the annoyance of myspace pics and the mentality behind them

I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to Myspace. I had tried to avoid the über trendy site as long as possible but was somehow convinced after a drunken evening at the bar to make a profile. I vaguely remember sitting at the computer screen with my friend egging me on to continue while pounding silver bullets. I woke up with a new account thus creating a whole new ‘walk of shame’ that only this generation can appreciate. (Check out my drunken created page here.)

I became instantly hooked. My initial curiosity to check up on high school friends soon turned into a full on search party. I just had to get a cool background, music video, new fonts, etc. because God forbid someone visits my page to see I am boring. I am the first to post new surveys or other random time wasters found on friend profiles. Why call a friend about their weekend plans when you can leave a comment and who send pictures home when easier to send a message asking all old buddies to check out your newest slideshow? Ahh, the convenience of Myspace… let the addiction begin.

However, there is one part of these profiles that I find to be both utterly fascinating but often annoying: the profile pictures. When coming across a new profile or revisiting an old friends page, the pictures are often the first part to be looked at. While I am quick to admit I would prefer to post flattering pictures of myself, I am also not above adding drunken escapades or hideous costumes pictures. (Example: ANY photos from my going away party, my horrible donkey Halloween costume, the current mushroom mascot pics, etc.) But there is a difference between posting flattering pictures of yourself and than being completely self-absorbed and narcissistic.

It’s the people who obviously spent hours taking shots of themselves in their bedroom or in front of their computer who bother me. They pose in swimsuits, miniskirts, or lingerie in their living room. They use the same ‘photos shoot’ for several photos to post with simple captions like “naughty,” “pouty”, or “kisses.” Or my personal favorite – they throw on a trucker hat and add a caption like “bad ass” or “being goofy!” to try and disguise the fact this is simple a self-indulgent way to splash your hot little body online in an attempt to make more ‘friends’. But these individuals aren’t even the worst. Those are the ones who just happen to be lounging around in a sweatshirt with perfect hair and make up with some lame caption like “lounging around on a fat day” or feeling “not a good shot but oh well”. That is such bullshit! No one would post a truly unflattering picture of themselves and than pretend to preface it with a disclaimer. You are simply fishing - fishing for a compliment. Those people take the cake.

I have recently discovered my friend feels the same way I do, and is even a bit more passionate about the topic. I commend him for his killer writing technique and ability to express what I can never seem to find the right words for. I felt compelled to share his latest blog with the world and so I present to you my friend TJ. I have copied his latest blog below, but to see the original post plus the comments section, click here. Or to see his Myspace page, click here. Sure he may be a bit crude, rude, and rough around the edges, but his witty banter is undeniable. Enjoy!

TJ’s Blog: Dear Kiddies…

“As if a girl’s locker room in high school wasn't bad enough, now we have Myspace for the socially inept attention seekers. Those who post pictures in their most provocative poses, highlighting their pouty lips, skin shots, and the "come hither" look now have an endless resource for finding those with similar qualities. Those same girls that kept the telephone game going in high school by saying, "Well I heard that Sara's boyfriend said that Annie said that Justin and Kelly kissed," can now post bulletins, further spreading what their tiny little minds deem important. Who-broke-up-with-who now becomes some big game for moral satisfaction and self-glorification. Posting pictures or leaving people comments in an attempt to make others jealous, wishing they come across a page they "weren't suppose to come across," apparently, is becoming social norm for teenyboppers who refuse to mature and face the fact that the real world relies on intellect and wit, not who has more friends in their friends list, nor comments in their comment section. Do you really think that Phil is going to care that you're now sleeping around with half the town, and if you do, will that somehow make you feel better about yourself? More often than not, these people that attempt to use Myspace as their personal high school locker room (and yes, that includes posting pictures of yourself in bras and lingerie) end up making easy targets of mockery for people like me, as well as others that happen to be smarter than a toaster. Posting bulletins for people to come comment your pictures is about as vain as you can get. What's wrong, did you not get enough praise from mommy and daddy as a child? That is perhaps the biggest cry for attention I have seen in this "community," with the exception of posting a bulletin telling people you want to date. Sorry, there I go being an ass again, but sometimes light needs to be brought to the situation. Get out of this 16 year-old mentality, people. If you're not there already, the real world does exist and people will see straight though your façade.”