...A weird thing happens when people watch a viral video. In catching up with a cultural touchstone, the clip everyones talking about at the water cooler, we assume were on top of the whole story. After all, weve seen what everyone else has seen. Whatever gets edited out isnt part of the conversation. Tom Cruise and Oprah talked on TV for 43 minutes. Tom Cruise Kills Oprah was 15 seconds. Even the longer YouTube clips of Cruise on Oprahs couch clock in at only four minutes. Yet it was the latter two that were shared, discussed and remembered. With all context gone, were judging soundbites of Cruise on a screen. We forget he was experiencing a live, long and loud interaction — a literal stage performance before a raucous crowd... ___________________________________ Heres a really good - and fairly long (but worthwhile) article about the ways in which the current state of viral culture decontexualizes complex situations and manages to steamroll reality in the process. VERY worth reading, even if you dont give a shit about Tom Cruise. The articles not really ABOUT Cruise, but about us. laweekly/2014-05-22/news/the-last-movie-star/
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 00:36:53 +0000
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