What annoys me most about the flurry of 'best of the year' prizes for The Social Network is the discussion of the seemingly 'revolutionary' idea that much of human progress stems from the desire to impress the opposite sex (or same sex) in an effort to appear sexually desirable. Sorry folks, it's probably a somewhat correct notion, but Matt Groening and the gang hashed this one out way back in May of 2001. The Social Network is a fun and entertaining bit of fiction helped immeasurably by the clever penmanship of Aaron Sorkin. But it's 'groundbreaking' idea isn't as original as the pundits seem to think. Futurama had the right idea nearly ten years earlier.
Scott Mendelson
This is not that original of an idea. Futurama didn't come up with it and was used by Sorkin in Sports Night years before and was used before that. While I'm glad that a Futurama link was posted I don't think most people are praising the film for the notion that it had a revolutionary idea. It was a well made film that entertained and seemed to be liked by many.
ReplyDeleteSomeone made a stupid post on the internet justice must be served.
It is indeed not that original of an idea, which was kind of the point of my venting. The Futurama clip was merely a funny way of showing that the many critics who were indeed astonishing by the breathtaking insight of The Social Network weren't remembering recent history. I only with The Social Network was as sharp as Sports Night.
ReplyDeleteI honestly thought the notion of human activity being mostly geared toward mating was an accepted, basic fact that reflects our animal natures. Mating is half of survival, so the other half (just plain surviving) will push the rest of the innovation (until the notions of ease and convenience come along later).
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