I found the 15 millions merits to be very impactful and full of messages throughout the movie. Even some of the act is not real and quite exaggerate; the real message behind it is clear and realistic.
First, the element of individualistic can be clearly seen in the show. For example, the bike riders live in the bedroom by themselves with everything depending on the technology instead of other people and even the nature. The screen will turn completely dark when it is night and will lights up with sun and rooster for the sunrise. They only go out to ride the bike that can be interpreted as working to support life in real world. When getting into elevator, the workers don’t really talk to each other. Another example is the audience of the hot seats show. Even for hot seats, they don’t sit together in the studio but in their own room with imitation of them being produced in the studio.
Second, the element of class of workers/people. We can see they are multiple classes of workers. The upper class workers viewed the lower class workers as something really low. For example, one of the riders played a game that humiliates the lower class workers with the yellow costume. In fact, when the janitor was cleaning the floor close to his area, he made uncomfortable face and ask the janitor to go. The game was not real but it is an indicator of the real perception to of the riders in that movie. During the hot seat show, the judges were humiliating the contestant and also the riders who generated the electricity.
I Feel like many of the examples you gave worked well with the theme of isolation versus individualism. When the workers retire for the day, they go back to a room that only stimulates them through technology. They rarely have human to human communication and when they do have the opportunity to be with each other, for example the elevator, they stand forward and decline the opportunity for conversation. Even the most famous show that everyone supposedly comes together to watch is viewed in isolation. Their avatars representing them in a virtual world. I do agree that there are many messages in the episode, primarily those that speak about the loss of communication skills and perhaps compassion when the use of technology overtakes society. Great work!
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