George Orwell's Influence on Art and Culture
George Orwell's ideas have been heavily referenced in works of art that have emerged since the publication of his book. In its marketing campaign, the Apple MAC commercial featured the images of a heroine and a "big brother." According to the advertisement, the new personal computer was here to free people from the bonds of an earlier technology that had held them captive. The book was controversial due to allegations of copyright theft, but despite this, the recognition it received overcame the challenges.
The television show "Big Brother" takes the pervasive characteristics of an unnoticed icon that continuously observes the housemates. It's interesting to note that the "big brother" informs the residents of the home of the tasks they must complete. Players have to adhere to the rules of the house or miss out on the ultimate price, similar to the requirement in the novel that had everyone subscribing to a single party. The room 101 punishment equates eviction of disobedient members from the TV series. ‘Stranger Things’ highlights leadership deficiencies of totalitarians and demonstrates how possession of superpowers can be used for manipulative purposes, as depicted by the big brother who could read minds. The government lab uses innocent children to experiment on the ability of psychic powers to manipulate foreign creatures to exit the human planet. The children are linked to the citizens under the rule of the big brother in the novel who did not get a chance to choose their fate. North Korea is similar to the picture painted in Orwell’s book as media freedom is limited by the state and leadership is hereditary. In the book, Winston and Julia had limited access to information regarding the brotherhood movement. Primarily, the selected works link to the novel in a unique context.
1984 by George Orwell and our Modern Culture
Human beings experience the dynamism of life better when their rights are not infringed. George Orwell tells the story of a one-party society that was under the leadership of a ‘big brother’ who had the ability to read people’s minds and watch their actions as well. He punished whoever rebelled against ideologies. Orwell’s book shows the ugly side of a totalitarian society. This paper links the impact of Orwell’s literature on today’s modern society elaborated in advertisements, TV shows, TV series, and the North Korean culture.
Apple MAC Advertisement
The book was the inspiration behind the TV commercial that presented the Apple Macintosh personal computer to Americans. David Graham played the role of the ‘big brother’ while Anya Major was the heroine (Scott n.p.). Similar to the author’s concept, the heroine wearing a top with the branded computer printed on it comes to save people from the burden of compliance with previous technology. The author had portrayed Winston Smith as the hero who took a chance to rebel against the totalitarian rule of big brother who would monitor not only people’s actions but also their thoughts. Despite the advertisement facing partial claims of copyright infringement, it received appreciation in equal measures. For instance, Advertising Age ranked it first in its top 50 greatest commercials, and it was placed in Clio Awards Hall of Fame. Fundamentally, Orwell’s concept incorporated into a TV commercial earned it awards. Thus, the idea in the novel is essentially applicable in a variety of situations. The ‘big brother’ in business is that firm that enjoys monopoly and exploits the consumers with exorbitant prices knowing that they have limited options. The company that notices the gap invests in better technology that cuts on costs and often comes as a savior to liberate customers. Apple Macintosh marked a new age for personal computer technology and felt fit to portray itself as the heroine for people who had been tied down technologically. Similarly, Winston Smith involved his lover, Julia, in a rebellion journey in a quest to break off and find freedom in an underground movement. Liberation is not always a smooth journey since mistakes could frustrate the mission. For instance, Winston’s dreams misled him into thinking that O’Brian would lead him to join the brotherhood movement that was against the big brother. Thus, his journey came to an end when he fell into O’Brian’s trap that had been plotted for a while. Likewise, Apple’s commercial was a great idea borrowed from the novel. However, it was challenged with claims of infringing on the copyright of similar works of production. Creativity and innovation are basically built from previous creations, and it is impossible for anyone to create something out of nothing. Therefore, Apple developed its advertisement based on the impact that the novel had on the population. The company had the intention of targeting the same market that had been an audience to Orwell works of art. Marketers have a practice of studying potential customers and unearth what would capture its audience. Evidently, the book’s concept fitted perfectly for Apple’s production of the Macintosh personal computers. The consequent impact can be seen in the honorary received in recognition.
