Faking it
I guess technically, this is my second posting here in the same day. I'm on a roll :D.
The topic of this post is how people conceal their identity online, and how people react when they find out that someone has been 'faking it'. I think the best example of this that I know of is Lonelygirl15 (Lonelygirl15, 2007) on youtube.
Lonelygirl15's whole image on the internet was fabricated by some film producers in order to create a fictional video blog. They decided to not tell people that what she was saying in her videos wasn't true to make it feel more 'real' to people. However, when the truth came out, most people responded (Renetto, 2006) very badly, and felt like they'd been lied to.
Whilst I can see why many people were annoyed, I also think they caused far too much fuss over it. As far as I can see, they weren't happy because they were under the assumption that her video blogs she was making were true. This wasn't the case, so they therefore felt lied to. However, I'm guessing that if they knew this from the beginning, then her videos wouldn't have been anywhere near as popular.
The reason I'm not annoyed or upset Lonelygirl15 had a whole team of film makers behind her is that as far as I can see, it really doesn't matter. I don't watch videos for their truth, I watch them for their entertainment value, so since I've never met this person, it doesn't matter to me whether what she says is true or not. It would be different if a real-life friend of mine made up who they were of course.
Whilst I don't conceal my online identity by creating a cover story for myself and lying like some people might, I simply filter what some people are allowed to know about me.
(doulostheou777, 2006)
doulostheou777 (2006) Lonelygirl15 comes out! [internet], youtube. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8evwzGCemqI
Lonelygirl15 (2007) Lonelygirl15 [internet], youtube. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=lonelygirl15
Renetto (2006) LonelyGirl15 is a FAKE... PLEASE WATCH!!! [internet], youtube. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z05X9nNNXLU
posted by Adrian at 8:05 pm
2 Comments:
Hi Adrian,
Just read some of your blog, I like the way you have jazzed up your page by putting vidoe clips, really good. I agree with what you said about how what we read and see especially if its someones blog or like that lonelygirl video, shouldn't be taken too seriously. Since I started blogging I have been reading other poeple's blogs from around the globe and some are just so crazy you would have to be really naive if you believed everthing you read.
People try to put out an image of themselves or what they do by filtering out the bits they don't want others to see and read. It's like a blog with nip & tuck, wouldn't we all like to change something about ourselves and present a different image?
Happy new year to you,too.
Hi Adrian,
Happy New Year to you too. I don't know whether you will get this because I already left a comment and it hasn't appeared here.
I'm sure a lot of peole realise that what they read online and see in the videos must be fiction. Although like you said regarding the lonelygirl blog if people assumed it was real then they must have a screw lose. Since I started my blog I have read other peoples blogs from around the world and some people write the most craziest things, that you have to realise its not true and you are being made a fool of.
I'm sure a lot of stuff we say and show about ourselves is filtered so that only what we want others to see and believe it evident. People all change their image to make themselves more presentable and perhaps more likeable. The images portrayed on the blogs either visually or literally has turned into nip & tuck blog.
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