Many of you may have seen the old movie from 1960, 'The Time Machine' and I must admit, one facet of the film always
catches me as to how close it's come to today's reality.
It was a fair representation of H.G. Wells' science fiction novel of 1895 and starred Rod Taylor, a man carried forward into
a future where the concerns of war, hunger and political strife have given way to a peaceful existence in a veritable Eden
of plenty.
However, it's an Eden with a cost.
I find it ironic that Mr. Wells imagined a time far into his future where such an idyllic cornucopian realm could exist and yet,
he also appreciated that reality doesn't work that way and that someone must always be behind the scenes, providing the
opulent lifestyle.
A Wikipedia article offers:
'By the year AD 802,701, humanity has evolved into two separate species: the Eloi and the Morlocks.
The Eloi live a banal life of ease on the surface of the Earth while the Morlocks live underground, tending
machinery and providing food, clothing, and inventory for the Eloi.
The narration suggests that the separation of species may have been the result of a widening split between
different social classes. With all their needs and desires perfectly fulfilled, the Eloi have slowly become dissolute
and naive: they are described as smaller than modern humans, with shoulder-length curly hair, pointed chins,
large eyes, small ears, small mouths with bright red thin lips, and sub-human intelligence.
They do not perform much work, except to feed, play, and mate, and are characterised by apathy; and when Weena
falls into a river, none of the other Eloi helps her (she is rescued instead by the Time Traveller).
Periodically, the Morlocks capture individual Eloi for food; and because this typically happens on moonless nights,
the Eloi are terrified of darkness...'
It's fiction and yet, how far along Rod Taylor's character's timeline are we in our reality?
Of course, that's the BBC's nice clean version, but to show fairness, they did offer this back in 2018.
Meanwhile, the presumed 'Eloi' struggle with their own problems.
Both effing-nightmares, I'm sure you'd agree!
We're not at the stage where shambling brutes hustle through subterranean tunnels with mewling blonde men and
women over their shoulders, pondering dark thoughts and an easy meal. Nor are we close to 'the Haves' evolving
into a paradigm where they're totally oblivious to how the world works and that they're enjoying the nice end of the
stick.
No, H.G. Wells looked at humanity and saw that without the stern hand of self-responsibility and a mature, sensible
accountability as a species, such a world could exist. Our basic desires demand nourishment and if that means others
have to carry the load in order to sustain the Garden of Eden, then with assistance from today's media, so be it.
Maybe in this next new decade, we could work to make sure the Eloi and the Morloch remain as just character names
in an old book. But I fear we won't.
Happy New Year.
catches me as to how close it's come to today's reality.
It was a fair representation of H.G. Wells' science fiction novel of 1895 and starred Rod Taylor, a man carried forward into
a future where the concerns of war, hunger and political strife have given way to a peaceful existence in a veritable Eden
of plenty.
However, it's an Eden with a cost.
I find it ironic that Mr. Wells imagined a time far into his future where such an idyllic cornucopian realm could exist and yet,
he also appreciated that reality doesn't work that way and that someone must always be behind the scenes, providing the
opulent lifestyle.
A Wikipedia article offers:
'By the year AD 802,701, humanity has evolved into two separate species: the Eloi and the Morlocks.
The Eloi live a banal life of ease on the surface of the Earth while the Morlocks live underground, tending
machinery and providing food, clothing, and inventory for the Eloi.
The narration suggests that the separation of species may have been the result of a widening split between
different social classes. With all their needs and desires perfectly fulfilled, the Eloi have slowly become dissolute
and naive: they are described as smaller than modern humans, with shoulder-length curly hair, pointed chins,
large eyes, small ears, small mouths with bright red thin lips, and sub-human intelligence.
They do not perform much work, except to feed, play, and mate, and are characterised by apathy; and when Weena
falls into a river, none of the other Eloi helps her (she is rescued instead by the Time Traveller).
Periodically, the Morlocks capture individual Eloi for food; and because this typically happens on moonless nights,
the Eloi are terrified of darkness...'
It's fiction and yet, how far along Rod Taylor's character's timeline are we in our reality?
Quote:Almost 37,000 Scots paid less than minimum wage.BBC:
'Watchdogs have called for a minimum wage "legal reality" as figures show 37,000 people in Scotland were paid
less than the statutory rate last year. Data from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) also revealed that employers
across the UK owed about £6,500 on average in unpaid arrears to workers.
The analysis is of the Scottish working-age population as a percentage of the total UK working age-population.
CAS chiefs say the figures are "unacceptable".
The analysis suggests 36,876 workers were potentially paid less than minimum wage in Scotland last year..."
Of course, that's the BBC's nice clean version, but to show fairness, they did offer this back in 2018.
Quote:"...Slavery still exists in the UK, and it can be found in nail bars, factories, car washes andThe Beeb:
the cleaning industry. That's according to prosecutor Eran Cutliffe, the person responsible
for the UK's first modern slavery prosecution involving children.
In January this year [2018], three people from Bath were sentenced under the 2015 Modern
Slavery Act. Two were jailed for their part in trafficking teenage girls from Vietnam to work in
the UK's nail industry..."
"...The young victims in Eran's case ran away from foster services days after being taken from
their captors, only to return to the nail bars where they were working unpaid.
"There's a bit of security in going back to what you know and certainly if you're able to freely
speak the same language," she says. "They are so very much conditioned, so it's a psychological
thing to want to go back.
"It's not free will and free choice, effectively they are trained."...'
Meanwhile, the presumed 'Eloi' struggle with their own problems.
Quote:Chloe Ferry suffers a hilarious wardrobe malfunction as she flaunts her eye-popping cleavage in a blackThe Daily Mail:
bandage dress on a raucous night out.
'She's no stranger to flaunting her ample assets in revealing looks.
And Chloe Ferry suffered a hilarious wardrobe malfunction on Saturday night as she opted for a black bandage
dress for a wild night out at the BLVD bar in Manchester.
The Geordie Shore star, 24, left little to the imagination as her cleavage came close to spilling out of her LBD
as she strutted out of the bar after a raucous evening...'
Quote:Miley Cyrus & Cody Simpson Are ‘MakingMusic Together’: How He’s ‘Inspired’ Her To Write More.HollywoodLife:
'Miley Cyrus, 27, has truly found her match in Cody Simpson, 22, in more ways than one! The couple,
who seem more in love than ever, could be taking their chemistry right into the recording studio.
“Right from their first date they have been making music together,” an insider spills to HollywoodLife
exclusively “Miley and Cody are such a good fit, they have so much in common from their basic
values, to their circle of friends and most of all they have their shared passion for music.”...'
Both effing-nightmares, I'm sure you'd agree!
We're not at the stage where shambling brutes hustle through subterranean tunnels with mewling blonde men and
women over their shoulders, pondering dark thoughts and an easy meal. Nor are we close to 'the Haves' evolving
into a paradigm where they're totally oblivious to how the world works and that they're enjoying the nice end of the
stick.
No, H.G. Wells looked at humanity and saw that without the stern hand of self-responsibility and a mature, sensible
accountability as a species, such a world could exist. Our basic desires demand nourishment and if that means others
have to carry the load in order to sustain the Garden of Eden, then with assistance from today's media, so be it.
Maybe in this next new decade, we could work to make sure the Eloi and the Morloch remain as just character names
in an old book. But I fear we won't.
Happy New Year.
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.