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English 103 Essay 2-2
English 103 Essay 2-2
Georgia Storm
Professor Granillo
English 103
21 October 2018
An Instagram user uploads a selfie during their vacation and despite being in a tropical
paradise they continually refresh their notifications to check how many “likes” they have. What
many do not know is that with each refresh they are further detaching from themselves as an
philosopher Karl Marx existed in a time long before the Instagram selfie, his ideology of
Marxism can be utilized to discover the underlying themes of social media and popularity in
affiliation to society. Black Mirror acquires this affiliation in the episode “Nosedive,” written by
Charlie Brooker, by symbolizing capitalism through a society where social media rankings
dictates an individual’s life chances. This symbolism exhibits the Marxist concepts of
commodification, classism, and competition in order to negatively portray how an individual can
be limited in a capitalist society; therefore challenging the American ideal that capitalism is the
Black Mirror season three episode one released in 2016 titled “Nosedive” takes viewers
on a downward spiral from social acceptance to social rejection. The episode takes place in a
cookie-cutter society run by “star” ratings on social media, where those with lower ratings are
shunned as outcasts and those with higher ones receive more social acceptance and life chances.
Protagonist Lacie Pound is an insecure office worker who lingers at a 4.3 star rating and obsesses
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over perfecting others’ perception of her. When her childhood friend with a superb rating asks
Pound to be apart of her wedding, Pound sees it as the perfect opportunity to boost her own
rating to the 4.5 she has been wanting. Quickly the plot turns daunting as a series of low ratings
are given to her reducing her social status and eventually pushing her to a mental breakdown.
This mental breakdown lands Pound in jail where she is stripped of her device. The episode
concludes with her and another individual screaming profanities at each other with smiles on
their faces exhibiting their newfound freedom once the persona attached to their devices is
removed (Brooker).
The utopian and dystopian themes in “Nosedive” mimic the underlying principles of
Marxist criticism. Many view the episode as a sharp satire about social media to make the
audience question their own social ranking system. As one Reddit user says, “We absolutely
already have our 'numbers', even if they aren't literally floating over our heads,” (Reddit).
However, the theme is much more intricate. From a Marxist perspective the social media ratings
in “Nosedive” symbolize the socioeconomic classes in a capitalist society like America’s. More
specifically, just like those with higher star ratings receive more perks, those in a higher
socioeconomic class receive more life chances such as education and healthcare. The symbolism
of the episode portrays the limitations and inequality of a capitalist society therefore supporting
the ideal community Marx proposes. This community being a “society [organized] in such a way
that every member of it can develop and use all his capabilities and powers in complete
freedom,” (Marx 37). “Nosedive” exemplifies this lack of freedom by utilizing Marxist concepts
such commodification.
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The “Nosedive’ society greatly exhibits commodification that dehumanizes the individual
and makes them a commodity. Lacie’s childhood friend, Naomi, asks her to be the maid of honor
only to uninvite her when her rating drops stating, “Don’t come… I don’t know what is up with
you but I can not have a 2.6 at my wedding” (Brooker 46:19 ). This is commodification because
it is a relation of a person to their sign-exchange value, or their social status (Tyson 60). By
univiting Lacie from the wedding out of fear the low rating will give herself a bad reputation she
is “structuring [her] relations to promote [her] own advancement socially,” (Tyson 60). This
symbolizes modern day where many would rather have a maid of honor that is well-liked
amongst their friend group and class. In both situations, the bride is not choosing her own
bridesmaids; the repressive ideologies of the social structure around her is choosing. A Marxist
perspective argues this is a repressive ideology because her decision is limited by an outside
source. Her friends’ sign-exchange value determines if they are in her wedding party. The
commodification of people is limiting the bride’s freedom of choice. It is also restricting Pound’s
writers portray capitalism as a restriction to the individual’s freedom, proving the American idea
“Reputelligence.” In order to obtain a 4.5 rating Pound seeks coaching from an agent who
advises her to “receive upvotes from quality people… those with high fours,” (Brooker 12:05).
