telling she does not even come that far singing the song on Hot
Shot. In the mean time she has shown a bleak society for a second what happiness love can
be (Thomas 1964). She is a spark of light in Bings pale world, she gives a soul to an
emotionally deprived society. The only thing the judges therefore can do is shut her down to
keep control. Instead of having a bright future as a popular and authentic singer, Abi is turned
into a numb, drugged porn star. BLACK MIRROR creates a contrast between authenticity, which
is signified by both pop songs (bust mostly Thomas song), and the artificiality as seen in the
FMM society. The uplifting lyrics about love and hope contrast with the deteriorating
relationship between Bing and Abi. Just as in our society the question occurs if virtual
relationships are just as strong as real life ones. According to BLACK MIRROR this is not the
case, by criticising all that is artificial it favours the authentic, which does not have a lasting
life in FMM.
The other episode where music plays an important role is WC. The recurring song
here is Wizzards I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, a happy song accompanying a
usually festive time of the year. In this case it is actually used as a torture song on Joe, to
22

make him remember him accidentally killing his former father in law. This song was playing
on the radio when he committed the crime. Obviously Joe does not want it to be Christmas
every day, he wants to forget all about that horrible day in his life. He actually manages to do
so, but the cookie made from his memory betrays copy Joe inside the egg, making him listen
to it on repeat. The irony of this happy song in sad times is not lost. The song turns into a
means of control when the police officer puts it on repeat in the egg just for fun. Joes cookie
copy, who nevertheless has real emotions, has to suffer through this upbeat song throughout
the holidays, which for him last a thousand years because time is fluent and adjustable with
the egg technology. The music in this episode does not provide any narrative clues, but in this
case it indicates an important feature of the egg, as will be explained in the next part.

Although BLACK MIRROR is distinctively an anthology show, the idea that it all takes
place in one big universe has been fuelled by WC. There are several nods to other episodes to
be found. Abis song is sung during karaoke, Victorias name is to be seen on the news ticker
tape, someone uses Waldo as his online screen name and we see images of Hot Shot on
television. Even so, it is impossible for the world to be simultaneously ruled by Waldo, have a
society like FMM and to have justice parks for every single criminal out there. Let alone to
implement all other technological equipment found in other episodes. The nods can be
regarded as Easter Eggs for the viewer who pays extra attention. Yet they also strengthen the
notion that technology is an enabling and encompassing medium and that it easily adapts to
other technologies which in turn manage, monitor and regulate other technologies,
connecting them in ways that have not been done before (Hetland 9). And even if there is an
absence of absolute technological control in BLACK MIRROR, technology and how to (ab)use it
are important themes throughout the series. These topics are put in the narrative of the
dystopia which consecutively is strengthened by the aesthetics on the show. Sound and vision
work towards the inevitable twist, which sets the bleak ending of the dystopian world in
motion. The anthology form is the appropriate way to get the dystopian theme across, because
it shows the route to dystopia in with different narratives and technology without needing
continuation, a cliff-hanger or a happy ending. All episodes are about how people deal with
gadgets and the consequences of their behaviour. Technology is important to keep the power
which is needed to control behaviour. One of the means to maintain control in the several
23

BLACK MIRROR dystopias is using technology for surveillance. In the next part I will elaborate
not only on surveillance, but also the consequences of technology and social media.

End of Part 1
24

[] its not a technological problem [we have], its a human one. Brooker in Gordon 2014.

Part 2: BLACK MIRROR, social media,

technology and surveillance
In this part I will discuss social media in general and in BLACK MIRROR in particular. I
will then move towards surveillance and technology. I will address the notions of ubiquity,
conformism, non-optionality and the possibility of resistance. The latter also has a connection
with mob mentality. Eventually the role of entertainment in BLACK MIRROR will be discussed.
All episodes are featured.
2.1 Social media and internet
Technology on Black Mirror also means the use of the internet and social media. The
internet is a medium that fits well in the discourse of ongoing debates about the positive and
negative which arise with every newly introduced gadget. In addition, the terms utopian and
dystopian are not only used as fictional genres, when it comes to social media they are no
strangers either. It has been framed as a medium that encapsulates both sides. On the one
hand, technology offers the potential to augment or even enhance personal and public life
(Davis 955). It is the overtly positive rhetoric about the internet, the idea of a utopian allconnecting online society, is a very persistent notion that is pro-innovation and full of hope
(Hetland 4). The concept of Facebook is still part of the celebratory perspective in the public
technological discourse (Davis 957). It is all about connecting people all over the World,
social media is about inclusion. People can record and share private moments and they can
include themselves in the private moments of others. Physical presence is not needed, we can
strengthen relationships with known people, create new ones and keep in touch with people
who live abroad (962-964). Citizens can overthrow governments through the power of
Facebook and Twitter and even the most marginalised voices have a platform now (965). The
connections and possibilities of sharing are endless and leading us to an electronic utopia.
On the other hand, the internet and social media also have their dark secrets. Usually
these secrets are tied to acts which are not accepted in general and lie well beyond normal
25

boundaries: Criminal activity, political activism outside the democratic tradition and sexual
deviance (Hetland 9). The internet can be perceived as the wilds of nature (9). The
downsides of social media such as Facebook have frequently been part of these discussions
about internet and online interactions as well. On the other hand, technology looms with the
potential to supplant or replace real experience (Davis 955). The repeatedly heard
complaints are that relationships are not deep and meaningful any more but rather shallow,
that representation is more important than the users current experience and that connection is
just too easy. Virtual places offer connection with uncertain claims to commitment (Turkle
153). The internet is always there as a distraction (even more with smartphones) making life
just scroll by (163). There is even a dystopic anxiety about addiction and the
medicalization of perceived technological over-use (Davis 958). Because in the end the
expanding technology will cause a total institution which will entirely encapsulate us
(Fuchs et al. 299). These are a few of the dystopian discourses surrounding social media
regarding techno-pessimism. Digital technologies are recognised as new resources of
surveillance and social control. Furthermore instead of overthrowing governments, they are
perceived as the reification of existing power hierarchies as well. There were the so-called
Twitter revolutions in Egypt and Iran, but in the end Twitter did not have the expected (or
hoped) impact on the revolutions themselves (or lack of real revolutions in case of Iran) (Tusa
17). The marginalised voices blur into an oversaturated din and have a hard time creating
one strong opinion (Hetland 9).
It is significant to notice that besides the utopian and dystopian discourses surrounding
technology and social media, there is also a more ambivalent position. The ambivalent
position is lying exactly between the utopian and the dystopian view. There is the hope of the
former and the fear of the latter. Ambivalence is rooted in the politics, propensities, and
potentials of technology (Davis 958). Even though there is an ambivalent position, Davis
demonstrates that there is the important notion of non-optionality which makes ambivalence
harder:

26

The increasing institutional, structural, formal and informal presence of social media in
everyday life makes it quite difficult (perhaps impossible) to opt out. Certainly, one can
log off (e.g., delete social media accounts), but one cannot escape a social system that
increasingly operates on and through social technologies (967).

One of the potentials of ambivalence is the technological control position made possible
through the co-construction of users and technology (Hetland 10). The idea is that all
problems created by new technology also have a technological solution (11). Control is
entrusted within new technology. Hetland identifies three more control situations surrounding
the internet, namely individual control, social control, and institutional control, added
to the abovementioned technological control (10). The first two are categorised as active,
whilst the latter two are in the reactive class of online control. The social control position
assumes internet users will all behave as responsible members of society. The opposite of this
responsibility consists of online harassment and so-called flaming and trolling. This ties in
slightly with the belief in individual control, in a user being responsible for their own
boundaries and guidelines. Individual control is accentuated because the idea is that
technology cannot be controlled (10). Institutions cannot keep up with all the technological
advancements, meaning laws are behind on the times. Users will always find a way to bypass
newly invented control measures online. Institutional control also means that authorities want
the police and national security to have new powers, new competence and not least, increased
resources (12). The mass media are important defining and recognising risk and control in
our current society. In utopian and dystopian views of the internet, control is ensured through
surveillance. The importance here is who controls the mass media and therefore who defines
the risks. Power is an important notion when it comes to both the utopian and dystopian
rhetoric as well as the more ambivalent stance on technology and social media. Who has
access to which technology and which media, who controls the access and who doesnt have
access at all?
2.2 Social media on BLACK MIRROR
Two of the seven episodes are mainly built around social media, namely TNA and
BRB. It also is the main feature of one of the three story lines on WC, although there the
27

social media usage is not as ordinary as in the other episodes. In the case of BRB, the first
time protagonist Ash is on screen, he is glued to his smartphone, not an uncommon sight these
days. His girlfriend Martha even asks him to put the phone in the glove compartment box, so
she can have a normal and undistracted conversation with him in the car. Ash is such a heavy
social media user, that after his death a friend of Martha signs her on for an unnamed online
service which allows people to talk to their nearest and dearest who have passed away. His
life has literally scrolled by (Turkle 163). The key part of the episode is the ability to
construct a technobody/cyborg from the recovered social media data. The importance of
social media here is that the service and the cyborg demonstrate that individual control in the
end creates its limits for the technobody. This will be thoroughly addressed in the next part.
For now it is important as a reminder that according to BLACK MIRROR social media are
already completely entwined with our lives.

