I’m a Mac
37 signals says: “What do 50 Cent, Hugo Chavez, and Steve Jobs have in common? They realize the value of a good rivalry.”
Controversy sells. Conflict sells. But what is just imporant is ‘human drama’. In other words, what people find compelling is the human narrative, manifested through bitter competition, love/hate, victor/loser. Rooting for 2Pac to tear down Biggie meant you had a dog in the fight, you shared his triumphs. Just as fans of daytime soaps, football games, politics, and missing white girls do.
Blogs have become part of the landscape of human drama. From spill-your-guts anonymous livejournalers to fake-reality lonelygirl15, people of all stripes are drawn to intimate moments and human emotions put on public display.
You won’t find a lot of that stuff here, but I’m trying. At least I have an academic understanding of the concept. So that’s a start.
Nancy Says:
Jeez, Rick. Now you’ve taken all the fun out of it for me. Bitter competition? Love/hate? Victor/loser?
IS THAT WHAT I’M DOING?
Yeah, probably.
Posted on September 26th, 2006 at 2:26 am
spider rick Says:
I don’t know. Is it really fun that we’re after?
Or is it exhiliration? Rooting for the home team brings back that long-lost sense of thrill that comes from head-to-head combat.
Maybe it is the sense of connection with other people? I think we feel not-so-alone when we read about Jennifer Aniston’s struggles agains the mean Ms. Jolie, or when we see some bubblehead kicked to the curb on ‘5th Wheel’. We relate and that is a lot more than fun. It provides a sense of connection to the human condition. I think.
Posted on September 27th, 2006 at 7:44 am