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The Commodification of Dystopia and Danger in “Covehithe,” by China Miéville

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In the short story “Covehithe,” China Miéville touches on a trend that seems to be growing ever popular recently. That trend is the commodification of dystopia and danger. Dystopian and post-apocalyptic movies and books are often popular these days. This trend is demonstrated in “Covehithe” when the government commodifies fallen oil rigs that have come to life and walked ashore to drill for oil. Certain areas of the shore that are prone to rig visits are secured and blocked off. People are forbidden from entering these areas because it is “dangerous” to be near the rigs. A public safety hazard is a solid reason for secluding part of a beach, so what’s the problem? The problem is that private tours of these secluded areas are offered and people are allowed to see the oil rigs on these tours. If it truly is so dangerous, why are people allowed to pay money to go see the rigs? Are individuals safer if they view the rig with a government employee? That is likely not the reasoning. A more plausible answer is that anything that can be commodified, will be commodified. That includes danger and dystopia.

Another form of commodification that Miéville touches on is the commodification of nature. Although there isn't really much natural about oil rigs coming to life and laying eggs on the beach, which is something they do in the story, it does allude to the commodification of the sea turtles reproduction cycle. In the story, the oil rigs come ashore to drill holes and lay their eggs in the sand. This mimics the way in which sea turtles dig holes on the beach to lay their eggs in. When the sea turtles hatch, they dig their way out of the sand and make their way to the ocean. Sea turtle nests are protected from harm by law, but the commodification of the event is still allowed. Some organizations will allow people to pay to witness sea turtles hatching. Similarly, the government official in the story informs the protagonists that they can witness the hatching of the baby oil rigs. Despite numerous regulations regarding the creatures, both oil rigs and sea turtles, people are still allowed to pay money to witness the hatching of them and risk interfering with a natural behavior. 

Why is the commodification of dystopia and danger a bad thing?

Commodification of dystopia is potentially extremely problematic because it distracts people from recognizing the issue at hand. If sunken or exploded oil rigs start coming to life and walking the beaches to drill for oil, people should be concerned about the consequences that could follow. However, if it is allowed to be commodified and turned into a tourist attraction, the severity of the problem is overlooked because the public is distracted by the cool new tourist attraction. If the government or a private company is profiting from the issues, they likely will not be inclined to resolve it as long as it is beneficial to them. Therefore, the public is blinded to the problem and the group profiting from it is willing to ignore it. “Covehithe” indirectly points this out by illustrating the commodification of the oil rigs.

Why do people fall for it?

I’m sure there is plenty of psychological reasoning behind why people allow things like this to happen, but the shorter answer is simply people are interested in things they don’t understand. This includes post-apocalyptic and dystopic worlds. The possibility of living in a world so different from the one that currently exists is fascinating to people, but is often treated as fantasy. Oil rigs coming to life and walking on beaches is not realistic, but the negative consequences of oil drilling and ocean pollution are very real. When the consequences start to make themselves known, it is crucial that the commodification of them is prevented. Otherwise, the problem may not be resolved.
 

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This page has replies:

  1. I like where you are going with this idea Dawn Hicks I like where you are going with this idea that people are more willing to look at a bad outcome over a solution. perhaps because when considering solution, then you must hold yourself accountable for being a part of the problem. Who wants to willingly take personal responsibility for their own actions? I am not excluding myself from this line of thought. I petrol-oil myself to school five days a week. I could ride share, but I am selfish about having to wait for my ride. I think I would pay to see baby sea turtles. They are cute. But I still get my food loaded up in one time use plastic bags. The one time use bags are constipating sea turtles because they think the bags are jellyfish. My habits are contradictory.

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