Hollywood’s Social Network part2
I don’t want to spoil either of these films for anyone, so if you haven’t seen them and plan to, then store this article away for a rainy day. If you have seen them, or don’t plan to, then feel free to continue.
In case you’ve forgotten, Catfish is the “documentary” that stars a photographer named Nev Schulman as he develops a relationship with a woman named Megan over Facebook. Nev and his friends realize that things aren’t what they seem after they visit Megan in real life; Megan doesn’t exist. She is, in fact, the invention of a married woman named Angela Wesselman, the mother of 8-year-old Abby, who is not actually a painter. Angela is the artist, but upon receiving harsh criticism of her work, she claimed that the pieces were her daughter’s. Criticism quickly turned to praise, and before long, “Abby” had begun to paint renditions of Nev’s photography. The persona of Megan was developed so that Nev wouldn’t feel awkward talking to a child all the time. Angela, realizing that it wasn’t normal for a 19-year old girl to have only one friend on Facebook, invented a whole community of accounts, all of which she managed on a minute-by-minute basis.
It’s a fascinating story, but since its release, Catfish has come under a lot of scrutiny from people wondering whether or not it’s real. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, because Catfish’s message remains the same. In this digital age, how do we know people are who they say they are; how can we even really be sure of anything? Nev Schulman had a nine month relationship with a woman who didn’t exist; Angela Wesselman carried on this relationship for that same period of time and her husband had no idea. And what’s more, if Catfish is a fake, it makes the message that much stronger by saying “Look at how easily we fooled you.”
While not making quite as strong a statement, Fincher’s The Social Network also takes a look at how Facebook can affect our lives. The most thought-provoking image in the film, for me, was seeing Zuckerberg sitting by himself at the end of the film, his Facebook account open in front of him. He’s a millionaire, yet after all of the in-fighting and lawsuits, he sits alone, waiting to see if his ex-girlfriend has accepted his friend request. It’s almost as if the film is saying that Facebook ultimately leads to loneliness. I think Nev Schulman could attest to this.
I’ve long been a supporter of Facebook, as I truly believe that it has many valuable applications. That being said, it’s important to think about how social networking is affecting our lives. It’s even more important to remain firmly planted in the real world, as the virtual one can only sustain us for so long.
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