Here’s an article on the rise of online-spying-as-entertainment:
original article here. as translated by google here.
And here’s an article about surveillance, crime prevention and what happens when shocking surveillance footage becomes entertainment:
original article here. as translated by google here.
Now thousands can watch these wannabe admitted students do whatever they think they need to do to get noticed. Before we get to the videos, which I will helpfully embed below of course, let’s think about a few things.
First, Tufts screwed up: why give YouTube this juicy material? If they’d set it up so the kids were posting to the Tufts website, they’d be drawing hundreds of thousands of eyeballs to their site and reaping the rewards, not Google.
Second, it’s a great precedent for anything that where one side holds all the power (think reality tv): make them do a video (a Peep Pplication) and tell them it only counts if they post it publically on the ‘Net. You get attention, they get laughed at, we’re entertained and the appropriate commercial messages are displayed a the appropriate intervals.
This is essentially an ancillary business model that could be applied to cash strapped schools, publishing houses with better reputations than bottom lines, blue chip talent agents who want to make money on the side…heck, even charities can employ this technique: make the needy beg online for their handout in the name of keeping us amused, and generating cash flow for those lucky enough to have shown how very desperately they need the help. (Wait a minute, they’re already doing this!)
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In this case, it’s ChatRoulette, a site that is spawning all kinds of articles, blog posts and states of excitement. On ChatRoulette you are connected to a random human being somewhere, anywhere, with a webcam. You stare at each other. You chat or, more likely, someone hits next.
Here’s a good piece that basically describes the experience.
Obviously ChatRoulette is pure Peep – you watch, interact, take what you can out of someone else’s life (while giving what you can of yours) and then you change the channel before you get bored or sucked in. This isn’t the future of the ‘net it’s the future of pop culture – more immediate, more interactive, more compelling, more fun, more disturbing, than anything they could ever green light in some corporate board room. And, like all things Peep, this particular entertainment phenomenon raises far more questions – moral, social, existential – than most of us want to deal with in the course of trying to have some fun without leaving the house.
Here are some screen-shots from a BuzzFeed page that feature a ton of ChatRoulette images.
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http://www.brokenpencil.com/deathmatch/
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I discussed/argued the e-book with journalist Noah Richler and David Kent, President of HarperCollins Canada. It was pretty entertaining. I was coming at it from the perspective of a writer, particularly one without the benefit at this current point in time of a publishing deal with a multinational corporate-owned publisher. (Interestingly enough, the producer who contacted me told me she was having trouble finding a writer willing to talk about e-books and publishing…)
So my take on it: small presses and independents are shut out of the chain bookstores that comprise the majority of the marketplace. Furthermore, even those writers who are published by a big company are finding themselves marginalized if they can’t generate significant sales. From that point of view, the e-book can only help writers who won’t find their books stacked up at Indigo or Barnes & Noble anytime soon.
Obviously this is a complicated and divisive issue but I think the situation is relatively dire in terms of access — there are 10,000 plus books published every year in Canada alone, but how many of them will you see browsing through your Superstore? I think the ebook will benefit independents and small presses, and those writers who are increasingly finding for-profit publishing a difficult fit for what they want to achieve. And what about books that fall out of print in a shockingly short amount of time? Things can only get better for writers in terms of ongoing sustained access to the marketplace.
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In the National Post, there’s
which offers a pretty good round-up of some of the pop culture influences that encouraged us to tell all all the time, from Lewinsky to Reality TV to social media.
Here’s a sample: Ms. Lewinsky’s craving for attention and eagerness to tell all was a pre-cursor of what Toronto writer Hal Niedzviecki has labeled peep culture. “To come in contact with it is to be overcome with the urge to want to see everything and, in turn, want other people to see our everything,” Mr. Niedzviecki writes in his 2009 Oprah-plugged book, The Peep Diaries. “In this way we restate the terms of privacy, community, individuality, and even society. Even as we hide in gated communities and cancel out the world via the preprogrammed earbuds of our cell phone/MP3 players, we show and tell all on our blog, our various ‘my pages,’ in the photos and videos we upload, on television, and anywhere else we can think of.”
