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Retro
Hello, Friends!
With the democratization of digital technology and various Web 2.0 tools like YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, and MySpace, many of us have embraced the Culture of Celebrity. We have become our own paparazzi, publicists, and fans - Just take a look at the thousands of fan pages on Facebook that have been created by the very same people who are asking you and me to become their fans.
What's more, popular "reality" shows like Pop Idol and Top Model reinforce the idea that people can become celebrities overnight.
These trappings of everyday living have become so ubiquitous, they're unavoidable. So unavoidable, in fact, that they're shaping a new breed of youth. They are informed, discriminating, media savvy, and extremely self-aware.
Look at your photographs back when we used 125mm, 110mm and 135mm film for the typical point-and-shoot camera. Those rolls of film could only fit 36 shots, at the most. That's the era when, if we wanted instant photographic gratification, we used Polaroid. I bet those photos are now good for a laugh, because you didn't have the benefit of hours of practice with your sleek Sony Cybershot.
Now, we know how to find our light. We know our best angles. We've learnt to pose just a little bit sideways, legs apart, knees soft, to convey a casually flattering countenance. We're never at a loss for what to do with our hands in photos any more. Our practiced, Colgate smiles can be summoned in a snap, and voila! You've got a perfect picture.
And when something - horrors! - does not look good, we simply run Photoshop.
The Culture of Celebrity is obsessed with perfection, it's ridiculous. We spend hours -nay, days and weeks and months - poring over photos of celebrities in the most awkward, compromising situations. Why? Schadenfreude?
Similarly, we create celebrities out of ourselves using various Web 2.0 tools. Sure, some ordinary people have become bonafide celebrities via YouTube and blogs, and that's fine. It makes me laugh, however, that some B-list socialites have actually created encyclopaedia entries on themselves on Wikipedia! With our carefully crafted personas, we present a "perfect" image of ourselves. Our physical and character flaws, most especially, are given a clever PR spin to romanticize our human frailty. Bravo! We have instantly become more interesting and memorable.
So why should we force perfection on others and manufacture perfection within ourselves when imperfection is what keeps the world moving?
James (circled in red) circa 2003
I am a proud denizen of Web 2.0.
With Affection,
Astron
With the democratization of digital technology and various Web 2.0 tools like YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, and MySpace, many of us have embraced the Culture of Celebrity. We have become our own paparazzi, publicists, and fans - Just take a look at the thousands of fan pages on Facebook that have been created by the very same people who are asking you and me to become their fans.
What's more, popular "reality" shows like Pop Idol and Top Model reinforce the idea that people can become celebrities overnight.
These trappings of everyday living have become so ubiquitous, they're unavoidable. So unavoidable, in fact, that they're shaping a new breed of youth. They are informed, discriminating, media savvy, and extremely self-aware.
Look at your photographs back when we used 125mm, 110mm and 135mm film for the typical point-and-shoot camera. Those rolls of film could only fit 36 shots, at the most. That's the era when, if we wanted instant photographic gratification, we used Polaroid. I bet those photos are now good for a laugh, because you didn't have the benefit of hours of practice with your sleek Sony Cybershot.
Now, we know how to find our light. We know our best angles. We've learnt to pose just a little bit sideways, legs apart, knees soft, to convey a casually flattering countenance. We're never at a loss for what to do with our hands in photos any more. Our practiced, Colgate smiles can be summoned in a snap, and voila! You've got a perfect picture.
And when something - horrors! - does not look good, we simply run Photoshop.
The Culture of Celebrity is obsessed with perfection, it's ridiculous. We spend hours -nay, days and weeks and months - poring over photos of celebrities in the most awkward, compromising situations. Why? Schadenfreude?
Similarly, we create celebrities out of ourselves using various Web 2.0 tools. Sure, some ordinary people have become bonafide celebrities via YouTube and blogs, and that's fine. It makes me laugh, however, that some B-list socialites have actually created encyclopaedia entries on themselves on Wikipedia! With our carefully crafted personas, we present a "perfect" image of ourselves. Our physical and character flaws, most especially, are given a clever PR spin to romanticize our human frailty. Bravo! We have instantly become more interesting and memorable.
So why should we force perfection on others and manufacture perfection within ourselves when imperfection is what keeps the world moving?
James (circled in red) circa 2003
I am a proud denizen of Web 2.0.
With Affection,
Astron
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