Being John Malkovich and the Philosophy of Cyberspace Addiction

Piotr Szczypa

doi:10.18290/rh.2018.66.11-10

Piotr Szczypa Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh.2018.66.11-10

Keywords: cyberspace; cyberspace addiction; cyberculture; Spike Jonze; film; Being John Malkovich

Abstract

The present article discusses a possible instance of a symbolic interaction between cyberspace and real-life space, analysing the plot of Spike Jonze’s 1999 film Being John Malkovich, and arguing that it may be interpreted as a philosophical account of an addiction to cyberspace. The analysis focuses on the main characters of the film, discussing various forms of their relationship to John Malkovich, who, as it is claimed, personifies cyberspace in the film.

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