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Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

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Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#31

Post by 082349872349872 »

jdietrich wrote: post #24
jackcosgrove wrote: post #21

I know the 1970s were the malaise decade for a lot of places, but the situation in the UK always seemed... malaisier than anywhere else. What was going on then? I see clips of children's shows from 1970s UK and a lot of them are just creepy and not age-appropriate.

Nothing worked reliably due to constant industrial action. We had a low-level civil war due to the IRA, with bombings being almost routine. We felt like we would be the first to go if the cold war went hot, due to the strategic importance of the radar base at RAF Fylingdales and the USAF base at Greenham Common. The decade was underscored by a pervasive fear of total societal collapse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T…

> and the USAF base at Greenham Common

Literally "Airstrip One"? Today the situation seems better: although the SLBMs are yank and the base is scots, at least the boomers themselves are english.

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#32

Post by helsinkiandrew »

robocat wrote: post #28

> I finally discovered that I hadn’t imagined it—it’s a 1977 public information film called “The Finishing Line,” which was made to deter children from playing near railway lines. The film was screened at my junior school https://youtube.com/watch?v=SXGqwCbeFD8

I still have difficulty crossing rail tracks on foot after that film.

Same period was "Apaches" (farm safety), in which 10 children are killed one by one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3yyKFaq-aw

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#33

Post by Doctor_Fegg »

Britain’s current government can be alarmingly Scarfolk-like at times. Take this graphic tweeted by the Prime Minister:

https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1633158789103747072

“If you come to the UK illegally you will be DENIED access to the UK’s modern slavery system”

Put that in a 70s typeface and slightly weathered poster appearance and it’s pure Scarfolk.

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#34

Post by actionfromafar »

Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #33

Britain’s current government can be alarmingly Scarfolk-like at times. Take this graphic tweeted by the Prime Minister: https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1633158789103747072 “If you come to the UK illegally you will be DENIED access to the UK’s modern slavery system” Put that in a 70s typeface and slightly weathered poster appearance and it’s pure Scarfolk.

Wow. Nor “spurious human rights claims”.

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#35

Post by actionfromafar »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #15

Whenever I leave a job, or an office closes down, I print up a few copies of the Kak poster, and leave them hidden around: https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-dont-campaign-and-... I've also gotten the Scarfolk book, and it is genuinely a weirdly creepy piece of art.

Just don’t.

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#36

Post by Borrible »

082349872349872 wrote: post #30
Borrible wrote: post #23

Skimming an Atlas Obscura article the day before yesterday and ordering the books 'Discovering Scarfolk' and 'The Scarfolk Annual' especially for the surveillance themed humor, I'm not surprised to find a post about Scarfolk on HN today ... https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/digging-through-the-ar... I especially like the BBC 1 initiative, 'We watch you watching us.' I really need to dig out my old copy of the Par…

The Computer obviously can't have its feelings hurt, but I'm sure, Borrible-R-3, that whenever it gets around to running a sentiment analysis on its reaction to your proposal to host a game making light of and casting aspersions on its efforts to protect and serve its human masters, it will find it codes as ... disappointed.

Since the computer is a friend to all of us, citizen, I hope you are not accusing it of malicious intent against us. Just to be sure you are not a traitor, it is in your interest to have this checked by the relevant authorities.

Stay vigilant citizen, anyone can be a traitor. Including yourself.

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#37

Post by [deleted] »

Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #33

Britain’s current government can be alarmingly Scarfolk-like at times. Take this graphic tweeted by the Prime Minister: https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1633158789103747072 “If you come to the UK illegally you will be DENIED access to the UK’s modern slavery system” Put that in a 70s typeface and slightly weathered poster appearance and it’s pure Scarfolk.

[deleted]

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#38

Post by ben_w »

Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #33

Britain’s current government can be alarmingly Scarfolk-like at times. Take this graphic tweeted by the Prime Minister: https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1633158789103747072 “If you come to the UK illegally you will be DENIED access to the UK’s modern slavery system” Put that in a 70s typeface and slightly weathered poster appearance and it’s pure Scarfolk.

I think the reality inspired the satire.

E.g. the (also very 1984) "SECURE BENEATH THE WATCHFUL EYES" poster from 2002:

https://art-for-a-change.com/News/eyes.htm

And the banned 1997 Conservative election campaign posters:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/guardianwitness-blo...

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#39

Post by thriftwy »

Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #33

Britain’s current government can be alarmingly Scarfolk-like at times. Take this graphic tweeted by the Prime Minister: https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1633158789103747072 “If you come to the UK illegally you will be DENIED access to the UK’s modern slavery system” Put that in a 70s typeface and slightly weathered poster appearance and it’s pure Scarfolk.

"Modern slavery system" is hilarious, but even more worrying is claim that one might ever lose the modern society's protrection against being enslaved under some conditions.

Re: Visiting Scarfolk, the most spectacular dystopia of the 1970s (2016)

#40

Post by helpfulContrib »

jackcosgrove wrote: post #21

I know the 1970s were the malaise decade for a lot of places, but the situation in the UK always seemed... malaisier than anywhere else. What was going on then? I see clips of children's shows from 1970s UK and a lot of them are just creepy and not age-appropriate.

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