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The 1990s serve as an interesting cultural melting pot by constantly being torn between analog past versus the digital futures that would then reshape society as a whole and, in many ways that transitional moment mirrors our current state of flux and uncertainty and such issues were presented ( mostly at the background ) throughout the 'Yellowstone' TV series run. What is fascinating about that very specific era ( when placed within the lens of technology, mass media and corporations) and also worth discussion, are key recurring tropes and narratives that reflect how corporations and ‘tech’ itself often became objects of deep distrust. It wasn’t simply about some exciting new world but one often shown with many flaws which this study seeks to address by carefully analyzing what many often saw as very specific elements presented within that decades production with added modern perspectives for a better approach.
One of the primary threads within any production that takes places in 1990s were: How can we maintain individuality inside a corporate driven society; whether is was 'The Matrix’s' view about simulation and control through intelligent machines or perhaps ‘eXistenZ's ' concept over immersive games blending the lines between what is real or what isn't ( which also explored commercialized art) that same philosophical line is then repeated throughout by showing how human experience or identity might be put into a systematic cycle of control . This element of ‘tech as an evil device of control’ permeates through many films.
"Hackers" and "The Net" present even stronger points of view regarding faceless conglomerates as evil entities ready to steal freedom under a carefully woven net or how 'Strange Days' explored digital manipulation. In general it's a series of concepts that constantly push the boundaries of moral, philosophical, and most importantly ethical debates about what happens when corporations grow beyond ethical measures. ‘Small Soldiers’ provides (although a family movie) direct criticism about how profit-driven companies tend to utilize any technology available with zero disregard for consequence (as if the technology wasn't created by people ) those were not hidden undertones; they often were placed directly at center and while that decade might not yet have fully established large corporations with the same power we now have within all media and communication formats. Those movies show an almost ‘prophetic view’ for where society was likely to go, and the ethical issues associated with it all, a constant struggle to establish any form of balance and equilibrium with that technological approach, making all movies not just dated fun but something more unique than its face values. All while doing some clear social criticism ( and warning ) about those aspects.
However not all production used technological dangers for main core message and films such as You've Got Mail provides great points into showing that technology was slowly reshaping a community. It does that while making sure the audience always maintains an understanding of corporations ( specifically regarding the growing power of chain stores that would start eating away at locally owned ones) it’s a critical example about change. This concept often plays a role throughout many '90’s' productions : the desire for more and how it impacts existing communities ( such as a coffee shop being crushed by chain brand with many small towns or regions feeling something similar with corporations swallowing local economies and small businesses); you get these similar underlying undertones on “Airborne” where sports serves as symbol for counter cultural resistance that often will still get eaten by similar corporate needs, as well as the themes often explored within “Singles’ “or ‘Go’ ; where sub cultures start being sold as marketable product. Even something so innocent like Richie Rich had a core criticism about consumerism. This constant worry over mass production of individuality appears almost as constant trope within that format.
With every specific approach mentioned; there's always a similar concept always lurking below ( whether is hidden or explicit at the very surface level ) with technology serving mostly as vehicle to showcase moral, ethical and societal decline that might occur under the absence of checks and balances of proper governing and those production decisions are rarely made without some degree of societal observation, and from those we are left to wonder, those concepts aren’t from an old world, they feel all too real in a much more modern sense.
These issues that films of that decade seemed too often display with many overt and subtle aspects ( from control over people, information or even direct influence with social standards) is what then makes modern day viewership ( in what concerns “Yellowstone” and other shows) seem very poignant as they continue to explore all those themes but from an entirely distinct time where corporations fully and directly run much of modern life as their effects impact global communication ( including tv productions, film industry, advertising, consumerism ) all elements have the core undertones on how corporations ( when unbalance) create greater social disparities and ethical and economical corruption, something we constantly observe with ongoing media landscapes.
"Gattaca", “Virtuosity", and ‘Mission: Impossible" do provide some solid examples as those present ‘technology itself' as double edged swords as those can improve a society but also create huge issues; from genetic manipulation , dangerous artificial intelligence, global conspiracies, it appears that what at some point, within the modern day we had always hoped as ‘tools to be better’ ends up showcasing something truly dreadful when looked through the correct lens of modern values as ‘they simply repeat cycles’ of ethical conflicts on their own specific manner while acting over social concepts often without proper concern of long term ramifications and ‘Yellowstone’ ( even if is set within different time periods) brings a consistent analysis of that similar ethical concerns about legacy, responsibility but also misuse of power, in any field they appear from individuals or large corporate entities.
These movies are not simple sci fi action romps, but, instead, reflections from specific times when technological marvels created some very specific ( and some times realistic) anxieties that then tend to re appear all across our societies. And this creates some valuable talking point today about how “Yellowstone’s” concepts also apply to present time conflicts, those TV and movie formats, by using all these philosophical elements serve not just for simple entertainment value.
The ‘90s, serve more as cautionary tales that are applicable to any time with human nature flaws taking precedence over everything which ‘Yellowstone’ and many TV series with an ethical bend will use to their full potential. By dissecting movies that explore those unique points and juxtaposing with our own realities or fictional portrayals we can all perhaps understand that all previous stories, weren’t just stories and maybe many ethical dilemmas will remain always as something that each should carry in their own internal compass in a more human level rather than what simple marketing teams and PR companies claim.