I have two things to say about this. Obviously, these pieces are commissioned by places like The New York Times with the express purpose of being performatively hated, with the performance taking place on Twitter, which then drives engagement, which is monetized. Obviously. No one really doubts this basic dynamic.
I agree with what you're saying, wholeheartedly. How much does this apply to anything else written in the NYT (or for that matter anywhere else)? I guess that's kind of a rhetorical question, though not entirely. I get the impression that David Brooks' engagement is entirely driven by hate reading, for example.
I agree that there's no point scorning this party, but I will gladly defend anyone who's fascinated with the question of how many of these kids were trolling the NYT. (Or maybe they're so ironic that trolling is just their default method of communication?)
I'm so glad I got rid of my facebook and twitter. I still find plenty of dumb stuff to waste my time on, but at least it's not worrying about some rich kids having a party or whatever. That stuff was such a psychic drain.
I read that and thought, hey look young people doing things they like that I don't really relate to. Good for them. Seems like the natural state of the world keeps on keeping on. People are getting mad about this? To quote one of our greatest thinkers "Ain't nobody got time for that".
A few years ago PewDiePie got into trouble for trolling a job site called Fiver by getting a couple of guys in Bangladesh or India to dance while holding signs labeled "Death to Jews". He was roundly condemned.
But that narrative lacks important context. At that time Fiver was embarking on a massive ad campaign that saw posters plastered across New York subway cars featuring models that looked like these kids. The dissonance produced by the contrast between those advertisements and the implied Fiver work force versus the reality of a couple of impoverished denizens of the third world willing to do whatever to earn a couple of bucks: I have to admit I thought it was pretty clever.
I’ll tell you something - being 50+ is amazing. I didn’t understand the email subject line, I’d didn’t understand the piece, and then when I clicked through to the Twitter search none of the people talking about it rang any bells whatsoever. (Not saying this to cast shade - probably the first time I have been totally unable to parse a Freddie piece). The people in the article are the same age as my sons and I absolutely never attempt to understand my sons’ enthusiasms unless they, of their own volition, talk to me about them. What I’m saying is, the solution to this one is being an old bastard. If you can’t be genuinely old, fake it by not giving a shit.
How could anyone possibly take seriously enough to get angry an article in which this guy (https://www.instagram.com/p/CiGfTvlhNdl/?hl=en) is asked what he's into these days and responds with "rolling paper branded merch?"
Indie Sleaze is coming back baby! Long live 2008! Blog radio, the cobra snake, and and flannel that makes everyone look like the brawny man's cousin. It's not longer hipsters hating hipsters for being hipsters, it just hipsters hipsters hipsters!
"What did you get?"
They got to feel momentarily outraged, and to show themselves on Twitter as people with the right thoughts.
Yes, it's stupid, I know. That's one reason among many that I have never had an account on Twitter.
The ruthless paperclip harvesting logic cannot be stopped, Freddie!
Not going to click on a NYT or Tweeter link, so I'll just take your word for it.
This party looks pretty fun man.
I agree with what you're saying, wholeheartedly. How much does this apply to anything else written in the NYT (or for that matter anywhere else)? I guess that's kind of a rhetorical question, though not entirely. I get the impression that David Brooks' engagement is entirely driven by hate reading, for example.
I agree that there's no point scorning this party, but I will gladly defend anyone who's fascinated with the question of how many of these kids were trolling the NYT. (Or maybe they're so ironic that trolling is just their default method of communication?)
For example, https://twitter.com/Honors_Zombie/status/1585335886673321984
The best thing to do with attention seekers is to ignore them.
Although I thought it interesting that none of the individuals in any of the reproduced photos had any visible tattoos.
What are you into these days?
Weather Reports, man. Like how do they work!?
I'm so glad I got rid of my facebook and twitter. I still find plenty of dumb stuff to waste my time on, but at least it's not worrying about some rich kids having a party or whatever. That stuff was such a psychic drain.
I read that and thought, hey look young people doing things they like that I don't really relate to. Good for them. Seems like the natural state of the world keeps on keeping on. People are getting mad about this? To quote one of our greatest thinkers "Ain't nobody got time for that".
A few years ago PewDiePie got into trouble for trolling a job site called Fiver by getting a couple of guys in Bangladesh or India to dance while holding signs labeled "Death to Jews". He was roundly condemned.
But that narrative lacks important context. At that time Fiver was embarking on a massive ad campaign that saw posters plastered across New York subway cars featuring models that looked like these kids. The dissonance produced by the contrast between those advertisements and the implied Fiver work force versus the reality of a couple of impoverished denizens of the third world willing to do whatever to earn a couple of bucks: I have to admit I thought it was pretty clever.
I’ll tell you something - being 50+ is amazing. I didn’t understand the email subject line, I’d didn’t understand the piece, and then when I clicked through to the Twitter search none of the people talking about it rang any bells whatsoever. (Not saying this to cast shade - probably the first time I have been totally unable to parse a Freddie piece). The people in the article are the same age as my sons and I absolutely never attempt to understand my sons’ enthusiasms unless they, of their own volition, talk to me about them. What I’m saying is, the solution to this one is being an old bastard. If you can’t be genuinely old, fake it by not giving a shit.
How could anyone possibly take seriously enough to get angry an article in which this guy (https://www.instagram.com/p/CiGfTvlhNdl/?hl=en) is asked what he's into these days and responds with "rolling paper branded merch?"
Indie Sleaze is coming back baby! Long live 2008! Blog radio, the cobra snake, and and flannel that makes everyone look like the brawny man's cousin. It's not longer hipsters hating hipsters for being hipsters, it just hipsters hipsters hipsters!
"What did you get?"
That is the question of the last decade?
In this godforsaken "attention economy," the best we can do is refrain from taking the bait.