Obviously most of us here are extraordinarily happy, excited, and hopeful at Barack Obama's win last night - I for one am feeling proud to be an American for what feels like the first time in my life. But I was driving to school this morning, listening to Year Zero and it hit me - oh shit, what about Year Zero 2?

Year Zero seems to come from Trent's anger and frustration with the state of affairs at the time YZ was all coming together. He's seemed very hopeful with the future lately with the prospect of Obama winning and I daresay that he's probably pretty pleased with the election results.

Do any of you think that the prospect and feeling of hope that America might not have to suck so much balls will have any impact on the whole Year Zero thing? This applies to both the TV series and the second part of the album, assuming they were eventually going to happen.

For the record, I hope not. It is, after all, fiction. Although honestly I could go either way - if Trent goes forward with future YZ-related projects, awesome. If he doesn't feel like it anymore for whatever reason (i.e. he feels a little more satisfied with the present state of affairs under an Obama administration) and decides to pursue other artistic avenues, that'd be bitchin' too. I feel like Year Zero stands on its own as a record; it feels complete. It's like the first Matrix movie or Star Wars Episode IV - fantastic in it's own right and able to stand on it's own, but not closed off from expansion and further exploration.

I was asking myself the same question this morning, when I heard Obama had won the elections. I'm glad he did, though.

While we all know that when Trent created the Year Zero universe, he was deeply frustrated with the Bush administration, I don't think this is the only reason why he released Year Zero. I mean, it also stands as a purely fictional dystopian universe to me. For example, I don't think the "Presence" thing has anything to do with our present. Plus Trent already knew Obama had good chances to win these elections at the time he said in that interview that he was presenting his ideas to HBO.

I totally agree to your comparison with the Matrix/ Star Wars Ep. IV movies though. This record stands on its own, but I wouldn't mind learning more about its universe, be it through a second record, another ARG, a TV show, or anything else Trent could think of.

Nothing changes.

Obama is religious in his own right, and the federal government will expand, albeit in completely different ways.

It doesnt directly affect the YZ concept but in real terms it is a sign of change and little proof that the ficticious world of 2022 proposed by Trent doent have to happen, like the big guy said
"You have a voice, use it!"
Americans you did.

The issue here is not about what is anticipated, it's about what is guaranteed. And that is control.

While I agree that YZ had inspiration from TR's disgust towards how America was being run and that now things will probably change (for the better, I prithee), you should also remember that YZ was a concept album. Whether 2022 will or won't be "Year Zero," it is a story about the future rather than a prediction (maybe a little of both as well) as to what will happen.

I think that there could totally be a Year Zero 2, but I am more interested in a series being made based off of the album. I would buy the HBO channels just to watch it.

We don't know that Obama is going to be a perfect leader and fix this country up without any problems. We'll just have to wait and see what happens, shall we?

Inez posted:

This is a ridiculous assumption and implies lack of historical knowledge. It's time to do the work...nothing was solved the issues are still evident and present no matter who the president is.

I'm not saying anything's different or that the issues aren't there. I'm just saying we've at least taken a step in the right direction - whether or not anything "right" will get accomplished remains to be seen. All I'm saying is that judging from Trent's mood (especially the other night when I saw him, the night before the election) he might not be feeling quite AS bummed about the state of things. Of course there's still plenty of shit to be cleaned up and plenty of depression to go around.

I agree with you Molotov, that a first step has been taken. As for a YZpt2, I am almost certain that if Trent really wants to do a second one, he could barely have to search and find plenty of things stilll wrong with the state of our existance to create enough content. Maybe he will create an alternate future with a YZpt2, what happens when we do make the right decisions and overcome our apathetic ways? You know whats kinda ironic about Year Zero the album? That album screams resistance, revolution, and strength through its vivid audio story telling, it was/is a warning if our apathy continues. Everyone says OBAMA is "HOPE", you know hope? Hope is something that requires "resistance" to giving up, the "strength" to fight back and carry on. Those themes sound familiar? Thats right, we had "hope" all along. Thank you for that Trent. It was great of you to share your emotional response to the current state of affairs. It was nice to know, someone, somewhere, was trying just like us, to decipher the effects of what isnt always seen by the eye, but felt. With that said, now that we have Mr. Hope as president,,I watch with eager eyes, as you probably do Trent, and many of the others on these forums. We watch and we "hope"

Snarkypuss posted:

Eager eyes... and watchful, I hope.

We elected a Mr Hope too.

His name was Tony Blair.

oooh, good call

i think for YZ we have to look at the time line given by another version of the truth and see how obama fits in.

but realisticly what has obama done in the past to be a "change" in voting behavior and what change is there in his advisors ? they all are old school hardliners.

so i think obama in reality does bring YZ so much more closer.
look at the rhetoric of his policies about war and middle east ?
at his stance against russia ?
look at the social reform, youth brigades and patriot act...

i don't think he is the guy america as in constitutional america wants.
i think he is just a racial wet dream and when shit hits the fan people will blame black people so much easier like they blamed texans because of gw Bush.

there is no change in obama other than skin color, makes me think of that sound clip where we heared survivalism for the first time, "it's the same old bullshit"

so YZ here we come.

edit: linky



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2008 12:41PM by sui.

Nothing?

Manipulation Congregation.
Those blinded by false hope open the Portal.

Before you get pissed off at what I'm about to say, I did vote for Obama.

Yes, Obama is president-elect, and yes, I hope he does bring change, but the world is still a really fucked up place. America is still just as fucked up today (after the election) than is was before the election, and we can only hope that change will happen after Obama becomes the official president of the United States. But it will take some time. That change that everyone is craving for actually begins with you. Be the change you want to see in the world (quote borrowed from somewhere, but I can't recall right now).

obama will change some things from YZ
like the gameover.mp3 will be hard to obtain in real life cause obama will take away the .50 bmg cal from civies.
he will be strict on carbon taxes (co2 tax as stated in the banker bail out) so the floods reported in YZ will be effected when you believe in global warming.

but i think he will be strong on the 105th becoming real.

if he approves of the codex alimentarius the forced parepin (as in water fluoridation) will continue

as he removed his own pages from the internet calling for mandatory social service (draft ?) i think we will see more wars.

and it may not be obama him self but it can be biden and brezinsky doing all the dirty work behind the scenes.

YZ is full on with the obama camp.
just with a twist because the real power does not change position.

as long as people love money and use money the power does not change.
and so will the YZ idea not change as it was with 1984, most things came true and worse.