On December 24, 2021 Netflix began streaming an “apocalyptic black comedy” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonarco DiCaprio. Don’t Look Up tells the story of two astronomers who are trying to warn the world about an approaching, planet-killing sized, comet. The film is a satire of how we are ignoring the climate crisis.
The film lampoons politicians, celebrities, billionaires, and the media by showing that their only priorities are popularity and money (power and gain). Like the people in our world today, the people in the film prefer to deny and ignore the approaching problem, or they try to figure out how to profit from it.
Slogans replace truth
Of course, the approaching comet eventually becomes plainly visible from the Earth. The film’s title comes from a slogan created by the comet deniers to counteract the call from the scientists to “Just Look Up.” Those who are not brainwashed by the denialist politicians and media trust the reality of what is now plainly visible to anyone who cares to look.
The “Don’t Look Up” people have Trump-like rallies wherein President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) claims that the scientists, and those who believe them, are cultural elitists who look down upon others and just want to scare them.
During one rally, which is outdoors at night, a guy in the crowd (wearing a red baseball cap with the “Don’t Look Up” slogan written on it) actually looks up and sees the approaching comet streaking brightly across the sky. He yells out that they had been lied to.
The other deniers then also look up and are shocked when faced with reality. The angry crowd starts to throw things at the President’s son and Chief of Staff (Jonah Hill) who was at the podium.
People resist enlightenment
Some critics said that the satire in the film was heavy-handed. Others said that the film is brilliant. I agree that the film belabors its point, but I also believe that a film about deliberate self-blindness almost cannot be too obvious. The goal is to wake up people who are very, very stubborn.
The climate crisis is very real and already quite far advanced. Many crucial tipping points have already been passed. Yet we continue to live our lives as if our current habits are sustainable. They are not.
Stubborness can kill
Stubborn, deliberate, dangerous, self-blindness is nothing new for the human race. The Old Testament records a time when “fiery serpents” (likely poisonous snakes) were biting and killing the grumbling Israelites in the desert. Moses made a serpent of brass and set it upon a pole. The Lord promised that anyone who had been bitten, if they would look up at the pole, would not die.
The Old Testament does not record the reaction of the people to this call for simple faith. However, several Book of Mormon prophets (who likely had more detailed records of the event than we currently have) give us more information about what happened next.
Alma said, “there were so many who were hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished” (Alma 33: 20). Nephi records, “The labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41).
Always look up
There are many examples of this type of stubborn, willful, self-blindness in America today. An obviously selfish, illiterate, unrepentant, criminal narcissist was elected President of the United States. People fought angrily against medical (and prophetic) advice to mask and vaccinate during a pandemic.
And now, once again, people are claiming that MORE guns will make people “safer” despite the clear contrary evidence from every other major country in the world.
How many more will perish because we refuse to do the simple things?
To me, the phrase “Just Look Up,” means to open your eyes. Consider the true facts, not the slogans of the propagandists. Take great care in choosing your sources of information. And use as your role model the Prince of Peace, not the Father of Lies.
Sources
– “Don’t Look Up,” Wikipedia.
Kelsey Piper, “The most interesting thing Don’t Look Up has to say about the apocalypse,” Vox, January 8, 2022.