Thursday 25 August 2011

The troubles of over-sharing.

Today we examine the world of couples blogging. Now, as my blog probably indicates, I'm all up for blogging, but is there ever a point where it's being taken too far? A hypothetical line the cautious blogger doesn't cross? Well, as it turns out, yes, and these guys just found it.

Before I go any further I'd like to elaborate on a couple of points. Firstly, blogging is a vehicle for individuals or groups of individuals to express themselves to a larger audience. It can be used simply to update your friends on your hobbies or family life. Or, for instance, it could further your quest for a career in journalism. It could be used as an outlet for your band or, erm, choir. All of these things are just fine, as they have a limit.

Secondly, by definition blogging is putting your life, or a part of your life, into the world of public consumption. As such you are putting forward a deliberately designed digital interpretation of yourself online to be examined and cross-examined by the general masses. This also has limits. I wouldn't, for instance, half-way through this article stop and inform you at this point I went to take a shit. Ok.

However, on the 16th of August 2011, Jenny Stevens of The Guardian brought to light the world of couples blogging, with an opening picture that made me sick in my mouth. The article is a good read, but unfortunately due to the huge readership of such a highly-esteemed broadsheet it never really gets to the irritated subtext hinted at in such lines as "over-sharing". Well, Jenny, that's where I come in.

See, the thing is, who actually wants to know about the intimacies of someone else's life apart from readers of the News of the World? Okay, sorry, too soon. On top of that, who wants to put their love lives up for public consumption? For me, that just screams insatiable arrogance. The article explores several such American blogs, but the one that really hits home is Louder Than Silence.



When I opened this blog and saw the above picture of what I at first assumed to be a reject for "Jesus Christ: The Shoreditch Years", I threw up in my mouth, for the second time. See, regardless of Sally's excuses at the reaction from the article in The Guardian, you can't get away with "if you don't like, don't read it" when you put something like this on the internet. In this sense, I have to give Sally and Ross props, as they unquestionably quench the human desire to look at something they detest, like Friday, or Bieber.

I'd like to go into detail about every little thing that annoys me about this blog, but there's just too many. From "his and her" outfits and "Ross was wearing [insert vintage bollocks here]" to sentences like "I lie. We just both have great taste in tasselled loafers, natch". And did I mention the name?! "Louder Than Silence"! What does that even mean!?

I mean, natch!?

See, this is over-sharing, and it also represents point number two: creating an electronic persona that reeks of narcissism. These aren't two regular Joes who live in an average flat and have average jobs. And there isn't anything particularly amazing about them. They don't dress up as bats and fight crime at night, or knit stuff. They're in graphic design and fashion. They are twenty-something professionals who live in East London and enjoy vintage loafers and anything made by Apple. They go to dinner-parties, private gigs and exclusive functions. This is what they're blogging about, not the functionality of their relationship and their emotions concerned therein, but how cool and hip they are. Regardless of what they say, this blog is a massive sign saying "look at us!", and that's why we don't like you, Sally. And yes, we are envious of your plywood stag's head mounted on your wall, but that's it.

Natch.

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1 comment:

JelliDonut said...

I'm resisting the urge to look at that blog--think "train wreck." But who can look away? Thanks, I think.