Nope (2022)

There are several things being communicated in Jordan Peele’s latest, “Nope.”

(Sidebar: That is likely the case with a lot of postmodern art, as it often depends on ambiguity paired with what the viewer brings to the experience. One thing that seems to make Peele’s efforts better is that he clearly does have ideas to communicate and is intentional about tying all his ideas together thematically. Most often, the details ARE intentional.)

So, there are several ideas. However, the one that clearly stands out is what Peele is referring to as “spectacle.” By that, he seems to be talking about the way that the entertainment industry relies on attention to make its living. This is nothing new. But there is also the aspect that the industry does not care about what generates the attention. It can be good or bad, beneficial or tragic. In fact, the bad and tragic might even be more desirable.

This negative sort of “spectacle” is what Peele seems to be aiming at. The film opens with a biblical quote, from Nahum. The extended passage reads as follows:

“I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will let nations look on your nakedness and kingdoms on your shame. I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. Then all who see you will shrink from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated, who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”

So, the quote Peele chose to use is one where God is pronouncing judgment on an evil city, and He is making them into a spectacle as a warning. That is what Peele is doing in this story as well. He is telling the story about people who want to make a living on spectacle, but his story is a warning of the dangers of such notoriety.

And this is not just a warning for Hollywood (even if it is in part), but a warning for society today. In the social media age, we have all become potential celebrities. Or, at the very least we all think we are potential celebrities. People dream of fame and riches through the “content” they create online. Just as the people in “Nope” think that they can play with danger and not only survive, but become rich and famous doing so, people today play with social media and think that they can avoid being affected.

Not everything about social media and the internet is bad. Some things are incredibly good, and the world is an amazing place in the social media era. However, we need to approach this dangerous thing with respect and fear, just as we should a lion, or a chimp, or a shark, or an alien.

Use it, but don’t become a spectacle. That is not a good plan. Nope.