2012. Facing the end of the world in three films: what should we do?

Facing the End of the World in Three Films ��What should we do?

Barry Vacker

Mayan “Prophecy”

Mayan “Prophecy” = Nonsense

Zombie Apocalypse

Covers for something else ...

The Decade of the 2000s:

•  Apocalyptic and doomsday scenarios replicate in our media environments.

•  TIME •  November 24, 2009

Economic Apocalypse

Meltdowns Fiscal cliffs

Economic Apocalypse

Ecological Apocalypse

Environmental apocalypse

Nuclear apocalypse

Resource Apocalypse

Intellectual Apocalypse

•  % of Americans who believe this likely to happen on tonight:

•  Mayan prophecy: •  85 million people •  27% •  85 million people

Survey: National Geographic, 2012.


•  % of Americans who believe this likely to happen on tonight:

•  Mayan prophecy: 27% •  85 million people •  27% •  85 million people

Survey: National Geographic, 2012.


•  % of humans who believe this will happen tonight:

•  China: •  America: •  Russia: •  Canada: •  Great Britain: •  Germany: •  Global total:

Different survey: Reuters-Ipsos, 2012.


•  % of humans who believe this will happen tonight:

•  China: 20% •  America: 12% •  Russia: 13% •  Canada: 9% •  Great Britain: 7% •  Germany: 4% •  Global total: 10%

Different survey: Reuters-Ipsos, 2012.


•  % of people who believe the world will end in their lifetime

•  Americans: •  Citizens from 20 other

nations:

•  Reuters/Ipsos, 2012


•  % of people who believe the world will end in their lifetime

•  Americans: 22% •  Citizens from 20 other

nations: 14%

•  Reuters/Ipsos, 2012

Collective ranking of U.S. teens:��reading, math, science

•  Most recent ranking of U.S. teenagers compared to other industrialized nations:

•  Reading Literacy = •  Math = •  Science = •  Scores vary slightly per study, but the pattern

and direction seems clear: •  Over past 20-30 years US ranking has been

declining among nations … it’s a disgrace!

Intellectual Apocalypse •  Most recent ranking of U.S. teenagers

compared to other industrialized nations: •  Reading Literacy = 14th •  Math = 25th •  Science = 17th •  Scores vary slightly per study, but the pattern

and direction seems clear: decline. •  Over past 20-30 years US ranking has been

declining among nations … it’s a disgrace!


•  55-80% of Americans did not read or buy a book last year.

•  % vary per study.

Virtual Apocalypse

•  Signs of the real substitute for the real.

Virtual Apocalypse

•  Media maps have overtaken the territories they are supposed to represent.

•  Spend more time mapping than living…

Philosophical Apocalypse

A Vast and Ancient Universe


Humans: Product of Vast and Ancient Chain of Being.


What does the cosmos and evolution mean? Zero impact on social organization.

Just how are we evolving?

Just how are we evolving?

Cosmic Apocalypse

Meteor Crater: 1 mile wide … 550 feet deep … 50,000 years old.

•  Evidence suggests a meteor wiped out the dinosaurs.

•  65 million years ago.

Cosmic Apocalypse

Near Earth Objects (NEOs)

•  First decade of the new millennium, humans spent

•  $4 million per year on finding NEOs.




•  $1.5 trillion per year on waging war.




•  $1.5 trillion per year on waging war.



•  Fraction of 1 cent per person on finding NEOs.

•  $2100 per person on waging war.

Think of it this way

•  Humans spent:

•  $4 million on finding NEOs in 2009.

Think of it this way

•  Humans spent:

•  $4 million on finding NEOs in 2009.

•  $550 million watching Armageddon in 1998.



•  Yearning for an end to human civilization

•  Yearning for a trans-formation of human consciousness.

Facing the End of the World


Inane


Inane Insane


Inane Insane Inaccurate


Dumb


Dumb Depressed


Dumb Depressed Delirious


No brains


No brains No meaning


No brains No meaning No way

A Comedy or

•  Lorene Scafaria, dir. •  2012

•  Dialogue from: •  Dating profiles in

Match.com •  Status updates in

Facebook

A Comedy or

•  Lorene Scafaria, dir. •  2012

•  Example of intellectual and philosophical apocalypses.

Worst apocalyptic film since ?

Just Dumb

Worst apocalyptic film since Armageddon

Depressed or

•  Lars von Trier, dir. •  2012

Awaiting Our Destiny

Extinction: ��Earth, Humanity, Civilization

Extinction: ��Earth, Humanity, Civilization

We become crater on other planet.

No Meaning to Our Existence?

•  Lars von Trier, dir. •  2012

•  Example of cosmic and philosophical apocalypses.

Inaccurate

•  Roland Emmerich, dir. •  2009

•  Is there some meaning to our existence?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce0N3TEcFw0

Inaccurate

•  Roland Emmerich, dir. •  2009

•  Obviously, there is no bogus science and silly prophecy.

Poses Provocative Question

•  If you had to save civilization, what would you save?

Signs and symbols of world religions are destroyed

Signs and symbols of world religions are destroyed

No one is special or sacred or gets divine intervention.

No nation is sacred ��no military empire is special

Consumer Society and ��Sprawl are critiqued

What is preserved?

• The Best of Our: •  Art •  Science •  Inclusive utopian ideals •  Secular society

What is preserved?

• The Best of Our: •  Art •  Science •  Inclusive utopian ideals •  Secular society

•  For a global society for a single species.

What is preserved?

• At once cynical and optimistic.

• A radical dismissal of the dominate ideologies that wreak havoc on Earth.

Facing the End of the World��

No brains No meaning Brains and meaning.

• All of this and much more are explored in in my new book >>>

2012. Facing the end of the world in three films: what should we do?

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