Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Creepy Feelings

After watching Gattaca, I kind of have the creeps. The whole genetic engineering seems like a fate that is all too possible. For years we have been doing invitro fertilizations and have made clones. What is next?

Genetic engineering has the possibility to improve society in some ways but it is so unnatural and creepy to think of. Are the people being born really individuals if things down to personality traits can be picked out? 

If our world does come to genetic engineering, it may start off harmless: people wanting blue-eyed instead of brown-eyed babies with straight hair instead of curly. But, like with many things in  American culture, it will be taken too many steps too far. What would it be like to be discriminated against solely because of your genetic markup due to your parents wanting a love child? 


It is kind of like racism, being totally against someone because of factors beyond their control, but with this "Geneism" the people are being discriminated against for things not even noticeable to the naked eye. 

Back to the movie, I really enjoyed it. Instantly I recognized it as a movie that I watched in high school but now I got so much more out of it from paying full attention to what was happening. 

Enjoy this pic of Jude Law, everyone. You're welcome.
First of all, I have so much pity for the real Jerome Morrow. How disappointing it must be to really only have the option left of selling your identity? I loved the sense of camaraderie that Jerome and Vincent developed and thought it was so noble of Jerome to support Vincent and encourage him to keep going when he was down. After all, what would Jerome get out of it? Nothing, really. 

(I am really confusing myself here, writing about Jerome when two characters take on that name) 

Until Jerome showed Vincent his medal did I feel sorry for the genetically engineered population. I never thought of the pressure of having such a high standard held to yourself at all times. I know for me it is hard enough to have high expectations for myself and sometimes from my parents, but having those high expectations imposed on my by society would be exhausting. 


Unlike Brave New World and 1984, the lower class people are not brainwashed to be happy in their place and grateful that they do not have all the work and responsibility of the higher caste. In Gattaca, the lower people are openly discriminated against and looked down upon. 

This movie really made me think about our society and planted the fear in my mind that someday our world could potentially turn out like that in the film, which is something that I hope I never live to see come to light.

3 comments:

  1. This movie shows us that racism will continue no matter what kind of peace is ever found. There will always be something that has to set people apart from one another. It’s a natural thing, unfortunately. People need it so that they can feel better about themselves, and see how they measure up in the world around them. I too am fearful that this could actually become reality.

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  2. I agree with Britni, above. There's a natural tendency to distinguish ourselves from the "Other," whether they are racially, sexually, religiously, culturally, or, in this movie, genetically different from ourselves. We've seen this discrimination throughout ALL of human history - there's always that "Other" group that is either ostracized, humiliated, or actively persecuted. It's very interesting research.

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  3. I have seen this movie many times and I love it but I'm glad that you mentioned that you felt sorry for Jerome because in this world of some people who are genetically perfect people he is an example of a genetically perfect person who has become physically disabled and I think that has to do with him wanting to kill himself because maybe there is no longer a place for him in this world in other words, he is the "savage" in this movie.

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