It’s holy week and we all know what that means. It’s the start of the much-awaited, annual seventh heaven marathon! A weekend-long saccharine extravaganza with the emotionally expressive and Brady-esque Camdens. As I was channel surfing, I saw a scene quite common to this show—where Mrs. Camden asked them to pause for a while as they were en route to Church and gave a heartfelt, impromptu speech of how much he wanted to savor that particular moment because even if it was an ordinary occasion, it was memorable because they were all together.
Now this show gets a lot of flack for its sappiness and I know more than a few people who would have puked on themselves after a speech like that. We’re predisposed to feel disgusted by such a blatant expression of sweetness because it just seems unreal. It’s too good to be true. I may be hanging out in more church pews than the regular Juan but my telenovela-loving self believes this is not entirely impossible. I’ve personally seen people give speeches like this and though it can get nauseating, it can actually be nice and toasty and sweet. The Camdens are goofy and made-for-TV but I’d rather live with them than with most dysfunctional households I know.
They try their best to remain open, to resolve misunderstandings and help each other during challenging times. Wow, that is disgusting.
I’m no 7th Heaven supporter, I don’t even watch the show but really, why do we instinctively cringe at the first sign of wholesome sweetness? Do we despise it or do we secretly long for it? By quickly dismissing it as too sweet for real life, are we just trying to convince ourselves that our grossly imperfect family unit is as good as real life can get?
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Why do people blog?
Blogging has spawned a new culture. So much so that Time, in an unprecedented decision, named the individual "ME" as the Person of the Year for 2006. The Philippines even held a well-sponsored Philippine Blog Awards, elevating blogging into a veritable artform, attractive and financially lucrative.
But do people really blog for art's sake? Is it primarily a money-making venture? Many would say no. It is really a manifestation of people's quest for individuality in a highly globalizing world. That's the romantic image trendsetters and journalists would want us to believe. But i think it could be a combination of one or the other reasons.
1. Release. People can't express themselves fully in real life. The coldness of the medium allows them to say their piece without having to confront anyone, or being accountable to anyone.
2. Anonymity. While you are exposing yourself to others by telling your story, they never truly get a complete human picture of you. You have a degree of control on how others will perceive you and even then, you will always be a amalgam of disclosed fact and a person's imagination.
3. Vanity. The thought that people, both friends and strangers actually take the time to read about YOU is an exhillirating idea. Makes you feel that you're important enough to deserve this corner of cyberspace.
4. Boredom. Let's face it, some blogs are just not that good and some do it for lack of anything better to do, or to feed their delusions that they are making the next big project of their lives.
5. Growth. To prevent mental atrophy. To feed the inner writer until his next great project comes along.
6. Relevance. Like the innate human desire to leave kids, make a novel or a song, a blog is a person's attempt to make a contribution to the world albeit a digital one. It's their way of romanticizing or exagerating their life to make it seem bigger and grander than it really is.
7. Introspection. It's hipper than a diary with unlimited pages for sappy entries, tsismis and what have yous.
8. Passion. Simple hobbies aren't enough. Blogs allow hardcore enthusiasts to live, breathe and speak about their interests. It's a total immersion.
9. Change. The Power of One has never been greater than now. A single blog can reach a global audience that numbers in the millions. Personal opinion has never had the potential to institute change as it does now.
As for me, i don't know really. I think it's a combination of all these things and much more. But welcome to my blog anyways. I hope you will be slightly entertained while i satisfy my self-gratuitous and slightly anonymous needs of vanity, introspection and growth while relieving my boredom. :)
But do people really blog for art's sake? Is it primarily a money-making venture? Many would say no. It is really a manifestation of people's quest for individuality in a highly globalizing world. That's the romantic image trendsetters and journalists would want us to believe. But i think it could be a combination of one or the other reasons.
1. Release. People can't express themselves fully in real life. The coldness of the medium allows them to say their piece without having to confront anyone, or being accountable to anyone.
2. Anonymity. While you are exposing yourself to others by telling your story, they never truly get a complete human picture of you. You have a degree of control on how others will perceive you and even then, you will always be a amalgam of disclosed fact and a person's imagination.
3. Vanity. The thought that people, both friends and strangers actually take the time to read about YOU is an exhillirating idea. Makes you feel that you're important enough to deserve this corner of cyberspace.
4. Boredom. Let's face it, some blogs are just not that good and some do it for lack of anything better to do, or to feed their delusions that they are making the next big project of their lives.
5. Growth. To prevent mental atrophy. To feed the inner writer until his next great project comes along.
6. Relevance. Like the innate human desire to leave kids, make a novel or a song, a blog is a person's attempt to make a contribution to the world albeit a digital one. It's their way of romanticizing or exagerating their life to make it seem bigger and grander than it really is.
7. Introspection. It's hipper than a diary with unlimited pages for sappy entries, tsismis and what have yous.
8. Passion. Simple hobbies aren't enough. Blogs allow hardcore enthusiasts to live, breathe and speak about their interests. It's a total immersion.
9. Change. The Power of One has never been greater than now. A single blog can reach a global audience that numbers in the millions. Personal opinion has never had the potential to institute change as it does now.
As for me, i don't know really. I think it's a combination of all these things and much more. But welcome to my blog anyways. I hope you will be slightly entertained while i satisfy my self-gratuitous and slightly anonymous needs of vanity, introspection and growth while relieving my boredom. :)
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