NAKED AND AFRAID:

The central philosophical idea behind the Matrix films is that of simulation theory, namely that we are living in a fake world that has been constructed around us by artificial intelligence to hide the altogether grimier reality of human existence. This has been interpreted by many not to be a provocation, but instead an accidental revelation of what our lives are actually like. The documentary A Glitch In The Matrix, released earlier this year, interviewed many of the most vociferous proponents of such a theory, all of whom idolise Elon Musk as a truth-telling sage. Many of them don the "Matrix ensemble" of long trench coats and go about in a fog of body odour and paranoia, looking around for like-minded crypto-conspiracists to share their pet ideas with. It is rather like small children exchanging Top Trumps, but this time the cards revolve around the hidden evils lurking in society.

It is not overstating the case to say that there are those -- often supporters of Donald Trump -- who subscribe fully to the idea that The Matrix and the concept of red-pilling is documentary realism rather than imaginative fantasy. In its own way, this has become a form of religion, to be believed in without question. We thrill to stories of why vaccines are evil, of how Joe Biden's election was rigged and of shadowy powers controlling our every action. Personally, I find all these ideas of omnipotence rather comforting. It would be splendid to believe that there was an international conspiracy controlled by George Soros and Bill Gates -- or robots -- that dictated our every move, rather than the more likely prospect of venal and selfish stupidity, mixed with incompetence, being the primary mover in contemporary society.

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