The Problem with Cyberpunk

I think the main reason cyberpunk died out is not because technology has become too mainstream, which is the reason I frequently hear. I think it's because there were no decent cyberpunk movies made! Apart from The Matrix, which was made after the time the industry declared cyberpunk dead, I couldn't think of a single even halfway decent cyberpunk film. I mean, just look at Johnny Mnemonic. Yeesh. And before you start mentioning anime, I want you to take off your Naruto headband and your Inuyasha ears and remember that anime has about as much relevance to mainstream American culture as Bollywood does.

Well, I don't think that thought really went anywhere. I'm not sure I even agree with it. But hey, I'll throw it out there, and see what the internet (read: the two people who read this blog) thinks.

And here's a thought about modern technology that has a bearing on cyberpunk: modern tech is slowly making us stupid by taking away the importance of knowing things. It used to be that facts and understanding were vital to life; these days, I myself have often fallen into the trap of thinking, "I don't have to remember this; I'll just Google it" or "I don't know what that is, but I won't ask; I can just look it up on Wikipedia." Whatever happened to the importance of sages, those who knew and understood so much? Is the internet becoming the one great sage of our time, while we become nothing more than its drooling supplicants?

My completely arbitrary decision is that you're just not allowed to be an expert (or even to THINK that you're an expert) on anything if you start your statements with, "Well, I read somewhere on the internet...."

Unrelated note: Remember my post about McCain and his slip about the Illuminati? The 'comment' section keeps disappearing. Only on that one post, too.... Are they trying to