Making Friends and Keeping Them
Libraries are banning it. Parents are blocking it. Countless folks over 40 are dissing, hissing, and spitting. Myspace has certainly attracted its share of nay-sayers and self-righteous critics. But the truth is, most of these outraged judges haven't actually visited the site.
If they had, and if they'd taken the time to read some comments and blogs and bulletins, they couldn't possibly help noticing how much good there is mixed with the bad. Yes, there are mysogenous ads ("undress the blonde and get a free i-pod!"), irredeemable appeals to lust and greed ("find wealthy men and beautiful women here,"), unconscionable pandering to the lowest common denominator ("snatch the purses without security seeing you and win a free purse!" --okay, this one's got to go!), and just plain six-year old idiocy ("out-fart the hottie and win a ring-tone!"). But what's really going on here, thanks to the mega-bucks these voracious advertisers are spending? What's happening in spite of their treating us like maleable morons? What's happening is conversation-- a broader, more inclusive dialogue than the world has ever known.
I started a Myspace site because I knew that's where many of my readers were. But I had no idea of the vibrant, varied interchange that awaited me. I've read kids' poetry on their blogs, checked out their rants, and critiqued their short stories. I've found them thrilled to have readers, responsive to praise, and hungry for feedback.(Teachers all over this country are trying to get students to keep journals. Hello?? There are millions of them on Myspace.) I've discovered that 300, one of the worst movies ever made, is a hit with young girls because Queen Gorgo is an equal partner, a respected, strong woman. I've come to see that rap and hip hop can be funny, sad, and sometimes, brilliant. (Check out "Africa Dream" by Talib Kweli.) I've chatted with people, old and young, professionals and students, artists and zealouts, poor and rich, from Tailand, the U.K., Zimbabwe, Norway, Pakhistan, Venezuela, Yeman, and yes, Iraq.
And I've learned the same lessons that everyone on Myspace learns: to get friends, you need to reach out. To keep them, you need to be kind, considerate, and alive to the best in everyone.They're the same lessons Our First Friend Tom is learning, and I was proud to see him pitch in with the American Idol drive to feed children. I know he sacrificed some paid ad space, and I'm hoping he also made a sizeable contribution. (Tom?)
So what IS myspace? To date, in the history of the globe, there's never been a better way to make the world smaller. There's never been a more delicious, confusing, silly, hopeful, and confounding melting pot -- a peaceful, nearly endless playground on which we humans can mix and mingle and grow. And until the recess bell rings, I'm staying out here with the kids!!