Benedict Cumberbatch reads Kurt Vonnegut's ultra-timely letter to people living in 2088
Cumberbatch's delivery and Vonnegut's words are a match made in literary heaven.
Kurt Vonnegut (left), Benedict Cumberbatch right)
Back in 1988, writer Kurt Vonnegut was tasked with writing a letter to the planetary citizens of Earth in 2088 as part of Volkswagen’s TIME magazine ad campaign. And that he did, using his signature blend of dark humor, simple, conversational tone, and a poignant, enduring wisdom that’s almost medicinal—difficult to swallow, but oh so necessary.
In the letter, after quoting Shakespeare, St. John the Divine, and the well known Serenity prayer used in Alcoholic Anonymous groups, Vonnegut then dived into more somber matters—how “violent and heartless nature can be.” He argued that “Nature was no conservationist. It needed no help from us in taking the planet apart and putting it back together some different way, not necessarily improving it from the viewpoint of living things.” Therefore, it is ultimately humanity’s responsibility to ensure our well being remains preserved.
To work with “Nature’s stern but reasonable surrender terms,” Vonnegut advised the following:
1. Reduce and stabilize your population.
2. Stop poisoning the air, the water, and the topsoil.
3. Stop preparing for war and start dealing with your real problems.
4. Teach your kids, and yourselves, too, while you’re at it, how to inhabit a small planet without helping to kill it.
5. Stop thinking science can fix anything if you give it a trillion dollars.
6. Stop thinking your grandchildren will be OK no matter how wasteful or destructive you may be, since they can go to a nice new planet on a spaceship. That is really mean, and stupid.
7. And so on. Or else.
Vonnegut concluded with an eerily accurate depiction not of life 2088, but as we are experiencing it now. “Nobody will have to leave home to go to work or school, or even stop watching television. Everybody will sit around all day punching the keys of computer terminals connected to everything there is.”
If these words feel impactful (not to mention utterly relevant) just reading them now, wait til you hear them delivered by actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who even went the extra mile using an American accent, below:
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
This video was part of the Letters Live series, which often has actors doing live staged reading of interesting, funny, or dramatic letters excavated from libraries, museums and other archives. Cumberbatch, one of the co-producers of Letters Live, is also a regular reader. But there’s about the combo between Vonnegut’s timeless words and Cumberbatch’s impeccable delivery that makes this one particularly special.
Down in the comments, viewers expressed similar sentiments.
“KV’s letter should be broadcast on every corporate media available. His truth holds. Thank you Benedict Cumberbatch for your flawless reading!”
“Kurt Vonnegut, always having the right of it. Benedict Cumberbatch, always reiterating the message perfectly.”
“Touche' very appropriate timing for this much needed reflection! My dear Mr. Cumberbatch, you are an eloquent speaker.”
“Well said, and well read.”
“Wow that completely blew my mind and totally relevant today more than ever!!!! CHEERS!”
“Ok, at the end that got frighteningly accurate.”
Vonnegut always had a gift for biting satire and sharp insight into the darker aspects of humanity. And clearly, considering we are living out so many of his predictions much earlier than 2088, his words bear repeating.
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