White Bear Justice Park

In class, we watched another episode of Black Mirror, "White Bear." It was about a woman, Victoria, who was being punished for a horrendous crime that she was a spectator for. The crime was the filming of the torture and murder of an abducted 6-year-old girl. Her boyfriend, who had done the actual murder, had killed himself while he was in prison. Since the public couldn't get justice through him, they went after Victoria. They punished her by making her the main attraction at the White Bear Justice Park.

In this park, Victoria constantly woke every day with amnesia and the notion that she was suicidal with a missing daughter. She was tricked into thinking the world had gone into an apocalyptic state in which people didn't do anything but record others with technology. Those who weren't affected were free to do whatever they wanted since everyone else would just spectate. People in disturbing costumes chased her with others to make her feel like her life was truly in danger. The crowds around her would only record her as she begged for help. This went on an entire day until nightfall when all was revealed to her on stage in front of an audience. They played the news clip of her trial and conviction making her apologize for a crime she doesn't remember committing. Then they put her on display for the audience so that they may feel a sense of justice for the little girl's murder. As the people do this, the park is reset. All the props returned to their places. Broken windows are replaced. Everything is reset like a game.

This was my third time watching this episode and it is still as disturbing as I watched it the first time. There are many things this episode made me think about. The first was whether the punishment had fit the crime. My answer is a simple no. In my opinion, it was nowhere near close. Yes, she should be punished since she had recorded her boyfriend doing something horrendous rather than help the little girl but to wipe one's memory and have them relive the same day in a petrified state for at least 3 weeks. I feel like that's going overboard.

Also, can you really punish someone who doesn't remember the crime that they've committed due to forced amnesia? How would they feel remorse or guilt if they don't even know what they've done? If they know what they've done, then that would be worse for them. They would have to live with the memory for the rest of their lives.

The last thing that comes to mind is the audience in the episode. The people who were at the park for their amusement. They helped in tricking Victoria that the world had become apocalyptic. Those people recording her and ignoring her pleases for help reminded me of the world today. It reminds me of how integrated technology and social media is in our daily lives. Like the people in White Bear, we record others as some event is happening, whether it be a concert or a fight happening in a classroom. We record and post it online for everyone to see. Things like fights are often recorded instead of being stopped by the one recording it. We spectate each other in person and online because, in a way, we see it as a form of entertainment. I feel like we are desensitizing ourselves to violence as more and more of it is exposed to us throughout our daily lives.