Wreck-It Ralph and Transhumanism

NL, on "Wreck-It Ralph and Transhumanism:"

Wreck-it-Ralph's transhumanist themes arise more out of setting than perhaps out of direct ideological intention; as ostensibly, Wreck-it-Ralph occurs in a Posthuman paradise, in which immortality is conditionally guaranteed. One condition being, as Sonic the Hedgehog so delicately puts it, “if you die outside of your game, you don't regenerate. Game Over.” The other condition being the entertainment value of the world in which you are born into and are an integral part of, which is just so high concept there's not enough space to do that discussion justice here. The conditions do support, however, the central conflict of the film, “the program”. At its “Candy Coated Heart of Darkness” Wreck-it-Ralph is a distopian film; and while the trappings of this genre can be found in Turbo/King Candy's hostile takeover of Sugar Rush, the real subversive elements of Wreck-it-Ralph's imagined post-human utopia come in the tragic nature of the characters' very existence. The code, the “life-blood” of the game, determines the roles that each character must inhabit, without exception. The characters that the music video focuses on are Ralph, Vanellope and Turbo, as the three principle characters who purposefully transgress their “code”; with Turbo even being the source of the phrase “going Turbo” referring to when a character defies their prescribed role in the system, or attempting to “take over” a different game. There is a stigma around the actions of Turbo (becoming jealous at being replaced by a newer game and choosing to insert himself in that game due to his own vanity) and thus, a stigma around acting outside of the role given to them by their code. But that code is cruel and actively disenfranchises an entire subset of “bad guys” who have a deflated sense of self worth because they were created to be “bad”. This can also be seen in Seargent Calhoun's character who has been given PTSD by virtue of her birth over a mistake she did not make, and a man that never existed, because it is her “backstory”. The idea of coded “nature” and how code can be altered (such as Turbo inserting himself as the centre of Sugar Rush, and the wiping the memories of everyone in the game; as well as trying to delete Vanellope) are concerns about transhumanism and post-humanism in narratives on the subject, but in Wreck-it-Ralph serve to inform the larger post-human theme of the morality of immortality. This is a question posed through Ralph, who transgresses his role in a regimented system in order to gain acceptance and glory; and is forced to make a choice between the two as in this context, glory requires sacrificing others; and others tend not to enjoy being sacrificed. To this end Ralph finds two foils in Vanellope, someone who seeks acceptance above glory; and Turbo, someone who seeks glory above acceptance. How this ties into the morality of immortality is that Vanellope's hopes and dreams of claiming a role within the system in order to be accepted are very grounded and human. Turbo, by contrast, is willing to sacrifice others to achieve power and fuel his own immortality; which is characterized here as being inhuman; to the point where Turbo becomes a literal parasite who seeks domination over the entire world he lives in, while also losing any bodily resemblance to a human. This acts as a powerful symbol in the trans/post-human debate. The core ideal of these philosophies is to evolve beyond our physical limits; to take humanity to the next level. The fear that appears in transhuman dystopian media is that we will lose our humanity along the way, often portrayed through the body, such as in A Brave New World, or through Star Trek's “The Borg”. Having already linked Turbo with the dystopian narrative, he becomes a symbol of transhumansim having lost its humanity. However Wreck-it-Ralph is not an outright condemnation of trans/post-humanism philosophy. Fix it Felix is a model of transhumanist ideals. (Something which did not make the cut in the music video) Importantly, he is the only one to be resurrected in the film, only for him to brush off death as if it is nothing. He can also miraculously heal his own wounds, as well as anything within his digital existence with his “magic hammer”; a tool. Felix is the much celebrated embodiment of the miracles of technology. Going back to Vanellope, she is considered a “glitch”, and describes her condition as “pixlexic” which is a pun, but also puts into mind disability. A disability which, over the course of the film becomes “the greatest super power in the world”; thus showing that in a world free from bodily constraints, disability can be overcome, and the film celebrates this. Continuing in the vein of Vanellope, her human desires for social acceptance become the moral of the story. She rejects the ruling status gifted to her by her “code” and chooses to assert her own identity without forsaking a system of governance; specifically a constitutional democracy. This form of governance flirts with the idea that the discussions about “the next step in human evolution” the closer we get to whatever that step is need to be inclusive. Wreck-it Ralph resolves on the note that in exploring the boundaries of human capability, we must not forget that the essential humanity that brings us together and makes life worth living are, in fact, the things these developments are meant to safeguard. Which informed the music choice of Bo En and Augustus' Money Won't Pay. While money is not really a concern of Wreck-it Ralph as it exists in a post scarcity post-human world; the song does capture the idea of dissatisfaction with a system without tearing it down. In the Wreck-it Ralph comparison it takes on more of the idea 'Immortality Won't Pay; in that, immortality for its own sake means nothing if you are miserable. Money Won't Pay's theme, that life and work will drag you down; but it is a necessary evil, so find a compromise in the simple joy of others speaks to the ultimate resolution of Wreck-it Ralph. Ralph and Vanellope don't destroy the system; they recognize that the system exists to prevent the abuse of power, and instead find their own ways to reconcile with who they are and find love and acceptance in each other, as well as meaning in their work.
References
Bowen, Callum. “Money Won't Pay” featuring Augustus in [Pale Machine Expansion Pack]. Maltine Records. 2015. Accessed November 22nd 2017: http://www.bo-en.info/IRL Moore, Rich. Wreck-it Ralph, Blu-Ray, Birbank California, Disney Animation Studios. 2013. Ranisch, Ronald. Sorgner Stefan. Post- and Transhumanism, an introduction. Peter Lang GmBH. 2014.