Peep also gets a nod in a CanWest News Service article,
The headline is a bit misleading as the piece isn’t only about Afghanistan’s legacy for Canada, but big trends in Canadian society over the last decade generally. These include everything from the Afghan war to Maher Arar to Mike Weir, Steve Nash and, of course, the rise of Peep:
Toronto author Hal Niedzviecki calls our online obsessions the new “peep culture” and describes the phenomenon in his new book, The Peep Diaries: How We’re Learning to Love Watching Ourselves and Our Neighbours. “We’ve gone from entertaining ourselves by watching celebrities perform to watching each other go about our regular lives,” he said in a recent interview. “Canada has a ton of Facebook users, Twitter users and an extraordinary number of bloggers. We love to review and comment, and we’re very active in creating virtual broadcasts about ourselves.
“And this is one of the ironies about Canadian society in general, especially if you look at the decade. Even as we cling to a rural, small-town, wilderness-dominated vision of Canada, the reality is that we are one of the most digital, wired, urbanized countries in the world, with, if anything, an institutionalized contempt for nature.”
I won’t get into that here.
All I’m going to say is: After you’ve stuffed yourself with food and wine, chugged tasteless lite beer with your brother-in-law whom you secretly hate, decorated the tree with a variety of petroleum intensive products and strewn your hearth with the remains of a bunch of crap headed straight for the landfill (thanks so much SANTA, a marketing tool invented by the Coca-Cola company), well, then it’s time to post your photos and videos.
Obviously you will chronicle your JOY on all the usual outposts like Facebook and Flickr and YouTube, but for particularly painful photos, may I suggest sharing the wealth and peeping yourself (and others) on Awkward Family Photos as well. They’ve got a Christmas themed spread going right now, so I’m sure they’ll be happy to post the evidence of your agony as well.
Well have a GREAT holiday. And safe peeping out there.
Name Date Time IN Out Location People Description/Activity Comments Capture?
20090717_1632 Jul-17-09 4:32 PM 0:00:00 0:00:08 Kitchen Hal & Eddie Troubleshooting; fixing camera in kitchen. N
20090717_1635 Jul-17-09 4:35 PM 0:00:00 0:00:10 Kitchen “Hal, Eddie, Mark” More troubleshooting; no audio. N
20090717_1639 Jul-17-09 4:39 PM 0:00:00 0:00:27 Kitchen “Hal, Eddie, Mark, Sally” Audio is finally working; testing camera and sound. Y
20090717_1702 Jul-17-09 5:04 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Eddie & Mel Eddie packs up; Mel tidies the kitchen. N
20090717_1713 Jul-17-09 5:14 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen Eddie Nothing happening on camera (faint audio from next room can be heard.) N
20090717_1715 Jul-17-09 5:16 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel “Mel walks through kitchen. Sally can be heard, but is off camera.” N
20090717_1716 Jul-17-09 5:17 PM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen Mel Mel still in kitchen. N
20090717_1718 Jul-17-09 5:19 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Mel in kitchen. N
20090717_1720 Jul-17-09 5:21 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen no one in shot n/a N
20090717_1721 Jul-17-09 5:23 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Jet Troubleshooting in kitchen. N
20090717_1723 Jul-17-09 5:25 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Jet & Eddie More troubleshooting; determines that the camera is rolling in the kitchen. Y
20090717_1725 Jul-17-09 5:28 PM 0:00:00 0:02 Kitchen Mel & Jet Walk through kitchen. N
20090717_1728 Jul-17-09 5:31 PM 0:00:00 0:02:50 Kitchen Mel Packing up equipment. N
20090717_1735 Jul-17-09 5:36 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Jet Looking at kitchen computer. N
20090717_1737 Jul-17-09 5:38 PM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen Jet & Eddie Jet and Eddie settle up. Y
20090717_1738 Jul-17-09 5:39 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Jet & Eddie Eddie leaves; Jet on phone. N
20090717_1740 Jul-17-09 5:42 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen “Mel, Jet” Jet prepares to leave (tells Mel). N
20090717_1742 Jul-17-09 5:43 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “Mel, Jet” Jet checks kitchen computer. N
