... it is time for Intergalactic Nonsense Status Week III! And it is no less than a brilliant idea.
Brought to us in the world of social media by the talented, tortured and somewhat twisted mind of former college classmate Brandon F, it's a week long celebration of "inane, sublime, random, surly, giddy, cheese-filled, or fur-covered thoughts". (And the image over there is the photo to represent the event.)
Prima facie, it's just about a good dose of fun with witty (or not so witty) wordplay at its base. But scratch the surface and the darker underbelly of the "celebration" gets exposed. In a very meta-way, the whole experience is cutting commentary on the very nature of the "status update" and how it is over-used in today's culture to display food in the moment just before it is consumed (the new millennium snuff film), to advance political agendas via memes and gifs (the new millennium propaganda), to guilt folks into sharing statements to support a cause (as if that act alone suffices to solve complex issues or find cures to diseases), to goad others to take action by using the challenge "I know which ones of my friends will share this" (the new millennium chain letter), to permit the terrorists to win by mass disseminating virus laden video links (you can claim the iPad you just won if you click here!), etc. etc.
The best part -- by getting each of us to contribute, he makes us complicit in the crime of cluttering the virtual galaxy with nonsense. Although I can't quite prove it yet, I am almost certain that the event creator spends the week growing a mustache for a-twirlin' and adopting a cat for a-strokin', pleased by the close of the activity to have engaged us all in this manner.
Brilliance. Sheer brilliance. Bring on the IgNSWIII!
My initial contribution for the 2013 edition (in Haiku format as Brandon and I had a tete-a-tete about that a few weeks ago):
Snow monkeys smiling.
Makes me miss my cousin Jack.
Nonsense or truth, huh?
BE COMPLICIT IN THE CRIME OF CLUTTERING THE GALAXY WITH NONSENSE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/140139169502895/?ref=25
MY 2012 COMMENTARY:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/2012/04/random-wordplay-for-wednesday-41812.html
THE INAUGURAL CELEBRATION:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/2011/06/random-wordplay-for-wednesday-62211.html
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