exercises in future shock

[kespernorth]

I was thinking about aspects of modern American culture that even someone from a very recent time period would find difficult to understand, and was struck with the following idea for a science fiction writing exercise:

Write a scene where a time traveller from the 21st century attempts to explain cat macros to a person from the 1980s.

Credit where credit's due: I'm pretty sure this came out of a conversation with icebluenothing over espresso at my place.

Comments

[archmage.livejournal.com]

Hell, I'm not sure I could explain most of the stupid internet stuff I see these days to people NOW.

[tenar.livejournal.com]

i think explaining that pictures of cats have text added to them would be easy. compare it to comics. it's the weird language quirks and utter lack of purpose that might be difficult.

though the 80s did go crazy for snap bracelets, so utter lack of purpose isn't hard.

[kespernorth.livejournal.com]

It's how they are used and the cultural semiotics behind them that is more what I'm getting at, I think.

[luchog.livejournal.com]

I don't think it'd be that hard. I mean, it's really just a very dumbed down version of the sort of "editorial/satirical" cartoon that has been the mainstay of print since the advent of mass media. For that matter, it's probably even more an outgrowth of the sort of visual graffiti that's been around at least since the Roman Empire; and clearlly has it's roots in the ancient tradition of caricature and low humour. I don't think explaining it would be all that difficult.

As far as humans nature is concerned, there really is nothing new under the sun.

[velveteen.livejournal.com]

ur html = t3h broken.