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Change the past with pop culture?

T

The Colourful Jester

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For a bit of fun.

Media in the form of books, music, movies and tv shows from the past 50 years. Or other including podcasts, youtube stuff, etc.

Currently of course it's 2023, so 1973 onwards.

If you could send back in time, a single book, album/song/music video, movie and TV show/tv season/single episode to 1923 what would you send? And why?

Example could be: a book on science or history in the last five years, in the hopes of changing something terrible. Perhaps you just want to push an author forward very early.
Music: Something from Madonna video collection, hoping to push women to the front of culture. Or reveal rock and roll early.
Movies: a special FX blockbuster to show what can be done. Or maybe some nothing movie, but it shows the everyday world of 2023.
TV shows: Imagine Queer as Folk being pushed to 1923.

In the case of music, movies and TV we're imagining no technological problem in todays media being shown or heard. It would be presented back then as it is today.
 
I would definitely send back the "science" about the handling of the covid 19 lockdown bullshit.

Also the the fact that ex men get to compete in women's sport.
 
Any Trump speech. New Yorkers would bring out the torches and pitchforks.

Edit: sorry, not any speech. One where he says, “I’m going to win the Presidential election again.”
 
1923: I'd treat the audience going to see Safety Last to a sneak preview. After Harold Lloyd's film, they'd see Freddy Got Fingered. As they exited, usherettes would hand them an embossed card that read, "You're doing fine. You're not missing that much."
One more stop: a theater in Harlem where an audience took in a live performance of Bessie Smith and her band. After Bessie took her bows, a filmed medley of Taylor Swift hits would be played. As the patrons exited, you guessed it, same card.
 
ZiprHead said:
TSwizzle said:
I would definitely send back the "science" about the handling of the covid 19 lockdown bullshit.
Click to expand...
news.yahoo.com

'Lockdown' states like California did better economically than 'looser' states like Florida, new COVID data shows

Not only did big states with more stringent COVID measures end 2020 with fewer infections per capita, they also tended to post better economic growth numbers last year than states with fewer restrictions.
news.yahoo.com news.yahoo.com
Click to expand...
Amazing how totally married to trumpian
BS Swiz and his ilk have become. Even in the face of the morbid facts, they insist that saving people’s lives is not worth the bad “look” of wearing a mask - let alone the horror of refraining from gathering in bars and restaurants to flaunt and celebrate their stupidity. I wonder if Swiz also denies the safety and efficacy of the vaccines that have saved millions of lives - likely his included, even if he didn’t take it because of crazy RW propaganda.
 
I'd recommend you watch a few time travel Star Trek episodes before you start thinking about messing with the timeline. Off the top of my head:

The City on the Edge of Forever
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Assignment: Earth
 
Messing with the timeline isn't a hazard for anyone, other than the time traveller themselves.

Either anything they do in the past was always part of the timeline, and has no new effects on anything at all; Or the actions they take push them into an alternative parallel universe, whose inhabitants have always been affected by those actions (which are just a part of their history), while the inhabitants of the original timeline are completely unaffected.

If I go back to 1928 to assasinate Hitler*, and there are no parallel timelines, then I must fail, because otherwise we would already live in a universe where he was killed in 1928.

On the other hand, if there are parallel timelines, I might succeed, but by doing so I would leave our timeline. Those of you still here will be in a timeline where I never arrived in 1928 at all; The people in the timeline I now inhabit would still be in a world in which Hitler was a trivial character in German history until his demise in 1928. The only person for whom history would have "altered" would be me.









*This is a mandatory objective for all time travellers, under the terms of section IV of the Chrononauts (Obligations and Rights) Act, 2386, as amended by the Time and Dimensional Travel and Observation Regulations, 2383. See also Here, and Here.
 
thebeave said:
I'd recommend you watch a few time travel Star Trek episodes before you start thinking about messing with the timeline. Off the top of my head:

The City on the Edge of Forever
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Assignment: Earth
Click to expand...
Maybe just the one where Shatner makes out with Nichelle Nichols.

Seeing as we're talking about 1923 I would suggest The Wire. They'd be shocked because the coolest character is not only black but gay and yet be reassured with the copious injections of the n-word throughout the show.