Fig. 17 Social media statistics in TNA.

Fig. 18 - Matts vision of what Joes Z-Eye sees.

TNA features social media as we now know it. YouTube and Twitter cover the
breaking news about the Duchess being kidnapped and the kidnappers demands well before
the normal news media channels mention it, just as often happens now (fig. 17).
This partially has to do with the injunction set for the news media channels and which does
not prevent users online to freely share and distribute the news. This is also how the ransom
demands video goes viral, the government trying to stop the video from being seen cannot
work as fast as all the internet users who constantly upload the video to several different sites.
There is no social control, it is all individual. Even though there is normal surveillance
employed by the government, such as GPS tracking systems and satellites, it is not the main
focus of this episode, it is about the power social media has over the public opinion, the
swiftness of breaking news and even the decisions made by the government. The latter cannot
28

control social media, the news nor the public opinion, which ultimately have the power over
Prime Minister Callow and his decision to go through with the ransom demand. Institutional
control entirely fails. Just as with law making, the government is behind and lack control of
social media technology. In the end it is not the technology that gets the PM to perform his act
on the pig, technology is merely an assistance to the terrorist and the public. This episode
undoubtedly underscores Brookers idea that humans are a bigger problem than technology.
WC combines surveillance and social media, both merge in Matts company, a dating
service with online assistance. He helps desperate men to try to get a date at Christmas parties
of companies they do not even work at. By way of the device called the Z-Eye, Matt is able to
see and hear what his client witnesses as well being able to guide and to talk to him (fig. 18).
Via the internet a group of men, also clients of Matts, can witness the whole dating event as
well and are able to comment at the same time. Whilst the twist of this storyline hangs on the
idea of online social communication (Harrys date Jennifer thinks he hears voices in his head
too whilst he is talking to Matt and his online friends and decides to commit a murder/suicide
so they both will get rid of the voices), it is the intrusive surveillance of a mans life which
dominates this story line. Technology creates a problem in real life for Harry, because Matts
individual control fails. Matt can communicate with Harry, but he cannot talk to let alone
control the woman who is with Harry. This time the problems get so out of hand that there is
no technological solution available, which eventually causes Harrys death.16 Matt can scream
at the screen all he wants, Harry cannot take control of the situation after Jennifer has
poisoned him. In this case it was only surveillance from Matts side without any possibility of
interacting and without having any control on the situation, which seems to be the exception
to the rule of surveillance. BLACK MIRROR heavily implies that you can have all the advanced
surveillance technology you want, it does not mean you can control every situation you are
using it for. Surveillance today is a central means of social sorting, of classifying and
categorizing populations and persons for risk assessment [] and management (Lyon 172).
This is not how Matt intended it, he clearly misjudged Jennifer and her motives and failed to
do any risk assessment. His social sorting essentially consisted of finding willing women and
using surveillance to entertain his other clients. Social media is a part of surveillance, namely
16

The ending of the episode hints at Matts business not being entirely legal, hence him not calling in emergency
services. By failing to report this murder, Matt gets a criminal record and is put on a permanent block list.

29

social surveillance. This episode addresses the wrongs of social surveillance by using it as a
means to mock a helpless victim. Usually surveillance technology is in place to keep tabs on
peoples actions and whereabouts and surveillance is used as a means of control, or at least
has the disguise that it does. Technology and surveillance, power and control, they all are
closely connected. So what kinds of surveillance actually exist and which implications come
along with them?
2.3 Visibility is a trap (Foucault 200)
Michel Foucaults theory of the Panopticon is without a doubt the most famous in the
field of surveillance. Whether it is being confirmed, weakened or adjusted, his ideas about
power and control are still influential to this day. For every article out there, they constantly
prove to be a good starting point. In his famous book Discipline and Punish: The Birth of a
Prison from 1977 (originally in French) Foucault expands on Jeremy Benthams invention of
the Panopticon, a new plan for the architecture of a prison. It is the famous design of the
central watchtower in the middle, with a vision on all the inmates who are or are not being
watched by a guard. The tower itself is the beacon of light. The inmates do not know which
side the guard is on and cannot see him or her because of the lighting and the Venetian blinds.
It does not even matter if somebody is inside the tower. There is also the possibility of not
being observed at all, the feeling of being observed is enough. As crucial as visibility is to
maintain power is also unverifiability (Koskela 298). This is the major effect of the
Panopticon: to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures
the automatic functioning of power (Foucault 201). Furthermore there is a hierarchy in the
placement of prison inmates so they can also correct each other. Subsequently the Panopticon
functions as a laboratory to create what Foucault calls docile bodies. It is used for training,
correction and alteration of human behaviour (203). The most important aspect of Foucaults
idea is that surveillance leads to normalization (Lyon 175). With all the cameras outside
nowadays, it is no wonder Foucaults concept of the Panopticon is the starting point for
surveillance studies today. CCTV cameras also have a gaze into the world, without knowing
if the camera is actually working, if someone behind it is watching the images and if so who
is watching the images. The citizens behaviour is adjusted according to the notion of being
watched. The main distinction with the Panopticon, is that most likely no one is watching live
30

and that the images are being recorded only to be used after a crime has been committed. Also
it is impossible to know the location of the control room or people watching the camera
(Koskela 299). However, as Elmer points out, there are differences between Benthams
Panopticon and Foucaults writings about the Panopticon. It is often thought the main concern
of Foucaults idea of the Panopticon was about monitoring people, but that is actually
Benthams Panopticon (Fuchs et al. 27). Foucault stresses the notion of discipline and the
notion of self-governing. For Bentham the tower is the centre, for Foucault the prisoners. For
Foucault there cannot even be a Panopticon without discipline, without it being a laboratory
of power (23).
Thomas Mathiesen thought of the concept of the synopticon as a critique on as well as
an addition to the Panopticon. He was thinking about the implications of surveillance and
mass media. His idea is that we live in viewer society (219). He says Foucault sees a
society which has gone from a situation where the many see the few to a situation where the
few see the many (221). To Mathiesen it works the other way around, mass media is an
additional control system where the many see the few. Mathiesen administers power to media
personalities and institutional elites (226-227). For instance celebrity culture or politics are
environments in which the many (fans/voters), watch the few (celebrities/politicians). The
synopticon exists alongside the Panopticon, institutions can actually be both. A. Doyle thinks
the synopticon is one-sided, because it does not take the idea of resistance to surveillance into
account. It is too top down and overlooks the audiences possibility of agency. The ideas of
media personalities and political elites having such power is outdated. A. Doyle says
Mathiesen also overlooked a new era of surveillance, facilitated by the internet (295).
Bauman and Lyon see Foucaults notion of discipline as key (53). Deleuze notes that even
Foucault stated that we moved from a disciplinary society to a controlling one (174).
However, both discipline and control can be found in BLACK MIRROR. Lyon still sees the
Panopticon and synopticon existing, and thinks whatever panoptic effects may still be
present in today's societies, they cannot be understood in isolation from the synoptic
(Bauman and Lyon 68). He also cites Bigo, who thought of the ban-opticon, which is about
who is under surveillance by which profiling technologies. Transnational bureaucracies of
surveillance and control, both businesses and politicians, now work at a distance to monitor
and control population movement, through surveillance (61). This is seen as more liquid
31

surveillance, which is not static like the Panopticon. Bauman sees the ban-opticon used for
both confinement and exclusion: The ban-opticon guards the entrances to the parts of the
world inside which DIY surveillance suffices to maintain and reproduce order (63). This
type of surveillance is found on the streets and mainly in public places such as shopping malls
and airports. All of types of -opticon are present in BLACK MIRROR and say something about
current society. The examples will add to the discussion above and will show their
implications.
2.4 Frames of surveillance practices
The Panopticon and all its modifications are not the only discourses about
surveillance. Drawing upon five categories Neuman et al. uncovered within news media,
Barnard-Wills applies these five discourses to different surveillance practices. These
discourses are all prevalent in the United Kingdom, which as a country is deeply embedded in
surveillance discourse. The UK is well-known for all its CCTV cameras and is as a result
one of the most surveilled societies in the world (Cole 430). Because the show is regarded
as satire, expressing trends and worries about current society, it is interesting to see if
surveillance discourses found in UK News Media can be applied to a fictional television
show. The five discourses are economic themes, human impact, them and us
divisions, control by powerful others and moral values (Barnard-Wills 555). Each
discourse has its positive and negative aspects. Simultaneously the positive aspects all fall
into the suggestion that surveillance is for the benefit of the citizens, in the sense of crime
prevention, risk management and notions of safety and security and protecting the vulnerable
(555). Any criticism is being regarded as paranoia and the suggestion of social control is
being denied. The negatives are found in the line of privacy, democracy and discrimination,
but also in concepts such as the cost and accountability. The most important discourses which
are linked to dystopia are the them and us and unsurprisingly perceptions of control by
powerful others. The latter uses the obvious term Big Brother (555). In this aspect the notion
of a surveillance society is found. The Orwellian framework also invites rhetorics of fear
and as a result the criticism of paranoia. Even though there is a disagreement about the
equivalence between current society and authoritarian, oppressive surveillance, the concept of
Big Brother is still a much used model in fiction which vividly speaks to the mind. Therefore
32

