Friday, December 30, 2005 20:51 (repost)

Individuality in the 21st Century

Have you seen the movie "Garden State"? There's a scene in Natalie Portman's bedroom, where she demonstrates to Zach Braff how she sometimes does these weird impromptu poses and sounds. She explains that it's her way of creating something unique and new in a world where everything has been said, thought, and done. I am paraphrasing.

I have always felt this way. The feeling that I get when I think of a cool idea for an invention - but, on the heels of that, I think "somebody has either invented that or is on the verge of releasing it." Or, for instance, take myspace. I run across a pic in someone's profile. It's an incredible photo! Action overcomes couch potato lethargy. I just have to comment on this! But then? Look down at the comments already in place. Someone, or a few someone's have already said it. Maybe said it better. Hmm. Do I try to top what's been written? Or maybe press on with the original comment I wanted to write? No. I pause for another moment to appreciate the photo for another moment and just back away. Ditto for blog comments.

I think that back in the stone age (maybe the 90's?), it was easier to repress this line of thought. Inventions like myspace and technologies such as podcasting make repression more difficult. Partially because they connect us and confirm what we had feared most. Yep. Someone has already thought of that. Also (staying with the examples of myspace and podcasting) these are more participatory environments. They practically cry for us to respond and reply with our own comments. myspace. MY-space. Hmm.

As for podcasats. How many are there now? 12,000? Opinions are like assholes, as they say. Everybody's got one... But don't get me wrong. Podcasts have some very redeeming characteristics, and there truly are some interesting people out amongst the masses.

Sometime soon, I'll bet, someone will be writing a doctoral thesis on myspace related suicides. And no, I'm not suicidal and this is not some veiled warning. It's just that, once again, I've run across a mind-blowing (or at least really good) blog and an excellent photo or two that screamed for comment. But alas, someone has already said it better.