MovieChat Forums > Black Mirror (2011) Discussion > Striking Vipers... weird and awkward

Striking Vipers... weird and awkward

posted 5 years ago by [deleted]
1 reply | jump to latest

What an awkward ep. It didn't work for me.

Was it a comment on repressed homosexuality? Although the best friend makes a joke of it, why did he feel compelled to kiss the other man in the first place before all the sex started. Even in the real world, the best friend seemed unusually chummy. And when he gave Mackie's character the game as a birthday present, did he have it planned out?

Was it a comment on body dysphoria? Okay, so if he wasn't gay, was the best friend actually a female internally and using the game as a way to experience her true self. I can only speak for myself, but, as a male, I wouldn't choose a female character normally in a game.

Was it a comment on compulsive-obsessive disorder? Neither man seemed able to give up the game, rather than taking the relationship into the real world.

And, the end of the ep was a real downer with the wife and Mackie's character coming to a sort of 'open marriage' arrangement where both of them allow the other to stray outside the marriage. I didn't find that optimistic, just sad.

It just felt too muddled to be thought provoking...

[–] Killermueck (155) 3 years ago

I'm trying to live as a transwoman and for me the episode felt really great and uplifting because I could somehow connect to Karl even if I don't know if he was trans. I think the episode was mainly about what consequences could really advanced virtual reality have on human relationships, especially male friendship and its downfalls. If we wouldn't be restrained by our bodies, sex and societies heteronormative gender roles what would happen?

Because we don't really know what being transgender scientifically means we can only assume that Karl might be something of a trans-curious being like the concept of autogynephilia (which has its flaws btw.). Maybe he was full on trans and wants to be a woman but feels like he couldn't pass as a woman if he transitions.

But maybe he is not trans and just pansexual and was in love with his best friend and saw this opportunity to overcome the heteronormative stigma and the fear of getting rejected.

Danny on the other hand surely liked Karl on a platonic level but I'm not sure if he and Karl are gay. My theory is that if we had this kind of technology that almost all men would at least secretly try out a female character and of course would try out sex, even with men.

What we also have to take into account is the fact that the simulation seemed to be so advanced that Karl might have been influenced by the female hormones running through his artifical body if that makes any sense. It's known that the sexual orientation of transwomen can shift to a more androphilic state when they are on estrogen.