#os rambles

Did you know this is the wavelength of the light most plasma tvs can produce.

and did you. did you know that with plasma tvs....

none of you know how much I think about this. 1950s man from the era of electroshock therapy and lobotomies and MKUltra. From the era of the "American Dream' and rampant propaganda. From the golden age of film, but also both world wars, the cold war, and the great depression. Where everyone had to assimilate or die and the Enemy could be Anyone and tomorrow could bring the greatest advancements of human history or the nuclear end of the world. God I wish they delved into the historical impact of it all because he can be such a fantastic culmination of that whole mess and this little tidbit really sells it for me.

He's designed around a literal parasitic virus that to reproduce needs to hijack bacteria by penetrating and injecting themselves into them, rewriting their genetic code.... (fwiw I think hes lysogenic rather than lytic, but either way the host cell eventually breaks down and bursts once the parasite has used them for its own purposes.) Though... his default form? It doesnt resemble that at all. Hes a perfectly normal humanoid demon, respectable height, perfect suit, a showman with a silver screen for a head. And yet, even without the parasite symbolism, hes ALREADY implicitly (and otherwise) representing all the entertainment and escapism, as well as the objectification and commodification of the human experience that was really taking root in his era. Movies and Programming that sell you a life you will never have, that while away your time so you dont have to think so much, that placate the masses and tell them what The System thinks they need to hear to maintain the status quo. Easily consumable information control. You don't even need to be literate! You just need to absorb.

Hell, not to mention the fact in the show his sharks resemble his own "true" form. He loves them because they're sharks! and, yknow, most who love pets love them by merit of their own existence. They dont have to be useful or serve any purpose besides the fact he loves them! But for some reason Vox still needed to make them in his own image; still needed to put a piece of himself inside every instance of an animal he supposedly loves. They are not allowed to exist and be loved by their own merit. Every single shark has to reflect him and assimilate the brand to be kept and tended to, every single one either modified or even created in his own image.

And to take things further still, Ethan and a handful of other employees (and ex employees? A couple at the hotel had suspicions designs) resemble Vox too, even down to matching sigils etched into their flesh in the case of Ethan. What the hell he does to them behind the scenes for that to be permanent i have no idea. But nevermind that, regardless of the how, he has to leave his mark on the world! If he hasnt left an imprint on everything he's touched, does he even exist at all?

(hell it even can explain the difference in relationship for vox and val because he absolutely wouldve deliberately and recklessly pushed buttons and acted with total disregard to val if in active addiction and val is a highly reactive person)