20090717_1743 Jul-17-09 5:45 PM 0:00:00 Kitchen “Mel, Jet” Mel and Jet discuss the different camera views (there is a possible obstruction). N
20090717_1745 Jul-17-09 5:47 PM 0:00:00 0:02:32 Kitchen “Mel, Jet” Mel shows Jet Eddie’s release and all the bills. “Jet informs Sally (who is in the next room) that ““everything’s live.”“” Y
20090717_1748 Jul-17-09 5:49 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Mel walks through kitchen; checks computer. N
20090717_1749 Jul-17-09 5:51 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Briefly in kitchen. N
20090717_1751 Jul-17-09 5:52 PM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen Mel “Mel leaves the kitchen. Otherwise, nothing else takes place in this clip.” N
20090717_1759 Jul-17-09 6:01 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Mel looks at the live footage from the PeepCams on the kitchen computer. N
20090717_1803 Jul-17-09 6:05 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Hal looks at computer in kitchen (until 0:54). N
20090717_1809 Jul-17-09 6:10 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal “Hal walks into kitchen; experiments with Peep chat (and ““talking”” to his fellow chatters by aswering their online questions in front of the camera).” “Points to camera (says: ““Camera? kitchen? there I aaaammm.”“) Chats with viewers on the kichen computer. Says an odd hello to one of the chatters (to the camera); Sally asks him to say a more ““normal hello.”“” Y
20090717_1811 Jul-17-09 6:12 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Hal chats with crew (who are off camera). Exits kitchen. N
20090717_1813 Jul-17-09 6:14 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Looks at kitchen computer. “Says: ““Camera H isn’t working.”” “ Y
20090717_1816 Jul-17-09 6:17 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Hal still at kitchen computer. N
20090717_1818 Jul-17-09 6:19 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Hal exits kitchen. N
20090717_1836 Jul-17-09 6:38 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Walks through kitchen. N
20090717_1840 Jul-17-09 6:41 PM 0:00:00 Kitchen Hal and W Hal and W chat; W makes a snack for E. W asks if Hal has heard anything about the Strike. Y
20090717_1841 Jul-17-09 6:42 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W and E W and E chat. E notices the footage on the computer; W tries to locate the kitchen camera to show E. Y
20090717_1843 Jul-17-09 6:44 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W and E W pulls up a chair to the sink so E can stand and wash her hands. Y
20090717_1844 Jul-17-09 6:46 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W and Sally W finishes making snack; Sally walks into kitchen and promptly exits. Y
20090717_1846 Jul-17-09 6:47 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W W leaves kitchen. N
20090717_1849 Jul-17-09 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Briefly in kitchen. Speaks to Sally (who is off camera); leaves for dinner. N
20090717_1855 Jul-17-09 6:51 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Briefly in kitchen. Picks up something on counter. N
20090717_1900 Jul-17-09 7:01 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Mel Enters kitchen; throws something in the trash. N
20090717_1903 Jul-17-09 7:04 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Nothing happens. N
20090717_1910 Jul-17-09 7:11 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Sally Enters kitchen; writes what appears to be a note. N
20090717_1911 Jul-17-09 7:12 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Sally Still writing. N
20090717_1914 Jul-17-09 7:15 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen no one in shot Nothing happens. N
20090717_2017 Jul-17-09 8:18 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W and Hal. “Family returns home from dinner. W sees Sally’s note. Hal enters kitchen, sees note, reads note, chuckles before exiting kitchen.” Y
20090717_2018 Jul-17-09 8:20 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen no one in shot Family can be heard chatting in background (but can’t be seen on camera). N
20090717_2020 Jul-17-09 8:22 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E E enters kitchen to put something in the trash. N
20090717_2130 Jul-17-09 9:31 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen no one in shot Nothing happens. N
20090717_2154 Jul-17-09 9:56 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Walks in and out of kitchen. N
