14-07-2008
I was reading a piece with Jesse Siminski (a.k.a. Heartthrob) in Interview today, which tied up like this:Anita Sarko: And what's more magical than creating that feeling of being back in your basement with your friends, throwing records onto the record player?
Heartthrob: With a fantastic sound system.
AS: The sound system you always wanted.
H: Maybe have some attractive people around to create some sexual tension.
AS: Oh, you've got to. You don't meet people if you stay at home.
H: There's always the Internet.
AS: Well, that's true.
H: But there's no magic on the dance floor there, right? And that's more powerful stuff, dance-floor magic.
I take exception to that remark.
Good posting is almost exactly like a dance, and has the potential to be a more potent exchange of information than any physical bump-and-grind, in my opinion.
People who enjoy text-wrestleing anonymous strangers on message boards do it for the conversational exercise, not in the hope that some person thousands of miles away will one day show up with bjs and blow, ala Dennis Quaid.
Yes, the Internet is shit for conveying emotion; but difficulty in communication often forces a person to be inventive. I view it as a challenge, and a way of teaching myself how to be more thoughtful and composed; it's also a way of weeding out those incapable, or uninterested, in surmounting such obstacles.
I think it's just trendy for the trendy to give it a thumbs down without much thought.
You wouldn't want to be one of those people who blogs, or has a Myspace, or uses a chat room, would you? No way, that's not cool.
In reality, the technology is very impressive and quite useful.
So, is there magic on the digital dance floor?
Yeah, but a different kind.
