Emob78: Sure. The monolith is a phallic symbol representing genesis and the power of creation. Fire of course being the semen that gave life and illuminated man's penis in the darkness. The star stream was man's path through the birth canal. The explosions... well, ok you have a point. 2010 did though when Jupiter turned into the sun of GAWD.
Ixamyakxim: Oh my God this is fantastic.
I certainly submitted plenty of papers during my University years that entailed comparing fire to semen and life generation, but I WISH I had been clever enough to pepper in the phrase
"gave life and illuminated man's penis in the darkness." If I had seen that line back then I totally, unabashedly would have plagiarized you because I KNOW my divinity professor would have laughed his ass off as much as I just did - that one would have been worth compromising my morals.
It's all thanks to human geometry, which is both amazing in its illumination as well as absurd in its intellectual masturbation. If the monolith as penis concept will blow your mind, wait until you hear the Hollywood Star/Anus theory. Basically the StarFish/Butthole theory is that the star symbolizes the anus, so anyone in Hollywood who gets a star on the walk of fame is actually signalling their submission to the Illuminati in having their soul raped ass-up and their price of admission for fame and fortune is having a very public image of their rape guilt being walked over and photographed by millions of unwary tourists. Wanna be a STAR in Hollywood? Wood made of Holly? Who's waving that magic wand near my anus-star? Is that you, Merlin?
That rabbit HOLE goes deeper than that, but I'm unwilling penetrate that issue further due to having to have this forum post back before 11 o'clock... it being a school night and all. Plus, and I know I sound cynical, but there's only so many times you can have your mind blown before you don't give a shit any more.
But back to 2001. Rob Ager has his own interesting idea of what the movie is about. His basic theory is that the monolith represents the film screen (mirror pointed at mirror). We are both the creators and the observers of our own human invention. Kubrick's idea? Random stoner theory? Who knows. Interesting idea, though.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Meaning of the Monolith Revealed PART 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSo6s_xrj4c