“Be All You Can Be” was the recruiting slogan of the United States Army for over twenty years. While the phrase has technically been retired with "Army Strong," it has become the implicit axiom of millions of caricatures worldwide. Please note that I say caricature because of the exaggerated nature of the person being portrayed.
Caricatures have held a significant place throughout society, they have been used insultingly or complimentary, can serve a political purpose, or be purely for entertainment purposes.
However, when does exaggeration for entertainment become utter self aggrandizing? Is the purpose of the finely constructed character to make a point? Or is it simply a means to live out the fantasy that one has been unable to attain outside of the friendly confines of the internet? Is it too late to know the difference between that which you have created, and the person that exists two feet away from the screen? Better yet… What would happen to the actual individual if their virtual creation ceased to exist?
The most obvious example of exaggerated caricature development can be witnessed on networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. Ask members of these sites why they join, and their reasons typically can vary from “sharing experiences with friends and family,” “reconnecting with old schoolmates,” “seeing pictures and events that are happening in friends lives,” to “trying to hookup with someone.” Of the four typical responses, which do you think was said with the most sincerity?
ON A SIDE: The word friend came up in the last paragraph. It is amazing how the definition of that word has evolved in only the last few years… In the past, a friend was considered to be someone whom one knows, likes, and trusts. That is quite a combination isn’t it? So does simply knowing someone constitute them as a friend? How about meeting 2 out of the 3 criteria? Ultimately, it is a personal choice as to what one determines as the qualifications for someone being a friend. Who knows… Maybe it is normal to have 2,500 “friends” that you enjoy “sharing experiences with…” Even better, how about 2,500 friends that can be potential hookups? I LOVE IT!
NUMBERS GAME: Take a list of your friend list on MySpace, or Facebook, and go through each of the persons on your lists assigning them the following numbers:
- Talked to the person for more than 4 total hours in person: 2 points
- Talked to the person for less than 15 minutes person: 1 point
- Never talked to the person, but have seen them before: 0 points
- Never talked to them, but we have friends/interests in common: -1 point
- Don’t know the person at all, but they look hot: -2 points
There is no optimal total score, but isn’t it fun to see how numbers can be used to make one a little sketched out by their “friendships”???
I apologize for straying, but I will get back to the actual caricatures soon. There’s just so much stuff to talk about regarding social networks. I think I only have one more question… If you sent me a friend request, do you have a problem with me looking at your published pictures? Based on some status updates, I get the feeling that people don’t want other people to look at their profiles or pictures… Here’s a hint: Don’t add people that you don’t want looking at your business…
SIDE AGAIN: If you don’t want people to be up in your business, how about NEVER posting anything on your status? The purpose of the status is to let people know what you’re thinking. If your girlfriend left you, please believe that the instant you post an update about “insurmountable pain”, or a status change to “Single,” people will begin to ask questions… If you didn’t post it, how many people do you think would ask questions? Simple huh?
Back to caricatures
I have 50 photo albums, and 48 of them show me out at the club with a bottle in one hand and a lady in the other… The remaining 2 albums show me standing in front of parked cars, dressed with my cashmere sweaters, slim fit jeans, and white leather shoes.
My favorite books are anything written by Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Charles Dickens, and George Orwell.
My favorite activities are yachting, drinking fine wine, studying Greek architecture, and spending summer in
Some of my favorite music is written by Ludwig Van Beethoven and Giuseppi Vierdi.
Quotes that I hold dearly are “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely”and “The quality of an individual is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”
I am The Most Important Person in the World
But WAIT NAH … If you’re the most interesting man in the world, how then can HE the most interesting man in the world? But wait, what if I want to be The Most Interesting Man in the World? Can we ALL be The Most Interesting Man in the World? Wait… That doesn’t make any sense, does it???
I guess I’ll just have to be myself then…
No comments:
Post a Comment