Human Nature

When Dr. J gave us The Uncanny Valley lecture, so many things began to make sense to me. She referenced specifically The Polar Express as an example of this effect. People constantly ask me why I don't like the movie, and I never specifically had an answer, but the entire movie made me so uncomfortable to watch. I couldn't ever figure out the reason for this, but I tried to start to explain it by just simply saying the movie had a creepy vibe. Of course this never went over well either, because what Christmas movie should be called creepy? But as far as I was concerned it was a perfectly good explanation. After learning about this effect, I was honestly so satisfied I was not completely terrified of a happy Christmas and children’s book movie. A plus was I can now rationally explain why I dislike this movie to others, which I am really looking forward to being able to use.

“Be Right Back” was not much easier for me to watch. Understanding Martha’s situation was not the problem, but the fact that it isn’t such a crazy idea in terms of actually happening and the level she took it to both were difficult for me to process. I tried to understand what I would do in that situation if it was an actual possibility for me, but I just could not begin to imagine it. One of the arguments brought up in class was isn’t it normal for the young child to have a relationship with Ash2 since she was raised around it. Also that we as a society when a loved one dies, revisit his or her memory by revisiting old memories and videos and pictures. However, I don’t see how this is parallel to what was happening in the short film. I listen to my relatives talk about funny stories about my great grandfather, and I look at pictures of them all together. I never did meet my grandfather, and was only raised around these things as a concept of him, but my attachment to him in not directed toward those things. I don’t love the pictures or the stories, but who he was as a person. Just like when I look at pictures and tell stories about a relative that has passed that I did grow up with. I don’t love those pictures or the memories, but the person that I am remembering. When Martha’s daughter forms relationship with Ash2 and feels love toward him, it would be like me forming a relationship with these inanimate objects that bring me memories. It just did not seem like a very justified argument when I looked at it like that.