‘Don’t Look Up,’ directed by Adam McKay for Netflix, is a satirical science-fiction comedy about astronomers Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo Dicaprio) attempting to alert the world about a comet that will destroy the Earth.
Kate and Randall, on the other hand, find it difficult to persuade people about the end of the world due to greedy businesspeople, biassed media outlets, angry conspiracy theorists, and the government’s purposeful attempt to suppress scientific findings.
The astronomers’ attempts to find a practical technique to halt the comet are hampered by the socially awkward Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance), the founder and CEO of BASH.
Peter’s character is quite real, especially in this day and age, when billionaires and computer experts are worshipped. Fans are also fascinated about BASH, which appears to be quite realistic.
Is BASH Cellular a legitimate mobile service provider? Let’s see what we can find out!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
Also Read: Is Bronteroc from “Don’t Look Up” (2021) Movie A Real Bird?
Is BASH Cellular A Real Company That Makes Phones?
NO, BASH Cellular isn’t a legitimate cell service provider.
However, it appears to be based on global digital titans like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook – firms that are hailed for their technological breakthroughs but also frequently criticised for claimed privacy breaches, profit-driven behaviour, and suspected political lobbying.
BASH, in essence, represents technical advancement combined with corporate avarice and immoral involvement in governmental decision-making in the film.
The name of the fictional firm appears to be derived from the ‘bash’ Unix shell and command language, which is short for ‘Bourne-Again Shell’ and is used in the Linux operating system.
Almost every character’s environment contains voice-activated BASH items or BASH commercials throughout the film.
A BASH speaker is in the astronomy department at Michigan State, Randall’s son, Marshall, has a BASH phone, and Randall uses a BASH TV in his hotel room.
This is reminiscent of the ever-increasing popularity of AI Virtual Assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant, as well as the diversification of many electronics companies’ operations.
Is Peter Isherwell Based on a Real CEO?
During the unveiling of a new phone named “BASH LiiF,” we meet Peter Isherwell, the brains behind BASH and the world’s third-richest man.
Peter’s manner and primarily grey attire remind one of all the memes mocking Mark Zuckerberg‘s demeanour; the Facebook CEO received a storm of jokes in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica controversy in 2018.
BASH LiiF, for example, may track one’s vitals, identify one’s mood, and then present media to calm the senses.
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This appears to be a futuristic take on today’s smartwatches that can monitor your heart rate and oxygen levels.
BASH’s technology has pervaded every area of people’s existence in the world of ‘Don’t Look Up.’
Peter also makes us think of Elon Musk, who is well-known for his intentions to construct a human colony on Mars in order to ensure humanity’s long-term existence.
Furthermore, Peter’s conversational manner appears to be influenced by Musk’s approach to public speaking.
We also know that Peter escapes a dead Earth by heading to another planet on his state-of-the-art BASH spaceship.
Marshall’s BASH phone purchases DJ Chello’s latest single when Riley Bina mentions him on live television in one scene.
This reminds me of a ‘Black Mirror‘ (2011 TV Show) -style society where individuals are oblivious to how intrusive electronic devices are or how they might go rogue.
Furthermore, the film addresses current worries about the quantity of personal data that today’s cellphones capture for advertising purposes.
After losing his cool, Peter tells Randall that BASH has “almost 40 million data points” on him and can predict how the astronomer would die with 96.5 per cent accuracy.
It is clear that Peter, a gifted guy pursuing his ambitious profit-driven goals, truly believes that by mining the comet for rare minerals that can be utilised by BASH and the US government to build electronics, he will cure all of the world’s issues, from poverty to biodiversity loss.
He considers himself to be neither a businessman nor a scientist because he is merely working for “the evolution of the human species.”
When Peter needs BEADS (BASH Explore and Acquire Drones) to launch rapidly, he uses the government to sidestep the scientific peer-review process.
As a result, he appears to be motivated by money, curiosity, and power. Furthermore, BASH appears to be Peter’s only escape from debilitating loneliness – he previously stated that he had always wanted a buddy, and his company appears to be his sole love in life.
It’s ironic because BASH is solely to blame for the comet colliding with Earth and destroying all kinds of life.
BASH, who claims that President Orlean would die because of a Bronteroc, accurately forecasts the end of the world early in the film.
The President and other important people who flee a wrecked Earth on a spaceship discover the bird-like creature on another planet in the mid-credits sequence.
Unfortunately, in retrospect, Peter was too preoccupied with the potential rewards from mining the comet to recognise the accuracy of his own technology’s forecasts.
As a result, BASH is not a true mobile firm; it appears to be an amalgamation and exaggerated version of all the digital companies we encounter on a daily basis.
Overall, the fictional mobile company is nothing more than an exaggerated representation of a conglomerate that sells everything — from common gadgets to high-end equipment required for space missions — and will go to any length to make money.
