It’s that time again! Read through your classmates’ reading response blogs on the first episode of the HBO series, Westworld, and choose your favorite post. You can choose a post for any reason, but you always must clearly articulate your rationale for choosing it (e.g., why did you find it interesting, compelling, likeable, provocative, etc.?). This rationale can refer to content, style, creativity, etc. If, after reading everyone’s posts, you strongly feel that your post is your “favorite,” you can always vote for yourself, but you need to provide a rationale for doing so.
In order to register your vote for this week’s “People’s Choice,” “leave a reply” to this post, and in your comment, provide your chosen post, an excerpt from it + rationale for choosing it. Provide the title and author of the chosen post, along with a link to the post you are citing (please provide the link in the same comment: don’t make a separate one with just the link). Citing is really important (in this case, citing your classmate!), and this is a way of giving credit to other sources and putting yourself in dialogue with them.
Comments/votes are mandatory, should be made no later than Th 10/8 by 9am. The person with the most votes will earn the coveted “People’s Choice” honor for this round of posts! I’m looking forward to seeing what you choose, and why.
To be fully honest I read Xavier’s post and it gave me a different perspective of the show. Xavier talked about the various ways connections to the ugliness in the world. I agree that there is ugliness in the world and many people try to avoid it, but some people take it to extremes to deny the existence of these ugly things to make themselves feel safer and more comfortable. After reading this response I just see the show differently and feel that there is an appreciation for the ugly and the things that many see as a problem. I really enjoyed it when he said “Almost everywhere the ugliness of this world can be seen, many violence, immorality, lack of love, disloyalty, and etc. Some people see the ugliness of this world but choose not to be the same and avoid the wicked things.” This quote really encompasses the idea that the ugly of the world become so distorted.
I like Itmam’s reading response because there is a lot of his own idea and what he found interesting. For example “What I found interesting is the interaction between the humans and androids. The humans know that the hosts aren’t real people but the hosts themselves don’t know that.” After stating the parts he likes and explaining it, he will then include some scenes or examples. Itmam wrote, “We see multiple times in the episode of Delores focusing on the beauty of the world and not the ugliness.” I also wrote a lot about this beauty and ugliness quotes in the film.
“Maybe the androids will develop actual personalities and become self aware, or maybe people can be programmed with technology.”
I like what Khoury suggests here, particularly the latter part about people potentially being able to be programmed. It makes me wonder what “being programmed” means when being applied to a person. Would it be something like a computer, where wires are connected to their brain and someone gives coded instructions directly to them? Or could it be something more familiar, like through propaganda? Or perhaps something more innocuous, like a convincing argument? All have the same effect — imposing the will of one on the mind of another.
I like this response because it explores the idea that humans are the machines and the machines are being made human. I would say that the machines are already human to begin with and are just missing the freedom to act on it. They seem to be missing control over their own memory and the freedom/free will to act. The sentience is already there with their interactions that happen day to day.
Tommy, please name the person in your comment, so we know who you’re voting for (you can go back in and edit your comment this time around). Thanks 🙂
It is interesting to see how Phillip really focused on the characters personas instead of just how the show went in general, he commented on the characters actions and how little small details made the character noticeable. In the beginning he starts off explaining the simple use of the park, and then reveals the power struggle of the classes. Not generally a power struggle because the rich in the show pay for ability to do as they please, and the hosts can be considered everyone else in the masses. Then he focuses in on the characters egos, such as the man dressed in pure black, which he considered to have a god complex. This small detail may just rule the rest of the show and the possibility of the character showing up again in later episodes.
I believe that Ronald’s post is the most interesting to me because to look at the perspective that none of characters in Westworld are “human” at all in interesting. It is disgusting to think that this park serves to people with “fat wallets” to feed their ego and mental illnesses. There’s a scene where a person shoots someone in the neck and kills a woman. Instead of reacting as a human would they look at the body shaking on the floor and laugh at it. This park makes people feel powerful and lose the perception of what being human is and makes them feels like Gods. The people themselves who make these robots talk to them as spare parts for one machine. I do believe there are no real humans in this show either.
Khoury’s description on Westworld goes fairly into detail about the first episode. First, he explain what the show is and when it was made in case people would want to watch it later. He goes into detail about the setting of the episode, stating that they are in a town with a women living with her father. There is also the bandit incident with death and rape being involved. He goes into detail with each other scene that happens in the episode, such as Peter being confused with the current picture about the androids, Peter getting replaced and how the androids control an entire amusement part and that they are not allowed to harm humans, but may be an action that could happen later in the show.
“Maybe the androids will develop actual personalities and become self aware, or maybe people can be programmed with technology.” This also happens to be one of my favorite quotes as I always talk about how robots act and learn differently from people. Sometimes to always take into account for whenever something goes wrong.
I like Itmam’s observation and characterization of Delores, he clearly understands how she felt in the grand scheme of this theme park. Not to mention the fact that he brought up some good points about how the androids might feel if they found out that they are not only robots but also the purpose of their existence is to serve the humans.
I find Ronald’s response the most interesting as he brings up really good analysis and points about the hosts. I like the point he stated about the hosts that they were very real and can pass on as a human. I feel like it would be really hard to distinguish a human from an android in the world of Westworld if we weren’t provided the information that all the hosts are androids. I also find it interesting how Ronald stated how , to him, there aren’t real humans in Westworld and how the hosts feels more like people. This makes me think more about what defines humans in the world of Westworld and not just the world we live in general.
I enjoyed reading Ronald’s response to WestWorld. I agree that the Host were so real and life like that they could be Human. I found it interesting how he doesn’t think there are humans. He talks how the people felt more like robots. While the machines like Dolores is changing, becoming more human. This was a good response of WestWorld.
I enjoyed reading Ronald’s response to WestWorld. I agree that the Host were so real and life like that they could be Human. I found it interesting how he doesn’t think there are humans. He talks how the people felt more like robots. While the machines like Dolores is changing, becoming more human. This was a good response of WestWorld.
I’m not sure why it posted two times.
I chose Khoury’s response to Westworld, it was the most complete and thought provoking for me to read. I really enjoyed it starting with a summary of the whole episode before getting into opinions and observations which made the piece something that could be appreciated even by those outside of our class whom might have never seen Westworld to be able to follow and understand .
”…by having the Man in Black know who Delores is, represent that maybe there is something deeper.” this part specifically was pretty thought provoking for me as when I watched the episode I didn’t pay much attention to the man in black having known how Delores was I just went with it as other characters knew each other those all of those had actually been androids recognizing each other not guests. ”Maybe the androids will develop actual personalities and become self aware, or maybe people can be programmed with technology.” this line in particular opened the gates of possibilities of where the show could go in the future and truly made me feel like I need to know what happens next.
Just as much as the shows twists and turns and hints of lies and deceptions’ kept me on the edge of my seat this piece provoked thoughts and visualizations that made me even more excited to keep watching more of Westworld and as a written response to a show I personal feel that this piece was the best overall.
Thanks all for your votes, and your thoughtful and concrete comments/rationales. There was a wide variety in votes this week (which is awesome … I love that you are all finding one another’s posts so compelling!), but we have a tie for winners: congrats Khoury and Ronald 🙂