Little did I know but my earlier post last night would serve as an ice-breaker for tonight's post.
Perhaps it only served as an, "American Idol" icebreaker since it's really only indirectly related to American Idol in that Antonella Barba, the hot 20 year-old from New Jersey appears to have posed for some rather provocative photos and they have been widely distributed around the Internet.
Ordinarily I'm the type that would not only provide the links I have found so far and freely distribute them via this post but also re-visit them myself for the next couple of weeks - or at least until the newness wore off. But, I have an agenda here. I have a point that I would like to prove.
First off, let me get the old fart thing out of the way. When I was considerably younger . . . we didn't have the Internet. If you went around letting people take pictures of you with half your clothes off, drunk or under the influence of anything else you could certainly take steps to make sure the whole world didn't find out.
These days that's not the case.
Anything you do and give to the Internet ( regardless of how intelligent or well thought out it feels at the time ) is recorded and there forever for the whole world to see. I'm beginning to believe that there's a significant number of people who just don't seem to get it. And it worries me because it has the potential to really screw up someone's life. Allow me to elaborate just a bit . . .
Perhaps it only served as an, "American Idol" icebreaker since it's really only indirectly related to American Idol in that Antonella Barba, the hot 20 year-old from New Jersey appears to have posed for some rather provocative photos and they have been widely distributed around the Internet.
Ordinarily I'm the type that would not only provide the links I have found so far and freely distribute them via this post but also re-visit them myself for the next couple of weeks - or at least until the newness wore off. But, I have an agenda here. I have a point that I would like to prove.
First off, let me get the old fart thing out of the way. When I was considerably younger . . . we didn't have the Internet. If you went around letting people take pictures of you with half your clothes off, drunk or under the influence of anything else you could certainly take steps to make sure the whole world didn't find out.
These days that's not the case.
Anything you do and give to the Internet ( regardless of how intelligent or well thought out it feels at the time ) is recorded and there forever for the whole world to see. I'm beginning to believe that there's a significant number of people who just don't seem to get it. And it worries me because it has the potential to really screw up someone's life. Allow me to elaborate just a bit . . .
According to USA Today, most people in the 18 - 25 year-old range find it ( in pretty much equal amounts ) most important to be either rich or famous. Reality shows, the Internet, television, and an equal number of other devices are used to implant the belief in people's heads anymore that life without fame and fortune is what separates the people with something from the people who have nothing. It's constantly in our face. What makes it even worse, the successes of others, and the speed with which they achieve their fame and fortune, are also on display.
These days fame and fortune is only a season of reality TV away. What's more it doesn't even matter if you win. The publicity gained from exposure or making it into the finals can carry through to a career of some sort. The more controversial or the better one is at drawing attention to themselves the better. I would be willing to assert that the prize awarded to the winner of a reality show is only secondary to the fame that accompanies it. So, it seems only natural that people tend to seek out other ways to get famous. What better vehicle to get your mug in front of the largest number of people - other than TV? The Internet.
With the growth of social networking websites like Facebook, My Space, You Tube, and a host of others looking to gain traction there also exists a willing audience to consume and spread all kinds of content. It appears that there is no shortage of people willing to provide the content, no matter how incriminating or embarrassing, for all the world to see. For just one moment, bear with me here. Assume you're young, say you're in high school or college and the future isn't something that's really in the forefront of whatever consciousness is available at the time. I know it's far fetched, but give it a shot here. Let's also assume, just for a moment, that you're considering allowing someone to take pictures of your either scantily clad or nude body. Maybe you're in the throws of passion and you're also recording it for the sake of humanity ( or whatever else might convince someone that it's a good idea to capture the moment ). If you're with me so far, allow me to hold you here one more moment longer. Now let's assume that we've been taken twenty years into the future. You are a successful salesperson, accountant, whatever . . . . You're being considered for a promotion to VP or a job that requires a security clearance with the department of defense. It doesn't matter. Just consider that it is an important, perhaps high-profile, job. Now consider that the person in charge of giving you that job decides to search the Internet using your name and those pictures or that video shows up. Something tells me that you may not want to be that famous at that particular time for that particular reason.
