Discuss.

  • Wheaties [comrade/them]
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    edit-2
    4 years ago

    The robots are kinda running a planned economy on the ship, aren't they? And we never see any evidence of money onboard. Sure, the people are descendants of the wealthy elite who could afford to leave earth, but there doesn't seem to be any class or resource disparity. Everyone's... content? Complacent? They see no need to question their hermetically sealed environment until an outside force compels them too.

    While the show places blame for the destruction of earth squarely on capitalism, its social critique seems to be targeting Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism.

    Edit: Although, as was rightly pointed out, that critique begins and ends with 'phone bad'.

    • Awoo [she/her]
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      edit-2
      4 years ago

      That critique also includes "People inside this communist society are an infantilised collective with no individuality and are incapable of criticising it, their lack of struggle under capitalism turns them into lazy decadent blobs, only a return to struggle and work will give them individuality again, they must free themselves from communism".

      From that angle it's a little fashy.

    • sappho [she/her]
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      4 years ago

      Yeah, when I watched this movie as a kid I remember saying that I didn't see the ship situation as that bad. Wasn't it even better than what we had today? I was told something like, "But they're all fat and lazy!" which really did not convince me.

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
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      4 years ago

      this is what I came here to say. Every right-winger I know interpreted wall-e as a scathing criticism of communism.

    • eduardog3000 [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      we never see any evidence of money onboard

      There's kind of one actually: it's the 700th anniversary of the ship lifting off so the captain says people can ask for a "free cupcake in a cup".

      • Wheaties [comrade/them]
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        4 years ago

        I got this film for Christmas after it came out. I watched every day for a week. You have rightly put my Wall-e knowledge to shame.

        • eduardog3000 [he/him]
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          4 years ago

          lmao. I only remember because at the time I immediately thought "wouldn't everything there be free?".

    • Cocknballsickle [he/him]
      hexagon
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      4 years ago

      Hmm good point I’ll have to rewatch with this in mind. I thought it might be implied that capital still rules on board because of things like changing outfit colors via ads but no so sure anymore