World of Tomorrow: Humanity in the Outernet

"No, Emily, I am Not Your Grandma"

In World of Tomorrow, Don Hertzfeldt examines humanity in a digital future where clones are used to extend life and time travel can be bought. Dictionary.com defines humanity as “the quality or condition of being human; human nature.” This definition of humanity can help guide the way we view Hertzfeldt’s film. Throughout the film, Emily III takes Emily Prime on a journey to experience her own coming to age story. Emily Prime, who is about 4 years old, does not understand what is happening; however, the humanity of Emily III is not very clear. It is her lack of a clear possession of humanity that raises questions about the concept of humanity in general in this future.
 
When we think about a future where people have the ability to clone themselves, it can be hard to consider the complexity of such a possibility. In the article “World of Tomorrow and the Copy-Pasted Brain,” David Sims asks a very important question in such a future: “If humans create these 'backups,' are we generating new life, or extending our own?” This question that Sims raises seems impossible to answer, but it can also lead to interesting conversations about what makes a person. Can we think about Emily III the same way that we think about Emily Prime? If they technically share the same consciousness but different bodies, can Emily III be thought of as a continuation of Emily Prime’s life? Does Emily III possess humanity in the traditional way that we are used to thinking about it?
 
These are a few questions that I will seek to answer throughout this section. I will explore the different representations of humanity that the viewer is exposed to while posing questions about the implications of such humanities. In a world where clones and transferrable consciousness seems so far away, it is important for us to still consider how humanity functions in such a digitally dominated space. 
 

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