Storm 1

Georgia Storm

Professor Granillo

English 103

21 October 2018

Land of the Free or Land of the Manipulated Masses?

An Instagram user uploads a selfie during their vacation and despite being in a tropical

paradise they continually refresh their notifications to check how many “likes” they have. What

many do not know is that with each refresh they are further detaching from themselves as an

individual and contributing themselves as a commodity in a capitalist society. Although

philosopher Karl Marx existed in a time long before the Instagram selfie, his ideology of

Marxism can be utilized to discover the underlying themes of social media and popularity in

affiliation to society. ​Black Mirror​ acquires this affiliation in the episode “Nosedive,” written by

Charlie Brooker, by symbolizing capitalism through a society where social media rankings

dictates an individual’s life chances. This symbolism exhibits the Marxist concepts of

commodification, classism, and competition in order to negatively portray how an individual can

be limited in a capitalist society; therefore challenging the American ideal that capitalism is the

only avenue for true individual freedom.

Black Mirror​ season three episode one released in 2016 titled “Nosedive” takes viewers

on a downward spiral from social acceptance to social rejection. The episode takes place in a

cookie-cutter society run by “star” ratings on social media, where those with lower ratings are

shunned as outcasts and those with higher ones receive more social acceptance and life chances.

Protagonist Lacie Pound is an insecure office worker who lingers at a 4.3 star rating and obsesses
 Storm 2

over perfecting others’ perception of her. When her childhood friend with a superb rating asks

Pound to be apart of her wedding, Pound sees it as the perfect opportunity to boost her own

rating to the 4.5 she has been wanting. Quickly the plot turns daunting as a series of low ratings

are given to her reducing her social status and eventually pushing her to a mental breakdown.

This mental breakdown lands Pound in jail where she is stripped of her device. The episode

concludes with her and another individual screaming profanities at each other with smiles on

their faces exhibiting their newfound freedom once the persona attached to their devices is

removed (Brooker).

The utopian and dystopian themes in “Nosedive” mimic the underlying principles of

Marxist criticism. Many view the episode as a sharp satire about social media to make the

audience question their own social ranking system. As one Reddit user says, “​We absolutely

already have our 'numbers', even if they aren't literally floating over our heads,” (Reddit).

However, the theme is much more intricate. From a Marxist perspective the social media ratings

in “Nosedive” symbolize the socioeconomic classes in a capitalist society like America’s. More

specifically, just like those with higher star ratings receive more perks, those in a higher

socioeconomic class receive more life chances such as education and healthcare. The symbolism

of the episode portrays the limitations and inequality of a capitalist society therefore supporting

the ideal community Marx proposes. This community being a “society [organized] in such a way

that every member of it can develop and use all his capabilities and powers in complete

freedom,” (Marx 37). “​Nosedive” exemplifies this lack of freedom by utilizing Marxist concepts

such commodification.
 Storm 3

The “Nosedive’ society greatly exhibits commodification that dehumanizes the individual

and makes them a commodity. Lacie’s childhood friend, Naomi, asks her to be the maid of honor

only to uninvite her when her rating drops stating, “Don’t come… I don’t know what is up with

you but I can not have a 2.6 at my wedding” (Brooker 46:19 ). This is commodification because

it is a relation of a person to their sign-exchange value, or their social status (Tyson 60). By

univiting Lacie from the wedding out of fear the low rating will give herself a bad reputation she

is “structuring [her] relations to promote [her] own advancement socially,” (Tyson 60). This

symbolizes modern day where many would rather have a maid of honor that is well-liked

amongst their friend group and class. In both situations, the bride is not choosing her own

bridesmaids; the repressive ideologies of the social structure around her is choosing. A Marxist

perspective argues this is a repressive ideology because her decision is limited by an outside

source. Her friends’ sign-exchange value determines if they are in her wedding party. The

commodification of people is limiting the bride’s freedom of choice. It is also restricting Pound’s

life chances. Due to the symbolism of Commodification in a capitalist society, “Nosedive”

writers portray capitalism as a restriction to the individual’s freedom, proving the American idea

of capitalism is not a means to freedom of the individual.

Commodification is also exemplified in Lacie’s meeting with an agent at

“Reputelligence.” In order to obtain a 4.5 rating Pound seeks coaching from an agent who

advises her to “receive upvotes from quality people… those with high fours,” (Brooker 12:05).

