JENNIFER LAWRENCE: NUDE SELFIES/EVERYONES A STAR!

The recent leak of Jennifer Lawrences and other celebrities nude photos by a hacker has raised some
interesting questions. It seems to me, to be mainly a generational thing. The younger generations,
whove grown up with social media their whole lives, have a whole different definition and practice of
privacy, than those who havent.
Many young people think nothing of revealing anything and everything about themselves on the
internet. And that includes sexting, nude, and explicit photos. Supposedly, one in four of them has sent
them and 40% have received them. One half of 18-24 year olds, according to one survey, send them. If
these are to be believed, and Im not saying they arent. Remember back in 1998 (which seems like a
century ago now), when Bill Clinton argued that oral sex wasnt really sex. This new generation,
evidently, agrees. How far weve gone since then.
Its amazing how fast our social mores have changed. It started perhaps, with Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, reality shows, people famous for being famous, celebrity sex tapes, selfies, sexting, etc. I
guess it was just a matter of time until the non-famous would want to be in on the act (no pun intended)
too.
So now you can be your own porn star and share it with friends and family. And with the Universe-
Forever.
This younger generation will, no doubt, say whats the big deal? Get with the times, Man! Every
generation thinks the previous ones are out of date. Thats a necessary part of being young, since time
began.
And we live in politically-correct times (have for a while now). The Baby Boomers, more than any other
generation perhaps, will do anything- not to get old. Youth is the magic elixir. If you have enough
money of course, to buy the health supplements and organic food and get our hair dyed and tattoos, to
show were still hip. We line up for the latest social media device. Everyones a writer. Everyones a
musician. Everyones a poet. Everyones an artist. Everyone has a blog (including me!). Everyone can
express themselves. Of course, few can make a living at these things anymore, because we also dont
want to have to pay for it.
But hey, this is the perfect democratic set-up, right? Besides Everyone can be a STAR!
Sex was once the taboo subject, but not anymore. Sex is everywhere; its out of the closet. My female
bank tellers are wearing low-cut tops as part of their business attire and I have to try and keep my eyes
on my bank deposits and not get accused of leering. Middle-aged women want to look like their
daughters. Their daughters want to go TV Idol shows and imitate famous people who cant sing.
College students are too often regressing to a rape culture, despite all the sex-equality education. And
theres little subtlety left about anything anymore.
But its dangerous and unpopular and politically incorrect to say these things, because we live in a
liberal society. Nobody wants to be labeled a prude or intolerant. Racists dont even consider
themselves racists . Remember Donald Sterling? If you even question some of these things, some
people will say, You against Sex or something? The worst crime is to be uncool.
No, were all so liberated. It seems to me that morals and politics is always about, really one thing-
thinking the other guy is not as open as we are. Conservatives think liberals are too open and liberals
think conservatives are not open enough. To paraphrase comedian Mort Sahl, Liberals feel guilty
about everything and conservatives think they have the right to own everything. If we listened to our
mainstream media, wed think the news is just about scandals and whats the latest video thats gone
viral. At one time only the tabloids specialized in those things.
I recently read a novel by Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story, set in the perhaps, not too distant
future. America has a one party government and China owns most of its economy. Everyone has a
Credit Ranking and your social standing and any chance for advancement is based on that Ranking. Poor
people have a low Ranking and are basically disposable. Also everyone has a personal device called an
apparat, which allows everyone to find out anyone elses Ranking (as well as their sex lives) and whether
its worth associating with them or marrying them. So in this future, everyone knows everything about
everyone else. Of course, the book is a sort of 1984-like Sci. Fi. satire. Shteyngart has also, in 2014,
released his painful, but uproariously funny memoir, Little Failure, about coming to America as a Russian
immigrant and trying to adopt to his new land and how he finally found his true calling as a writer. In
the previous Super Sad True Love Story, his character, Lenny, is a collector of printed, bound media
artifacts (aka) books.
Some people say that a world of more and more social media and is even desirable and less and less
privacy is inevitable. We learn more everyday just how much governments and corporations know about
us and everyday there is another mass breach of our privacy. Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA
wanted to have eavesdropping abilities secretly put on every device sold to the public (and almost got
away with it).
Its true that new generations dont seem too concerned with these things and also many of the older
generation seem to just accept this progress. Perhaps, Shteyngarts future society, where everyone
knows everything about everyone else, may not be far off. But maybe we should at least question
where this is leading us all. And maybe we should remember where we came from and not be so afraid
of being accused of not being with it.














HUMAN REALITY Lyrics by Alan Chrisman c. 2013
1.There is no perfection Chorus:
Not everything is connected Everybody lies
There is no excuse Everybody cries
There is no simple truth Everybody dies
Not everybody flies
2.There is no black
There is no white 4. There is no smart addict
Theres only wrong There is no escape
Theres only right Theres only ourselves to blame
Theres only human joy and pain

3.Theres not always a reason 5. The Spirit is overrated
Things are never simple Our egos are inflated
They are always complex Most have already made up their minds
Its always a changing season Few will take the necessary time

6.Doesnt matter how much we say
Only what we do
Whether we deliver
And come through

7.We are not equal
We are not the same
We are all different
In more than a name

8.Only you can grow
Only you can know
And not be a slave
And can yourself save