Nerds

One thing that was interesting to me about both of the films this week was the capacity of techno-philes or "nerds." Those we see making use of this surveillance technology are insiders. They are skilled and can navigate the technology which enables this level of intrusion into the public sphere, and as such, have a level of immunity. Jack Black and Jamie Kennedy are some of the few NSA operatives left standing at the end of Enemy of the State, and they have a level of distance from the "bad" things that were done throughout the film. Gene Hackman struggles with his role in survelliance. He doesn't know what his level of agency is, beyond his ability to gather information. So, what is the role of this skilled professional in this technological world where surveillance is an art, a craft and a trade? Is the NSA operative a voyeur, or simply a scholar or a technician? It seems to me that this role depends in large part upon the individual; the act of struggling with the transfer of information, a moral dilemma on seeing how this invasion of so-called privacy is used is enough to redeem those who gather the information. However, how would an NSA operative, private detective, corporate spy, etc be seen in our world? How does that compare with the treatment of such a person in the narratives we have seen? The voyeur in these characters seems to resonate with the voyeur that each viewer knows exists within herself, but how would a person with this role in society be treated? What does voyeurism mean in society in comparison with its meaning in narrative?