Most days, Second Life is like a soap opera to me. My monitor is like a television while I sit and watch these plots and story lines unfold. I try to pick the villains from the heroes while the verbal abuse spews from commenter's fingers with marksman-like accuracy. There are times I imagine funny images of "POW" "Zip!" and "BANG" flash across the screen in the equivalent of the early 1990s 'Your Momma' jokes. Its hysterical!
Then I have to ask myself - who is taking this seriously? Who is actually trying to inflict some sort of real pain and who's just in it for the lulz. The folks who's first few words are "I hate drama" are usually the ones that I watch more closely than the ones that make no mention of that naughty five letter word. Do I have drama? Of course I do! I think everyone does in some shape or form.
People come to Second Life for different reasons. For some its a creative outlet - though the definition of 'creative' is often distorted to whatever the 'creator' wants it to mean. Some folks venture into SL to experience things they can't be part of in real life - and in such an exploration they are rewarded with drama. Stop fighting it! Drama just happens, and it only gets worse with the more acclaim, fame, or infamy that you acquire in SL. It isn't any different IRL. The more famous you are IRL - the more scandal you're surrounded with. The more money you have, the more people want from you. Its just this hard-knock fact of not only life, but Second Life.
Many think that because you live your life (or second life) in the public limelight that everything becomes public domain. Is this true? To an extent. If you're going to make a complete ass of yourself, expect to be labeled an ass and definitely expect for that occasion to not go forgotten for a decent period of time (and sometimes never!)
I've thought all this time that maybe just my twisted sense of humor hasn't allowed me to fully appreciate some bloggers as humans. Well okay, that's true. There are some blogs I'll read just because they are so hideously filled with the most stupid sense of drama that it reminds me of Dallas or Knotts Landing. Its so ridiculous that you just have to sit and watch. It's also highly possible that I take the written word far too literally and find just as much amusement in the mental images projected from what some bloggers say/write.
Its also funny to me how defensive people get against such small, trivial things. If I were to stand on a blog soapbox and proclaim something which doesn't even matter like .. "I hate apple juice and I don't care what you say!" that someone would be completely appalled by my statement and feel the need for rebuttal. Does that mean I should indulge them by stating every single reason why I hate apple juice - or does that give me any kind of blogging right to tell everyone who DOES like apple juice that they are wrong? No, but that doesn't mean that the apple juice lovers won't unite against me in blind rage of their love of the fruity drink.
There are, of course, different levels of drama. Some SL drama is just that - SL drama. Its shit that goes on in world that really shouldn't involve other people, but someone has felt the need (urge?) to proclaim their emotions publicly which then makes it everyone's drama. The problem with big communities like SL is that there is such a wide range of emotions, ideals, interests and social standards that you can always bet that no matter what you think/say/do that there will be someone right behind you with a lynch mob ready to take you down. Should there be? No, but it is entertaining!
I do find it hilarious that in a community that was formed on the ideas of sharing that so many people are so selfish with their knowledge. 99% of designers don't do any form of tutorial to say - this is the basis on which you should start. Instead everyone is left to fend for themselves and do things trial-and-error and in the meantime get their asses kicked on fashion blogs about how bad they fucking suck. This then leads to drama - and there are fewer dramas more entertaining than designer drama.
Some designers are so quick to cry "thief" that they forget that their very own SL logo is VERY heavily borrowed from a very famous RL brand. Is this not theft? Or is it called inspiration? If I were to make a wig which was almost identical to one of Six Kennedy's .. but I made my own texture - would I be lynched as a thief or would I be able to pull that 'inspiration' card? Its hard to say. It would depend on who you are, who your friends are, and which blogger gets a hold of your weave.
Should bloggers be able to publicly maim other human beings? I don't know. I honestly don't care - unless it came down to insulting them on a RL basis. RL drama is probably the most touchy of all the dramas, but its no less entertaining. At least in my eyes.
I have my share of RL drama - and I'm sure the rest of SL does too. But if you 'hate' drama, why do you even talk about it? Its because you can't avoid it - and you can say you hate it all day long but in all reality drama is what makes the world go round ... even virtual ones. There are the drama mongers which will start it, the drama stirrers which will read deeper into it to keep it going, then there are the drama referees who will sit on the sidelines with their popcorn and just dream of the day that they get to sit in and hear a drama fight on voice (I've yet to sit in on one of these events).
So if some blogger is all up in your KoolAid and talking shit about you - why not just switch to another fruity drink? Like apple juice.
5 comments:
amen sister! *goes and drinks some apple juice*
To me, SL drama feels like a shadow of RL drama - not quite as severe as the RL dramas that go on everywhere every day, nor as long-lived.
But, jeez. I don't see why people seem the urge to play the same drama in SL as well. Is it that we're people and drama is inherent to most of us at some level?
Lordy, I hope not.
Drama is inherent to the humans. Just don't take it seriously and everything will be ok.
What dandellion said. ;-)
I don't like drama either but it comes with the territory so to speak.
Great post, Orchid!!!
*grabs some orange juice*
I came to SL with the intention to enjoy myself. I did not seek relationships, but to my own huge surprise romance in SL hit me like a brickwall. And with it came drama. Lots of. However I hope it was a phase only. That I'm through it now. I'm seeing SL like a vacation now, where I go to relax. Maybe I'm too sarcastic now, but I see any relationship or even intimacy like what you do with a vacation flirt.
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