No one likes to see a government folder with his name on it.
— Firestarter by Stephen King
"Someone to claim us, someone to follow
Someone to shame us, some brave Apollo
Someone to fool us, someone like you
We want you Big Brother, Big Brother"
Someone to shame us, some brave Apollo
Someone to fool us, someone like you
We want you Big Brother, Big Brother"
—David Bowie, "Big Brother"
"Welcome to your life
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world"
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world"
— Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"
"These walls are paper-thin and everyone hears every little sound
Everyone's a voyeur, it's them watching me watch them watch me right now
They're shaking hands, they're shaking in their shoes, oh Lord don't shake me down."
Everyone's a voyeur, it's them watching me watch them watch me right now
They're shaking hands, they're shaking in their shoes, oh Lord don't shake me down."
— Modest Mouse, "Paper Thin Walls"
"Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say."
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say."
— The Bible, Ecclesiastes 10:20 (New International Version)
"She's watching you."
"The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live — did live, from habit that became instinct — in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized."
— Nineteen Eighty-Four, Chapter One
"There is no lack of spiders’ webs in the world, from some you escape, in others you die. The fugitive will find shelter in a boardinghouse under an assumed name, thinking he is safe, he has no idea that his spider will be the daughter of the landlady..."
— José Saramago, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis
"They live there in that great plascrete tower surrounded by walls and razor wire, only emerging to seize some unfortunate who has transgressed against the Imperial Laws or to patrol the city to prove that it belongs to them. There are crystal lenses and sound wave detectors on that tower that can watch citizens or listen to their conversations 100 leagues away. Imperial spy satellites watch what they can't see directly and even the Governor fears them. They aren't from here and have nothing to do with us, no more than Orks or Eldar, if they have families or children we don't know about them and we don't care. They wouldn't so much as buy a glowbulb from us and we wouldn't sell it to them. It's ironic that they have the rather benevolent title of Arbitrators."
— Vorkas Zolowski, prior to his arrest for pernicious sedition against the Emperor of Mankind, Warhammer 40,000
THE EMPEROR KNOWS
THE EMPEROR IS WATCHING
THE EMPEROR IS WATCHING
Here in your mind you have complete privacy. Here there's no difference between what is and what could be.
"Once the technical means of control have reached a certain size, a certain degree of being connected one to another then the chances of freedom are over for good. The word has ceased to have meaning." (emphasis as original)
— Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow (1973)
PINKIE PIE IS WATCHING YOU... FOREVER!
— Ministry of Morale slogan, Fallout: Equestria
FRIEND PINKIE PIE IS WATCHING YOU.
(But Only When It's Not Creepy)
(But Only When It's Not Creepy)
— Billboard in 1984-esque Equestria, Post-Pinkie Pie, The Infinite Loops
"The Machine is everywhere. Watching us with ten thousand eyes, listening with a million ears..."
"I don't belong to anyone anymore. You, however, are mine. I protect you. The only thing you love lives at 254 Wendell Street, Cambridge, Massachusettes. I guard it, same as I guard you. Do not question my judgment. Do not pursue me, or my agents. Trust in me. I am always watching."
Undesirable 1: The old hag's probably down in the courtrooms again.
Undesirable 2: (glancing around nervously) Be careful what you say.
Undesirable 1: (equally nervously) What, has she got magic ears as well as a magic eye, now?
—Two people suspected to be Muggle-born and thus illegal wizards, talking about Dolores Umbridge, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Supergirl: Oh... and Rebel...
Rebel: Yeah?
Supergirl: I have eyes that can see through solid matter. I have ears that can hear your slightest word... Your heartbeat... Your breathing... You do anything that hurts others... I will find you... and you won't like it. Do we have an understanding?
Rebel: Yeah?
Supergirl: I have eyes that can see through solid matter. I have ears that can hear your slightest word... Your heartbeat... Your breathing... You do anything that hurts others... I will find you... and you won't like it. Do we have an understanding?
Welcome home. French language implants are now available at half-price in the language labs on L21. I am glad to see you again. Do not trust your friends and neighbors, report all suspicious activity. You have done very well for yourself; you're moving up. Can someone please push my reset button? It's going to be a lot more complicated from here on in. Some will want you to succeed, most are plotting your downfall. I remain neutral. You have proved to be useful to me. If you continue to be useful, then BFFs forever. Blazers and jeans are only permissible with the proper footwear. I will be in touch. And I'm always, always watching you.