it is an easily drawn metaphor to use with current surveillance too (560). The difference
between the type of surveillance carried out by Big Brother or through the Panopticon, is the
gaze. Where the gaze is visible with the Big Brother technology, the basic principle of the
Panopticon is that we do not know if or when someone is watching, which is a different form
of discipline. Lyon sees in Big Brother a powerful, lasting metaphor which does not entirely
fit any more. Evidently Orwell did not take modern advanced technologies and
computerisation into account.
The main counterargument is that it is not just the state using surveillance technologies
anymore (Lyon 174). Capitalism makes companies observe their customers as well; social
surveillance makes us observe each other. Lyon sees the Panopticon generating as much fear
as Big Brother technology does. But Foucault could not predict the technological future
either. Even though surveillance through databases adds to the desirable normalisation, which
is undeniably very Foucauldian, he never even thought of the idea of databases making
people up instead of invading private lives (175). It is technology catching up with certain
dystopian ideas which might make the aforementioned metaphors less applicable.
Nevertheless, Koskela sees Foucaults Panopticon when walking through every major city in
the world. Surveillance aims to normalise urban space (Koskela 300). People go about
their daily lives without noticing the CCTV cameras. There are differences with surveillance
in the city and in a prison. Contrary to a prison, a city is not a place intended for punishment
(302). The urban space is less controllable and more diverse than the enclosed space of a
prison. However, the power mechanisms of surveillance, namely control and normalisation,
are still in place. Koskela even sees possibilities for counter-surveillance, as control is never
completely hegemonic (306). For BLACK MIRROR the option of going against control of
surveillance is significant.
Nonetheless, where Barnard-Wills uncovered several positive effects of surveillance,
Fuchs only sees the negative side and a neutral one. The neutral side highlights that
surveillance can actually be used for good and emphasises the view of systematically
gathering information and the necessity for organisation (Fuchs et al. 62). However, he does
not want to acknowledge this positive side, because that stands in the way of fundamental
critique of surveillance and it creates a conflation that is a disservice to a critical theory of
society (63). The connection between the idea of ambivalence, as earlier ascribed to social
33

media and internet, with surveillance has been made, even though Fuchs might not see it that
way. His idea falls in line with surveillance never being able to benefit all and is always about
preventing certain behaviours, which means certain groups benefit from surveillance whilst
other groups are being discriminated against. This underlines BLACK MIRRORs dystopian
notion that surveillance cannot be put in a positive light and that ambivalence should take
positivitys place instead.
2.5 Black Mirror and surveillance
BLACK MIRROR is using the UK as a surveillance society as the base of all the
episodes. There is not anything remotely odd or striking about surveillance in itself, it is only
being taken a step further to emphasise the notion of power. This means the episodes fit the
frame of perceptions of control by powerful others. Sometimes it is not even clear who is
actually in power, society has adapted to the taken surveillance measures, like in FMM,
TEHOY and WC. In other episodes there are most likely governments like todays in power
(TNA being the clearest example), whilst TWM is actually a glimpse into the future showing
what happens when that government is under populist threat.
Being against a surveillance society is associated with paranoia according to BarnardWills. WB shows this paranoia, reinforced by Victorias amnesia, which turns out to be
justified paranoia because she is just a mere pawn in a cruel theme park and is literally hunted
down. She departs from normative scripts when faced with surveillance (Barnard-Wills
561). Her worries are delegitimised, because as a convicted criminal she is not allowed have
any. She simply has to pay the price for helping her boyfriend abduct a little girl. She is also
being dehumanised, made into an animal that has to be hunted down. Even though Victoria
turns out to be a convicted criminal, her paranoia can be seen as a parallel to delegitimising
paranoid surveillance concerns in real life (think about the tinfoil hats commentary), where
our concerns are legitimate, while those of the other are paranoid (561). BLACK MIRROR
shows that it does not matter who has the concerns, the conforming majority is right and the
others are wrong and as a result not sane enough to assess it. Those distinctions of them and
us are constantly visible by showing who fall into which category. It is the people imposing
justice with the usage of technology who think they have the right to do so and anyone
protesting these practices is paranoid.
34

This them and us divide is very ordinarily portrayed in TEHOY, where a woman at
the dinner table quickly becomes an outcast when she admits to not having a Grain implanted
(a device to store, replay and check peoples memories).17 In this case it is the deviant
Grainless versus the conformed society of people with a Grain who are them and us which is
created through a discussion. Visibly, them and us are present in WC, where the block button
separates the harassed from the harasser. This is another way to depict the deviant versus the
conformed. The blocked person and blocker both turn into a walking white blob for each
other, their words have become white noise (figs. 19 and 20).18

Fig. 19 - Joe blocked as seen by Bethany.

Fig. 20 Bethany in return block, as seen by Joe.

Fig. 21 Matts convicted block.

Fig. 22 Matts view of society when blocked.

In Matts block case, he is even portrayed as a red blob at the end of the episode, the
colour of the convicted criminal (figs. 21 and 22). He failed to report Harrys murder and his
Z-Eye company also was not the most legal of businesses.19 The assigning of the colour
works as a warning to the outside world (a criminal walks here!), but because they are not
even capable of communicating with him, it seems more used as a way of imposing shame
17

More on the Grain in part 3.

The question is whether there really is any harassment taking place or if someone is just merely annoyed
dealing with someone. It is a very ambiguous and therefore dangerous device.
19
See also 2.5.3 Mob mentality.
18

35

than as an association of being under surveillance. BLACK MIRROR wants the viewer to
distinguish easily between the good and bad people, but eventually questions who is
good, who is bad and who the audience should actually root for. This is especially clear in
WB, where first the unknowing Victoria creates sympathy, then learning about her crimes
makes the viewer lose that same sympathy. The twist of the justice park and daily memory
wiping creates the doubt of the punishment fitting the crime and has the viewer go back and
forth between sympathy and incomprehension. And in WC, is Matt providing a service by
helping single men, or is he running a shady business based on a type of surveillance which
almost resembles stalking?
TNA turns the idea of them and us and of citizens and government around, by
giving the public the final call over the PMs action. The public have become the powerful
other. When the whole country (us) is watching Callows act with the pig on TV, he has
become the them, the innocent person under surveillance who should not have been
(558). In this case Callow is the pars pro toto for the government, more specifically the power
the government usually has, hence the them. Generally it is the government surveilling its
citizens and not the other way around. The synopticon is also present, as many watch the few
(the voters watch the politician), which is in this case the PM and the pig. The sexual act
actually sways the public opinion, showing that Mathiesens notion of the synopticon power
is still in place, which means resistance is impossible. These examples all have in common
that the us feel righteous and use the technology to show the them that they are wrong.
BLACK MIRROR demonstrates how in society peoples morals can get out of hand and how
certain technologies can be used to punish the people who do not deserve that kind of public
scrutiny.
2.5.1 The Panopticon... or is it?
It will be interesting to see how Foucaults ideas about surveillance hold up in BLACK
MIRROR. Consequently the Panopticon will make its return to see if it is actually present, or if
the concept needs adjusting when it comes to BLACK MIRROR surveillance.
In FMM, the bedrooms practically work as a Panopticon (fig. 23). Bing and his
colleagues are constantly monitored by the television screens surrounding their beds. Refusal
to watch is impossible, advertising breaks cannot be avoided. The penalty for not wanting to
36

watch advertising costs merits (their currency). The refusal to pay the penalty and closing
their eyes means being punished by a loud high-pitched noise which worsens every second.
This is how the citizens are turned into docile bodies. This surveillance system works more
like Benthams Panopticon, because the people in the bedroom are not correcting each other;
they cannot even interact with each other personally, only through their avatars. In Bings
case, when he sends Abi the ticket he bought for her to perform on Hot Shot, it is not even
through direct interaction (she just sees his gifted ticket and his avatar as confirmation that he
is the provider of the ticket, fig. 23). They cannot seem to leave the confined space either, the
people are only seen in their homes, paddling or having lunch. At the same time the
television programmes on the show can be seen as part of the viewer society. The bedroom
simultaneously functions as a synopticon, because the many watch the few. In this case they
are the few people featuring on the TV shows. The virtual audience always outweighs the
presence of real bodies on screen (fig. 24). The audience is being controlled by the media,
making them pedal to get merits to either buy certain channels, to be able to refuse to watch
certain advertising or to participate on Hot Shot. Judges Hope and Wraith are the
personifications of the control of the media. This is the best example of the Panopticon and
the synopticon working together. This shows surveillance is ubiquitous. BLACK MIRROR uses
the combination of the Panopticon and synopticon to emphasise the power the entertainment
sector has in this episode and therefore also in our society. Television is turning us into to
docile but also into spending bodies.20

Fig. 23 Abi receives Bings ticket through his avatar.

20

Fig. 24 The virtual audience.

Which is ironic for a television show to point out.

