The picture was uploaded to the Master Feed and then they got downvoted."— Lysella and Claire Finn, on the fate of Tom and Lewis[1]
"It looks like they just didn't see her."
"Doesn't matter. The people decided.
The Master Feed is an online video, messaging, and voting platform on the planet Sargus 4. It is used by the populace to determine the fate of particularly unpopular Sarguns by way of popular vote.
Description[]
What's the Master Feed?"— Ed Mercer and Alara Kitan[2]
"It's a continuously streaming opinion feed.
The Master Feed hosts live video and comments that may be uploaded by any member of the public.
Additionally, each day at scheduled times, the Master Feed presents a new subject: a person or persons who may receive drastic neurological readjustment similar to a frontal lobotomy. To become a subject of the Feed, a person must receive in excess of one million downvotes. Those subjects who receive 10 million or more downvotes during an apology tour are readjusted.
Visually, the Master Feed is arranged into three sections. At the top left is a display of the subject's total upvotes or downvotes. At the top right is a video feed, usually live televised appearances by the subject. The bottom section displays comments sent from other Sargans in real time.
History[]
Season 1[]
Majority Rule[]
At the start of the episode, Sargun barista Lysella airs the Master Feed from a television monitor in her kitchen. The Master Feed shows Planetary Union anthropologists Lewis and Tom, subject to a possible neurological readjustment due to failing to offer their bus seats to a pregnant woman. Lysella does not listen to their explanation or apology, but casts a downvote anyway because one of them "has really weird eyes" and "seems kind of shady."
An unknown Sargun records Lieutenant John LaMarr simulating a suggestive dance on a statue of Mella Giffendon. The video goes viral, and LaMarr receives over one million downvotes within the next few hours and is promptly arrested. Publicity Officer Willks explains:
You performed a disrespectful act on a statue commemorating frontier hero Mella Giffenden. It was caught on video and uploaded to the Master Feed. You received over one million downvotes from the public, which makes what you did a crime against the State. You will now begin an apology tour, during which the people will vote on whether or not they believe your sincerity. If your downvotes remain under ten million, you'll be free to go.
LaMarr makes two live televised appearances on the Master Feed in order to garner public sympathy. Similar to Lewis and Tom at the start of the episode, television hosts interview LaMarr while Sarguns post their thoughts on the Master Feed.
Meanwhile Lieutenant Alara Kitan is accosted by a Sargun man in a coffee shop. Kitan wears a hat to hide her alien features; however, the hat is a traditional Kelvic headpiece. The man threatens to upload a video of Kitan to the Master Feed if she does not remove the hat.
LaMarr awaits a final vote. He is forcibly strapped to a readjustment chair, similar to an electric chair. Live video of LaMarr appears on the Feed. Aboard the USS Orville, Isaac and Lysella hack into the Master Feed and post doctored videos of LaMarr in sympathetic situations, such as returning from war to his fictitious dog, The plan works, and public opinion is swayed enough to avoid 10 million votes.
Trivia[]
- The Master Feed analogizes the social networks of Facebook and Reddit and the impact of "fake news." More particularly, Isaac's manipulation of public opinion through the Feed mirrors the 2016 United States Presidential Election in which "fake news" propagated through social media swayed public opinion of the candidates.
Mistakes[]
- Comments on Isaac's fake videos of LaMarr can be read on the Master Feed before the Isaac actually uploads them.
Gallery[]
