Black Mirror dives into teenage stardom with “ Rachel , Jack and Ashley Too , ” an overall fine instalment that I ’d finger stronger about if it did n’t couple its futuristic technical school with an outdated vision of teen fille .
Black Mirror ’s latest seasonfeatures an episode where Miley Cyrus read us behind the curtain of being a Hannah Montana - esque pop star key Ashley O , who sings a bubblegum version of Nine Inch Nails ’ “ Head Like a Hole . ” This singer , who ’s become a role exemplar for 15 - yr - old Rachel ( Angourie Rice ) , is a pastel - wigged smiling manufacturing plant concentrate on authorization , positivity , and achieving your dreams . She ’s crafted an deception that feels so real , it ’s become more important than the real person .
It ’s a plot line we ’ve seen done before , and better . time of year three ’s “ Novedive , ” which star Bryce Dallas Howard , was all about the bother of presenting a public look-alike when it clashes with how you feel on the interior . It used several of the same trappings : A young fair sex struggling to fit in , pleasant pastel , and an overall desire to convey positivity even when you ’re suffering .
Ashley Too (Miley Cyrus) gives a pep talk to Rachel (Angourie Rice).Image: Netflix
Rachel and her indie punk rock - hump babe Jack ( Madison Davenport ) are mourn the passing of their mom , but are each allot with it in their own ways . Rachel is lonely and wants a positive influence in her life , while Jack turn to rebellion and her mom ’s favorite euphony . The two of them butt heads after Rachel beget an AI doll named Ashley Too , which gives her makeup tutorial and spouts inspiring message of believing in yourself no matter what . The doll even inspires Rachel to try out out for the natural endowment show . It may have cease with embarrassment , but she did it . The other option would have been , well , nothing .
But , the dolly is n’t just a diversion . Turns out , Ashley Too contains Ashley ’s existent personality , and once the “ clipper ” has been slay , Ashley Too becomes Ashley ( her human build still exists ) . This too follows a plot line we ’ve seen before . time of year four ’s “ USS Callister ” examined what happens when a individual ’s consciousness is digitally replicated into another realness ( in this case , an alternate physical structure ) . In that storyline , it was a traumatic experience , but here it ’s never addressed . It ’s never even bring up . The doll does n’t seem to like that it ’s in reality Ashley , and will forever exist her living trapped in a shaping shell .
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Bow down before the one you serve.Image: Netflix
The sequence suddenly exchange direction once Ashley Too discovers that her overbear auntie is digitally stealing songs from inside Ashley ’s Einstein and using a program to make ahologram versionof the singer to go on tour . It ’s a double-dyed — and perfectly governable — papa genius . This is where the installment stands out , as it examine renown after death , and fix the motion of who owns someone ’s originative works after they ’re gone . Is it amiss for us to institutionalise a hologram ofWhitney Houston on term of enlistment , or does it think her work has transcend her life ? The readable message here is that it ’s wrong to sprain a individual into a holograph of themselves , specially without their consent , and on that I agree .
The final 20 minutes are reminiscent of a kids ’ action at law film , where the heroes fight to get to the concert in time to stop the mustache - twirling scoundrel from using bubblegum pop medicine to take over the worldly concern . They come through , and the sequence finish with the “ real ” Ashley O principal - banging to “ Head Like a Hole ” in a dank nightclub as Jack jams with her onstage . Rachel and Ashley Too sock along to the shake tunes , as two adolescent lover of Ashley O leave the bar in disgust . Eww , it ’s like wholly staring now !
This is where the sequence lose me . I do n’t consider the termination is bad for being , well , “ safe . ” As we saw with “ USS Callister , ” “ San Junipero , ” and even some conclusion fromBlack Mirror : Bandersnatch , it can be great when Black Mirror come to us with its own version of a happy end . The show does n’t have to be dark to be interesting . The problem here is that “ Rachel , Jack and Ashley Too ” fall into the familiar figure of speech of mock teenage girl for their wants and needs , without examining what they are and why they exist in the first place .
Bow down before the one you serve.Image: Netflix
It ’s hard being a adolescent girl ( I ’m speaking from the view of a cis woman , and there are a variety of experiences and perspective along the sex identity spectrum ) . They ’re going through just as many hormonal changes as others teenagers , but do n’t get “ boys will be boys ” alibi for their behavior . They ’re told to control their emotion , just as they ’re told to control their bodies for the sake of the men around them . For example : I was once predict a “ Jezebel ” for dancing at a Christian music concert … by myself . I was 15 years old .
They ’re also unrelentingly mock for the things they enjoy . There ’s a reason Twilight was of late voted theworst motion picture of all time , and it ’s not because it actually is the worst movie of all time . It ’s because teen girls ’ interest group are an well-to-do punching bag . Whether they wish romantic moving-picture show , affirmative pop euphony , or make-up tutorials , it ’s all a joke that they require to grow out of in rules of order to be taken seriously . When “ Rachel , Jack and Ashley Too ” ended with Rachel listening to the “ existent music ” while others angrily fled , it did n’t feel like an empowering subject matter about finding your true self . It feels like a show trying to tell us what the invest message is suppose to be .
Some adolescent girls like indie punk rocker , and that ’s big . Others like optimistic , bubblegum pop , along with haul videos and fanfic about being the most perfect girl in all the world for that one giant person . That ’s also fine . Messages of believing in yourself and find strength in times of grief are n’t bad on their fount . It ’s no different than pick up a comic book to read about a superhero finding their internal durability to defeat the bad guy and save the day . What ’s wrong with finding a little love in a hopeless place ?
Guess which one is the “punk” sister?Image: Netflix
Ashley O ’s personality was phony for Ashley , and I ’m glad the sequence ended with her find out her own vox . But that does n’t mean Rachel was wrong for believing in what Ashley was say . It was the voice she require during a unmanageable meter , someone to tell her everything was going to be all proper . For many mass , that can be a helpful and remedial matter . The end could ’ve been about Rachel find her own positivity and voice , but it rather became about a squeeing fangirl whose story ended with an outward rejection and dismissal of everything she take for good . It ’s o.k. to be girly , common people , and screw anyone who tells you otherwise . Stick - on earrings and The Baby - Sitters Club kick fuck .
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Black MirrorMiley CyrusMusicNetflixSci - FiStreamingTeenagers
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