Juxtaposition & Montage

   (That word sounds like that rabbit from the old IDK (No, not IDW, but I Don't Know- Marvel?) Star Wars comics. Jaxxon, or whatever. Yeah, Jaxxon. (And yeah, Marvel.) Go on, click it. Click on that link. It's a featured article.)

   You get so caught up in something, then disaster strikes. It makes you realize how tunnel-visioned you were getting, and it makes you realize what's real and what's important.

   Let's have a completely hypothetical example. Okay, a slightly hypothetical one, but it's not based off the most recent one. Yes, that one. The people across the hall are arguing over whose turn it was to take the cat out, while you are too busy being hung up over the bio-techno-theolo-ethics of transhumanism to care about the rest of the world (and believe me, it's an easy feat- there's a lot of profound ethical implications there.) This rather serious argument going on opens your eyes. You were disconnect from reality, and this is what's important.

   Or is it the other way around?

   You see, the argument, though serious, is over something rather stupid. (You can hear what they're saying, as their voices are raised. Remember, it's about the cat.) But they're serious. Like, breaking apart serious. That's how they're treating it, at least. Remember, it's about the cat. But it's still serious, while meanwhile you were thinking about the ethics of transhumanism, entirely divorced from how serious life can get. Maybe, though, and here's the thing, maybe they're the ones with the tunnel vision, getting hung up on the trivia of their own lives and blind to the fact that such issues exist.

   Just a thought.

   To continue this theme, though, making use of this power, because remember we must remember to be productive and make good use of this special time that's been given us, may I introduce the concept of montage. Juxtaposition is an entire school of technique in film making: juxtaposing two unrelated things to create a third, unexpected meaning of the ongoing action, such as, I don't know, the baptism scene in Godfather. There's montage in that scene, right? With the lions, or whatever? I'm pretty sure that's a thing. Even if it's not, it'd still be an example of montage. Two actions combine to create a new idea. If the actions had been different, the new idea would be different. This doesn't apply just to actions, though. It could be people, places, objects, tropes. In fiction, juxtaposition allows you infinite permutation. Juxtapose anything with anything else. Go on. Do it.

   For example, I am right now juxtaposing the idea of h+ (transhumanism) with this thing I discovered on Wookieepedia trying to find that Jaxxon article up there. Clearly the Force is some kind of parahuman power that can be brought into reality and controlled with transhuman ideals so you can kick with your transfeet. Though really the following scene is just brought to you by poor choreography:

Yeah, it's a gif. Try not to let it distract you.

   Also, juxtaposing the idea of juxtaposition with the idea of transhumanism makes you realize that transhumanism is just a form of juxtaposition in itself, juxtaposing humanity with technology.

   Whoa.