Being Human in 2049 - and at Other Times

Our recent trip to the High Plains had a science fiction underside - sort of. During much driving time, on often deserted string-straight roads, we listened to an audio version of a volume of short stories by famous sci-fi master, Arthur C. Clarke. One of my favourites, History Lesson written in 1949, can be read in a pdf file HERE.


On the last afternoon of our trip, with a storm threatening, we hopped into a cinema in northern Oklahoma to see Blade Runner 2049.

The original Blade Runner movie, now thought of by many sci-fi fans as "iconic" has melted from my memory, almost completely, apart from the fact that its lead actor was Harrison Ford. I'm not too sure I enjoyed that movie, back in the 1980s, otherwise I'd recall it more easily. The 2049 sequel/update movie might prove to have better staying power in the old memory banks. The new story picks up some 30 years after the original ended.

Were the 2049 movie one of those big, pretentious coffee table volumes, I'd love to wander and linger through the photographs, again and again, ignoring most of the text. The visual interest of the movie far outshone the story-line, for me. Fascinating, yet chilling and easily imagined views of what the future might bring, came one after another, and were made somehow beautiful, while remaining also heartrendingly sad.

Flying vehicles, imagined by the 1980's original story's author Philip K. Dick should have been flying overhead right now - as I type. As in the case of so many early sci-fi writers' flights of imagination , they pre-supposed a much faster rate of progress,in certain areas, than has actually happened. Driverless cars are on the drawing board now, but still will remain earth-bound. Philip K. Dick's ashes, by the way, were buried in a cemetery in Fort Morgan, Colorado, one of our two-night stop-overs.

We both thought there were several iffy assumptions going on in 2049 - unless we'd missed something crucial in the dialogue that is (not at all unlikely!) Ryan Gosling, as I've probably written before in these pages, is not a favourite of either of us, though in this leading role he did....alright. I can't think of anyone who would have better fit this particular character and story-line.

No detail of the plot here from me - spoilers would definitely spoil this one. A quick read through the synopsis of the original Blade Runner, before seeing 2049 wouldn't go amiss, however.

Apparently the deeper layers of Blade Runner 2049, and its predecessor, are meant to relate to the question: what does it mean to be human? Perhaps so... perhaps. For me though, a movie we saw on TV back in the hotel room, later that night, offered another way of seeking the answer to that particular "what?" - Monster's Ball. Wow! There was some really first class+ acting going on in that one, by Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, and the lost, lamented Heath Ledger. All our human faults, failings and yes - our better sides - were on show, and in-yer-face. Some scenes were hard to watch, but all worthwhile. Monster's Ball is an excellent movie, a no nonsense look at our all-too-human frailties!


As I finished typing that paragraph an old post of mine from way back popped into my head - from 2008 - a post about a song. I recall it easily because, at the time, it gathered lots of comments. Are We Human or Are We Dancer? It was memorably performed by The Killers. I don't think the theme of Blade Runner was in the mind of many listeners back then, but maybe now....?

Looking Back, Being Human, Hoping to Dance.

Our departure has had to be postponed due to treacherous road conditions here and where we'd be heading. Maybe tomorrow ? We can but hope. It gives me an opportunity to look back back to a post dated 31 October 2008, featuring The Killers' song "Human": "Are We Human or Are We Dancer?" That post has attracted more hits than any other since the start of this blog in late 2006. 3 months after posting it still receives many hits every day.

The producer of a delightful video, shot on the day of president Obama's Inauguration, having seen my post, contacted me with a link to her video which uses "Human" as background music, and to great effect.

So, in classic Mercury Retrograde style, I reviewed 31 October's post, then looked back to 20 January, re-lived that day's events and emotions, prompted by Emily Troutman. Her wonderful video presentation puts the two together in a moving and very memorable way.

Emily's blog is Who We Are/How We Live.
Her video "President Obama: Words For How We Feel Now" is there, with her explanation of the concept and how she compiled the video.

I've embedded the version from YouTube here, but please do visit Emily's blog for further detail and a link to a slightly larger format of the video.





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Something completely different:
My husband stood at the kitchen window with his pocket camera yesterday morning, then came up with this brief video which I liked enough to share.




