“You are Invited* To a super elite party at a secret, incredibly UNDERGROUND location with FAMOUS WRITERS, about-to-be-famous-models, OBAMA’S whole family, literary agents, rock stars, a beautiful Spanish sculptor (or two) and other special guests.
* Just don’t Blog, post pictures to facebook, or even THINK about twittering…”
This was the invitation on the front page of the sunday style section of the New York Times August 9th.
It obviously wasn’t the real invitation the article spoke about, just a mock one the gives the basic idea of this new trendy off-the- record parties thrown by Protocol NYC held every two weeks since September in a small private penthouse in Murray Hills. The idea is for guests to be able to talk freely and fearlessly in the present without worry of a scandalous quote or picture popping up to haunt them the morning after.
 When I was finished reading the article I took a moment to think back on the parties and social events I’ve attended. Of course its always common to have a camera handy to snatch a few pre-party pictures or kodak moments. But there have been the occasioal embarassing photos where you wish people didn’t feel the need to catch every insident on camera.
“That party last night was awfully crazy, I wish we taped it…” is a line in the chorus of the popular Asher Roth song “I Love College.” The song, and video, made me wonder why people feel the need to document every popular moment with posed pictures of beer chugging and grinding and hooking up.
Isn’t it enough to have a great time, we have to advertise it to everyone on the web too to prove how outgoing we are?
I wonder how people would act differently if a camera weren’t around. Would they still check their hair every ten minutes, reapply their lip gloss and perfect their dance moves? Or would people let loose more and actually enjoy themselves without fear of finding mean comments the next day?
In this day and age the internet has become this revolution of modrn communication which to a majority has been a blessing. But in a lot of ways it has been a curse too. An opportunity for online bullying, constant remiders of the past and access to gossip way too easily.
Sometimes I wonder if all this technology is screwing us over rather then evolving us for the better.
Did people have a better time back in a day where we could have a good time without having to hold onto it the next day?