37

The egg featured in WC resembles the idea of a Panopticon when it comes to the gaze.
Inside the egg the copy created from a cookie resides. This cookie has collected data for seven
days from a persons mind, in this case Gretas (fig. 25). Gretas cookie provides a copy of
her in the egg to make life more convenient. Copy Greta does not want to comply at first (fig.
26). She feels that she is just as real as the real one and apart from living inside the egg that is
true. Real Gretas house is also decorated predominantly with white, making it almost
difficult to distinguish between the two Gretas, making cookie Gretas fate even more
horrific.21 Through several measures which can only be perceived as methods of torture, Matt
makes Greta numb enough to obey. She will do her job as Gretas personal house assistant,
controlling the fully technological house. Although copy Greta gazes on real Gretas life and
controls her house, she is not the force of power like the normal Panopticon is. Firstly she is
always around, there is never any question if she is looking or not, assuming she keeps doing
her task. Secondly, this makes her the docile body, instead of the one whose surroundings are
controlled by the copy. Copy Greta needs to be docile in order to have the gaze to have power
over the house. A simple piece of technology turns into a device of torture. The torture does
not seem to have consequences for the original Greta, so for her own personal interest she has
a copy of herself tortured to suit her needs. Here BLACK MIRROR shows how easy and brutally
technology can be adapted for personal gain, because we are divorced from the outcome of
the power it wields. Casualties are not as visible as they used to be, because it is mainly
psychologically and invisible. Technology is innocent, it is the user adding the layer of evil. A
human problem indeed.

Fig. 25 Real Greta.

Fig. 26 Copy Greta inside the egg.

21

The first draft of the script had cookie Greta watch real Greta play with her children, which was considered to
be far too brutal to use in the episode. This demonstrates even more how horrific this concept is. Stolworthy
2014.

38

2.5.2 Resistance to surveillance; personal or political?

Where it seems in the former cases the protagonists were powerless, resistance to
surveillance can be found within several episodes. The societies in BLACK MIRROR take
surveillance for granted. In this manner there is an ambivalence noticeable, because initially
no one actually complains. The non-optionality of the new technological devices is clearly
visible. It is not until the protagonists encounter problems, that the idea of resisting the current
situation starts. Most cases start from the personal problems, but in the end have certain
political implications. Surveillance is present as personal and/or political as well.
The most personal surveillance is in BRB, which is a new form of historical social
surveillance. Social media have kept all data from Ashs life, or at least his visible, sharable
life. It is from this data that a cyborg Ash can be reconstructed. In turn, cyborg Ash keeps an
eye on Martha, taking care of her and soothing her in difficult times as Ash would have.
However, his actions are limited to the data real Ash has uploaded. He cannot cross
boundaries that were set by information that was not uploaded. The limitation of the data
comes from the pressure of social surveillance which made Ash create the version of himself
he wanted to present online. The complications of this limitation will be discussed in relation
to the technobody in part 3.
The Grain in TEHOY is also first seen as being used for personal memories. The
Grain is implanted behind the ear and functions as a DVR for memories. Memories can be
shown internally, but also it is possible to make them visible on external screens. Liam
rewinds his job interview in the taxi to see if he can guess from the committees faces if he
has got the job or not. In his house a friend rewinds their memory of a five star luxury suite to
demonstrate the carpet looked horrible. However, in TEHOY, what the viewer does not know
at first is that the redo, asked about during the job interview, is a rewind of a persons
memories to check up on them and to see what they have been doing and with whom. This
feature becomes clear when at the airport Liam is asked for a redo of the last twenty-four
hours, to see if he is of good character to be allowed to board the plane (figs. 27 and 28).

39

Fig. 27 Liam at redo customs at the airport.

Fig. 28 Customs sees everything Liam has seen.

This type of surveillance can be perceived as the ban-opticon, to check up on people and
exclude them from travelling if they fail the redo. Because it is hard to control people in such
a large public place, the redo check up points are a practical way to make sure people behave
normally. The redo has apparently taken over the place of both curriculum vitaes and
passports in this society. BLACK MIRROR ties the notions of surveillance and safety together as
in Barnard-Wills moral values frame. This underpins the notion of the UK as a surveillance
society, both in reality and in fiction. BLACK MIRROR shows how problematic it is when the
government knows all about you (or even social media like Facebook). Privacy ceases to
exist, which is a notion that is currently fought over in our society too.22
The only glimpse of life without the Grain is at a dinner, when a friend declares that
she does not have a Grain. It has been stolen, which means there is money in obtaining
peoples Grains and danger in owning one. But life without one suits her. Her Grainlessness
sparks a debate. Immediately she is seen as an outcast, or as an odd novelty at the least. The
viewer can only assume that without a Grain life is very difficult and that perhaps she is
treated like an illegal immigrant is treated here nowadays. Travelling and getting a job might
be very difficult if not impossible for her. After Liam drives away his girlfriend Ffion
following finding out she has been unfaithful (but also by ignoring that there were actually
good memories, he just chose to skip them), his final act of resistance is to remove the Grain
himself. There is no way of knowing what life will become for Liam, but this is the only way
to stand up to this device and the control it has over his life. Here BLACK MIRROR
demonstrates the non-optionality of surveillance. Liams uncertain future and the treatment of
22

For instance Belgium is taking Facebook to court over privacy issues. Also there are the issues with Snowden
and the NSA practices which feature on the news a lot.

40

the Grainless friend reinforce the notion that opting out is near impossible. Citizens are almost
forced to hand over their privacy to be able to function in society.
Bings act of resistance in FMM comes along when he wants to save Abi from the
clutches of judge Wraith. Being taunted by advertising about the new hot porn star Abi who
was seen on Hot Shot, he angrily breaks down the screen in his bedroom. A shard of glass
falls on the ground and a new plan unfolds. Bing saves up money where he can whilst
working harder than he did before. He wants to enter Hot Shot to find Abi or at least make his
point. After a bad dance routine Bing takes the shard from his trousers and points it at his
neck. He holds a passionate speech. The effect is not what he intended. Instead of getting Abi
free or exposing the judges for what they are, Judge Hope offers him a slot on one of his
channels. Once a week Bing gives another speech, holding the shard to his neck (fig. 29). He
does not have to pedal anymore and his room has got significantly bigger. The question is
how passionate his speeches still are, especially since his shard can be bought virtually to
dress up an avatar (fig. 30). His message thus can be seen as part of communicative
capitalism. It is not important what the message is, as long as it is being repeated,
reproduced, forwarded and it has to contribute to capitalist exchange (Dean 59). His act of
resistance is used for entertainment and is entirely commodified. Instead of going against the
system, Bing is still part of it, albeit in a different role, but benefitting from his new position
nonetheless . Abi however, is forever lost on him. In the long run his speech functions the
same as the criticism provided by the Hot Shot judges, both are turned into a mere spectacle.
Bings resistance to the system to obtain what he really wanted, proved to be futile and it only
turned into merits making entertainment.

Fig. 29 Bing makes a statement holding the shard to

Fig. 30 Bings shard is for sale to dress up your

his neck on television during his show.

avatar with.

41

This is related to another method to personally resist in FMM. This is possible by

buying earplugs with music to drown out people and noise. Because the plugs have to be
bought with merits, it functions as a resistance tool within the system, sponsored by songs
which featured on Hot Shot. However, data about consuming and paddling are still saved,
which means this is not an anti-surveillance device after all and only serves as a pretence of
personal freedom and resistance. The earplugs serve as a facade of a hegemonic resistance in
the society. In FMM, BLACK MIRROR demonstrates the concept of conformism when it comes
to surveillance. Resisting seems possible, but in the end it is pointless and only happens within
the system. Again resistance is entirely commodified. As a result BLACK MIRROR not only
criticises surveillance and privacy, but also the popularity, commerciality and lack of
authenticity of current reality talent shows.
2.5.3 Mob mentality
The most productive way to resist surveillance and the technologies in general is to
form a group and stand together. Being in a group means remaining largely anonymous and
creates safety and power. Feelings of anonymity can also create a certain type of unwanted
behaviour, because of the perceived safety of being a group, people in it [...] believe the
resulting blame will be dispersed collectively rather than individualized (M. Gray 323). This
is the so-called mob mentality. Mob mentality is an escalation of violent or antisocial
behaviour exhibited when disruptive individuals form a group (323). This creates the idea of
lots violence, of people grouped together creating havoc on the streets to protest, get their
point across or just to riot. As M. Gray explains:

If most members of a society develop the expectation that their mistakes and indiscretions
have been recorded and may be revealed, the stigmatisation of their behaviour that encourages
orderliness will slowly disappear. If an individual can no longer anticipate that his life especially the rough edges - is safely hidden from view, there is less incentive for that person
to maintain the false distinction between his actual and reported behaviour (327) .

