The Social Network Nitwits

Well it's official. In spite of all the disingenuous and deceitful protestations of innocence, careful skirting of the truth, and half-denials, Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner of New York has admitted not only to sending the underwear picture that has become such a sensation on Twitter; but apparently a number of other questionable photographs and 'tweets' as well. In a typical political mea culpa, the Congressman threw himself on the mercy of voters. That he did this after only days ago looking into cameras and attempting to spar with the media (when not actually lying) is not cause for our pity but our scorn however. 


And so with this admission, we see yet another politician begin his final fall from a combination of moral ambiguity and an inability to separate their public (and electronic) lives from their private ones. Weiner has not only lost his chance to become the next Mayor of New York (if Bloomberg ever agrees to leave), but will be damn lucky to hold onto his Congressional seat. The House ethics committee will next take up the faux pas and foibles of Rep Weiner, and they are more than welcome to them. 


Perhaps those with similarly duplicitous natures and questionable moral judgment will better understand him; for he is not alone in his questionable behavior. Far too many of them (and us) are guilty of exposing our ... feelings out there on Twitter and Facebook in the hopes of garnering attention, receiving accolades, and sometimes engendering sympathy. And while we usually get what we ask for, it's far too seldom what we want or really need. 


Attention: 
Absolutely! Put your words, feelings, and personal life out there like a guest on "The Jerry Springer Show" and there's little doubt that those who follow you on Twitter and Facebook will notice. Quite frankly, it's a train wreck that's hard to turn your eyes from. 


Accolades: 
Yep! Those can come as well. (I've been especially guilty on this one.) Playing with words and manipulating the English language in the hopes of appear clever or creating a minor piece of verbal art is fun. Sometimes it even works. More often however, it's simply a different form of train wreck, as sarcasm and irony are left behind in the keyboard. Attempt this at your own risk, as the repercussions can be more far-reaching than you realize. Then there are those who stoop to re-posting the efforts of more inventive minds. They do little more than trace over the lines of the Mona Lisa and expect to be credited as an artist. It's as intellectually laudable as any other form of plagiarism and as creative as line dancing. 


Sympathy: 
Not so much ... Oh don't get me wrong, there are those day-to-day tragedies whose frustration gathers some 'awwws' when aired in public. There are even some actual misfortunes that become easier to bear when shared; and where solace can be received with help and advice to be received from friends, electronic or otherwise. Most of us will even share some bitter laughter along with our compassion when life from time to time seems to paint a target on someone we know or care about. 


Excessive hand-wringing and drama however, will eventually wear thin the understanding of a saint (not that I know any personally) and are to be avoided at any cost. Those conducting their private lives on the Internet in the hopes some level of fame (like Rep Weiner) run a number of terrible risks in the attempt, which include (but are not limited to): 


* A law of averages which has determined that eventually you will make a mistake between the private and public lives you live and humiliate yourself (bad enough) or perhaps others who don't deserve it (much worse). * Airing a private grievance in a public venue, while self-satisfying, is unlikely to produce the result intended; and far more likely to produce its opposite. * When we share information with friends, we often forget that it's not only shared with friends of friends automatically; but that it's going to be out there in cyberspace forever, just waiting for the opportunity to jump up and bite us in the butt long after we've forgotten about it. * Even the most sympathetic of souls runs out such sentiment at some point, and those attempting to continue to draw from this well are far more likely to gather scorn than the sympathy they crave. * There is such a thing as 'too much information' about any of us. The reason that people have both public and private lives is because they are different things. They need to remain so. 


 All of that being said, I want to thank Rep Weiner and all of the rest of you out there committing social suicide while attempting this twisted form of social networking. The fear that you produce through your spectacular failures is an inspiration to many of us (You know, like the movie "Jackass"); and a cautionary tale to be learned from. And as the human race has managed to mature in its use of so many technologies, let's hope we can find a happy balance with this one. Let's continue to find ways to stay close to friends and family without airing all of our dirty laundry in public. Let all say of us that we know how to socially network well, and have not, like Rep Weiner, become a Social Network Nitwit.

Piling On Weiner

I am normally able to resist the temptation to pile on a popular target, but this Twitter thing with Rep Anthony Weiner of New York simply has too many possibilities to pass up. Having been around the newspaper industry for a few years, I can in fact imagine the headlines in the days ahead:

• Young girls are apparently a Twitter over Weiner's wiener
• Weiner says that he will not be distracted by his wiener
• Congressman claims that his wiener was 'hacked'! (Lorena Bobbit Questioned)
• Congressional Twit Tweets - Weiner's wiener exposed
• Member's member to be focus of Congressional investigation
• Weiner's wiener ... a scandal that stretches from coast to coast
• College student refuses to release Weiner wiener photo saying, "Objects appearing in the camera are further than they appear"
• Investigation over the Weiner Tweet hack moved to small claims court

And they just go on and on ... (Feel free in fact, to chime in with a few of your own) For those of you who may not remember, or have just finally managed to forget, this is the same Rep Weiner who blew a gasket last July when many Republicans voted against a $7.4 billion dollar fund to be used to aid 9/11 First Responders. This was not an objection to the 'Zadroga Act', which had 115 co-sponsors, including 15 Republicans. Nor did anyone particularly object to the size of the fund or believe that taking care of these people was not a national obligation. They were concerned however about the waste and fraud that always seem to occur when the government has lots of money to hand out and does so. With examples of such behavior before them from the previously established 9/11 fund, they might even be forgiven for such misgivings. Not by Rep Weiner however, he went off on a rant on the House floor that remains a YouTube favorite and was even considered over the top by many of the politicians and pundits to whom over the top is a way of life. He seemed to take great relish in taking center stage to castigate his fellow legislators with a verbal assault that left him shaking and all but foaming at the mouth in righteous indignation. His moral superiority and outrage were almost palpable to all as he called down fire and brimstone on those whose behavior he considered little more than repugnant and reprehensible. His tirade earned him 15 minutes of fame and a chance to go around to the talk shows to bask in the attention that such nonsensical notoriety often brings. (Just as an FYI, this act was eventually passed and signed into law.) It's a funny thing about grabbing the national spotlight in politics however. Just when you think that you've done you bit on stage and can safely retire behind the curtain for some well-deserved rest and relaxation, someone bumps that previously sought source of illumination in such a way that you find yourself back in its glare; often at the most inconvenient of times. And so yet another vainglorious politician, wooed by the siren song of power and fame, may now have succumbed to one foolish temptation too many. Another elected representative seems to have confused prerogative with potency and crossed a number of lines of good conduct and good sense in the process. There's no telling whether this incident (and the others which are bound now to find voice) will bring about the end of a potentially promising, if shrill career. It's interesting though that in spite (or maybe because) of the fact that so many politicians are in love with themselves, they believe that all others are in love with them as well. It's also rather amusing (in a sad way) to realize that those we place in positions to make good choices for all of us can make so many poor ones for themselves. Hey now that I think of it, maybe what Rep Weiner needs is a little time away from Washington DC to let all of this uproar die down. Maybe (like in "Animal House"), what he needs is a little road trip to return things to proper perspective. After all, Sarah Palin is making her way around the country these days using a neat bus and some motorcycles. Maybe Anthony Weiner could latch on to a cool ride and do a little traveling of his own.

I understand the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile might be available ...