Why I think Internet trolling is more clever than annoying strangers on the street
So, as anyone who will listen to me knows, I find Improv Everywhere to be extraordinarily distasteful. I don’t feel like going into it here, but basically, it’s this:dragging strangers into some semblance of a performance that is really just a need for attention. It would only be worthwhile if these pranks (let’s not use flowery language, they’re pranks. they’re annoyances…) addressed on some level the need for attention by the actors themselves. Instead, it’s wrapped in some pious bullshit like, “we’re bringing joy to the masses.” Here’s a way to bring joy to the masses, volunteer at a soup kitchen. All you’re doing is bringing joy to yourself and getting back at your absent fathers by partaking in these stupid exercises.
There is a new show that I find to be so abrasive I really abhor everyone not only involved with it but who watches it. It’s this bombastic nonsense http://www.funnyordie.com/billyonthestreet. I believe it’s popular with a certain comedy set, the same comedy set that finds it funny to impose themselves on an unwitting audience. I get that part of the joke is supposed to be how obnoxious Eichner is himself, but there’s no nuance to it and it still comes at the expense of just people walking on the street, many of whom appear to be, let’s face it, black and poor. hahahahaha they have no opinion on judi dench! But this host does! because he’s gay! let’s yell loudly now!
This was innovative 15 years ago, when such trailblazers like jamie kennedy took us in that artistic sphere. The truth is, this shit is stupid, but there is something funny there. And it’s funny when there’s a target. And that target isn’t just a cross-section of people walking on the street who can be harassed by liberal arts graduates who are trying to find meaning in their lives by bothering everyone else (These shows are the television version of those Tisch students who sing out loud and need attention while you wait on line at Trader Joe’s.)
So, my 2 favorites as of late:
Joe Mande’s brilliant dissection of a professional basketball players weirdly sexual and misogynistic twitter profile photos. That player then took notice of the post and thus began a brilliant back and forth twitter barb-a-thon that was significant because it said something specific instead of just generic “we stopped walking in grand central” and also because it had a focused target. Not just poor people trying to get somewhere.
The other one, and I would argue that this is almost high art at this point, is the Corporate Twits blog, whose description is as follows, “dedicated to all those hard-working individuals manning corporate twitter accounts. sometimes you believe really stupid things”
Some of my favorite examples: http://corporatetwits.tumblr.com/post/15715566470
and this one: http://corporatetwits.tumblr.com/post/15639571814
The point is, these are exchanges. They’re saying something. They are interaction and they are expressing something. Annoying someone by showing up to their birthday party is obnoxious and uncalled for and harassing a private person, improv everywhere. It’s what a rich 8th graders idea of altruism is. Mande is speaking to the ridiculousness of privilege, the absurdity of celebrity, and yes, all the psychosexual issues related to this athlete.
The corporate twits account is speaking to just how crazy it is that any average joe has a voice now. but they’re not doing that by annoying other private citizens. they’re doing it by being forward thinking and speaking (absurd) truth to (absurd) power. That’s interesting and worthwhile.
