• @itslilith
      link
      1083 months ago

      The Wachowskis are both trans and the matrix can famously be read as a trans allegory

      • @acockworkorange@mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        23
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        How’s that an allegory? Taking the red pill is waking to trans reality or something?

        Edit: thanks everyone for your responses, it was eye opening. Time for a rewatch.

        • @zarkanian@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          61
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          Lilly Watchowski has stated that a trans allegory was the “original intention”, but “the corporate world wasn’t ready for it”. She says that there was a character, Switch, who was supposed to be male in the real world and female in the Matrix. Who knows what else got cut?

          • @barsoap@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            43 months ago

            Who knows what else got cut?

            Thermodynamics. The original idea was the machines using human brains as CPUs, execs said “the audience doesn’t know what computation is” so they came up with that “humans generate energy” thing which is complete and utter inefficient nonsense.

            • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod
              link
              fedilink
              English
              23 months ago

              If people didn’t understand the computing thing they could have just said it was designed to keep the human population under control and not rebelling against their machine overlords.

              • @barsoap@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                2
                edit-2
                3 months ago

                Yes but why keep humans around then, why not just kill them all off? Could be some “Robot Law” injunction, “don’t harm humans”, but I’d say introducing that would introduce complexity into the setting that detracts from the main themes.

                “We’re using humans for their computational power” doesn’t need much history or exposition as it’s a completely practical matter: Suspension of disbelief for minimum investment, a script writer’s dream.

                • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  13 months ago

                  Just compare it to adult children putting their elderly parents in a nursing home. Also, based on the Animatrix it seems like it has a lot more to do with keeping humans from fighting back and destroying the earth even more than it does with using them for computing power, since the machines didn’t need human brains prior to building The Matrix.

        • @Xtallll
          link
          English
          273 months ago

          The leading brand of estrogen in the 90s was red.

          • @xantoxis@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            83 months ago

            OH. Hah, I always thought this was one detail they got wrong for some reason, considering estradiol is bluegreen. Should have considered the context back then.

        • @FakeGreekGirl
          link
          English
          263 months ago

          There’s a lot. Like the way Agent Smith (representing the system) constantly disrespects Neo’s identity and deadnames him.

        • @captainlezbian@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          183 months ago

          Taking the red pill (estrogen at the time was a red pill) enables you to see that a lot of society is a facade and there are depths beyond it. In the real world that could be things like learning that there are people and lives that society refused to acknowledge like trans people

        • Psaldorn
          link
          fedilink
          83 months ago

          Switch was meant to be trans (hence the name I think) and their in matrix visual identity was different to “reality”. But corpos didn’t like it.

        • @Abucketofpuppies@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          73 months ago

          I’ve always wondered the same. I’ve watched the trilogy multiple times looking for the trans parallels, but I don’t really get it.

      • @drathvedro@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        43 months ago

        Thanks for choosing the right wording! It’s certainly one of the ways to read it. And it’s also a good idea to sometimes search for a new matrix theory and then doing a re-watch. It is mindblowing how many different, sometimes completely crazy yet beautiful narratives the original trilogy can fit to, all while also being enjoyable as is without any.