Present Shock

In his novel, Present Shock, Douglas Rushkoff describes a society in which technology has advanced to such an accelerated state the technology itself is evolving faster than humans are able to account for. No longer are people concerned with what is happening in the present, but rather are constantly concerned with the events of the future. Furthermore, technology, such as the remote control, has enabled entertainment to reach a state of constant climax; rather than spending time to build up a plot and rising action that culminates in an apex. Rushkoff explains that the remote control has “more than any postmodern idea or media educator, changed the way we related to television, its commercials, and the story structure on which both depended”(Rushkoff 21). Since an audience can switch away from a channel with the click of a button, television must offer the viewer a constant of stream of excitement or else fail to draw in and maintain a sizable audience. Modern day television shows, such as Rick and Morty, aim to keep the viewer wondering what will happen next, and this is most commonly achieved by creating a sporadic and unpredictable experience.

Rick and Morty depicts the misadventures of an average highschool student and his grandfather, who just happens to be a maniacal mad scientist who spends the majority of his time hoping around the multiverse. The television show sets a precedent of unpredictability as Morty is dragged through different universes and forced to endure a different apocalyptic scenario every episode. In one particular episode, Rick accidentally mutates the entirety of the human race in to a mismatched combination of different species. The episode consists of nothing but chaos that could be considered climax after climax, and in the final two minutes of the episode Rick and Morty simply abandon their universe for an identical one. This sort of plot narrative is counter-intuitive to any that has been seen in the past centuries. Furthermore, the issue of abandoning their own universe is never brought up in any further episodes, thus drawing parallels between other modern television shows such as The Simpsons and South Park. Rushkoff gives his perspective on this phenomena in saying that “The Simpsons, along with the many satirical, self-referential shows that followed its path (the creators of Family Guy, South Park, and even The Office all credit The Simpsons as a seminal influence), offers the narrative-wary viewer some of the satisfaction that traditional stories used to provide— but through nonnarrative means (Rushkoff 26). Television shows such as Rick and Morty, South Park, and the Simpsons give the audience the entertainment they crave, but without having to sit through the exposition that would be found in more traditional forms of entertainment. Furthermore, innovations such as Netflix offer entertainment free of commercials, allowing the viewer even greater access a constant stream of excitement.

In conclusion, the modern narrative arc of television shows has evolved to accommodate society’s need for constant entertainment, even if it undermines the structural integrity of the plot. In Rick and Morty, the two adventurers spend twenty minutes creating chaos in various universes, only to resolve their issue with a simple solution in the remaining two minutes. Rather than following the traditional format of a plot triangle (exposition, followed by rising action, falling action, and a resolution), shows such as Rick and Morty or the Simpsons cut out the “unnecessary” rising and falling actions; instead opting for a model that favors a constant state of apex and excitement. Additionally, innovations such as the remote control and companies such as Netflix allow viewers to cut out any further distractions such as commercials and actual plot devices.

Works Cited

Rushkoff, Douglas. Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.