20090717_2257 Jul-17-09 10:58 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal “Enters kithchen, pours out E’s juice bottle. Turns out kitchen light, walks away looking at the camera (with one finger in his ear).” Y
20090717_2301 Jul-17-09 11:03 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W “W, now in her PJs, enters kitchen and puts away a few groceries (?). Start tidying up kitchen. “ Y
20090717_2303 Jul-17-09 11:04 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Puts away some tupperware; carries around the crew’s hammer (doesn’t know where to put it?) Y
20090717_2305 Jul-17-09 11:07 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Pours cup of juice. N
20090717_2307 Jul-17-09 11:08 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Turns out the lights N
20090718_0733 Jul-18-09 7:35 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Enters kitchen (in PJs)
20090718_0735 Jul-18-09 7:36 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Cuts up a peach. N
20090718_0736 Jul-18-09 7:37 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Puts peach in a bowl; exits kitchen. N
20090718_0802 Jul-18-09 8:03 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W loads dishwasher. N
20090718_0804 Jul-18-09 8:05 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W leaves kitchen. N
20090718_0806 Jul-18-09 8:07 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Nothing happens. N
20090718_0823 Jul-18-09 8:24 AM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen no one in shot Nothing happens. N
20090718_0855 Jul-18-09 8:56 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal “Enters kitchen; says ““coffee tiiiiime,”” and begins to make coffee.” Y
20090718_0856 Jul-18-09 8:58 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal & E Continues to make coffee. Y
20090718_0858 Jul-18-09 9:00 AM 0:00:00 0:02:36 Kitchen “Hal, E & W” E helps Hal make coffee; Hal and W look at the computer (to look at the Peep Cams Y
20090718_0901 Jul-18-09 9:02 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “Hal, E & W” “W starts making pancakes, asks E if she’ll actually eat them ““this time.”” E says yes, and requests chocolate chip pancakes.” Y
20090718_0902 Jul-18-09 9:02 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W “W continues to make pancakes; E wants to help clean the kitchen, so she goes to find her ““own dustpan.”“” Y
20090718_0903 Jul-18-09 9:05 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W “E returns with a tiny broom and dustpan; cute conversation between E and W ensues. (E says: ““we like to keep a TIDY house!”“)” Y
20090718_0905 Jul-18-09 9:06 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W E now helps her mom mix the pancake batter. Y
20090718_0906 Jul-18-09 9:07 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W ? still making pancakes. (E eats some of the sugar instead of mixing it into the batter.) Y
20090718_0908 Jul-18-09 9:10 AM 0:00:00 0:02:32 Kitchen E & W More pancake making (E talks about witches and magic?). Y
20090718_0910 Jul-18-09 9:12 AM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen E & W ? still making pancakes. Y
20090718_0912 Jul-18-09 9:13 AM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen E & W E suggests putting raspberries in Hal’s pancake? so E and W go outside to pick some berries from their raspberry bush. Y
20090718_0913 Jul-18-09 9:14 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W “E and W are outside (you can hear them, but c an’t see them on camera).” N
20090718_0917 Jul-18-09 9:18 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W E and W have found their raspberries; pancake making resumes. Y
20090718_0918 Jul-18-09 9:19 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W “Hal returns (not sure where he went), can’t see him on camera, but E starts singing a ““Daddy”” song.” Y
20090718_0919 Jul-18-09 9:21 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W “Pancakes are almost ready; E has a raspberry and describes it as ““completely yummy.”“” Y
20090718_0921 Jul-18-09 9:22 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W Finishing up making pancakes?
20090718_0925 Jul-18-09 9:26 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W E sits down to eat her pancakes.
20090718_0926 Jul-18-09 9:27 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen E & W “E eats her breakfast, W continues to cook the pancakes.”
