We all have a natural tendency to seek pleasure, to be entertained. In fact, the existence of the performer seems as old as history itself. Nowadays though, the influence of the entertainer is much more substantial and millions of people around the world, with the help of the media, can be inspired by a single individual. Of course, it isn't necessary to be famous to entertain, but those who are well known, become significant to our culture and what shapes our society in a powerful and unique way. Windows on Reality (December 1997) One of the most extraordinary things about the World Wide Web is the kinds of things that people find interesting and are even willing to pay money for the privilege of viewing. The possible reasons why this is so are no less interesting. Beatles Too (September 1997) Can great occasions of the past be recreated? When many have a great need to experience special events as their parents did, then opportunities are taken where they are to be found. Windows on Reality (December 1997) One of the most extraordinary things about the World Wide Web is the kinds of things that people find interesting and are even willing to pay money for the privilege of viewing. The possible reasons why this is so are no less interesting. Jennicam (www.jennicam.org) is a web site designed and maintained by a 21-year-old college graduate and web designer who mounted a video camera in her bedroom and connected it to the Internet. Visitors to the page can see an up to date photo of what’s happening in Jenni’s room every half-hour. The more dedicated voyeurs who pay for membership have access to updates every three minutes. Jenni claims that the shots are not censored nor are they posed but are an accurate representation of what is really going on in her room at any one time. Because she works from home, the occasional visitor is almost sure to find Jenni seated at the computer although due to complaints, even when she is sleeping, a light is now left on in her room at night to enable the avid viewer to clearly view images of the slumbering youth. Unlike many sites on the web dedicated to those who like to watch, jennicam was begun as an interesting exercise rather than as an intention to titillate. In fact, the site is ‘more slice of life’ than ‘piece of ass’ and it would be rare to find Jenni doing anything sexual on a typical visit. Jenni says that she has gotten so used to the camera’s presence she forgets that it is even there. The money she makes from subscriptions is usually put toward hardware upgrades and the upkeep of the site. Rather unexpectedly, the whole concept of this kind of reality viewing can be strangely compelling. The knowledge that what you’re seeing is actually happening or happened just minutes ago (as the case may be) seems to hold a fascination unequaled by other kinds of entertainment. It would seem that the entertainment value in watching a web designer sleep may be limited, on the contrary the reality industry is alive and thriving on the World Wide Web. And contrary to what one might imagine, there are thousands of people out there if not more, willing to pay for pictures of a real life girl doing real life things in the privacy of her own bedroom. Those with a fascination for reality viewing have simple requirements, the images need not be high tech. Even blurred or indistinct pictures, as long as they are real, are enough to send pulses racing. A New Zealand man was recently caught after boasting on the Internet that he had filmed under the skirts of between 2000 and 4000 women and was selling the pictures by E Mail and on video. By using a tiny camera mounted on his shoe (shucam) and at one time a micro camera sewn into the bath mat at a youth hostel, he secured the pictures without the knowledge of his subjects. The photos were of such indiscriminate quality that in many cases it was impossible to tell whether the women were wearing underwear or not, a fact apparently irrelevant to consumers of his particular product. Elsewhere on the net enthusiastic amateurs, both individual and couples, sell recordings of their most intimate moments to an adoring audience. The Internet is an exhibitionist’s heaven and amateur sites are amongst the fastest growing on the web today. What makes these sites popular is not so much nudity or eroticism, there is plenty of both in cyberspace, but the realism of the content. In fact in many cases, the less like a model an amateur may look, the more popular the site will be, according to countless E-fan-Mails attesting to the inherent eroticism of the real life snapshot of an actual girl next door. While many of these amateur sites are sexual in nature, they need not be to attract a following. Catcam (www.catcam.com) is a great example. A web camera mounted in the kitchen of the home of Eric Francis waits to capture a chance sighting of his cats Beowulf and Ebi as they feed from their dishes. His praise page records dozens of letters from other cat lovers who have become endeared to the site, many of them checking in several times a day to see what the cats are up to. “... it was so cool the first time that I saw the cats! ... When I’m feeling down, especially, the thought of maybe seeing cats two time zones away has this odd effect of putting things into the right perspective.” “After watching constantly for two days I finally saw Ebi. Now I can finally turn off my computer. Thank you ...” For those whose tastes are a little less strenuous, the amazing wall cam (www.compassnet.com/~rdeneefe/wallcam.htm) could provide more appeal. The caption reads: You’ve seen people at work, you’ve seen peoples’ pets, you’ve even seen the inside of dorm rooms (-gasp-), but now experience what it is like to see, in real-time Wall-O-Vision(tm), a wall inside my house! WARNING: Not recommended for those with heart problems, back problems, hygiene problems, problems with in laws, or the humor impaired.” As the quote suggests, the site features a camera pointed at the wall inside the home of someone called Robert. Critics might be inclined to point out that there are too many people sitting at computers with too much time on their hands. In fact the Internet is often criticized for the reason that it is a frivolous waste of time, comments also more likely to be offered by individuals who have either never seen the Internet, or who are afraid of it. The issue of whether or not people should be viewing these sites is less relevant than the fact that they are looking at them. And perhaps just as interesting, why they are looking at them. Never before has there been so much opportunity to view the real goings on in our world, some would say to the detriment of society. The burgeoning interest in real viewing seems to arise for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the