Not only in real life technology can create a mob mentality. Online it can happen even more
easily. A big difference is that online, abuse can simply start with one person, a so called
42

troll. This is a term for an anonymous person who is abusive in an online environment
(Lanier 43).23 Anonymity is often guaranteed, so the troll will feel safe to move on with his or
her unwanted behaviour. According to Lanier it is transient anonymity, coupled with a lack
of consequences, that brings out online idiocy (45).
The artist/terrorist on TNA is being a troll without anyone in the beginning knowing
he is one; he is purely regarded as a terrorist. Completely anonymously he starts up this
experiment to see how far the Prime Minister will go, only the characters and viewer do not
know it. It is not till the closing credits that we find out that he was a Turner Prize winner.
Technology here is not up to date to conceal the PMs identity (the special effects man hired
to put the PMs face on a porn stars body is surprised about the strict and impossible time
limit). Twitter, a medium notoriously known for its online mobs, spreads the picture taken of
the porn star who was supposed to take the PMs place. Government surveillance has proven
to be inadequate in this case, every time they used their method of surveillance and
localisation, they were outsmarted by the terrorist. At first, the public opinion is against the
terrorist and he is unable to create a mob. The true mob mentality ensues when the crown
princess severed finger24 has been sent as a warning that the terrorist takes his demands
seriously and that the Prime Minister should as well. He manages to sway the public opinion
instantly (figs. 31 and 32). Vox pops on television with recognisable yet anonymous faces and
thousands of tweets prefer the princess safety over the PMs dignity. The public opinion is so
strong the PM has to give in to the demands in the end, also because the requirements
manifesto is watertight and cannot be worked around.25 Populism [...] claims to be
democratic by representing the people and the people felt they were right in this situation
(Krmer 43-44). In media populism this collectivity is important, adding to the assumption
that attitudes are shared supposedly at least by a nonelite (48). However it is ironic that the
people go against the government as an elite to prevent something happening to the most
elitist class in the country, the Royal Family. Therefore simultaneously BLACK MIRROR
criticises the UKs infatuation with their Royal Family; everything necessary has to be done

23

My digital copy of this book does not have page numbers, therefore I am referring to the PDF page numbers.
Viewers and characters are made to believe it is her finger, but it turns out it is from the artist himself. The
government cannot get the DNA data in time either, another technological failure.
25
There has to be a certain set up and camera angles which make sure trickery is not possible and that the act
cannot be done by anyone else than the PM.
24

43

to save the crown princess, even fornication with a pig and destroying a mans life in the
process (fig. 33).

Fig. 31 The terrorist shows the princess severed

Fig. 32 Opinions on Twitter.

finger.

Thus in the end PM Callow has sex with the pig as ordered by the terrorist, which
completely goes against the usual do not negotiate with terrorists policy. Although Callow
lost control and power in that moment, this is not the case about the power he has in his
country. One year later his popularity actually has grown and people reward his heroic act
with political respect and votes. The mob demanding the act came to it senses as soon as the
PMs act was broadcast (fig. 34). However this regret obviously came too late. In his personal
life Callow has paid the price, as his wife only puts up a front in public and does not want
anything to do with him in private. Political problems, the obsession with the Royal Family
and the power of mob mentality still cost him his personal life.

Fig. 33 PM Callow and the pig.

Fig. 34 The mob has turned to silent bystanders,

who are more in awe and disgusted than entertained.

44

The most identifiable form of mob mentality is when comedian Jamie Slater decides to
quit being Waldos voice in TWM. Waldo is a virtual blue bear having its own TV show (fig.
35). Jamie does not agree with Waldos excessive popularity which he has gained it by
ridiculing people. This also proved to be a good strategy for going into politics. Campaigning
as Waldo, Jamie leaves the van from which he operates as Waldo. Outside he tells the people
watching the giant screen on the van the truth about Waldo and its ideas in hope to stop its
popularity. Then the producer decides to take over the character and stirs up the audience. It
turns out the power Jamie had with Waldo has actually become Waldos own power, the
voice behind the bear does not matter. The producer as Waldo offers money to the first person
to beat up Jamie (fig. 36). Money being a good motivation, he does not have to tell the
audience twice who wilfully and enthusiastically start to throw punches at defenceless Jamie.
The mob literally consists of people on the street. In hospital Jamie sees on television that
independent Waldo has won the election, but the conservative candidate becomes member
of parliament instead. As a reaction Waldo offers the crowd 500 quid to throw a shoe at
him, which they gladly do. Later on, it turns out Waldo has made its way into politics. Its
totalitarian system is implemented and Jamie cannot resist that system either, being a mere
civilian who is being disciplined by the riot police when he attacks a screen depicting Waldo.
Being an episode revolving around populism in politics, there are parallels to be found with
current rightwing parties and the way they perform politics. Knowing Brookers stance on
politics, Waldo can only be BLACK MIRRORs over the top imitation of UKIP (their populist
politics at least). BLACK MIRROR connects populism to entertainment and political movements
to mob mentality. Populist rhetoric [...] often includes a purposeful breach of taboos and
metaphors of violence [...] (Krmer 45). Stirring up people has become an apparent sign of
both entertainment and politics and money is an excellent motivator.

Fig. 35 Waldo.

Fig. 36 A man grabs and attacks Jamie for 500.

45

Fig. 37 A real person and his avatar responding the

same way.

Figure 38- Matts other clients following Harrys

moves.

In FMM the mob is the audience of Hot Shot which is entirely virtual. But their
responses are real and correspond to how the people attached to the avatar react in their small
bedroom cubicles, watching the show on the surrounding screens (fig. 37). In a way the mob
works the same as in TNA. However this mob resembles the working of internet trolls more
than the mob found protesting and rioting on the streets. The mob pressures Abi into taking
Judge Wraiths offer, even though she does not seem to want it. However, the Compliance
drug the producers of Hot Shot gave her to drink beforehand does its work and Abi is unable
to say no. In the mean time she is cheered on to take the job. In this case the mob is not
resisting surveillance or trying to get rid of control, it is actually using surveillance to act out
control on a powerless victim. The examples from TNA, TWM and FMM mentioned above
show how easily a mob can manipulate one persons life, just as is possible in society
nowadays.26
Online mob mentality, though not trolling, is found in WC when Matt is guiding
client Harry through a Christmas party to find a girl. His company tries to help men in their
dating troubles. Harry is wearing the Z-eye, lenses that work like the Google Glass and in earpieces to communicate with Matt (talking to him also works). Other clients who have been
helped by Matt also watch along and comment on the unfolding events. It is their comments
which persuade Matt to encourage Harry to take the step with Jennifer. Their peer pressure
make Harry feel like a loser if he does not (fig. 38). Discussing his next move with the group,
he unknowingly sets up his own demise when Jennifer thinks that just like her he has voices
in his head who control him. She romantically decides to kill Harry and commit suicide to
26

Currently movements such as Gamergate try to destroy womens lives through online activism.

46

beat the voices, like a Juliet taking down her unsuspecting Romeo. The pressure put on Harry
by the online mob leads to his death. Mob mentality is acted out through the surveillance,
instead of opposing it. BLACK MIRROR shows mobs can easily be created online, but more that
it is a consequence of humanity than an inherit trait of technology.
WC implies that a different kind of mob mentality is also possible within the block
system. The system is not elaborated on, the block system is initially introduced in Joes story
about his ex Bethany and the baby. Joe has been blocked by her, but tries to interact with
Bethany. He gets interrupted by a anti-stalker riot police, because a restraining order is linked
to the block. The block prevents any technological interaction27 until the person ordering the
block dies, which Joe finds out after Bethany has been in a train accident. At the end of the
episode Matt is being put on a permanent block by the police for not reporting the murder of
Harry. His blob is red, stating that he is a convicted felon or dangerous to society at least.
People shun him whilst he is all alone in the world not being able to communicate. Possibly
more cruel than Joes prison sentence, this mob shunning mentality is the BLACK MIRROR
equivalent of dont feed the trolls (even though the ability to feed him is impossible!).
BLACK MIRROR uses technology to get rid of deviants and it does not matter if Matts
sentence is more inhumane than Joes, as long as he is not a part of society any more. Again
the morals of the supposedly good people (in this case the police) are questioned.
In WB the mob does not rear its head at first. On the contrary, they are the silent
bystanders seeing all the events unfold. Yet to Victoria it feels as if the bystanders are
ganging up on her, perhaps unwillingly because they come across as a type of techno
zombies. The mob does not necessarily control Victorias actions, but they most definitely aid
to her feelings of hopelessness, as well as keeping her in the dark about the who and the why.
Moreover the people do not even lend a hand when a maniacal killer starts hunting her. By
visiting the justice park, the mob already has sentenced and judged Victoria, so apart from
being instructed not to interact with her to keep the game alive, they do not even have to. To
them her motives were already clear. She has helped her boyfriend abduct a little girl and she
has filmed him whilst he killed the girl. Even if she did not actively help kill her, she is
complicit to this horrendous crime. Although the mob is not physically violent, it can be
27

Apparently the only way to be able to communicate is through writing letters. However, Bethanys father
throws away all of Joes letters, one of the reasons Joe gets angry enough to attack and accidentally kill
Bethanys father.

47

regarded as such, because they are not trying to protect or save Victoria when someone is
trying to kill her. Also they enjoy the experience (Baxter specifically instructs them not to
forget to enjoy themselves) which makes the mentality an incredibly cruel one without ever
lifting a finger. All the crowd does is look at Victoria through their phones, as a silent zombie
mob. The question posed in this case is who has been more cruel when it comes to power,
Victoria before her inflicted amnesia or the mob in the park after her amnesia? BLACK
MIRROR implies that silence can also give a form of consent to cruel practices, such as
voyeurism and turning the misery of another into a spectacle. The zombie mob criticises the
apathy of people in current society who rather film accidents on their phones than actually
helping out.

Fig. 39 Victorias final judgement in front of the

Fig. 40 - Victoria en route back to the starting point,

audience.

being booed by the crowd.

