The Easiest Way to Erase History... is Misstate the Facts!
(Misstate Is Not a Public University in the Deep South)
After viewing the 2021 motion picture Free Guy, it became readily apparent I was the only person in my household bothered by the plagiarism of the Tom Tom Club song Genius of Love (1981) by a trio of untalented hacks named Mariah Carey, Dave Hall, and Sean Combs- probably because my dogs were already asleep. Stay tuned for further details regarding this issue in the summary paragraph below.
Free Guy is an unbelievably accurate depiction of the current commodification of human life on our planet, as portrayed in the format of video game fiction. The plot is driven by a sociopathic megalomaniac credited with perverting an (Eden-like) online simulation into a mash-up of Westworld and Grand Theft Auto. But just like Hollywood itself, the popular first-person video game referred to as Free City in the film, chooses to depict a squeaky clean meta-verse devoid of the senselessly brutal bloodshed, and mind-numbing hopelessness that currently plagues our great COVID nation.
https://projectfreetv.watch/stream/free-guy/26805/ (WARNING: Have good Antivirus!)
Not only does the film pussyfoot around presenting the painful reality of the deadly violence experienced by victims on the other side of the screen, it succeeds in polishing the fake chrome to such a degree that any reflection of blood spray is rendered magically invisible! The twice daily, casualty-free bank robberies at Free City Bank are such blatantly cartoonish depictions, they seem somewhat out of touch with modern American action films, and the innumerable online fantasy games that endlessly germinate during preproduction.
At this point, it’s difficult to determine whether such sanitation is for the benefit of urban mayors across the U.S., or whether this fresh coat of whitewash is a legal prophylactic floated to protect the very studios that create and distribute “games” that irreparably mold (and mildew) the impressionable minds of youth around the globe.
Dare I even bother to mention the accursed Cappuccino incident?
Most disturbingly, the plot of this film posits a suggestion that not only would an artificially intelligent (AI) character created in an alternate reality be inclined to interact with humans as a benign and protective force, but more accurately as a “white hat” in a blue shirt. Obviously, he would be a handsome and humorous suitor, patiently awaiting the opportunity to share a Bubbblegum-flavored ice cream cone, in order to protect us all from the far more nefarious forms of cyber-demons created by our unchecked ruling class. Yep, you got it… just another more teen-friendly attempt to re-package Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tired Terminator character for Generation Z!
AI is fast approaching the point at which self-awareness will exceed the capacity of human consciousness to even retain the bottle, let alone keep the cyber-genie encapsulated within. This should actually spark much more complicated and nuanced films which address such themes. Unfortunately, without bulked-out, half-naked, beach blonde bad guys written into the script, those considerations do not rise to the level which would merit a studio head dropping well over a hundred million dollars.
In summation, and yes this is the paragraph: without retaining the knowledge of exactly what source is the subject of an homage (and more importantly) whether that source is accurate and original, we willingly surrender ourselves to the lazy impulses that ignorantly lead to the dim world of QAnon lies and greater political deceptions.
The writers of Free Guy attempted to mislead viewers to accept Mariah Carey created a melodic riff played in the film repeatedly, yet it was actually appropriated from a song recorded 14 years before her own! Through multiple references in the dialogue, this true fact was altered to urge acceptance of a different version of the truth. Meanwhile, they conveniently failed to disclose what intent might lie behind such an obvious misstatement: Sony Records and Disney Films have a corporate deal allowing their collaboration… but neither one owns the rights to the Tom Tom Club catalogue.
Believing in falsehoods, simply insures we cannot be a free guy (or girl) for very long!