PS: This should be my last posting for about a week - as long as road conditions have improved by tomorrow morning.

"Are We Human or Are We Dancer?"

It's many Moons since I was taken by a popular song. This one crept up on me. We first heard it earlier this month on "Saturday Night Live" - "Human", by The Killers, a band we'd never heard of. After listening for a while, we both commented on the silliness of the lyrics.
(See end of post for lyrics and YouTube recording).

I noticed the song played a couple of times recently during my morning dose of the BBC. It's a catchy tune, better appreciated via radio than watched on TV. Yesterday, just as I finished my post featuring a tarot reading, I switched to the BBC and that song was playing. This time I really listened to the words. Two hours later I'd scoured the web, learned about Hunter S. Thompson, and encountered a wide variety of opinions on the meaning of those enigmatic lyrics.

It appears that Brandon Flowers, vocalist and keyboard player of the band has stated in an interview that the line "are we human, or are we dancer?" is a reference to a remark once made by the late Hunter S. Thompson, an ascerbic journalist famed for "telling it like it is", often in offensive terms. He had commented that America is nowadays raising a "generation of dancers". Thompson committed suicide in 2005.

Aside from The Killers' new song, Hunter S. Thompson is a fascinating subject, about whose astrology I'd have written, but found that it had already been done by D.K. Brainard at "Pure Plutonium: Hunter S. Thompson Says Goodbye".

Because that fabled "veil between worlds" is thin at Halloween, I fancifully imagine that perhaps Mr. Thompson's thoughts are being propelled to us clearly at this time for a reason. We are close an election in the USA, an election pivotal to the future of both this country, and by extension, the world. When considering whether to vote or not, it might behove us to ask ourselves, "Are we human or are we dancer?"

Concentrating on the lyrics of the song, I started to search for clues to their meaning. A long thread of comments at Popwatch Blog following "Does the Killers' 'Human' have the silliest lyrics of the week? by Simon Vozick-Levinson provided food for thought. Comments covered whether the song says "denser" or "dancer" (it's the latter); whether dancer should be plural (no - because the word is used as an adjective, as though it's a different species, as in "are we human or are we canine".)

There are analyses of the lyrics as a whole. One writer saw them as relating to the end of a love affair after a phone call. Another to the birth of a person's first offspring - a bit of a stretch, I thought! The meaning of "human" versus "dancer" is cloudy. Is it preferable (or wise) to be one or t'other? All depends on individual interpretation.

My own version of the tale the lyrics tell is this: as Brandon Flowers has said the inspiration came from Hunter S. Thompson's words, possibly the whole song is a dedication to him and the way he ended his own life (he shot himself in the head, suffering from several chronic illnesses). The "platform of surrender", cutting the cord (of life), "Wave goodbye, say farewell, you've gotta let me go".... reading the lyrics this way, the intention seems obvious to me.

Intertwined in the story told by the lyrics is that question we might benefit from asking ourselves: "are we human or are we dancer?" Personally I take it as asking whether we are taking notice of what's going on around us, or are we oblivious, wrapped up in our own fantasy world, allowing others to manipulate us, and the real world?

It's the first time for decades that I've thought as much about the lyrics of a pop (or any other) song. I guess Hunter S. Thompson would be pleased if he could see the thought and controversy seeded by a throw-away remark of his.

I did my best to notice, when the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender, I was brought but I was kind
But sometimes I get nervous when I see an open door
Close your eyes clear your heart, cut the cord

Are we human, or are we dancer
My sign is vital my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human, or are we dancer

Pay my respects to grace and virture, send my condolences to good
Give my regards to soul and romance, they always did the best they could
And so long to devotion you taught me everything I know
Wave good bye wish me well, you've gotta let me go

Are we human, or are we dancer
My sign is vital my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human, or are we dancer

Will your system be alright?
When you dream of home tonight
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know, is your heart still beating?

Are we human, or are we dancer
My sign is vital my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human, or are we dancer
You've gotta let me know

Are we human, or are we dancer
My sign is vital my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human, or are we dancer
You've gotta let me know

Are we human, or are we dancer
Are we human, or are we dancer