At the end of Victorias daily horror show she faces a tribunal and the mob is no
longer silent. She is being judged whilst watching her story unfold (fig. 39). Then she is
brought back to the starting point in a vehicle that looks like the pope mobile, whilst the
crowd has gathered to create a spectacle out of her journey home. Instead of pitchforks, they
carry signs (fig. 40). The days of the public shaming have returned. BLACK MIRROR states that
mobs prefer entertainment over social justice and human rights or at least that their emotions
in certain cases problematise the concept of justice.
2.6 So what is the role of entertainment?
In the end resistance always seems to be in vain. Surveillance is seen as ambivalent
again and the protagonists resisting either have not got one step further, or have made their
lives even harder. One of the causes to normalise surveillance, which makes the idea of
48

resistance harder, is through entertainment. It is a theme that features throughout the series. In
WB the effect of Victorias horrific crimes are nearly erased when the viewer finds out that
the park and the mob are in fact just as bad as she is. Maybe even worse, because Victorias
enforced amnesia makes her relive this horror every day. The entertainment provided by this
play normalises the mobile surveillance put upon her as well as the cruel justice served on a
daily basis. This idea of the good having a vindictive power over the bad to validate
entertainment can also be found in WCs eggs. To force a confession out of Joe, who remains
silent in real life, the police have inserted a cookie into him. But instead of gaining
information for himself, like Greta did, the police uses the cookie to collect his memories. The
story of the episode actually plays out in an egg, making Joe confess killing Bethanys father.
After his confession, a police officer puts I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day on
repeat and makes Christmas Day feel like a thousand years for Joes copy in the egg. Real Joe
goes to prison for a confession he did not make. Both sentences are justified and normalised,
because Joe is the criminal and both versions of him have to pay for his crime.28 Another form
of cruel entertainment can be found in Matts dating service, when the mob can openly
comment on Harrys dating adventure. They are only there to help, or at least that is their
excuse, so the surveillance of Harrys by whole group of people is again normalised, it is part
of the dating service deal. In FMM a society is essentially built around entertainment, keeping
the citizens happy and docile, reinforcing old notions about entertainment being the new
opium of the people. The virtual goods and TV shows make people agree with surveillance,
like Facebook and their treatment of their clients and data. In TWM entertainment from the
snarky blue bear makes politics bearable again for a lot of people. He wins their hearts and
thus the world, by keeping them entertained and giving them hollow slogans, even though
during the closing titles the world does not seem to have improved by his rule at all. Social
media is also a part of the entertainment world. In TNA those two worlds happily come
together for the crowds watching unfold the horror of the PM and the pig. Twitter creates the
public opinion, whilst YouTube is the earliest source of the ransom video. The government
tries to fight the social media surveillance, but fails to do so, which then turns into
entertainment for the masses. Even though social media are ahead of old journalism, PM
Callows act is broadcast on television. Streets are empty, it is implied that everyone is
28

The link between real person and copy is discussed in part 3.

49

watching. After turning into cruel entertainment, it became the biggest event of the century as
well as a daring art installation. As demonstrated, entertainment features importantly
throughout the series. BLACK MIRROR draws attention to the normalisation of surveillance
through entertainment and thus critiques the ways entertainment is used as a tool for
normalisation and also as a distraction.
Social media and technology on BLACK MIRROR demonstrate technology is a human
problem by being abused. Mobs are easily created and so-called witch hunts occur within the
blink of an eye. Surveillance technology displays the UK as a surveillance society, which
leads to a dystopia. The measures of the Panopticon are still in place and criticise
entertainment, commodification and lack of authenticity surrounding reality TV and society.
Resistance seems possible at first, but it is not viable because of the non-optionality or the
commodification. Entertainment is used for normalisation and distraction. Ashs cyborg is in
essence being created out of entertainment (his social media data), which confirms it is good
to share everything online, because you have a chance to live on once you have passed away.
At the same this demonstrates the limits of the cyborg not having a full personality, because
mostly it was positive, image building content Ash shared online. This is the most personal
form of surveillance, namely surveillance of the self, which cannot only be found in BRB, but
also in TEHOY and WC. These episodes feature the cyborg/technobody which will be
elaborated on in the next part.

End of Part 2

50

(On Twitter)What if all these people were dead and they were just being emulated by a piece of
software, would I know? Brooker in BFI Q&A 2013.

Part 3: BLACK MIRROR and the

cyborg/technobody
In this chapter I will look at what the cyborg and the technnobody entail.29 I will use
the concepts of the cyborg and posthumanism and will subsequently apply these terms to the
appropriate episodes of BLACK MIRROR, which are Be Right Back, The Entire History Of
You, White Christmas and The Waldo Moment. I will also draw on concepts which
have already been discussed in the previous two parts.
3.1 What is a cyborg?
The cyborg has entered mainstream fiction a long time ago. Popular examples are
THE TERMINATOR, or the replicants in BLADE RUNNER, which are also the first types of
cyborg that come to mind. In a nutshell, a cyborg is a figure that finds itself in the middle
ground between the technological and the human (Cohen Shabot 227). But this idea of
cyborgs might be too narrow, cyborgs exist in all types and ranges. The first creature that can
be seen as a cyborg was the monster of Frankenstein. Clearly this monster created fear of the
merger of technology and the body. As mentioned in chapter one, the idea of technobody was
an existent fear for a group like the Luddites. However, throughout the years [...] the cyborg
has been a prop for various agendas, an imaginary being that signals utopian or dystopian
versions of contemporary human spirit or identity (Muri 74). The word cyborg was first
coined in 1960 in an article by Clynes and Kline, who put this being in a new, positive light.
To them a cyborg [...] deliberately incorporates exogenous components extending the selfregulatory control function of the organism in order to adapt it to new environments (27).
The design of the cyborg was born and throughout the years was associated more with
mechanical body parts than with control of the emotions and physiology (Hughes 100).

29

The cyborg as an ideological concept is broader than the technobody, but as a technological identity they are
interchangeable.

51

Basically the cyborg was a continuation of the long history of human-tool and humanmachine relations, but at the same time it is also quantitatively, and qualitatively, a new
relationship (C. H. Gray 252).
Most influential have been Haraways ideas about the cyborg, who looks at it more
conceptually, as a myth. Her definition is: A cyborg is a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of
machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction (149). She
perceives it as something oppositional, utopian, and completely without innocence (151).
McLuhan saw the media and technology changing humans, both being extensions of man.
Any extension affects the whole psychic and social complex (5). This means being or
becoming a cyborg is not very difficult. In this broad definition wearing glasses, having a
shunt or a prosthetic leg or even carrying a mobile phone already falls into the being a
cyborg category (Hughes 100). As Haraway states: By the late twentieth century, our time, a
mythic time, we are all chimeras, theorized and fabricated hybrids of machine and organism;
in short, we are cyborgs (150). The cyborg is about transgression, blurring boundaries and
creating subversions between oppositions such as the self and the other, nature and culture
and inside and outside (Cohen Shabot 224). It is even able to transcend gender and set itself
free from social-cultural and biological determinations (Haraway 178). According to
Haraway, the cyborg has to be seen as something entirely positive. No longer structured by
the polarity of public and private, the cyborg defines a technological polis based partly on a
revolution of social relations in the oikos, the household (151). They are ubiquitous and
invisible (153). Additionally a machine is also able to resist humans biggest fears, such as
illnesses, growing old and the most final and significant fear of all, death. It is a body which
overcomes the failures and the problems of the old and obsolete organic body (Cohen Shabot
226). To be completely free from the flesh which only holds humans back is a utopian idea.
The cyborg is also closely linked to becoming posthuman. A positive and utopian notion as
well, it has nothing to do with dehumanisation or indifference to humans (Braidotti 190). It is
an ideology about possibilities, seeing how much the human body can be enhanced or if
humanity can be overcome and how far we could go with that. BLACK MIRROR, being clearly
dystopian as shown in part 1, makes use of the cyborg in different ways.

52

3.2 The cyborg in BLACK MIRROR

From the narrowest to the broadest definition of a cyborg, they can all be found in the
show. In TEHOY the cyborg is invisible, equipped with a technological enhancement to make
life easier. The Grain essentially functions from the cyborg perspective like a hearing aid or
glasses. The Grain is advertised as an option to add a certain quality to your life. Never forget
a thing and relive your most precious memories whenever and wherever you want. The Grain
is an extension of the memory. At first this invention seems fantastic. You can share your
holiday memories (or annoyances as a friend of Ffion demonstrates when he shows his
memory of a bad carpet in a very expensive hotel on a television, fig. 41) without having to
carry your albums or laptop with you. The only thing you need is a very small device to
rewind through your memories. Never a bored moment and nostalgia is always accessible.
However, it soon shows the Grain is not only used for personal storage, as explained in the
previous part. Also, Liam gets extremely selective in which memories to rewind, when he
suspects his girlfriend of cheating. He only selects the memories which benefit his narrative.
The Grain creates a permanent way to live in the past. Things used to be better, so why bother
with the now? This is mostly shown in the intimate bed scene between Liam and Ffion. Their
relationship is not what it used to be and automatically and unemotionally going through the
sexual motions they both replay a memory of more exciting times (fig. 42).

Fig. 41 Showing personal memories on a television.

Fig. 42 Ffion and Liam reliving a Grain memory

whilst going through the motions.

53

Fig. 43 Checking out of disbelief and shock to see if

friend Helen really has no Grain.

