Part 11/15:
A substantial section is dedicated to cultural transformations, contrasting media from the early 2000s with today. Sam remarks that societal standards of morality, especially around sexuality, have become more conservative—an unexpected shift given the common perception of liberalization. He highlights how nostalgic Americana is vanishing, replaced by a dystopian, tech-saturated environment resembling Blade Runner, where urban decay and technological grandeur coexist.
He notes the rise of cyberpunk aesthetics, emblematic of society’s fractured state—luxury and poverty sharing the same space. Cities like San Francisco become dystopias, with self-driving cars vulnerable to vagrants and graffiti, exemplifying how technological progress has yet to solve societal issues of law and order.