1975’d
A small-time cyber-thief pays an unusual price for his crime: he’s banned from using all electronic devices made after 1975.
In criminal sentencing, deterrence is a common goal. After all, what good is it to let a perpetrator free, if they immediately revert to their wanton ways? Retribution is regularly sought, too. To put it poetically, the urge of powers that be to “make the punishment fit the crime.”
With the judge granting Jerry ROR (release on recognizance) with an ankle monitor, convicted cyber thief Jerry Wilson may now be sleeping blissfully in his own bed with girlfriend Linda, but the long and vindictive arm of the law might not have been as lenient as one might believe.
Both literally and figuratively, Jerry’s in for a rude awakening…
Which starts when a sleepy Linda reaches for her phone – only to find it “bricked”. Exasperated, she throws on clothes and announces she’s “leaving.” No, not leaving for work. Leaving the relationship. She can’t take these restrictions anymore!
A confused Jerry trails her towards the door, past gadgets that look like they belong on a 70’s movie scene: a Betamax player. Rolodex. A massive tube TV that dominates... well, everything. Sure, the corded landline has its uses… but why does Jerry’s apartment look like a museum of obsolete tech?
Whatever it is, Linda’s reached the end of her rope. Rebuffing Jerry’s offer to buy some wine and watch a tape of Gremlins at her place, Linda bids him Sayonara. Love may be important, but losing use of her tablet, Siri, and Roku is too high a price to pay!
Dumped and dejected, Jerry stands on the porch and waves goodbye. Depression radiates off him… so strong it kills the power on his neighbor Rick’s self-driving lawnmower, too? Nah – it’s that damned ankle bracelet - shutting down modern technology whenever it gets in Jerry’s range.
And interfering with his life as well.
Crippled productively and shunned socially, Jerry Wilson may be about to find 1975 too cruel and unusual a punishment to bear!
Light hearted in dialogue but profound in message, writer Evan Starkman’s satire 1975’d is a biting commentary on how desperately technology’s relied on in 2021; a blast from the past that’s very relevant today!
" Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clark