There is a larger emphasis on how others perceive Lacie as a commodification than how she

perceives herself. Sign-exchange value is a higher priority than individual happiness therefore

this need to prove oneself to others takes away from individual freedom. This scene symbolizes
 Storm 4

how citizens in a capitalist society want to prove themselves on job applications and professional

websites in order to achieve a higher socioeconomic status. Due to this symbolism of sign

exchange value as more important than self-satisfaction or freedom, this scene argues against the

American ideal that a capitalist society is the only avenue to individual freedom. Not only

commodification strips an individual of their freedoms, classism does as well.

“Nosedive” exhibits classism through its discrimination of people with lower star ratings.

Throughout the episode, those with low ratings are declined opportunities. For example, Lacie

does not qualify for an apartment because she is a 4.2 (Brooker 10:30). Classism is an “ideology

that equates one’s value as a human being with the social class to which one belongs,” (Tyson

56). As Tyson describes it, people at the bottom of the social scale are seen as irresponsible and

lazy while those higher on the social scale are seen as more equipped to hold positions of power

(Tyson 57). In the case of “Nosedive” the position of power is renting an apartment and Lacie is

not seen as equipped to hold that position of power due to her mediocre star rating. Because

Lacie Pound is the average individual and does not have a superb rating she experiences this

classism, illustrating how the higher social class a person is the more opportunities they receive.

In most cases, an individual is born into their socioeconomic class which dictates their life

opportunities. The fact that Pound’s qualities are assumed based off her class before getting a

chance to prove herself is an example of how there is already a predetermined roadmap for those

in capitalist societies. Pound being denied a house is an example of this, proving capitalism is not

a means to individual freedom. Not only classism is featured in the world of “Nosedive,” but

competition is as well.
 Storm 5

The Marxist concept of competition can be found in the capitalist symbolism of the

episode. On her way into work Lacie is begged by her coworker with a low rating saying “I just

need some stars please,” in order for him to enter the building. She refuses to help him due to

fear of social rejection from those higher up (Brooker 14:00). This symbolizes the competition

because both are trying to win the approval of those with more power and are not willing to help

each other to do so. A Marxist perspective would note that those with higher ratings benefit from

competition like this because it keeps the lower classes pleasing them in trade of approval. This

competition is a way of maintaining power because the masses are too occupied fighting against

each other to realize those they are trying to impress are the ones causing the oppression. The

symbolic repressive ideals of capitalism are so strong that Lacie Pound continues to contribute to

the system that is oppressing her. Lacie’s lack of freedom is due to the need to compete for

approval of the higher class. This further proves the falsity of the common American ideal that

capitalism is the only means to individual freedom.

The writer of “Nosedive” Charles Brooker utilized the underlying themes of social media

and popularity in order to symbolize the hierarchy of a capitalist society. Utilizing a Marxist

perspective, the concepts of commodification, classism, and competition can be discovered

within the symbolism of the cookie-cutter world of Lacie Pound. The episode exhibits how a

capitalist economy like that of America can be limiting to an individual’s freedom, therefore

debunking the common American ideal that capitalism is the only avenue to achieve individual

freedom. The characters of “Nosedive” commodify themselves when they portray a certain

image on social media. If they are not successful in their commodification, like Lacie Pound,

they experience classism. Those oppressed by these repressive ideologies are left to compete
 Storm 6

with each other for approval of those with higher rankings. These struggles that Lacie Pound face

are parallel to the experiences of low socioeconomic groups in America’s capitalist economy.

These parallels drawn by “Nosedive” leave American viewers to question who is truly free in the

land of the free, is it the masses or those who control the masses?
 Storm 7

Works Cited

Brooker, Charlie. “Black Mirror.” ​Netflix Official Site​, 25 Dec. 2015,

www.netflix.com/watch/80104627?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,0,7a240cc878a8f065e0a2

b8820040df36ab5157c1:7a08da99e146311f2a4c7e8e158c592ece971e0e,.

Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. ​The Communist Manifesto​. 12th Media Services?, 2018.

“Nosedive Thoughts: the Cycle of Poverty • r/Blackmirror.” ​Reddit​,

www.reddit.com/r/blackmirror/comments/6i02of/nosedive_thoughts_the_cycle_of_pover

ty/.

Tyson, Lois. ​Using Critical Theory: How to Read and Write about Literature​. Routledge, 2011.