02. Three Transformations (Kafka, the Godemperor, and Druski)

The Viewings

What will we be talking about?

For our next discussion we'll be talking about the above videos:

  • Druski's recent Erika Kirk sketch
  • Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis (a summary)
  • God Emperor of Dune (a summary)

These all involve transformation, that is to say, changing from one state into another and various effects that transformation causes.

Transformation is both a mathematical term, as expressed in things like the CSS transform property, but it is also a concept unto itself.

That is to say when things transform (people through time and space, skills via practice, etc.) they have other effects on the world around them.

You will think about these different contexts of transformation, how they transform the universe they are a part of, and how they relate to the idea of transformation for your project.

Things to think about

(You do not need to answer these questions directly but if you are not sure where to focus you can start with them to focus your thoughts)

  • How does transformation effect the characters in the works that are mentioned? For Gregor or Leto it might be narratively, but for Druski what is your impression of the cultural fallout of his Erika Kirk skit?
  • How does the transformation occur in each work Instantaneously? Hours? Over centuries? How might that process change how the character perceives that change? Ho
  • How might transformation in these different contexts relate to different UI/UX transformations you've experience in your day-to-day life? For example, a dark mode/light mode button and it's effect on the page, a switch on your phone for iOS sounds, or a slider that changes a color or variable font axis.
  • When is transformation "good" vs. "bad"? Why might someone be offended by the Druski skit? Why might someone get mad when a website or operating system changes its interface?
  • What other media or culture examples might you think of that relate to this idea of transformation? Barbie? Altered Beast? Teddy Perkins? Rachel Dolezal?
  • How might you, talk about transformation in your work as a reflection of your experience with it? How might you use Rive show something transforming interactively? How might that transformation occur?

Homework

respond to the above in some kind of text file (.txt, .pdf, .rtf, .doc, etc) and place in the respective folder for the class by 04/09/2026