20090718_0929 Jul-18-09 9:30 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “E, W and Hal” “Hal returns to the kitchen, E is still eating her pancake. Hal suggests that they could ““show a little breakfast”” (meaning that they will let viewers see them eating breakfast). W says she will go find her hat and sunglasses, and E’s, too.” Y
20090718_0930 Jul-18-09 9:33 AM 0:00:00 0:02:32 Kitchen E & W E puts on her hat and sunglasses. Y
20090718_0933 Jul-18-09 9:34 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal “Hal asks: ““ready to broadcast breakfast?”” E and W can be heard but not seen.” Y
20090718_0934 Jul-18-09 9:36 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “Hal, W” “Hal looks at computer, tries to figure out if the kitchen camera is on. E returns wearing her bucket hat.”
20090718_0936 Jul-18-09 9:37 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “Hal, W” “Hal gets his pancakes. Talks about someone being angry with him (maybe Sally?), says ““it’s dark down there”” (refering to basement?), W says they should clean the dust.” Y
20090718_0937 Jul-18-09 9:38 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, Hal, E” “Hal sings to the camera (something about eating breakfast), E and W enter room again (E has brough ““Nashville,”” her hobbyhorse.)” Y
20090718_0938 Jul-18-09 9:41 AM 0:00:00 0:02:32 Kitchen “W, Hal, E” “More breakfast-eating? E talks about going to the supermarket to buy food for her ““horse,”” Hal wonders if the camera is ““grayed out.”“” Y
20090718_0941 Jul-18-09 9:42 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, Hal, E” Hal doesn’t think the chat function is working for any of the rooms. W tries to get E to eat more of her pancake. Y
20090718_0943 Jul-18-09 9:44 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, Hal, E” Hal goes downstairs; W accidentally says E’s name. Y
20090718_0944 Jul-18-09 9:46 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W W and E chat about E’s hobbyhorse. Only the top of W’s head can be seen (E isn’t visible at all). N
20090718_0946 Jul-18-09 9:47 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen no one “E and W can be heard discussing what E will do that morning, but one one can be seen on camera.” N
20090718_1003 Jul-18-09 10:04 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen no one No one is on camera (but E can be heard talking about an art project). N
20090718_1012 Jul-18-09 10:14 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen no one “Again, no one can be seen on camera.” N
20090718_1015 Jul-18-09 10:17 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal “Hal walks into kitchen, on the phone. Talking about the trouble with the chat function (has to log in to JustinTV to be able to chat)” Y
20090718_1017 Jul-18-09 10:20 AM 0:00:00 0:02:23 Kitchen Hal “Still chatting on the phone. Says something about turning the camera off, and admits that ““it is cheating.”” “ “But says he has to ““naviagate his family life.”“ Then talks about going to LA. Says there should be more shooting in the Fall. Talks about a blog post that left W ““vaguely mortified.”” “ Y
20090718_1020 Jul-18-09 10:21 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal “Says ““Sally the director”” called him this morning to ““ball him out.”” Explains that this is his first day. Seems to be talking about not sleeping in the basement.” “Re: basement. Says ““it’s dusty and lonely.”” Ends call, picks up another.” Y
20090718_1021 Jul-18-09 10:22 AM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen Hal Announces he has to go down to basement. No longer visible to camera. N
20090718_1030 Jul-18-09 10:31 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W W cleans up the kitchen; chases E (so cute!) N
20090718_1031 Jul-18-09 10:33 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W & E “W & E enter kitchen. Play around a little, (W still chasing E), then exit the kitchen.” N
20090718_1033 Jul-18-09 10:34 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Can hear W and E; can’t see them on camera. N
20090718_1034 Jul-18-09 10:35 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W is still chasing E. N
20090718_1036 Jul-18-09 10:37 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “Hal, E & W” Hal and E briefly chat in kitchen. N
20090718_1040 Jul-18-09 10:41 AM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen No one Nothing happens. N
