If I Wanted my MTV I Would’ve Stayed Home

It is certainly possible to appreciate the idea that reaching out and sharing a concert experience in real-time could make an event even more powerful. Unfortunately however, until the technology can be improved I still have a problem with people who fiddly-fock with brightly lit electronic devices held not only over their own heads but over my head as well. When the technology becomes iris to brain to transparent transmitter to fans everywhere then it will be acceptable. Until then bugger off with the damn phones.

At this point I must interject that if you are under, say 25, you are not not likely to wrap around the spirit of this. You may as well stop now before you get violent. Or, go ahead and say this is geezerrificcc with 3 or 4 letter repeats at the end. I do not care – in fact, plainly put, some of you probably should have been a period. On the other hand, there are those of you who are are old souls and will whole-heartedly agree. Let’s be honest though, if you do agree it’s more likely because you like the idea of being called an old soul. Flattery is much too easy.

At concerts I have witnessed people waiting for hours on end to get that perfect spot in front of the stage only to proceed to position their device directly between themselves and the artist during the entire show. Tell me how they are experiencing it in such a way as to be able to accurately describe it to someone else? They are viewing it through a phone. Even a photographer puts the camera down and looks at the subject periodically. In their attempt to so generously share the show, (are you sure they are not just bragging?) the fans around me have radically altered my experience. No artist intended the audience to watch their live show through a two inch screen under duress. Can’t that be equated with forcing me to watch the television version when I’m supposed to enjoy the film version in all its glory? Some nit-twits may think this does not apply to them. They may have praised themselves in the past for devising such crafty hand positioning to hide the glow. Well, sorry to explain to them that covering doesn’t help much in annoyance-avoidance. Now the other people trying hard to enjoy themselves are wondering if you are busy transmitting some picture that happens to include some unflattering view of them. But that point should be saved for future discourse on the willing loss of individual privacy.

Yes, it is wonderful to reach out and share the event with other people who may appreciate it. Wouldn’t the other humans who accompanied the texting-attendee qualify? Aren’t most of the people there because they share at least this one interest? Why not talk to the person next to you? At least you can size them up and you know what they are doing with their hands.

What happened to the idea of waking up and writing down the dream for later inspiration? Working to actively and purposefully select the most succinct descriptions and unique tidbits to share? That requires memory, concentration, and language skills. Spewing out raw emotion in rapid-fire form can be exilarating but too much of that and people will both forget how to really effectively tell a story and how to really listen to one. But hey, I’ll finally have time to write a novel because anything over 140 characters will qualify as one.

Perhaps this role of instant gratifier could become a career path? Individuals desparately needing to express themselves for recognition or maybe even for altruistic reasons could sit in an area just off to the side so as not to distract other people from truly experiencing the event. In the press box perhaps?

JM Roche