technology now enables this kind of viewing, often in real time, for the first time in history and is affordable to the masses. And secondly, this same technology allows the creation of highly sophisticated illusions. Moviemakers now take advantage of new abilities to create special effects previously unthinkable. The controversial alien footage caused such conflicts not because someone had filmed an alien autopsy, as it might have done only decades ago, but because the knowledge that such skillful special effects might now be possible. Our knowledge of the kinds of illusion that can be created cast a significant shadow of doubt across the film’s authenticity. Experts in medical and special effects fields are still unable to be certain one way or the other. Perhaps reality web sites with their often instinct images are popular because we know that what we are viewing is real. Perhaps too, sometimes the images need to be indistinct to be believable. Accusations of fakery would undoubtedly be leveled at anyone claiming to have a picture perfect image of a UFO or the Loch Ness Monster, such is the public’s knowledge of the technical capability for manufacturing illusion. Reality viewing provides a kind of certainty missing from many people’s lives, it is unassuming and it is obvious. The search for certainty simply hides what is behind it - a search for meaning. Perhaps the growing interest in what is real these days reflects more about the lack of purpose and the search for meaning in life than it does about society’s social and moral decay and simply that people are finding new ways of looking for it. Wayfarer International, Copyright © John & Melody Anderson, 1997 - 1998. All rights reserved. Beatles Too (September 1997) Can great occasions of the past be recreated? When many have a great need to experience special events as their parents did, then opportunities are taken where they are to be found. They say history repeats itself and no matter where you look it's always possible to find examples of it. Currently the rock band Oasis are making an impact on the youth music scene, constantly compared with the Beatles and already having sold more albums than the legendary Fab Four. Of course numbers of music buying public have swelled in the intervening years and in a world where there are more people and more with money to spend on music, selling more albums than the Beatles isn't necessarily a reflection of a band's superiority. At the peak of Beatles hysteria many fans shared the records they bought, nowadays in more affluent and media driven times, buying music is commonplace for most people. Some critics say that the band's rise to fame is due to the Brits' craving for another British Super group, others attribute the group's success to the blatant rip-off of Beatles style, sound and the unashamed references, implied and otherwise to things Beatle. The haircuts, the voices, and even the Gallagher brothers' own comparison of themselves to the Beatles all could suggest a deliberate and calculated attempt to cash in on the success of the Beatles and to create hype. Whatever one's opinion of the whole situation, it cannot be denied that unless people buy the music no group can become a success. So what's behind the hype or is it hype at all? Perhaps Oasis is all it's cracked up to be. One striking fact seems to be significant here. Like many groups today, the major proportion of fans are young. There is no doubt that the bulk of music produced today tends to be purchased by the young, but perhaps there is more to the success of Oasis than meets the eye. It would be easy to dismiss the connection with the Beatles and suppose that the group is popular due to merit alone and certainly there are bound to be music lovers who enjoy the music for it's own sake, but there is a huge sector of the fan base that enjoy the band because of similarities to the Beatles. When baby boomers talk about the Beatles, they often communicate a sense of daring and newness, a sense of being part of something - something big, a feeling of belonging to something, of being united with others who feel the same, a sense of history. It's a lot like Woodstock. Modern attempts to recreate Woodstock have failed at producing the same sense of awe that the original event inspired. Woodstock was a one-off, the Beatles were a one-off and anyone who wasn't there missed out. The people most likely to feel this sense of having missed out on something are the children of the Beatles and Woodstock boomers. They've spent years listening to glowing accounts of mass hysteria, the reckless humor of the lads from Liverpool, the massive following as they toured the world - the history-making rainstorm on Yasgar's farm, the crowds, the music, the freedom. These are aspects of youth that cannot be experienced by the children of the new generation. They are moments encapsulated in history, forever to be remembered, never again to be experienced. Imagine the wonder, the awe, and the inspiration of a child hearing these accounts of adventure, of belonging, of magic. Any youngster who is strongly inspired by the example of a parent might crave for something equally as passionate, magical, ground-breaking and meaningful. Along comes a band like Oasis, different enough to be regarded as a band in their own right, similar enough to the Beatles to fulfill the requirement for the development of a following and the opportunity is recognized - it's as close as you can get to 'the real thing'. One ardent fan with an Internet site dedicated to the group states: "I found it, I love it and I get all the credit for recognizing its coolness before any of my friends did". "These guys are MORE than worth taking the time to fall in love with. And besides they are cute, bad, British, boys. Four words that have always been in my fit my (sic) perfect guy description." Another offers up photographs of the group retouched to include John Lennon and Paul McCartney and other morphed images of Liam and Noel Gallagher mingled with the features of John and Paul. The trends indicate that fans are responding to the Oasis product in record numbers and despite what the critics might say, are showing an enthusiastic willingness to make the comparisons with the Beatles entirely of their own accord - an urge perhaps difficult to explain unless the motivation for it can be attributed to the indisputable power of inspiration. Of course it's possible that the inspiration for a new Beatles sensation may not be a significant factor in the rise of Oasis but would the band have been as successful had they sported afro haircuts and sounded more like the Jackson Five? No offense to the Jackson family, but probably not. Wayfarer International, Copyright © John & Melody Anderson, 1997 - 2002. All rights reserved.