Hybridity and Habitation: A Rhetorical Analysis of Interior Design in Live-Action Cyberpunk Films Through the Lens of Posthumanism and Thing Theory
This is an excerpt of my master’s thesis introduction chapter, written in APA format. This thesis has been published in the San Jose State University Library by ProQuest through Montezuma Publishing.
Click here for a full version of the thesis.
Characterized by hyper-urban environments, extreme class division, and an abundance of corporate oversight, the cyberpunk subgenre of science-fiction is a prime candidate for scholarly research on speculative interior design and associated technologies. Using the theoretical frameworks of posthumanism, or the concept that humans will transcend their current biological form in the near future, and thing theory, or the worldview that objects are able to enact their autonomy on living subjects, interior design in three live-action films in the cyberpunk subgenre were analyzed in order to determine how depictions of future spaces reflect present ideations of our potential real future. Metaphor analysis was employed as this thesis’ methodology, as the ideologies implemented in design and technology are often understood through tactile or visual interactions with artifacts. After applying metaphor analysis to one domestic space, one workspace, and one decorative element in each film, it has become evident that in our inevitable posthuman future, human scale and the corporeal form of our species must be taken into account when creating spaces and technologies for us to inhabit and use. Though it may be inaccurate to surmise that design can solve all of the institutional problems that plague societies, there is reason to believe that the inanimate spaces and technologies that occupy our lives do play a role in affecting our psyche and ability to foster healthy relationships.
My thesis is organized around the following research question: how does interior design in cyberpunk science fiction films reflect our current perception of human interaction and human bodies in the future? Despite being inanimate, the spaces we inhabit can provide insight on how society organizes and compartmentalizes different aspects of people’s lives. An office that has recreational elements suggests that a culture values socialization in the workforce, and an apartment filled with wooden materials implies that the natural resources of the world have not been depleted to a point of scarcity. Though fictional, cyberpunk stories are ultimately a projection of our current hopes and fears for our real future. The term “speculative architecture” is associated with fiction, but it is imperative to understand that even real world design is speculative (Abbott, 2007). All buildings, fictional or not, start in the imagination of a writer, director, or designer. The main difference between the two is that we are able to interact with real buildings on a tangible level. However, even this border is beginning to blur as media can now be consumed in more immersive ways, including virtual reality, 3-D films, and video games. Since it is a genre that is noted for its attention to architecture and interior design, cyberpunk may be a way for real world architects and designers to explore spaces that are not yet feasible in our present time but might be in the near future. Film is also a popular, accessible medium that allows creators to present their prediction of the future to a wide audience. So, cyberpunk films may occupy a space in our cultural consciousness.
Additionally, this thesis is meant to elaborate upon tactile communication within the field of communication studies. The ability to communicate is usually associated with visual or auditory sensory input. Written word, video, speech, and music are all examples of communication through those two senses. However, there is a case to be made that tactile communication is equally important in regard to how humans understand the environments they inhabit. Studying tactile communication may allow scholars to interpret how humans interact in spaces where they are alone. If one is alone in their home, they are still able to gather information about the outside world by interacting with the objects that surround them. The most obvious examples would be for the person to pick up their phone and call someone or use their computer keyboard to send someone an email. These methods of communication combine visual and auditory input with a tactile experience. Still, one could touch their bedsheets and instantly understand what cotton is, and how that may be different from polyester or silk. Though researching cotton on the internet may provide background information on the history of cotton manufacturing, it cannot provide the experience of feeling the breathability and softness of the fabric itself. Even when we look at an image of cotton, we may unknowingly simulate the experience of touching the fabric in our minds. We know that by viewing a visual representation of cotton that it is not prickly like a cactus or wet like water because there are elements of our world that are primarily understood through tactile interaction. Knowledge of our environment is received with touch. The analysis of the three selected films will still cover other types of communication, especially visual, but tactile communication will play a significant role in answering my research question.
This study will primarily cover the interior design of residential and occupational structures in live-action cyberpunk films. The majority of discourse on design in science fiction focuses on exterior architecture. This is especially true in analyses of the cyberpunk subgenre, which tend to hone in on urban planning and city structure. I contend that we use our bodies to interact with our interiors more than our exteriors on a daily basis, proving that there is a need for discussion on interior design in science fiction studies. Within the realm of interior spaces, it could also be argued that individuals spend most of their time either in their homes or workspaces. For this reason, I will be analyzing one domestic space and one workplace per film. Within the scope of this study, spaces in these categories must be used in utilitarian domestic or workplace tasks respectively. They can serve a leisure or entertainment purpose as well, as long as that purpose is secondary to utilitarianism. To balance the pragmatic functions of said spaces, I will also be analyzing one decorative element or the decoration of one space per film. Departing from the spaces analyzed in the previous two categories, objects and spaces in this category can have a utilitarian purpose only if their primary purpose is for decoration, leisure, or entertainment. Additionally, though there are a multitude of animated cyberpunk films, I will only be analyzing live-action films in order to find examples that are visually closest to our reality. Even with the usage of computer generated imagery, the nature of live-action films may prevent filmmakers and production designers from excessively suspending the audiences’ disbelief. Consequently, the finished product of a live-action film must resemble our reality enough to immerse the audience in the film’s environment.
As a foundation for my theoretical frameworks of Posthumanism and Thing Theory, I will employ a combination of two perspectives: the cyborg framework articulated by Donna Haraway (1991) and augmented by Anthony Vidler (1992), and the articulation of Thing Theory offered by Bill Brown (2001). Haraway is not the sole originator of the framework, but her article is best suited for understanding the role Posthumanism plays in the design of everyday spaces. Although there are multiple interpretations of Posthumanism, “A Cyborg Manifesto...” will be the primary blueprint for this study as it provides background on the practical application of Posthumanism in our present day. This is illustrated when Haraway delves into a multitude of scientific disciplines, displaying how ubiquitous Posthumanism can be. Similarly, Brown also examines the production and usage of real mundane objects that are common in our current time. Thing Theory essentially states that objects and spaces have a level of agency over their human owners, despite being inanimate. Though this seems abstract, the inclusion of said everyday examples provides a practical foundation for the theory in our lives. As a result, Posthumanism and Thing Theory are ideal theoretical candidates for uncovering the connection between fictional settings and our society’s plans for our non-fictional future.
Citations for this excerpt:
Abbott, C. (2007). Cyberpunk cities: Science fiction meets urban theory. Journal of
Planning Education and Research, 27(2), 122-131.https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X07305795
Brown, B. (2001). Thing Theory. Critical Inquiry, 28(1), 1-22.
Haraway, D. J. (1991). A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism
in the late twentieth century. In D. J. Haraway (Eds.), Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (pp. 149-181). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-05194-3_10
Vidler, A. (1992). Homes for cyborgs. In A. Vidler (Eds.), The architectural uncanny:
Essays in the modern unhomely (pp. 138-164). MIT Press.