Big Brother TV Show
The concept behind ‘Big Brother’ series borrows heavily from that of George Orwell. Houseguests live in an isolated house under 24-hour surveillance and strive to stay away from eviction to win the ultimate price. Members of the society portrayed in the novel lacked the freedom to hold differing views from the ones held by the big brother. Similarly, members of the house in the series have to adhere to the rules put to govern them. In addition, they are isolated from the outside world as they are denied access to their phones, print, electronic, and social media to limit their exposure. Most totalitarians employ the tactic of denying their subjects access to information because they are certain that external influence will encourage them to challenge their rule. Likewise, the big brother in the novel could not allow individuals to form other parties that would advocate beliefs contrary to his own. For instance, Winston had a challenge in getting facts on how to join the brotherhood movement because the big brother ensured that the access was limited. Out of this fear, big brothers ensure that people are monitored as evident in both the novel and the TV series. Constant camera surveillance in the Big Brother house serves to monitor every move of each participant continually. Similarly, the big brother in the novel had an omnipresent aspect that gave him the ability to observe more than just actions. He would see into thoughts that individuals had in their minds, which explains how Winston fell into O’Brian’s trap. The camera in the TV series would note a houseguest who broke the rules and has him set up for a possible eviction from the house (Chen n.p.). Consequences for going against the ideals of the big brother in the film are borrowed from George’s work. Contestants risk being removed and missing out on the grand price deemed to be awarded to the last person remaining in the house. In the book, Winston and Julia’s rebellion attempt ended up with them being taken to the Ministry of Love. Worse, Winston was taken to room 101 where his memory was scrapped as punishment for rebellion. Essentially, the Big Brother TV series got its influence from the novel and added a realistic feel to it. For instance, the big brother cannot see one’s thought as had been narrated in George’s story. However, the omnipresent aspect is visible in the camera surveillance and the fact that the big brother in the series speaks without being seen by the houseguests. Limited freedom is lifted from the novel, though in a different context. To fit the modern concept of morality, housemates are allowed to get intimate. The standards in the 1980s were different since innocence and purity were held in high regard as opposed to how things are now. An artist’s prowess is evident in their ability to recreate an ancient idea to fit the context of its current audience. Notably, the Big Brother TV series has spread across many countries.
Stranger Things TV Series
The fictional story in Stranger Things has influences from George Orwell’s novel, which is visible in the 1980s setting in the film. In the series, a young boy disappears, and in the adventure towards finding him, a psychokinetic girl appears in the name of providing help. Unfortunately, the government is responsible for the disappearance of children who are used for experimental purposes with psychic powers. The idea of supernatural powers possessed by Eleven in the series is borrowed from Orwell’s view of the big brother that had omnipresent abilities enough to read minds. His influence on Winston’s dreams to direct him towards O’Brian before capturing him is adapted in the series. For instance, Eleven and other children were being given mental training in the government’s lab to manipulate creatures back to their chamber (Gajdusek n.p.). Extraordinary powers have been taken up to help influence the direction of things, similar to how Orwell utilized it in his book. Orwell’s idea that people with privilege can misuse their powers to infringe on the freedoms of the weaker people in society is evident in the film. The state denied children the right to choose what to pursue in their lives and instead used them to experiment with the possibility of using psychic powers to call back creatures. Big brother in the novel denied people the freedom to choose an ideology of their own and imposed his party and principles on morality. He further monitored their acts and thoughts to ensure compliance. The bondage of totalitarian leaders also relates the two works of art. After Eleven escaped from the lab, state agencies looked for her aggressively, and Will’s friends helped to hide her. Winston was also trapped by O’Brian when he expressed intention of rebelling. Dictators have one thing in common; they dread the day the people they oppress will break free from the slavery of their domineering governance. Big brother in the book went to the extent of ensuring that Winston’s mind is formatted off everything that he knew concerning liberation. The attempt to recapture Eleven was aimed at taking her back to captivity without her will. Fundamentally, the Netflix series borrows the aspects of abuse of extraordinary power and authority in exercising dictatorship and manipulation on others. Bad leaders always defend themselves on the ground that they are trying to protect their people and bring on order.
North Korean Culture
North Korea exemplifies the novel in most dimensions because, up to date, it is still a communist nation whose leaders still practice totalitarian styles of leadership. The country has closed itself from the rest of the world as it is skeptical about easing its nuclear weapons quest. Similar to the book, North Koreans have limited freedom to choose their ideals. For instance, the Kim dynasty has ruled the nation since the year preceding the end of World War II. People are deprived of the right to vote and choose their leader; thus, the supreme leader does not represent the choice of the majority (Frank & Phillip pg. 12). In addition, the media coercion to only air news that paints the government in good light gives the direct state control over everyone. In Orwell’s book, people had no liberty to choose any other party and had to conform, or else Big Brother would realize their intentions and punish them as he did to Winston. The same way Korean media cannot report famine or economic depression is similar to the lack of information that Winston and Julia suffered when they wanted to join the rebellious brotherhood. Fundamentally, North Korea links with the book in its totalitarian style of its leaders and lack of access to information.
The impact of George Orwell’s book on consequent works of art is evident not only in award-winning TV shows but also in advertisements that have earned remarkable recognition. However, nations like North Korea are still locked in a totalitarian leadership and are currently experiencing the realities written in the novel. The dystopia described in George Orwell’s nearly 70-year-old novel “1984” suddenly feels all too familiar. A world in which Big Brother (or maybe the National Security Agency) is always listening in, and high-tech devices can eavesdrop in people’s homes. (Hey, Alexa, what’s up?) A world of endless war, where fear and hate are drummed up against foreigners, and movies show boatloads of refugees dying at sea. A world in which the government insists that reality is not “something objective, external, existing in its own right” — but rather, “whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth.
Works cited
Chen, Julie. Big Brother. Columbia Broadcast System. 2000.
Frank, Rudiger & Phillip H. Park. "From monolithic totalitarian to collective authoritarian leadership? Performance-based legitimacy and power transfer in North Korea." North Korean Review 8.2 (2012): 32.
Gajdusek, Karl et al. Stranger Things. Netflix. 2016.
Scott, Ridley. 1984. Fairbank Films. 1984.
