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They're made out of meat (1991)

terrybisson.com

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Re: They're made out of meat (1991)

#21

Post by 0x3f »

mortenjorck wrote: post #12

As I’ve gotten older, it’s become increasingly hard for me to understand how anyone can read such comical reductionism as enlightenment. We are infinitely complex arrangements of systems built upon systems, from the quantum properties of carbon atoms up through the proteins that make the “meat” we are so glibly reduced to, through the complexities and adaptations of mammalian bodies, up to the fearsome order of the h…

Part of the human expression of disgust includes thought terminating cliches. Imagine how the average person would talk about a race of bug-like aliens, no matter how advanced they were. It would be a dismissive kind of 'ew, gross'. The humor is in seeing other beings reacting that way to us. I don't think it's supposed to imply the aliens are some kind of flawless geniuses revealing the true nature of human beings.

Re: They're made out of meat (1991)

#22

Post by RajT88 »

mortenjorck wrote: post #12

As I’ve gotten older, it’s become increasingly hard for me to understand how anyone can read such comical reductionism as enlightenment. We are infinitely complex arrangements of systems built upon systems, from the quantum properties of carbon atoms up through the proteins that make the “meat” we are so glibly reduced to, through the complexities and adaptations of mammalian bodies, up to the fearsome order of the h…

Rainier Wolfcastle: THAT'S THE JOKE

Re: They're made out of meat (1991)

#27

Post by the_af »

eloisant wrote: post #24
fridder wrote: post #6

The short film someone made is pretty great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JFTmQCFHg

The short film makes no sense, as the 2 people talking are meat themselves.

Plus for the story to make sense, they have to be seeing Earth from scans/sensors, and one of them must in fact not be familiar with Earth at all, having disbelief in what the other is saying. But if they are both there, in a diner, they cannot be as skeptical.

I get the constraints of short indie films, I love them regardless, but in this particular case it completely misses the mark.

Re: They're made out of meat (1991)

#28

Post by the_af »

api wrote: post #7

Great short film version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JFTmQCFHg I do wonder sometimes if someone out there is waiting for something actually intelligent to emerge down here.

I upvoted because I didn't know the short film existed and it's interesting.

I think the short film completely misses the mark if both entities are there in human form, in a diner. (Of course, budget constraints, and the adaptation cannot just be two inorganic beings talking, but still...)

Re: They're made out of meat (1991)

#30

Post by the_af »

mortenjorck wrote: post #12

As I’ve gotten older, it’s become increasingly hard for me to understand how anyone can read such comical reductionism as enlightenment. We are infinitely complex arrangements of systems built upon systems, from the quantum properties of carbon atoms up through the proteins that make the “meat” we are so glibly reduced to, through the complexities and adaptations of mammalian bodies, up to the fearsome order of the h…

> As I’ve gotten older, it’s become increasingly hard for me to understand how anyone can read such comical reductionism as enlightenment.

First, it's a humorous piece.

Second, it's as much a critique of the aliens as of the humans. The aliens are also depicted as clueless about what makes human life interesting, and even shown to be petty in the end. Their behavior is entirely "human", so if they are criticizing humans for it...

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