Here is the place to offer your thoughts, impressions, opinions and questions. Feel free to address each other's statements; it's not necessary for me to arbitrate the discussion.
I did have a wee epiphany today about the "catfish" symbolism, which I shared with you, namely that the "catfish" (i.e. the entity or person that keeps us agile, keeps us guessing) is not necessarily Angela (who keeps Nev on his toes), but Nev (who galvanizes Angela into trying to change her life)...It was exciting to be able to see this on a different level than I had previously.
We spoke briefly about whether the film is authentic or "real." What do you think?
What about the implications for the widespread use of social media?
And what about the Ms. article from 1985, "The Strange Case of the Electronic Lover"--does the persona of "Joan Sue Greene" created by the psychologist have anything in common with the "Megan Faccio" persona created by Angela?
Very interesting movie. At first I thought it might have been staged, based on the general calm atmosphere that existed throughout the movie. As I stated in class, I thought at least at some point someone would have had a stronger reaction. But Professor Aloi made a good point about it being hard to act something like this out, and how they all seemed pretty legitimate. She also mentioned that there is a lot of footage that does not go into the movie. So while I think that some parts may have been prepared and thought out, I am now leaning towards believing that this thing was real.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/concerns-about-adhd-practices-and-amphetamine-addiction.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article on the front page of today's New York Times. It is not necessarily related to our class, but its important for college students. Many college students these days are becoming reliant on medication(Adderall in particular) to keep up with their workload.
Personally I believe that "Catfish" was not a staged movie. My feeling is that when there were parts of him possibly having a much stronger reaction to the situation than shown, they probably left it out. Especially since the entire situation was most likely disappointing, the entire movie couldn't be him "freaking out" about the fact that he had been lied to. If something was edited as Professor Aloi said about the letters that he finds in the mailbox that were never actually delivered to Megan, he would still have the same reaction the second time through when they actually video tape it with the information on the letters covered up. The reaction would be dulled down a tad but he would still be struck by the situation in the first place. Because of the widespread use of social media, it makes it more accessible to many different people, along with the possibility to alter or fake one's persona. If anything this movie should play a role in opening people's minds to who they may actually be talking to while they are accessing the internet on social media sites. While this movie was then turned into a television show, "Catfish", it shows even more cases of people imitating that of someone they were not. It proves the implications of such activity over the internet because it is taking away your natural senses. You cannot see, hear, or touch the person, so they could be someone completely different.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though the Megan persona taken on by Angela in "Catfish" has some similarities to the act of
"Alex" impersonating Joan. I feel as though the main similarity between both of these is that there was a reason behind doing it. When someone makes an alternative personality through the internet they are trying to personify someone they may wish to be or are curious about being. "Alex" was trying to see what it would be like to be a woman and though that happened by accident he continued because people listened to him more and were sharing more things with him because the women were trusting him as another woman. In Angela's case and possibly even Alex's, there could have been a psychiatric issue with them both for doing such things. In the movie, Angela even stated that when you create a new persona there is a different piece of yourself in them, and she may not have been much of a fan of her own life and found it a good outlet to live through the lives of the impersonations she created.
I truly enjoyed watching “Catfish” because it kept me engaged and captivated throughout the story the documentary told, especially when Nev and his friends were in the car driving to Michigan. I wanted to know the piles upon piles of lies the Faccio family, particularly Angela, was telling through Facebook. However, I think it was also wrong for Nev to completely open up to “Megan” only over the phone because he hadn’t even met her. I think the documentary was authentic because the people did not seem like they were acting; they were acting themselves. Then, does this mean the documentary was filmed the first real time and they knew from the beginning that it was going to be filmed, no matter how the story turned out or did the story have to be reenacted?
ReplyDeleteThis documentary has similarities to “The Strange Case of the Electronic Lover.” In the documentary, Angela made a fake profile of herself as a young pretty girl and in the essay, Alex made a fake CompuServe of a disabled woman to try to attract other women to him and reveal their personal information. In both instances, a form of media communication is used, which shows that they can sometimes be unsafe and there will always be impostors to look out for.
Watching "Catfish" was a fantastic experience for me as a viewer. It was the second time that i had seen the film, and as Professor Aloi said, you definitely catch on to more subtle details the second time around. One of the clue that i was most tuned into the second time was the voice of Megan. Already knowing the sound of Angela's voice and her Megan voice, i couldn't help but think of how gullible Niev was. However, i think adds to the brilliance and believability of the film. The concept is fairly simple, and just shows how a little digging for information can show what a situation really may be. Internet scams, whether it be personal identity theft or scam relationships like this, are one of those things that people always hear that happens, but people never really think that it'll happen to them. "Catfish" shows the progression of Niev's discovery that even he can be affected from the ill qualities of the internet. I think that the TV show "Catfish" is a great way that Niev and his filmmaking team is contributing to help more people realize this truth for themselves. It also sheds a harsh light on how often these fake profiles are surfacing on Facebook and other places on the internet. It really has expanded the present day definition of a sociopath, to someone who hides behind a screen while manipulating anyone and everyone that they want to.
ReplyDeleteCatfish is an important film because it shows how media changes the life of people. Before people will use drugs and alcohol to escape their realities that they hate. With the invention of social medias like Facebook, people can start a new life in a way. They can become anyone they want on their profiles and no one will no. These illusions can cause a person to become dependent on the internet. Catfish also shows that eventually, no matter how much a person tries to make a new life, the truth will be revealed at some point. Nevertheless, is the movie authentic? Will i feel it depends on the people who view the movie. It can inspire others that Angela, a middle age woman who's inspiration came from a guy hundreds miles away from her. In the other hand, people can hate this movie and say it was all planned out from the very beginning. Yet, the big picture is being push aside and that is the affect of media on people. Media has become an everyday tool for people and in the future it will become a everyday routine for a person to go on social media sites or having a cellphone. Just don't let media or anything else push you away from the truth because in the end the truth will come to light and you can hurt people, especially yourself.
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