Adam Musings
Jul 10, 2012 14:42:21 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2012 14:42:21 GMT -5
The Devil and Adam Lambert
modified from original published on ALFC, December 12, 2011
One of the first blogs I ever wrote on this site [ALFC] was called Adam Lambert, Honor, and Power. It was about how often Adam uses the word “honor” in his interviews. The upshot of the article was to underscore Adam’s deep understanding of the meaning of honor and public reputation.
So one of the things I have been thinking about is honor and public reputation, not for Adam (he has continued to handle himself beautifully), but for us, his fans. I have essentially seen statements to the effect that honor and respect have no meaning on the Internet.
Today I want to talk about individual honor on the net. I recently read an interesting article in which a journalist interviewed a Twitter user who tweeted the following message to a blogger:
You’re an idiot. Please die and let the rest of us live in peace. Kisses
The interview was enlightening because the Twitter user was so honest. She explained in her message exchange with the journalist that she knew next to nothing about the blogger in question: “oh I have no idea about anything and im the first to admit it.” Instead, she was following the example of a Internet “comic” she admired. This comic likes to put out offensive and scatological tweets aimed at various celebrities. They’re pretty sickening so I won’t give any examples; but what he does is tweet them out, then sit back, collect, and retweet the outraged responses from the individual’s fans.
As many of us know, this is called “trolling” and it is common on the Internet. The humor is founded in the tradition of “insult” humor: the laughs come from stripping a person of their dignity and honor, thus disempowering them. It's the same form of humor, essentially, that makes us laugh when the Roadrunner humiliates the Coyote. This Twitter user merely wanted to try it herself.
The journalist asked what she thought about the idea that the blogger was married and had children. Was it fair to wish death upon him? “I dont have an opinion I have no clue who the guy is.”
Would you walk into a party and say one of the guests should die, just see how others would react? “I did it for the lols,” she replied, though she allowed that doing it in “real life” did seem different: “if i had done this in person id feel horrible and be in tears. Because you see the actual people. When you’re on the internet, you see a user name. In person, you hear people shouting and you see the anger. Heck people can hit you. It’s a scary situation. There’s not much they can do online.”
How would you feel if your mother saw your tweet? Or if it showed up on the front page of the New York Times? “oh she and my dad would slap me upside the head. That’s partially why I regret it”
How do you feel now that people are saying YOU should die? “im kinda ambivalent. I mean 1) I have nothing against dying 2) it’s not like they know where I live.”
I suspect anyone who knows me can guess what I think about this activity, but I am curious to know what YOU think.
Would you take it seriously if someone wished death on… say, Perez? Would that be funny, as long as they didn’t actually carry out their threat? Suppose Perez reacted with outrage and fear? Would you be ashamed or would you go make some popcorn and watch the fun explode?
How about if they wished death on Sauli? Or Adam himself (how many times have we seen the message on YouTube videos, “I hope you die of AIDS?”). Is that good fun too?
What I am really asking is this … do you care about your honor and personal reputation on the internet, even if you use a screen name? Even if no one would ever know it was you?
Have you ever posted something that you would be ashamed if people who knew you in “real life” saw it (even if there is no chance they actually will)? Have you ever posted anything you wouldn’t want Adam to read? Or would it be OK since he probably would never connect it with the “real” you?
How close is the real you to the Internet you? How are they different and why?
modified from original published on ALFC, December 12, 2011
One of the first blogs I ever wrote on this site [ALFC] was called Adam Lambert, Honor, and Power. It was about how often Adam uses the word “honor” in his interviews. The upshot of the article was to underscore Adam’s deep understanding of the meaning of honor and public reputation.
So one of the things I have been thinking about is honor and public reputation, not for Adam (he has continued to handle himself beautifully), but for us, his fans. I have essentially seen statements to the effect that honor and respect have no meaning on the Internet.
Today I want to talk about individual honor on the net. I recently read an interesting article in which a journalist interviewed a Twitter user who tweeted the following message to a blogger:
You’re an idiot. Please die and let the rest of us live in peace. Kisses
The interview was enlightening because the Twitter user was so honest. She explained in her message exchange with the journalist that she knew next to nothing about the blogger in question: “oh I have no idea about anything and im the first to admit it.” Instead, she was following the example of a Internet “comic” she admired. This comic likes to put out offensive and scatological tweets aimed at various celebrities. They’re pretty sickening so I won’t give any examples; but what he does is tweet them out, then sit back, collect, and retweet the outraged responses from the individual’s fans.
As many of us know, this is called “trolling” and it is common on the Internet. The humor is founded in the tradition of “insult” humor: the laughs come from stripping a person of their dignity and honor, thus disempowering them. It's the same form of humor, essentially, that makes us laugh when the Roadrunner humiliates the Coyote. This Twitter user merely wanted to try it herself.
The journalist asked what she thought about the idea that the blogger was married and had children. Was it fair to wish death upon him? “I dont have an opinion I have no clue who the guy is.”
Would you walk into a party and say one of the guests should die, just see how others would react? “I did it for the lols,” she replied, though she allowed that doing it in “real life” did seem different: “if i had done this in person id feel horrible and be in tears. Because you see the actual people. When you’re on the internet, you see a user name. In person, you hear people shouting and you see the anger. Heck people can hit you. It’s a scary situation. There’s not much they can do online.”
How would you feel if your mother saw your tweet? Or if it showed up on the front page of the New York Times? “oh she and my dad would slap me upside the head. That’s partially why I regret it”
How do you feel now that people are saying YOU should die? “im kinda ambivalent. I mean 1) I have nothing against dying 2) it’s not like they know where I live.”
I suspect anyone who knows me can guess what I think about this activity, but I am curious to know what YOU think.
Would you take it seriously if someone wished death on… say, Perez? Would that be funny, as long as they didn’t actually carry out their threat? Suppose Perez reacted with outrage and fear? Would you be ashamed or would you go make some popcorn and watch the fun explode?
How about if they wished death on Sauli? Or Adam himself (how many times have we seen the message on YouTube videos, “I hope you die of AIDS?”). Is that good fun too?
What I am really asking is this … do you care about your honor and personal reputation on the internet, even if you use a screen name? Even if no one would ever know it was you?
Have you ever posted something that you would be ashamed if people who knew you in “real life” saw it (even if there is no chance they actually will)? Have you ever posted anything you wouldn’t want Adam to read? Or would it be OK since he probably would never connect it with the “real” you?
How close is the real you to the Internet you? How are they different and why?
