Harrison Bergeron

National Review ^ | November 16, 1965 | Kurt Vonnegut

[EveningStar]

The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law, they were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else; nobody was better looking than anybody else; nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.

[EveningStar]

This was originally published in October 1961 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

There have been several adaptations, the most recent being 2081, which you can watch on YouTube:

Part 1

Part 2

[EveningStar]

ping

[cripplecreek]

Tammy Bruce plays the Handicapper General.

[EveningStar]

I know. :)

[unkus]

ping

[WXRGina]

How devastatingly depressing! It’s like the brother of 1984.

I couldn’t help but envision Janet Incompitano when reading about the Handicapper General.

[dadgum]

One of my favorite Sci-Fi short stories.

Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator.

All men made equal by destroying greatness.

[Fred Hayek]

Bookmark

[cripplecreek]

“You should forget sad things. I always do.”

[kosciusko51]

I read this short story in sixth grade as part of the Ginn reading series my elementary school used. I know it helped in my development as a conservative (which was probably not the outcome Vonnegut wanted from the story).

[SoftballMominVA]

I do a huge unit on this story/movie every year. And every year, kids who think they want everything to be fair and equal at the beginning end up with their jaws on the ground when they see what fair and equal actually looks like.

[Mongeaux]

Let us not forget 1972's very odd PBS version: "Between Time And Timbuktu" (a compilation of Vonnegut stories strung together), which featured the comic duo Bob and Ray, who stole the show.

Harrison Bergeron snippet here

Full version of "Between Time And Timbuktu"

Watch it just for Bob (who plays news anchor "Walter Gesundheit") and Ray (ex-astronaut "Bud Williams Jr").

[WXRGina]

AH! You got me there! :-) :-)

Then, I turned around and watched the filmette he linked from You Tube. GADS!

[EveningStar]

I saw this when it was first telecast. :)

[Mongeaux]

LOL! So did I, that’s why I remember it. I was psyched to find the full version up on the Internet.

[cripplecreek]

I can’t help but think of T ball.

Nobody can win and make someone else feel like a loser.

[MarkL]

Years ago, there was a made for TV adaptation of this story starring Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee from LotR). Unfortunately, it was created in 1995 and according to Amazon, there's no DVD available (thought you can order the long out of production VHS version for rather stiff prices.

A similar distopian story was written by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) titled "This Perfect Day."

Mark

[Talisker]

I do a huge unit on this story/movie every year. And every year, kids who think they want everything to be fair and equal at the beginning end up with their jaws on the ground when they see what fair and equal actually looks like.

What a most excellent thing to teach in such a creative and impactful way to kids. I raise a piece of Rearden Metal in your general direction!

[catnipman]

“One of my favorite Sci-Fi short stories.”

Ditto.

I remember reading “Harrison Bergeron” when I was about 13. The story must have just come out. At any rate, it’s the first thing I ever read that really made me think, and I’ve never forgotten it. If anyone here hasn’t read Vonnegut’s short story collection “Welcome to the Monkey House” recently, I highly recommend it

[listenhillary]

Bump