Superstition
There's no fortune at the end of the cookie
the sky's rainbows are just refracted colour
and Facebook's just another aphorism away
from anything that really matters
Comments
Well that's one aspect of Facebook that you are looking at. Those bland pompous statement that people post are the equivelant to the shit that you used to get on posters from Athena - the ones students used to hang in their rooms...
Ones like:-
'True friends are people you can be quiet with..' and a picture of two people in a boat not talking to each other in the sunset....
= fingers down the throat and wretch kind of statements.
I can't see Facebook dying any time soon. Too many people seem to have built it into their lives - in fact they don't seem able to go to a wedding reception, a night out or anything without posting at the same time.
It's an interesting comparison anyway.
Hi Isobel, thx for reading and for the feedback - appreciated.
I can see your point in reference to Facebook. I suppose it depends upon what you read into the poem. I've tried to allow for multiple interpretations, but maybe I have allowed to much ambiguity into the poem.
Fortune cookies are supposed to offer peals of wisdom about life or fate, but most people accept them as nonsense cliches/aphorisms or cliches - arbitrarily picked up.
I will leave people to think what the second line could mean...
As for the 3rd line...
Facebook Mmm. Personally despite it's flaws I still think Facebook is very useful. It has it's issues one of which I note. But I think Facebook can be as good or bad as its user. It is a tool of those that use it.
The idea in the criticism here and the connection I had in mind is simple. Fortune cookies are seen as nonsense and the are for want of a better phrase old Skool superstition rightly regarded as nonsense.
Facebook in many respects is the modern replacement of the fortune cookie, it is packed, choc full of people making very similar statements or values, or sharing very similar statements or values. But rather than scoffed at, they are often thought to be wonderful and motivational.
Following the positive thinking movement in the United States; daring to suggest that one of these sayings is vacuous or a peal of nonsense is likely to see such a person attacked. Such a person is usually derided by a number of people for being, mean spirited, being downright nasty or their comments derided as being uncalled for. These aphorisms (I have edited the poem on reflection and swapped homily for aphorisms. I keep vacillating between the two, not sure which is the better way to define what it is we have here) are defended. The only views people want on them is; the tick of the like box and/or the tacit agreement that they are so wonderfully true/ inspirational. Dissent from that one allowed view is unequivocally not welcomed. Most logical people know this, so what do they do? They sigh at the endless nonsense aphorisms and do not challenge them...walking on bye.
I was thinking with my final line that perhaps, this side to Facebook may eventually overwhelm its good points and lead to its demise. The idea that may be there will be a tipping point?
i'm intrigued by the idea that one aphorism could be the straw that brakes the camels back. Of course that is akin to picking out a colour from a spectrum and could never really be done...but the idea still intrigues me.
None of this is to say that there isn't a pinch of truth in some aphorisms, or even on the rare occasion a great deal of truth. Nevertheless they are mostly nonsense/or deeply questionable when universally applied or pointlessly applicable to anything.
Like;
Let Love RULE
Not HATE!
See that is agreeable to almost everyone, but it is pointless in that it does precisely nothing!
Another one...
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
The above is ridiculously problematic;
The key to most of these things is that they are mostly either applicable to nothing that will help anyone, or very very few people. They are often written to pander to the individual. Written to sound empowering, but are far too simplistic and generalisations; coming as they do with all encompassing claims which are at the very least can be shown to be partially false or flawed.
I wonder, at what point does public perception shift? At what point does something like Facebook or the next big thing go from being; useful, trendy and respected to being seen as useless, farcical and dying as a result?
I'd agree there Chris. FB is a pile of absolute tosh - there for people who are bored out of their brains and desperate for anything to relieve themselves of that boredom - which is many of us sometimes :(
I found it a curious ending to this poem though. It seemed such a serious and weighty start - not worthy of throwing away on Facebook if you know what I mean?
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Chris Co
Sun 4th Nov 2012 18:40
Haha - yes you've hit the nail on the head with those posters and that is most certainly the type of thing I'm referring to.
Your reaction I must say is very much my own on this one lol. The odd thing is that so many genuinely nice people and friends say/promote such things.
I reserve condemnation for the issue and don't think of it in the context of the people involved - I absolve them - no blame here.
I usually just walk off and sigh - like so many others.
But whoa!!!
When you learn to do that
thing that you fear more; the
more you become fearless.
And then you discover that
the only power fear ever had;
Was the power you gave it.
Ohhhh dear!
Or you realize nothing because it's too late and maybe your dead lol. Fear is obviously a very important emotion that has evolved - it has done so to protect us. For the most part it not only does a good job; it is absolutely vital!
In modern life it could be that having no fear sees you; wave goodbye to your job, house, stocks, marriage etc etc.
Again one of those all encompassing pearls of wisdom :( Mmmmm marvellous.
P.S
Facebook like many other tools will outlive its use, become outmoded, or be ditched for one reason or another. Perception is crucial in its success, if that fades then it's all over for Facebook.
How long it lasts will be based to some degree on the ability of those running it; to identify problem issues and tackle them.