Westworld: Where western wants wander

Media and entertainment are the pillars of societies escape from reality. So with that being said it is this very escape that in turn must fulfill certain wants and desires. With so many options in the current media landscape an individuals perception of certain satisfactions may become muddled. When studying Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytical theory it sparked so many questions regarding the meta nature of how media portrays its characters and how they reflect you and I.

Freud highlights the innate desires we as a people look to grasp whether it be hunger, thirst, safety, a drive for sex, etc. Each being driven by the means which manifest through 3 principles: pleasure, reality, and morality.

So when applying psychoanalytical theory the one show that instantly came to mind was HBO's hit series Westworld. Taking place in the near future (~2052) Westworld is a science fiction western that

covers the story and inner workings of a technologically advanced theme park filled with human like robots called hosts. The hosts are programmed to cater to high paying guests' fantasies whether it be romance, discovery, and so much more. Yet most simply play out a variety of vices so be it drugs, sex, and murder all without consequence. The shows story is deep and truly thought provoking but amidst the violence and sex Westworld is a vessel for a narrative on consciousness and free will. 

What I feel caters to the success of the show is its effect on the viewers. Many of us use media and entertainment as an escape from reality. The same way the guests use Westworld as an escape from reality to live out their fantasies. There is a reason TV stations broadcast shows with more sexual and violent content during sweeps rating periods; because it is tried and true that that is what draws peoples attention. Drawing back to my comment on the meta nature of how we as a society are portrayed, in relation to Westworld our desires are fulfilled through engagement and entertainment. We are being portrayed as individuals with the need for an escape, looking for a means to fulfill particular desires, but are in turn fulfilling our own desires through consuming the media Westworld produces.

The show in a way acts as a personification of a variety of Sigmund Freud's theories and concepts. The show draws heavily off of Freud's psychoanalytical, structural, and topographic theories respectively. Yet for the sake of this blogpost I'll simply focus on the effects of his theories. Freud makes a point in classifying some needs like hunger, thirst, and a drive for sex as instinctual but it is how they relate to the unconscious which exposes feelings and emotions. So when applied to media  this idea of escapism is only becoming more and more prevalent as technology advances. 

All in all the show itself is fantastic. I felt engaged and invested throughout and I find myself often wondering what I would do if I were in the shoes of certain characters. When applying psychoanalytical theory to Westworld it just reaffirms that the show truly is one of a kind and makes me question where technology will take us.