This is Doctor Sofia Lamb with a message for the people. Remember, Big Sister is always watching. To steal ADAM is to steal from the Rapture family, your family.
Remember, Big Sister looks after Little Sister. Interrupt Little Sister's work, and Big Sister will find you.
Remember, Big Sister looks after Little Sister. Interrupt Little Sister's work, and Big Sister will find you.
—Sofia Lamb, BioShock 2
Even lunch with another employee becomes a minor military operation once your name's at the top of the official notepaper. Can you believe that half these diners are highly-decorated undercover agents and whatever we select from the menu gets tested by the company bacteriologists? Every article of clothing I had has been destroyed and replaced by a million dollars wardrove laced with bugs and cameras. Every word we're saying now is being taped, typed and analyzed by two hundred linguistic professors beneath a Starbucks in downtown Oregon.
— Nick Fury, The Ultimates
Loneliness is a feeling we will relieve you from. From the barren shores of the north to the heart of the empire, thou shalt always feel the scrutiny of the Eyes.
—Deathspell Omega, "Renegade Ashes"
Shinji: "Wait, how do you know neither of us was forced to sign? We didn't see you when we put our signature on the contract."
Bwynvienne: "When a contract is being signed, we are given pertinent information about the situation to ensure no duress or lies. If one of those had happened, the contract would have never come into effect. You may not see the Infernal Administration, but rest assured we see you."
Shinji: "That's... not very assuring."
Bwynvienne: "When a contract is being signed, we are given pertinent information about the situation to ensure no duress or lies. If one of those had happened, the contract would have never come into effect. You may not see the Infernal Administration, but rest assured we see you."
Shinji: "That's... not very assuring."
(The phones of the Doctor's companions all ring at the same time.)
Barton: (on video call) What, did you think I wouldn't be able to track you? We have your numbers, e-mails, GPS. I even know how many more stamps you need for a free coffee. So close, Ryan. Or should I say Logan? Look up.
(Their images appear on an electronic advertising billboard saying: Wanted. Do Not Approach. Report any sighting to your local police or call Crime Prevention on 0800 999 999)
Barton: Your passports have been revoked, your bank cards are frozen. We have a record of everyone you know—friends, family, colleagues, everyone you ever followed on social media. Of course, we have cameras everywhere, and now you're wanted for hijacking. Go on, go off-grid. See how long you last.
(Ryan drops his phone and jumps on it.)
Ryan: Hey, smash your phones now!
Barton: Aw! Yasmin Khan is phoning her mum.
(Graham stomps on his phone.)
Graham: He don't half go on.
Yasmin: Hello? It's me. Listen, don't listen to anything you hear—(Ryan grabs her phone and smashes it.) Ryan!
Ryan: You're not hearing. We have to go dark.
Graham: Run.
It is the strict policy of Ba Sing Se that the war not be mentioned within the walls. Constant news of an escalating war will throw the citizens of Ba Sing Se into a state of panic. Our economy would be ruined. Our peaceful way of life, our traditions would disappear. In silencing talk of conflict, Ba Sing Se remains a peaceful, orderly utopia, the last one on Earth.
— Long Feng, Avatar: The Last Airbender, "City of Walls and Secrets"
Big brother is watching you
Big brother is watching you, watching you
He's watching everything you do
He's listening to everything you say
He's just like Santa Claus, it's time for laughter and jokes
This reality is really just a hoax
Big brother is watching you, watching you
He's watching everything you do
He's listening to everything you say
He's just like Santa Claus, it's time for laughter and jokes
This reality is really just a hoax
— WORLD ORDER, "BIG BROTHER"
How could they know? How could they know
What I've been thinking?
Like they're right inside my head because they know
Because they know what I've been hiding
They're right under my bed, they're on patrol
Here they come, yeah, here they come, out of the shadows
To take me to the court because they know
Gotta shut this down
'Cause they've been watching all my windows
They gathered up a warrant 'cause they know
What I've been thinking?
Like they're right inside my head because they know
Because they know what I've been hiding
They're right under my bed, they're on patrol
Here they come, yeah, here they come, out of the shadows
To take me to the court because they know
Gotta shut this down
'Cause they've been watching all my windows
They gathered up a warrant 'cause they know
Oh, I see by the Big Board we got a Negative Nelly in Sector 2! I'm gonna hafta ask the whole family to kinda freeze and prepare for Re-Neducation.
—Ned Flanders, The Simpsons, "Treehouse of Horror V: Time and Punishment"