20090718_1042 Jul-18-09 10:44 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” Family briefly enters kitchen; otherwise nothing happens in the clip. N
20090718_1049 Jul-18-09 10:51 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal Hal enters kitchen. Takes swig of coffee. Puts away food items on table. Y
20090718_1057 Jul-18-09 10:58 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W & Hal “Can be heard, but do not appear on camera. (W tells Hal that E had been chatting with him on JustinTV?)” N
20090718_1106 Jul-18-09 11:07 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W “W enters kitchen, pours E some juice.” N
20090718_1108 Jul-18-09 11:09 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Leaves kitchen with E’s juice and a pancake on a paper towel. N
20090718_1114 Jul-18-09 11:15 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen No one nothing happens. N
20090718_1130 Jul-18-09 11:31 AM 0:00:00 Kitchen Hal & E “Hal comes into the kitchen to refill E’s juice bottle. Also wraps a pancake in paper towel, and puts it in his front shirt pocket (pretty funny).” Y
20090718_1131 Jul-18-09 11:33 AM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen Hal & E “Hal and E prepare to leave (going outside somewhere), Hal brings the juice, pancake, and his coffee.” Y
20090718_1323 Jul-18-09 1:24 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W “W calls Hal. Hal is still out with E, and W wonders if E is getting exhausted.” Y
20090718_1325 Jul-18-09 1:26 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W “W appears to be refilling the dishsoap containers (brings them into a different room), and then is off-camera.” N
20090718_1326 Jul-18-09 1:27 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W W washes dishes and takes out the garbage. Y
20090718_1330 Jul-18-09 1:31 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen W More dish-washing. Y
20090718_1334 Jul-18-09 1:35 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W W tides up kitchen; sweeps floor. M
20090718_1335 Jul-18-09 1:36 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W More sweeping. M
20090718_1337 Jul-18-09 1:38 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W More cleaning. M
20090718_1338 Jul-18-09 1:39 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W More cleaning. M
20090718_1339 Jul-18-09 1:41 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen W Washes sink and dishes. M
20090718_1341 Jul-18-09 1:42 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W “Finishes dishes, stands looking outside for a few seconds; goes outside.” M
20090718_1342 Jul-18-09 1:43 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W & Hal “Hal enters kitchen. Takes mugs out of shopping bag and places them on the kitchen counter. Leaves kitchen. W enters, begins unpacking the shopping bag. Hal returns briefly with a cable in his hand (says it isn’t working).” Y
20090718_1344 Jul-18-09 1:45 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W & Hal Hal and W discuss what to have for lunch and for dinner. W begins taking items out of fridge. Y
20090718_1345 Jul-18-09 1:47 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen W Continues with lunch prep. Y
20090718_1347 Jul-18-09 1:48 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen W ? more lunch prep. Y
20090718_1349 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen ?more lunch prep. (Takes more items from fridge and puts on the kitchen table) Y
20090718_1350 Jul-18-09 1:51 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “E, W and Hal” “E enters kitchen, joins Hal and W. W makes E wash her hands. Hal examines items on kitchen table.” Y
20090718_1351 Jul-18-09 1:54 PM 0:00:00 0:02:32 Kitchen “E, W and Hal” “W, Hal and E begin to eat lunch. Hal and W discuss seeing a movie (Hal wants to see Bruno, W wants to wait to see it on DVD). E says to Hal: ““Stop feeding me, I’m not a baby.”” Hal and W seem to disagree about something; W mentions the camera being on.” Y
20090718_1354 Jul-18-09 1:55 PM 0:00:00 0:01:14 Kitchen “E, W and Hal” Stil eating lunch. E says she doesn’t want her nap (she’s not tired). Y
20090718_1355 Jul-18-09 1:57 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” Still eating lunch. Y
20090718_1357 Jul-18-09 1:58 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” Still eating lunch. W toasts bagels.
20090718_1358 Jul-18-09 2:00 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” Still eating lunch. More talk about the movie (W didn’t like Borat so she doesn’t think she’ll like Bruno).
