I think Cronenberg using the idea of violence and pleasure as the means of infection is an interesting method. In today’s (or 1984) society, violent crimes are often associated with sexual acts. Often times someone is sexually abused AND physically abused, which is kind of played on, not to that extreme, but by Max and Niki’s sex scene. He is physically hurting her while they are having sex. And sex is also alluded to later on in the movie through heavy breathing from the cassette tape, then Max kills Convex. Cronenberg was pointing out how violence and sexual promiscuity in today’s society is infectious. According to The Disaster Center, US crime rates have been on a steady rise since the 1960’s. Both sexual crime and a variety of violent crimes have nearly quadrupled since 1960, as if an infectious disease. As society technologically advances and grows, society subsequently becomes more violent.
I think that the issue of violence doesn’t necessarily complicate the argument, but rather focuses it or goes hand in hand with it. Technologies affect on the body produces violence. There’s a fine line between how far is too far for that relationship, because it will ultimately create chaos.
2 comments:
I find it interesting that you point out the link between sex and violence. I agree with the validity of that relationship, in regard to the statistics, as well as many other instances of media, books and film. Sex and violence tend to go hand in hand because of the great similarities between them. They are both primal human tendencies; human beings naturally have the desire to be violent, and to have sex. They are both very active and pervasive urges. Also, unlike eating food or sleeping, both acts are seen as morally questionable in today’s society. The pairing of the two makes a sinful double-whammy, with each idea concept enhancing the perversity and depravity of the other.
I really like how you applied this theme to today's society. I had no idea that the crime rate of sexual violent acts increased that much as time has passed. But your point is very true, we are far more technologically advanced than we were years ago, and the fact that the crime rate has increased is not a coincidence. This means Cronenberg's argument about technology and the body holds true even today! Because this very theme can be seen in today's society. Wow, that really hits home, because no longer am I analyzing a movie; now I see how it fits into the world today.
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