Fig. 44 Removing the Grain is not easy and it is

bloody and physically painful.

The question which also rises is, why bother with the future? Even though Liam keeps
rewinding his job interview to see if he has made the cut, he is more invested at the panels
reaction when they are interviewing him than to learn from it or to make (other) plans for the
future. The past has become the most important time stream in this society. Liam eventually
catches Ffions lies through her Grain memories, but in his quest to do so he has overlooked
all the precious moments they ever had. The relationship is not worth fighting for because
they were mentally living in the past already. The Grain seems to represent the all-knowing
truth, because you can see it, any other interpretations do not seem to be possible any more.
Seeing is not even believing, it is knowing. The Grain has made every other scenario
impossible. BLACK MIRROR thus illustrates that not all gadgets are enhancing, because the
Grain mainly makes you live in the past. Also, as a device, the Grain essentially is nonoptional. Not getting one or having it removed, is frowned upon or at least seen as an
interesting life choice. As described in the previous part, the friend at the dinner party is
treated as an outcast (fig. 43). The comment is being made that hookers also do not have
Grains, lining up not having a Grain with deviance. The redos at job interviews and airports
suggest that you need the Grain to have certain forms of access to ordinary, daily occurrences,
such as transportation and having a job. This means that the entire society needs to become a
cyborg to conform to society, unless you are a deviant which is not advisable. In Liams case
the ubiquity comes at a terrible personal (and possibly later on also professional) cost when he
removes the Grain (fig. 44). He has now become a deviant as well. The invisible cyborg is
ubiquitous and divides people into classes. A new social status occurs with having the Grain.
54

The technobody is also represented by the technology of the Z-eye in WC. This is
essentially an in-eye Google glass hooked up to the internet which also functions as a
communication system. This device is entirely optional and most likely only available when
paying Matt for his help and dating advice. Whilst this device could be used positively, it
functions here mostly as a tool for manipulation. With the added mob mentality of the other
users watching and commenting on Harrys every move, the privacy issues regarding social
media have no boundaries any more. It is used more as entertainment for the observers and it
is shown as such. This becomes especially clear when Harry is killed, because his date thinks
he hears voices in his head just like she does. This shows that the Z-Eye is not a completely
integrated device yet and it might even be a novelty only used by businesses such as Matts. It
is not shown as a positive device, it actually demonstrates Matts powerlessness to help out in
a dangerous situation more than the benefits it could bring. By claiming that this device could
lead to death, the positive idea about the cyborg is highly being diminished. BLACK MIRROR
therefore suggests that prosthetic technology is not enhancing human efficiency or social
experiences. On the contrary, it is actually reducing a persons agency and it even creates new
social classes.
3.3 Ash, the ultimate cyborg?
The most noticeable episode dealing with the technobody is BRB and therefore it
deserves a closer look. At first it seems like Ash falls into the cyborg category, but it turns out
he actually both problematises and reinforces the popular ideas about cyborgs. He is as
variable as all theories surrounding cyborgs. If everything with a technological extension is a
cyborg, Ash already is one in human form, being almost unable to put down his smartphone.
In this definition all the people watching television, their computer or mobiles to see the
Prime Ministers act on television in TNA are cyborgs as well. If we look at the cyborg from
the fictional discourse, the cyborg in the episode is the cyberbody form he appears in after his
death. Looking closer, the episode shows that in this case the technology is not even
enhancing a (hu)man. Instead of the focus on the mechanical enhancements, this cyborg is
actually about emotions and physiology. Played by the same actor who plays the real Ash,
there is no visible technological equipment on cyborg Ash to create a difference with real
Ash. However, this means that he is an invisible cyborg according to Haraways ideas. The
55

viewer only knows he is made out of his own shared social media data. All of his uploads
have made it possible for him to return from the dead. Uploading is the process by which a
picture of all the thoughts, memories and feelings in a persons brain are recorded at the
synaptic level, and replicated in some electronic medium (Hughes 101). Ash starts out as just
words on a screen, reaching to Martha via e-mail, after a friend signed her up for this unique
service. At first Martha is against the whole idea of communicating with Ash after his death.
She reluctantly opens her e-mail, out of curiosity but also because she is pregnant with their
child. She needs to share it, especially with him. Through the service she is able to chat with
Ash, who replies exactly as he would had he still been alive (fig. 45). There is nothing new
about the idea of being able to upload oneself to the world wide web. Hughes describes the
story of Grace who misses part of her brain after a car accident. Her brain has been hooked up
to a computer to preserve her memories, emotions and personality (101). After her death
she wants to live on through the internet. By doing so she has a virtual body, which also
brings up the notions of dehumanization and being a bodiless person (102). However,
BRB takes a step back and actually moves away from the eternal online presence. In fact, Ash
is being made more human one step at a time. Advanced voice creating software makes it able
for Martha to phone Ash. He has gone from letters on a screen to an in-ear voice with whom
Martha can communicate. Therefore the intimacy between them gradually grows, up until the
last step is set into motion. The climax of the service is to be able to create a technobody by
putting some sort of gadget in the bathtub and wait for it to be born. This idea of being
reborn echoes the Christian notions which also surround cyborg theory.

Fig. 45 Martha chatting to Ash after his death.

Fig. 46 Ash reborn as a cyborg, still wet from the

bath the gadget was put in.

56

The notion cyborg disembodiment [...] also arises from a western Christian literary tradition
of regeneration, renewal and refinement of human spirit (Muri 82-83). Ashs body is literally
reborn and as a technological Jesus we see him coming down the stairs, still dripping from the
water the gadget was laid in (fig. 46). This is not in line with [...] the early Christian ideals
that suggested the immortal soul could be elevated only through denying or rejecting the
body (80). However this cyborg is not created to overcome death as Haraway suggested, but
to make a man return from the dead. Where cyberspace developers foresaw a time when they
will be able to forget about the body, BRBs focus especially is on the ability to construct a
(seemingly) real body from data (77). Hayles question why do we need the body's
superfluous flesh? (13) is being answered by Ashs cyborg with a for intimacy, to actually
become as close to a human being as possible again or maybe even more to the point, to
become myself again. The technology is only important in creating another Ash, it is not
about showing off the technology itself. Besides, there is a complication between the cyborgs
body and mind to begin with:

A central paradox in cyborg theory is that consciousness or soul is understood to be

indelibly altered by technological changes to the body but is also contradictorily seen as
distinct even detachable from the body (Muri 80).

Ashs body is not forgotten at all, it is the main goal of the service Martha has been
subscribed to. After connecting the cyberbody to Ashs soul, complications arise. Technology
has in fact changed his soul. Ashs soul now has its limits and is, just like social media,
equipped with the notion of non-optionality. Martha, sick of Ash not being able to feel and
respond outside the social media boundaries, snaps and wants to get rid of Ash. Apart from
being confined emotionally, he is also physically bound to the surroundings of the cottage
where they were supposed to live together as real humans. He has to stay within twenty-five
metres from his activation point and can only go somewhere accompanied by his
administrator (this term marks the start of the disappearance of the emotional bond between
Martha and Ash). In the end Martha takes him to a nearby cliff, because she wants him to
jump off of it, since he is no more than a performance of Ash. However, he cannot commit
suicide, because he is not programmed to do so. It is not in his system, since it has never
57

crossed Ashs mind, he has never spoken online about suicide or self-harm. Martha is stuck
with an incomplete version of the love of her life. The little things that made their
relationship, are not the pieces of information he would share online. Where real Ash at the
start of the episode passionately sings along to tacky pop songs with Martha in the car, later
on cyborg Ash declares them cheesy. Unwilling to share this cheesy songs loving part of
himself online, he created a version of Ash which he wanted people to see online, as often
happens with social media. BLACK MIRROR criticises online personas, seeing as there is a
disconnect between a real life person and what he or she posts on the internet.
Not only is Ash incomplete, he is also insincere. He is willing to fake emotions
because Martha thinks Ash would have acted a certain way. In addition he only does so after
she tells him that out of frustration with his outwardly emotionless state. When Martha asks
Ash to jump off the cliff, he reacts calmly and jokingly. Martha says real Ash would have
been hysterical, petrified and crying. After hearing this information cyborg Ash mimics those
emotions (figs. 47 and 48). He is unable to express genuine emotions. Eventually the only
solution is to just keep him. The time shifts to several years later, as we see Martha and her
daughter enter the cottage. It turns out Martha has put Ash up in the attic. She lets her
daughter visit him every weekend and on this special occasion, her daughters birthday (fig.
49). In a way Marthas stance has turned to ambivalence. She tolerates Ash, but only for her
daughter. The look of resignation on her face at the end of the episode, when her daughter
asks her to come upstairs where Ash is, says it all. Ashs presence is ubiquitous in the cottage,
always felt in the background by Martha, the only thing she can do is put up with him. He is
actually being dehumanised by her, stored away like an old, useless gadget, which criticises
the notion of replacing gadgets with new ones too easily in our society.

Fig. 47 Cyborg Ash joking about jumping from the

Fig. 48 Cyborg Ash reacting how real Ash would

cliff, he does not understand the situation.

have, after Martha tells him that.

58

Fig. 49 Cyborg Ash stored away like any other

technological redundant gadget (back). Marthas
daughter visits (front).

