this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
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[–] Kennystillalive@feddit.org 22 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

Wait till they learn the matrix is about trans rights.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm convinced that that was just something that they decided to tack on to as an afterthought because it doesn't really make sense to view it in that context.

Especially if you include the sequels.

[–] InputZero@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think the confusing part is because the story of the movie doesn't fit with what most people, including myself, assume a trans-film would be.

The aesthetic and the environment I can kind of see are trans-coded. Jacking in to a fake world, and living in one where you're your true self fits. Even the plot as a whole of living under oppression to be your fake self I can understand. Getting away from the broad strokes it really challenges what I expected a trans-film to be and that's just confusing.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

it's not exactly a trans film in and of itself but it does use the those ideas at its core. it takes the vibes of the experience of being a trans person, and then builds a plot on those vibes

it's like a closeted trans film, hiding the true reason behind how it came to be. It had to be just broad strokes, otherwise it wouldn't have existed. Even today an outwardly trans film would have a very difficult time getting out of the "indi film with no budget not by choice, but becuase nobody wanted to fund it" hell

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

it’s not exactly a trans film in and of itself but it does use the those ideas at its core.

The question if we're living in a simulation is nothing new.
It only became a "trans" movie 'cos the directors transitioned.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

i googled if the directors' intention was to always put that idea in Matrix and they said yes so i'll to with that

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Which to me sounds like wanting to score internet points.

At one point they cited Simulacra and Simulation and Ghost in the Shell as influences, so yes, it's about existentialism, consciousness, the simulation hypothesis, etc.
The trans topic fits right in but that wasn't the original goal (unless they had a human of one gender jack in and be another gender in the matrix). Are any trans people in the cast?

On a similar note, another such movie (from the same year) is eXistenZ.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

yeah i don't exactly buy that it was intentional but both directors turned out to be trans, so their life experience is definitely reflected in the script. and to be fair, it's very on brand for artists to say "oh yeah that was tooootally intentional, yes i planned it from the very beginning! yup!"

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 hours ago

Sure, makes sense.
Yeah, Diesel and Twohy pulled than one when they claimed Riddick 3 was totally the 3rd part of a trilogy.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It’s not about trans rights as much as it’s a highly metaphorical film about trans experience. So metaphorical in fact it could be argued it fails (failed) in its messaging. Even after the Wachowski sisters broke the news to everyone, the film still isn’t regarded that way. It’s a nice after note and I’m certainly not trying to rag on trans rights or issues here, it’s just that The Matrix didn’t do much of anything for trans people.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

The major theme of the film is awakening from a false consciousness. It’s an existentialist picture. This leaves it open to any of countless interpretations unrelated to gender. I think many more people have interpreted the film as Christian with Neo in the role of Jesus and with some of the names of characters and places having biblical themes. The film’s actual depiction of gender is rather conventional, including the action girl trope shown by the character Trinity.

Taken together, these two details make it very difficult to support the Wachowskis’ claim in the text. If anything, the opposite could be argued.

[–] SonOfAntenora@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's also about the art of bullet-dodging in a very cool way and with style. And the scientific evidence that the 90's were the peak of humanity.

[–] brown_guy45@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] HiddenLychee@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The two "brothers" who made the movie came out as both trans years later and said it was about their trans experience. Not so much about "rights" tho

[–] brown_guy45@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

They came out as trans, that's right

But how is the story of matrix related to trans experience

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The whole real vs fake world, realizing you have to get out of the fake one... That's an egg cracking metaphor I guess?

[–] mbfalzar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

And that Neo finally understood who he was and what his place was after taking the red pill, with estradiol being a red pill at the time

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 points 19 hours ago

Oh yeah I forgot the whole pill thing, I only focused on the actual transition of his being.

This makes all those "redpilled" right wingers even funnier lmao

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 0 points 2 hours ago

Yeah but he transitioned from Mr Anderson to Neo, he didn't transition to Neette did he? So no, it's not about trans people or their rights, it's about existentialism in general.

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip -1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

It's not, they just wanted to score internet points.

[–] brown_guy45@lemmy.zip 1 points 8 hours ago