There is a larger emphasis on how others perceive Lacie as a commodification than how she
perceives herself. Sign-exchange value is a higher priority than individual happiness therefore
this need to prove oneself to others takes away from individual freedom. This scene symbolizes
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how citizens in a capitalist society want to prove themselves on job applications and professional
websites in order to achieve a higher socioeconomic status. Due to this symbolism of sign
exchange value as more important than self-satisfaction or freedom, this scene argues against the
American ideal that a capitalist society is the only avenue to individual freedom. Not only
“Nosedive” exhibits classism through its discrimination of people with lower star ratings.
Throughout the episode, those with low ratings are declined opportunities. For example, Lacie
does not qualify for an apartment because she is a 4.2 (Brooker 10:30). Classism is an “ideology
that equates one’s value as a human being with the social class to which one belongs,” (Tyson
56). As Tyson describes it, people at the bottom of the social scale are seen as irresponsible and
lazy while those higher on the social scale are seen as more equipped to hold positions of power
(Tyson 57). In the case of “Nosedive” the position of power is renting an apartment and Lacie is
not seen as equipped to hold that position of power due to her mediocre star rating. Because
Lacie Pound is the average individual and does not have a superb rating she experiences this
classism, illustrating how the higher social class a person is the more opportunities they receive.
In most cases, an individual is born into their socioeconomic class which dictates their life
opportunities. The fact that Pound’s qualities are assumed based off her class before getting a
chance to prove herself is an example of how there is already a predetermined roadmap for those
in capitalist societies. Pound being denied a house is an example of this, proving capitalism is not
a means to individual freedom. Not only classism is featured in the world of “Nosedive,” but
competition is as well.
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The Marxist concept of competition can be found in the capitalist symbolism of the
episode. On her way into work Lacie is begged by her coworker with a low rating saying “I just
need some stars please,” in order for him to enter the building. She refuses to help him due to
fear of social rejection from those higher up (Brooker 14:00). This symbolizes the competition
because both are trying to win the approval of those with more power and are not willing to help
each other to do so. A Marxist perspective would note that those with higher ratings benefit from
competition like this because it keeps the lower classes pleasing them in trade of approval. This
competition is a way of maintaining power because the masses are too occupied fighting against
each other to realize those they are trying to impress are the ones causing the oppression. The
symbolic repressive ideals of capitalism are so strong that Lacie Pound continues to contribute to
the system that is oppressing her. Lacie’s lack of freedom is due to the need to compete for
approval of the higher class. This further proves the falsity of the common American ideal that
The writer of “Nosedive” Charles Brooker utilized the underlying themes of social media
and popularity in order to symbolize the hierarchy of a capitalist society. Utilizing a Marxist
within the symbolism of the cookie-cutter world of Lacie Pound. The episode exhibits how a
capitalist economy like that of America can be limiting to an individual’s freedom, therefore
debunking the common American ideal that capitalism is the only avenue to achieve individual
freedom. The characters of “Nosedive” commodify themselves when they portray a certain
image on social media. If they are not successful in their commodification, like Lacie Pound,
they experience classism. Those oppressed by these repressive ideologies are left to compete
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with each other for approval of those with higher rankings. These struggles that Lacie Pound face
are parallel to the experiences of low socioeconomic groups in America’s capitalist economy.
These parallels drawn by “Nosedive” leave American viewers to question who is truly free in the
land of the free, is it the masses or those who control the masses?
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Works Cited
www.netflix.com/watch/80104627?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,0,7a240cc878a8f065e0a2
b8820040df36ab5157c1:7a08da99e146311f2a4c7e8e158c592ece971e0e,.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. 12th Media Services?, 2018.
www.reddit.com/r/blackmirror/comments/6i02of/nosedive_thoughts_the_cycle_of_pover
ty/.
Tyson, Lois. Using Critical Theory: How to Read and Write about Literature. Routledge, 2011.