It might also make them have second thoughts about the effectiveness of Prohibition.
 
bilby said:
If I go back to 1928 to assassinate Hitler*
Click to expand...
Bilby, Are you aware of the "Grandfather Paradox"?
It means, if you go back and kill your grandfather, you will not be born, so UNABLE to go back, so your grandfather survives,
so you go back, Etc..... (Don't ask "Why would I even want to kill my grandfather?".)
The point is, whatever your intention, if you do whatever it is, it will negate your intention. In your example, negating your intent to kill Hitler, also prevents you from splitting off a parallel timeline where you did or didn't.

I can not kill Hitler.
My parents met in Washington D.C. Stationed there during the war. Without the war they never would have met, I would never have been born.
During the war large numbers of people died. Large numbers of people moved around, changed jobs, interacted with different folks, all because of the war. And the survivors had a 'baby boom'. A dead Hitler would cause a very drastic 'butterfly effect'. (his life also caused a very drastic 'butterfly effect')
At this point (2024) I doubt anyone alive could kill Hitler.

I wonder... Can I go back in time and kill Schrödinger's cat?
 
unapologetic said:
Bilby, Are you aware of the "Grandfather Paradox"?
It means, if you go back and kill your grandfather, you will not be born, so UNABLE to go back, so your grandfather survives,
so you go back, Etc..... (Don't ask "Why would I even want to kill my grandfather?".)
Click to expand...
Sure. But parallel timelines eliminate it:

I (born in timeline A), go back in time and kill my grandfather. However, as I was born in timeline A, this murder must perforce occur in a different timeline (timeline B). When I return to the "present" there are now two instances of "present" from which to choose.

Note that the timelines must split before the murder takes place, (possibly but not necessarily) as a pre-consequence of the murder.

Everyone in timeline A today, who cares to investigate can find out that my grandfather had a grandson, (And if I returned to timeline A, it would be as though I never left; Or if I returned to timeline B, it would seem that I have mysteriously vanished). Everyone in timeline B today who cares to investigate can find out that a childless man was mysteriously killed; And if I returned to timeline B, that a person who matches the killer's description has recently appeared apparently from nowhere (though he can't be the actual killer, because he's far too young).

You can go back in time and kill Hitler, but it wouldn't be the Hitler, just one of an infinite number of Hitlers, from a timeline other than the one we inhabit.

Or, perhaps you could go back and kill the Hitler, but only in his bunker on the 30th of April 1945, when doing so wouldn't change any established historical events.

IMG_1113.png

https://xkcd.com/1063/
 
Upon further consideration, I'd bring back Mad Max 2 Road Warrior and try and convince Australians in the 1920s it's a legit historical document.

bilby said:
Or, perhaps you could go back and kill the Hitler, but only in his bunker on the 30th of April 1945, when doing so wouldn't change any established historical events.
Click to expand...
tardis.fandom.com

Teselecta

The Teselecta, designated Justice Department Vehicle Number 6018, was a humanoid starship/time machine, similar to an android, staffed by a crew who had been miniaturised by a compression field. It was used to locate people deemed guilty of crimes who had escaped punishment. After finding them...
tardis.fandom.com tardis.fandom.com
 
bilby said:
Note that the timelines must split before the murder takes place, (possibly but not necessarily) as a pre-consequence of the murder.
Click to expand...
So if someone else splits the timeline, you can get away with it? Maybe, but ...
bilby said:
You can go back in time and kill Hitler, but it wouldn't be the Hitler, just one of an infinite number of Hitlers, from a timeline other than the one we inhabit.

Or, perhaps you could go back and kill the Hitler, but only in his bunker on the 30th of April 1945, when doing so wouldn't change any established historical events.
Click to expand...
Only one? Or too late? What good is that. Just making yourself feel good.
 
unapologetic said:
bilby said:
Note that the timelines must split before the murder takes place, (possibly but not necessarily) as a pre-consequence of the murder.
Click to expand...
So if someone else splits the timeline, you can get away with it? Maybe, but ...
bilby said:
You can go back in time and kill Hitler, but it wouldn't be the Hitler, just one of an infinite number of Hitlers, from a timeline other than the one we inhabit.

Or, perhaps you could go back and kill the Hitler, but only in his bunker on the 30th of April 1945, when doing so wouldn't change any established historical events.
Click to expand...
Only one? Or too late? What good is that. Just making yourself feel good.
Click to expand...
Hey, I don't make the rules, I'm just writing them out for you.
 
Patooka said:
Maybe just the one where Shatner makes out with Nichelle Nichols.
Click to expand...
It's called Plato's Stepchildren, but does not involve time travel. Its not one of the better episodes. The episode was a step forward for inter-racial relations, but was three steps back for midget empowerment.
 
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