Live data from Hacker News

Are We Idiocracy Yet?

idiocracy.wtf

21–30 of 582 posts

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#21
Man, that font used for the individual attribute evaluation percentage badge is horrible.

I’m guessing based on the color coding that what could also be a slanted and italicized 1 is actually slanted and italicized 7, but talk about a horrible font, on top of what looks like about 10 different other fonts used on the site.

I guess that is in keeping with the theme; the Idiocracy status tracking site is also Idiocracy.

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#22
I watched this movie really late. Let's say within the past 2 years or so. After watching it, all I could think was, "This isn't a comedy, it's a tragedy."

It felt way too close to home.

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#23
Every time Idiocracy comes up, I feel obligated to point out that it is WILDLY optimistic. The people are dumb, not evil. They struggle to adapt and learn, but are willing to try and willing to accept new information with evidence.

We are not so lucky in reality.

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#24
I hear people make this comparison all the time, and while it is facially a bit funny I guess, I really don't think it holds up in any serious way.

What is so similar about our world to that of idiocracy? In almost all the ways that matter, it seems like we are going in the opposite direction.

* The primary plot point of idiocracy is that poor (and thus, stupid - the film never explains why this correlation exists in that universe, though) people are the only ones who reproduce. For this reason, there is evolutionary pressure toward decreased intelligence. It's an odious premise on its face IMO, and certainly not what is happening in the USA: our birth rates are declining _because_ people are not economically stable.

* President Camacho is the exact inverse of Trump: he is stupid, uninformed, disconnected, and has few resources to address the challenges he faces, but he makes good-faith efforts to do so at every turn. And he seems to be sincere and transparent. Trump's illusion runs precisely counter to this: he has every resource he can possibly need, but chooses to enrich himself and his friends instead of advancing the public interest.

Virtually every plot point of Idiocracy can be broken down this way. I see very, very little of the film universe that is consistent with our sociopolitical trajectory.

If you want a Mike Judge film that shines light on uncomfortable truths about 21st-century America, the obvious choice is Office Space.

Re: Are We Idiocracy Yet?

#26
post #5

In Idiocracy, president Camacho actually had the decent idea of trying listen to (somewhat) reasonable people with relevant abilities or skills rather than insisting that his failures are actually successes and just trying to force it until that worked. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Because he was stupid, and not evil.

I think that’s where Idiocracy goes wrong; stupidity is indistinguishable from evil when deployed at scale. Living through 2026 I find the distinction meaningless -- Hanlon's razor needs refinement.
Post reply on HN