Foucaults Idea on Panopticon, power and control

The episode of 15 Million Merits is a perfect example of how Panopticon, power and control is represented in modern society. The existence of those are set in this virtual world of a video game/television/media saturated lifestyle which is presented as depressing and bleak, where everyone lives in a small cell type room spending their entire day cycling to nowhere in order to gain merits in which they use to buy their essentials to live such as food and toothpaste. This recites Foucault’s ideas about the Panopticon prison and how those living in that situation have no social interaction or enjoyment in what they are doing. The clothes worn symbolise the dull lives they lead and you can signify this to prison life.

This episode particularly reflects the idea of voyeurism as an act or power and control where the characters are constantly in contact and impelled to watch adverts for porn and a X-Factor style entertainment show that in order to get on to the show is to pay for an entry ticket which costs 15 Million Merits. Hot Shot (the entertainment show) is a cruel and humiliating for the individuals who enter on to it, as there are three judges in particular who have the power and control to accept an individual to get out of the ‘bleak and depressing’ lifestyle.

- Bing's speech

“All we know is fake fodder and buying shit! That’s how we speak to each other, that’s how we express ourselves is buying SHIT! You know what, I have a dream? The peak of our dreams is a new app for our dopple, an app doesn’t exist! It’s not even there! We buy shit that aint even there, you want something real and free and beautiful, you couldn’t… it’d break us. We’re too numb for it, we might as well choke. It’s a wonder we can bare it, it’s any wonder you can dole it out in meagre portions and only then when its augmented and packaged and pumped through ten thousand pre-assigned filters, till there’s nothing more than a meaningless series of lies while we ride day in, day out, going where! Powering what!?! All tiny cells and tiny screens and bigger cells and bigger screens and FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!” – Main male actor

Sources:
http://mediastudiesideas.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/media-control-and-panopticon/
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/black-mirror?before=1325101513