Oh the Humanity
Darwin once said that those who could best survive in the environment around them would influence the next generation of a given species. Nowhere in this idea did he talk about external forces acting on populations that change the survivability of a species. Darwin was well aware of the food chain, but he never discussed how human elitism could affect the food chain. As a result of mass production, human ignorance towards other forms of life proves their elitism. Humans believe that they are the top of the food chain, and therefore, they value their own life far above any other life. They have a biological elitism. With their biological elitism, humans begin developing a superiority complex, which, in result lends them to believe they are a step above “top of the food chain”. Finally, humans can get pleasure from watching the destruction of other life because the destruction reassures humans of their superiority complex. Although each has a unique setting, Super Sad True Love Story, “The People Pound”, and Heathers are all connected in their inherent values of life, each providing a satirical approach to biological elitism and proving the sadism of humanity.
Biological elitism starts with the devaluing of other, inferior life forms, which leads to the construction of a biological dictatorship. In Hunter Breckonridge’s story, “The People Pound”, she satirizes the lack of value humans place on animals by paralleling animals with disabled humans, calling disabled humans “duds”. In her story, Gertrude is a middle-aged woman who received brain damage at her job. She is the first “dud” of many seen in the story. The term “dud”, is inherently condescending. It implies a lack of social value in the object. Breckonridge’s writes, “…she probably can’t think anymore. She’s just a dud” (Breck 2). Therefore, anything that cannot think is a “dud”. Although animals have survival intuition, they aren’t thought as having thoughts. Hence, “duds” in the story are just like animals. Breckonridge forces a realization that animals are too far devalued by putting human “duds” in the place of animals. In the film, Heathers, Veronica says, “All we want is to be treated like human beings, not to be experimented on like guinea pigs or patronized like bunny rabbits”. To which, her father responds, “I don’t patronize bunny rabbits”. The humor in this statement pulls away from its importance. Veronica is clearly stating that she wants to be treated like something more than an animal. Her need to be valued is based on social construction of her high school. The high school values those who are more popular, therefore, leaving Veronica to feel like a bunny rabbit. In the end, after being devalued by her school, Veronica’s leads herself to be “dictator” of the school. In comparison, Martha, in Breckonridge’s short story, see’s the hierarchy that humans rein over the “duds” as she goes from a carnival setting to a pound and to an arena. In each of these stop, Martha reveals the dehumanization and patronization of duds as they are placed in the position of animals.
Biological Elitism continues into further hierarchy as humans attempt to portray even greater value, reaching for value in the supernatural. In the novel, Super Sad True Love Story, the ultimate goal of the protagonist, Lenny, is to have infinite life. Indefinite youth is the goal in having eternal life. Obviously this task is unrealistic but biological elitism pushes a need for supernatural capabilities. Lenny states, “My youth has passed, but the wisdom of age hardly beckons. Why is it so hard to be a grown-up in this world?” (Super 26). Lenny lives in a world where youth is the only was to stay “human”. Youth is the only way to have value, and Lenny needs value to be human. Therefore, the desire to have eternal life is a desire to feel biologically elite. Lenny does not find enough value from his wisdom and credit, hence, he seeks to regain his youth in order to be elite. Similarly, J.D., in the film, Heathers, attempts to make up for his lack of social value by becoming supernatural. In the film, J.D. attempts to become Satan by twisting the morality of high school students. J.D. says, “People will look at the ashes of Westerburg and say, "Now there's a school that self-destructed, not because society didn't care, but because the school was society." Now that's deep”. J.D. is saying that the school lies as it’s own realm of society. The fact that he wants it to self-destruct is out of his Satanic desires. J.D. wants to control society, because he thinks the school represents society. The reason behind his ambition is the lack of value he has in the school. The school forces him into a state of reestablishing his biological elitism, which is fulfilled by his self-perception as Satan. Although J.D. and Lenny are opposite in their ambitions, Lenny wanting life and J.D. wanting death, their desire to be supernatural is at the cause of a starving biological elitism. To compensate for each of their lack of social value, they turn to the supernatural for worth.
Humans become sadistic with their elitism when they recognize the power they have over others. Because of his lack of youth and therefore his lack of societal value, Lenny represents an animal in the biological hierarchy. In the novel, his girlfriend, Eunice, abuses his lack of value. Her elitism has proceeded to sadism. She tells Lenny, “…if you come home and the delivery comes, can you please make sure the milk is antibiotic-free not just fat-free this time and that they didn’t forget the Lavazza Qualita Oro Expresso. Then put the veal and the whole branzino in the fridge and set the white peaches out on the countertop...don’t forget to put the fish and veal in the fridge, Lenny! And if you’re going to do the dishes please wipe down the countertop. You always leave water all over the place…Have a good day, nerd-face” (Super 117). Eunice treats Lenny like a slave, whipping his around everywhere. But she also gets pleasure from enslaving him. The tag at the end of her message “nerd-face” make it seem as if Eunice enjoys putting Lenny to work. She gets pleasure from his pain. She is able to be a sadist around Lenny because of the hierarchy of their relationship. Lenny has less value than Eunice simply because he has less youth than her. Eunice is biologically elite. Eunice’s sadistic desires spurred from her dad. Her dad treated her sadistically; therefore, Eunice wishes to feel valuable by treating others sadistically. Similarly, in Hunter Breckonridge’s story, humans are more obviously sadistic towards the duds. The narrator describes an arena for the duds, “In the center ring, the duds are being prodded around and men in hats are bidding on them” (Breck 6). The men watching in the arena are the biological elitists. Their sadistic nature towards “duds” proves their desire for elitism. Similar to the men in the arena and Eunice, J.D. is a sadist. J.D. is a more blunt, physical interpretation of a sadist, but he is a sadist nonetheless. His sadism spurs from his desire to be supernatural, but it proves his biological elitism. J.D., Eunice, and the men in the arena are all sadists due to the biological elitism the wish to prove.
In each Heathers, Super Sad True Love Story, and “The People Pound” biological elitism is deconstructed and exposed through use of satire. by revealing levels of this elitism, the authors and director have exposed sadism ingrained in the elitism. The sadism in elitism developed from a power struggle between human and other life. Humans begin elitism by stripping value from other life. Next, they seek to improve their worth by reaching to supernatural ambitions. Finally, they end elitism in sadism, putting no worth on other life. Biological elitism has and will ultimately lead to destruction of other species.

Works Cited
Breckonridge, Hunter. "The People Pound." Unpublished Short Fiction, 2011.
Heathers. Dir. Michael Lehmann. Prod. Novi Denise Di and Jon Hutman. By Daniel
Waters, Francis Kenny, David Newman, and Norman Hollyn. Perf. Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and Penelope Milford. New World Pictures, 1988.
Shteyngart, Gary. Super Sad True Love Story. New York: Random House, 2010. Print.