Getting Caught In The “Interwebs”
As I read “A Gift From the Interwebs”, I could not help but notice how our modern world can twist and change almost anything into a form of entertainment for the masses. The three original pieces the article discusses are all meant to be informative with two concerning food reviews and one about sexual assault. Clearly, Daym Drops videos are intended to entertain but they only became famous with his work being altered and put to song while Marilyn Hagerty and Antoine Dodson speak about informative and serious topics. When Marilyn Hagerty wrote her review of her nearby Olive Garden, she had no intention to entertain, merely to inform on the enjoyable experience she had at the restaurant and recommend it to her readers, bringing a serious and mature style to her writing. Instead of being respected, however, Hagerty is mocked. Perhaps even more offensive is the response to Antoine Dodson, who speaks about the attempted rape on his sister. In any other case, this would be a serious news story but Dodson’s stereotypical depiction is used to provide entertainment with the actual story of his sister almost completely being forgotten.
The Internet has greatly altered how the public sees the three pieces, almost poking fun at each individual. Although each individual enjoyed their new found “fame”, with Daym Drops gaining more YouTube followers, Marilyn Hagerty appearing “on all the major news networks”, and Antoine Dodson eagerly creating a Twitter and Facebook page to further his fame and his story, I can only wonder how often this is not the case with the Internet. Antoine Dodson, Daym Drops, and Marilyn Hagerty all broadcasted their own individual messages using the Internet, yet when their works were ridiculed and viewed as entertaining, they each took their fame in stride. These individuals should be praised for their cavalier attitude but I can only imagine how many people’s works have been the object of ridicule that were not fortunate enough to positively use their “15 minutes of fame”. Everyday, more of our lives become shared through the Internet and I fear for the day when no single work of Internet users is safe from being made fun of solely to provide a few laughs.
2 responses so far
I like how you brought up those who don’t handle the fame as well as others do. I think we sometimes forget that when Rebecca Black’s video went viral last year, the Internet was so harsh in its ridicule that we forced a 13-year-old girl to drop out and become home-schooled. It’s important to remember that Internet fame affects people differently, and becoming viral isn’t always intended, and it doesn’t always lead to more opportunities in the future.
I agree with everything you brought up here and how true it is that no matter how serious the situation ‘going viral’ may be, we never fail to find a way to ridicule it. It almost seems like that’s all that people are really looking to do. I don’t think there will ever be a day when people keep rude thoughts to themselves.