For all the hoopla over Rebecca Black's video for "Friday" I can say I have successfully avoided having watched it, although I feel like I have based on all the chatter that has besmirched the interwebs since it hit YouTube. And at this point it I doubt I ever will. After all, with all the stuff I've read about it, I feel like I don't have to see it.
One thing I've learned, from all the time I've spent on the internet, reading, writing, catching up on current events and just plain goofing off, is that time is definitely precious. It doesn't behoove me anymore to waste time on stuff that appears to be blatantly crap. I have a feeling that, just like with William Hung of American Idol fame, the commentary on the content is, in the main, more interesting than the content itself.
I make no claims for the quality of my own stuff I've put on the web, but I like think that I've given you, the readers, some quality content for your investment of time. I also like to think that I have successfully avoided the self-delusion that just because something can be done, that I can do it. Nothing wrong with playing to your strengths.
Perhaps the problem is that technology and the new media has made it so easy for content to be generated, that far too many think they can really generate it. I wish, wish, wish that there was a way for technology to make people honestly assess themselves and their capabilities.
I'm sure there are a lot of pleasant people out there, who like to sing or dance or make videos...but desire in no way automatically translates to worthiness. I daydream about a technology that can allow me to filter enormous amounts of content and make judgments about its quality before I invest too much time ingesting it all...wait...that tech already exists...
...and its called a "brain". Imagine that. Time to reset the filters.
24 June 2011
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I think there is another issue at work, and that art is becoming a "social event" which is different that the traditional singular event of personal discovery. We now can actually read a book and immediately discuss it with others on Twitter. And I think quality suffers when a mob mentality rules. I frequently find it difficult to comment on your posts, because what can I say? Nice poem? I'm sure if you wrote a real post on Rebecca Black, you would get twice as much traffic. This attitude reminds me of going to the movies in college. If I wanted to go see a French art film, I would go by myself, or with one close friend. But if a bunch of guys were going to hang out and watch a film on TV, we would intentionally pick a piece of action movie kung-fu junk so we can make fun of and bond together like guys. You see that happening now on Twitter, where everyone gets together to tweet jokes about the Bachelor and the Academy Awards. You never see anyone discussing the latest Nova on PBS. It just is not entertaining enough. But I find your blog a very special place exactly because you follow your heart and own interests.
ReplyDeleteArgh, the internet (of lack thereof) just ate my comment. I shall try again:
ReplyDeleteI know not of this video, nor the chatter around it. Think I'll keep it that way. We are still babies playing with our new 'toy' and I think we'll need to have a lot more experience with it before the content improves.
Have a lovely weekend, Irish.
AMEN! I work as a UGC (user generated content) moderator for a cable news network. Oh the horrors i have seen LOL (づ_ど)
ReplyDeleteYou're correct - Just because they can post it does not mean they should. Nobody wants to see pictures of Cannibals from Thialand preparing a meal...they post it
There is so much crap being uploaded by people who are either possessed by some off topic demons forcing them to click send. Or a bahjillion peeps all have the same obessive compulsive youtubeitis.
Who's Rebecca?
ReplyDeleteThere used to be editors, publishers and critics that would filter out the crap. But they cried wold once too often and blew their cred, so now we have nobody to protect us from...well, Justin Bieber and Kelly Osbourne.
ReplyDeleteOh, and to Mr 8482whatever. Jolly good idea. I have boycotted women of all nationalities since coming out, and I've never felt better. Why don't we have a few drinks and get to know each other better, big boy?
Ah...irony here in commentville.
ReplyDeleteAnd let me warn you of the coming day when the Wee Lass will say, "DAD, you just HAVE to see this..." And you will unwittingly and without your defenses fully in place, be accosted with a Rebecca Black video. Later that evening you will wonder how to recover that 3.5 minutes of your life.
I have been away from the news. Fortunately. I'll follow your lead on this one.
ReplyDeleteK*
well said sir. We all cry in fury when anything is kept from us. "CENSORSHIP!" How dare you! Perhaps it is not censorship if the world just goes back to filtering out the hacks.
ReplyDeleteI often feel bad for those with real talent and skill working from the ground, up - you know, the old fashioned way. They work their whole lives, with true, honest and inspiring talent only to be rolled over because someone's mom filmed their kid & put it on youtube.
Then they flock by the millions to watch the car wreck. Now we live in a world where the number of views demonstrates your value. And humanity's morbid curiousity allows the worse things to rise the fastest. And when everyone says 'that was 'great'' the mob decides that instead of being 'great' in how horrific it was, they confuse it for having quality.
Boo, I say. Boo.
That is why blogs have become my haven. People like you, with true talent, honest opinions, life experience & beauty in your writing, help me to keep track of what is 'great' and what is truly 'horrific'.
I haven't seen the video, but I have seen a lot of the comments on it. I think I'll pass.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... using your brain. What a concept! More people should try that!
I just think that sometimes at least, high end journalism is becoming so dam lazy?
ReplyDeletePeople jump over You Tube stuff like its the second coming!
15 minutes of fame condensed into a jerky AVI.
Shame on them all...
Interesting. (I also have no idea who Rebecca Black is... nor any inclination to find out.)
ReplyDeleteAfter a couple of hours of mulling, I've decided that the following analogy, based on what you wrote above, explains why I have abandoned most "social networking":
Facebook : friendship :: YouTube : talent
When I saw that 6 million Americans quit FB last month, I think maybe I'm not the only one who recently came to that realization.
"but desire in no way automatically translates to worthiness"
ReplyDeleteNo Truer words were ever spoken.
I don't know who Rebecca Black is .. I don't care.
YouTube has done this odd thing to us, bringing total crap along with some tiny moments of brilliance into our homes. I don't know if I hate it or love it ..
But I do love Mr Irish Gumbo .. from the heart, ABroad
I once sat with William Hung at a minor league baseball game. True story.
ReplyDeletehow's it goin' IG?
brain? oh. yeah. that. it's missing from main stream media.
ReplyDeletebut not missing at irish gumbo.
My mother and I were discussing Ellen's penchant for bringing 'youtube' sensations onto her show. We've come to the conclusion that it is not our favorite part of her follies. Luckily, I've never heard of this 'Friday' person. I hope you find time to visit the blatant crap that I post on my blog from time to time (as I am back!) I know it's mostly cut and paste, but hell it takes me time to try out these recipes, read the books, find and read through the poetry, create children's pop-up literature! lol
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of pop-ups, I miss pop-up video!
Bright blessings!