I imagine that this whole argument could blow up right in my face. When the high school and college kids are all grown up and have forgotten about their series of nude photos posted in the dark recesses of the Internet it may not really matter. Perhaps the people making decisions will have their own, homemade porn. Maybe attitudes will change so much that only the weirdos will be left out in the cold with no nude pics to lay claim to. In contrast to the world in which I grew up, my kids are growing up in a world where practically everything they do is stored somewhere. We're under surveillance by video cameras on the streets, in stores, and in schools, our emails are stored, our phone calls are monitored, and our TV viewing habits are analyzed.
Privacy is something that I enjoyed years ago. But that doesn't mean that it should be readily available and at the fingertips of anyone who wants it. But the fact remains that it is accessible.
Anotella will probably get the fame she seeks. She probably will not get the kind of fame that she really desires right now - that is, to be recognized for her vocal talent and become an overnight, pop-star sensation. But what will people remember about her?
What's your take on this? Are people making too much out of fame these days? Are they getting famous for the right reasons? Are there right reasons?
These days fame and fortune is only a season of reality TV away. What's more it doesn't even matter if you win. The publicity gained from exposure or making it into the finals can carry through to a career of some sort. The more controversial or the better one is at drawing attention to themselves the better. I would be willing to assert that the prize awarded to the winner of a reality show is only secondary to the fame that accompanies it. So, it seems only natural that people tend to seek out other ways to get famous. What better vehicle to get your mug in front of the largest number of people - other than TV? The Internet.
With the growth of social networking websites like Facebook, My Space, You Tube, and a host of others looking to gain traction there also exists a willing audience to consume and spread all kinds of content. It appears that there is no shortage of people willing to provide the content, no matter how incriminating or embarrassing, for all the world to see. For just one moment, bear with me here. Assume you're young, say you're in high school or college and the future isn't something that's really in the forefront of whatever consciousness is available at the time. I know it's far fetched, but give it a shot here. Let's also assume, just for a moment, that you're considering allowing someone to take pictures of your either scantily clad or nude body. Maybe you're in the throws of passion and you're also recording it for the sake of humanity ( or whatever else might convince someone that it's a good idea to capture the moment ). If you're with me so far, allow me to hold you here one more moment longer. Now let's assume that we've been taken twenty years into the future. You are a successful salesperson, accountant, whatever . . . . You're being considered for a promotion to VP or a job that requires a security clearance with the department of defense. It doesn't matter. Just consider that it is an important, perhaps high-profile, job. Now consider that the person in charge of giving you that job decides to search the Internet using your name and those pictures or that video shows up. Something tells me that you may not want to be that famous at that particular time for that particular reason.
I imagine that this whole argument could blow up right in my face. When the high school and college kids are all grown up and have forgotten about their series of nude photos posted in the dark recesses of the Internet it may not really matter. Perhaps the people making decisions will have their own, homemade porn. Maybe attitudes will change so much that only the weirdos will be left out in the cold with no nude pics to lay claim to. In contrast to the world in which I grew up, my kids are growing up in a world where practically everything they do is stored somewhere. We're under surveillance by video cameras on the streets, in stores, and in schools, our emails are stored, our phone calls are monitored, and our TV viewing habits are analyzed.
Privacy is something that I enjoyed years ago. But that doesn't mean that it should be readily available and at the fingertips of anyone who wants it. But the fact remains that it is accessible.
Anotella will probably get the fame she seeks. She probably will not get the kind of fame that she really desires right now - that is, to be recognized for her vocal talent and become an overnight, pop-star sensation. But what will people remember about her?
What's your take on this? Are people making too much out of fame these days? Are they getting famous for the right reasons? Are there right reasons?
Anotella - if she has what it takes will get recognized for her talent in the long run. Just like Vanessa Williams, who is an excellent actress - she got past the notariety of being the Miss America who posed nude (prior to being Miss America).
The people who get famous for the right reasons are getting famous for doing the right thing for the right reason with no thought of "getting famous," such as fighting Global Warming or Aids in Africa, going into politics to "make a difference."
However, when it's all said and done fame, like money, is much overated - it takes neither to make a lasting impact on mankind. For if you influence only one person by your actions, you influence a multitude of generations to come.
It is truly amazing to me that fame is sooo important. I, like you Jim, am still trying to forget all the stupid things I did twenty years ago and the last thing I want is someone showing it to me on a video.
The bigger issue for me becomes what the media does with this information. No matter what people are trying to accomplish is seems "more fun" to bash people with things they did in the past vs what good they are doing now.