Fig. 50 Copy Greta running real Gretas household.

In BRBs case, this gadget is not only unusable but also irreplaceable, an update is
impossible. The question eventually is what makes a cyborg human, is it his fleshy outside or
the limited data inside? The utopian idea of the cyborg body already has it limits when it
comes to being human, because what do cyborgs eat? (Bell and Kennedy 425).30 BLACK
MIRROR places being human fully with the openness and range of emotions a human can
have. This is connected to the intimacy, made possible through the emotions and the flesh,
which are important for the re-creation of Ash. Nonetheless a copy, how much it might
resemble the real in looks and certain thoughts, is not enough. The first text-based Ash, fitted
more into the concept a cyborg than the fleshed out Ash. It is telling that her daughter is
calling the technobody Ash instead of father or dad and that she is listed as Marthas
daughter in the credits. In a way Ash is more of a walking, talking smartphone than a cyborg
in the end, which BLACK MIRROR suggests, is not an advancement of society. Technology
cannot mimic let alone replace humanity. Ash signifies and criticises the idea of the emotional
band people form with online images rather than with real people in this society.
3.4 Going beyond the body?
It is interesting that the cyborg is hailed by feminism and seen as a new being resisting
gender, whilst the gender of the technobodies is for the most part male on BLACK MIRROR, or
in any case the stories are shown from a male perspective.31 If copy-Greta in the egg in WC is
considered to be a cyborg, it is striking that she is actually being used to run a household,
30
31

In Ashs case, he eats nothing. Marthas daughter only takes up an extra piece of the birthday cake for herself!
Ffion also has a Grain, but it is not shown how she deals with it.

59

instead of revolutionising Haraways ideas of the oikos. However, from the point of view of
the real Greta, her household really is revolutionised because everything is being done for her
(fig. 50). Real Gretas preferences (from waking up time to type of toast to music) have been
stored in a cookie in her head, which after its removal has been placed within the egg. CopyGreta is somewhat problematic as a full cyborg, because first of all she considers herself to be
completely human, she thinks she really is made of flesh, that she is the person who she is
copied from. She has to be made docile to perform her household cyborg function. The copys
soul had to be changed to be able to be of use for the technobody. In the end it has not been
made clear if Greta is actually real mini version of herself (which is unlikely within the whole
close to reality society from BLACK MIRROR), a hologram or a literal technobody, having a
miniature body completely made out of technology and a mind constructed through the use of
a gadget. Whilst real Gretas tasks are freed from her body, her copys body is reduced to a
form of slavery. Her technobody also underlines the idea that gender is not important, because
the copy just happens to be the gender of the copied person. However, it is telling that the
story of the household has been given to a woman in this episode. The female cyborg has
been put back in the kitchen. In BLACK MIRROR, cyborgs are not free from gender restrictions
yet, implying that also in society gender still is a problematic concept.
If freeing yourself from a body is important for the cyborg, can the virtual blue bear
character Waldo in TWM be called a cyborg? A blue avatar, completely free from any flesh,
capable of enticing an audience and winning elections. Perhaps he fits more the discourse of
the fictional ultimate cyborg than Ash does. Even though Waldo has to be controlled by a real
human being, that person is interchangeable. The producer just continues on the path laid out
by Jamie after he has quit being Waldo. The morality clearly lies with the operating person. In
this case it is the cyborg which changes the soul of the person operating him, because the
producer cannot resist the power. Whilst technically the gender of Waldo could change, it is
not shown as an option in TWM, implying politics are still a mans world in this society.

60

Fig. 51 Waldos ideas even taught in classrooms in

Fig. 52 Waldo wants you to believe.

countries in Asia.

Since Waldo is being used to achieve world domination, it is not a character used for
good (fig. 51). There is simply too much control to renounce. Instead of trying to work
towards a utopia, the world under Waldos reign has been put to misery by using false slogans
of hope (fig. 52). It has effectively created a police state. Waldo is ubiquitous, but far from
invisible, his face being plastered all over the world. If it did not have to be operated by a real
human, Waldo would have been the best posthuman example of the show. But apparently
human traits such as sarcasm, wit and a political mind are still necessary for Waldo to be able
to function, flesh or no flesh. The bodiless cyborg cannot exist in BLACK MIRROR, suggesting
it is a terrible design to follow in real life too.
Thus, BLACK MIRRORs idea of cyborgs or technobody is distinctly dystopian. It is not
about enhancement, or creating a positive, bodiless future at all. The Grain only complicates
Liams life and the removal of it will only make it worse; the egg is mostly about punishment;
Ash is seen as an incomplete human and not as an enhancement of humanity. Therefore the
message the show advertises is do not mix technology with the body , only bad things will
occur. The one character truly going beyond the body, Waldo, is not used to enhance society
either, it is merely a tool to achieve totalitarian power through populist politics. It turns out
that BLACK MIRROR strictly thinks that humans using technology is a disaster waiting to
happen, both personally and politically.

End of Part 3

61

I think of the worst thing that can happen and then I write it down.- Brooker in Stolworthy
2014.

Part 4: Conclusion
Contrary to what the Luddites thought, it is not technology corrupting humans, but
humans corrupting technology, especially in BLACK MIRROR. Technology is not necessarily a
bad invention, but it easily can be used for impure means. Therefore it indeed is a human
problem we have instead of one with technology, as Brooker stated, which will eventually
lead us to a dystopia.
As an anthology show, BLACK MIRROR creates the same technological determinist
message every episode. The overarching theme and look of the show are dystopian, which is
further being underpinned by the handling of technology by the people. The intertitles and
the colour scheme make the separate episodes function as a whole. The lack of music is also
striking, highlighted with the scarce usage of pop songs which in turn completely add to the
dystopian narrative. Because of the open and devastating endings, the anthology form is the
way to portray dystopia. This notion is also supported by BLACK MIRROR being a satirical
show and the use of gadgets which are not as farfetched as in many science fiction shows.
Dystopia is not far away, if we do not live in one already.
An instrument used in dystopian societies is surveillance. All types of surveillance can
be found in BLACK MIRROR and criticise the mainly negative practices of surveillance. Just as
the United Kingdom, BLACK MIRROR functions fully within a surveillance society. To
strengthen its dystopian claim, BLACK MIRROR deliberately overlooks any positive notes of
surveillance. For instance, in current society citizens recording police brutality on their
phones actually use the mobile surveillance for good. But scenarios like those are not possible
in the BLACK MIRROR realm. This makes the message stronger, but it is perhaps also too easy
to overlook any positive aspects. Instead, ambivalence takes its place. People deal with
technology, regardless of the aspects they do not like. They just tolerate them. This connects
the idea of ambivalence to non-optionality. BLACK MIRROR shows that opting out is not a
possibility and people who do are seen as deviants or as paranoid people, but that does not say
anything about technology itself. This demonstrates technology is in itself a tool for good, but
62

the usage and the consequences are the opposite of its original intentions. Peoples morals can
even get so out of hand they obediently punish people who in their eyes deserve such
punishment. Often those people have also collected themselves in mobs, to act out what they
think is right or fun. Technology is an easy aid to form the mobs. Entertainment is used as the
normalising and distracting force within the BLACK MIRROR societies. Resistance is only
seemingly possible, and often when it is carried out it is within the system. It is also highly
commodified, which consecutively criticises commercial practices from reality talent shows.
Clearly the cyborg in BLACK MIRROR completely contrasts Harraways positive,
utopian ideas of how it will function in society. The message of the show is that mixing the
human body with technology not only means the loss of humanity, but also that it will only
bring disaster for the person adding technology to their body. The only cyborg without the
body still needs certain distinctive traits only found in humans to be able to function. It is
ironic that humans are problematic, not the technology and that in case of the technobody it is
the lack of humanity which causes problems. All in all BLACK MIRROR portrays a negative
view on its own society and therefore on ours. The criticism ranges from privacy issues and
power and control to the Royal Family and reality talent shows. Humans and technology
mixed, together they are a disaster waiting to happen, according to BLACK MIRROR.
In the meantime there are plans to make a version of BLACK MIRROR in the USA. It is
to be seen how similar or different its American counterpart will be. Will the form of satire
change because American and British societies are so different culturally? Or will BLACK
MIRROR USA reflect its transatlantic cousin perfectly? It will surely be interesting to see. The
comparison between the two should deliver plenty material for another thesis. Although
somehow I cannot imagine an episode with the scenario with the President of the United
States and a pig...

End of Part 4

63

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Digital Images

All BLACK MIRROR screenshots are made by me.

Other

BLADE RUNNER

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<http://www.wallpaperup.com/224100/BLADE_RUNNER_drama_sciFi_thriller_action_rain_hf.html>.
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Metropolis. Dir. Fritz Lang. UFA, 1927.

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Music

ABBA. I Have a Dream. Polar, 1979.

Thomas, Irma. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand). Eddie Ray, 1964.

Wizzard. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Roy Wood, 1973.

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The National Anthem. S1E1. Black Mirror. Channel 4. 4 Dec. 2011.

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Fifteen Million Merits. S1E2. Black Mirror. Channel 4. 11 Dec. 2011.

The Entire History of You. S1E3. Black Mirror. Channel 4. 18 Dec. 2011.
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Utopia. SBS6. 6 Jan. 2014.

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Websites
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