20090718_1400 Jul-18-09 2:02 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” “Still eating lunch. W and Hal convince E to continue eating, negotiate nap time. Hal eats veggie salami.” M
20090718_1405 Jul-18-09 2:06 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” W and Hal discuss dinner while putting away lunch materials. E amuses himself by the back door. M
20090718_1406 Jul-18-09 2:07 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” Still cleaning up lunch. Hal says he’s figured out why the kitchen fuse is so delicate. Hal eats more noodles. M
20090718_1408 Jul-18-09 2:09 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” “Still cleaning up lunch. E says he ““needs to go pee.”“ Hal does the dishes.” M
20090718_1410 Jul-18-09 2:12 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E, and Hal” “Hal continues doing the dishes. Sings a hilarious little ditty on his way out of the room. E asks for her ““fancy new purple dress.”“ W makes E a bagel with butter.” Y
20090718_1412 Jul-18-09 2:13 PM 0:00:00 0:01:16 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” “W butters a bagel. Hal breathes a heavy sigh, eats more. E lolls around the kitchen, plays with cabinet handles. W promises to wash E’s dress.” M
20090718_1413 Jul-18-09 2:15 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” E eats her buttered bagel. Hal warns her not to get crumbs on the floor. Hal lifts up E and plops her on a chair. W discusses tonight’s dessert with E. E wants an ice cream sundae. Y
20090718_1415 Jul-18-09 2:16 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” “W continues to discuss dessert with E. Hal puts dishes in the dishwasher. E wants her ice cream sundae now, begins to cry.” Y
20090718_1416 Jul-18-09 2:20 PM 0:00:00 0:03:51 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” “E continues to cry over her sundae. W attempts compromise, crying continues. Hal does more dishes. E’s crying develops into a full-on tantrum. Hal cleans up the kitchen table.” Y
20090718_1420 Jul-18-09 2:21 PM 0:00:00 0:01:15 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” E’s tantrum continues. Hal cleans up the kitchen table. M
20090718_1421 Jul-18-09 2:24 PM 0:00:00 0:02:32 Kitchen “W, E and Hal” “Hal does more cleaning. E’s tantrum continues. Hal eats more. Hal and W offer chocolate eggs to E, but the crying won’t stop. Everyone leaves the kitchen. Hal turns out the lights.” Y
The reporter also told me a far more disturbing story. It’s about a university student named Nicolás Castro Prestelt who created a Facebook group called “I pledge to kill Jeronimo Uribe, son of Alvaro Uribe.” Jeronimo Uribe is the son of the popular Colombian President. (I don’t know much about Colombian politics but I gather he’s been accused of using his son-of status to do some not-so-nice-things, though there’s no official charge against him.)
After the media picked up on the group, which had all of 20 members, the group was purged from Facebook and the university student was arrested. He’s in jail now, awaiting his fate.
Obviously, starting a group encouraging people to kill, even in jest, is not very wise. At the same time, it’s doubtful this fine arts student meant any actual harm — he’s being labeled as a terrorist by the Colombian government. This is just another example of what happens when the digital peep culture of exposure and pranksterism meets the conservative world of law enforcement and government.
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Timson goes on to directly cite The Peep Diaries, writing that
Hal Niedzviecki, author of The Peep Diaries, has described this culture as one of “mass voyeurism in which we get more and more of our kicks from peeping in on the entertaining foibles of the real lives of others; at the same time, we become more and more amenable to others peeping in on our lives.” But do we viscerally understand that this could represent the end of privacy as we know it? Parents post a YouTube video of their adorable little boy comically coming out of anesthesia after a dental appointment and it becomes a huge hit. Women start up sites bashing unfaithful boyfriends. University kids post endless drunk and happy pics of themselves.
Timson concludes, as I do, that in fact far too few of us make the connection between what is now our primary source of entertainment – other people’s real lives – and the way peep changes us. She’s mostly concerned about privacy and how we are unwittingly forsaking it, but I’d say we can go deeper than that: peep is reshaping us in myriad ways from our sense of privacy to what we value in our society to how we perceive ourselves and other human beings.
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