Super Bowl starts in a half hour and I'm not making any pretense that I'm going to watch it. Instead I found a Red Box this morning and inserted my credit card and rented enough movies to last me through the day.
If you have a blog, or even just a Facebook profile, go out immediately and rent Catfish. It's a documentary about a New York photographer named Nev who is befriended by an 8-year-old Michigan painter named Abby. Abby is so inspired by Nev's photographs that she begins to paint them, and with the help of her mother, sends them to Nev. Through Facebook Nev eventually befriends Abby's entire family, including her half-sister Megan, with whom he falls in love. It's a twisted and completely true story.
The reason I think it's a fascinating film is because it addresses the nature of online identities. Both blogs and Facebook profiles are subjective self-portraits: the author controls what information is released. Most people aren't going to post pictures of what they look like when they wake up in the morning, and most stories written aren't going to catalogue that time they sat on the couch and ate Lays while watching The Biggest Loser. It's a unconscious best foot forward. It's who you want to be. Some people are just more open than others.
And if you've seen the movie, I'm a total catfish.
5:56 PM
1 month ago
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15 comments:
I really wanted to watch this movie and then all the previews say that the last part will "knock your socks off" in like a scary creepy way, so is it nightmare causing knock my socks off or mind blowing knock my socks off?
I saw a 20/20 episode about that movie. So crazy!!
Oh please, if I put my best blog foot forward, I would never have to buy a drink on bear night at the gladius in Minneapolis and would reluctantly admit my marriage is a total beard (so says me sister). Hope all is going well in the south and loves to you and yours.
I'd love a longer explanation as to why you think you're a catfish :-)
I saw the trailer for Catfish and really wanted to watch it. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.
P.S. Yay Packers!
I totally have this on my lovefilm (uk netflixs) list. There are a few people I only know from online, and I told them that if they've been catfishing us all, I'm leaving the internet.
I'll look this up on your recommendation, it sounds really interesting.
As an aside: "and most stories written aren't going to catalogue that time they sat on the couch and ate Lays while watching The Biggest Loser." There are some bloody boring blogs out there ;)
PS - I woke up to a Facebook news stream full of Superbowl status updates (I don't understand what it is!) followed by another wadge of updates about how tired they are for staying up all night :)
GREAT movie! We saw it a month or so ago and even my husband -- who is mightily against Facebook -- thought it was terrific.
Loved this movie. I don't want to say anything more than that, as I don't want to give anything away. But so good.
La Femme - I don't think I'm disingenuous with my blog portrayal; however I have been charged with being too ingénue. I'm thinking of being at catfish in much broader terms with my personality. I've been known to be a pot stirrer with my friends. :P
Soupy - Touché!
If we are supposed to be putting our best foot forward I am definitely doing it all wrong-- again.
Catfish just totally left me thinking about so much. Such an intense, awesome, crazy movie. Really makes you wonder about the people you interact with out there.
"And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin."
It's a good thing you're a catfish. It's a source of pride, IMO.
Also, Nev? Beyond cute. I want his many babies.
I loved the movie and yeah, it made me think a lot. I mean this was an extreme example but it just goes to show that you don't know people until you really KNOW them!
Ooo, this looks good! I really just want to watch it so that I can understand the reason you think you're a catfish.
This sounds interesting and totally up my alley. Thanks for the recommendation!
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