After watching the music video for Brad Paisley’s song “Online” you can see that a lot of stereotypes are used to convey the message. In a sense it makes the video more entertaining than it might have been otherwise but some people might take it the wrong way. There’s the nerd, the shy girl, rude jock, crazy parents, hot guy, and the hot guy’s chicks. It’s pretty much like a high school scene but it’s not really in a school setting.
So the main character that we follow throughout the video is an extreme nerd, who’s short, has a bald spot, wears glasses, lives with his parents still, works as a pizza delivery guy, drives an old beat up car, and is afraid to confront girls. In the lyrics it’s also mentioned that he has asthma and is a huge sci-fi fan that’s never been to second base. All of that pretty much describes the typical nerd that is portrayed in the movies and on TV and it makes the image instantly recognizable. After describing him and his lifestyle, the lyrics go on to say “But there’s a whole nother me that you need to see, go check out MySpace.” And then online, more specifically on MySpace, he turns into somebody that he’s not. It’s somebody that he believes is a lot “cooler” and wishes that he could be. This online persona is Brad Paisley and he’s a tall, good looking guy that drives a nice sports car and lives in Hollywood. The video goes back and forth between the nerd’s real life and his fantasy life online.
This video talks about how we can all become somebody different online and nobody would ever know if they never met you in person. Some people may only change a few things on their social profiles online to make them look better, but there are others that would change a lot and even manipulate images to reflect something they aren’t. Just because somebody puts it on their MySpace or Facebook page, doesn’t mean it’s completely true. I’ve read quite a few stories about people who have created profiles for dating sites and they didn’t accurately describe themselves and lied about their lives and how they really are. When those people were actually confronted and the truth was brought out, they were ridiculed for portraying somebody they weren’t. It also made it difficult for anybody to believe the rest of what that person said on their profile, even if the remaining was actually true.
Generally if somebody makes something up online and there’s no evidence to prove you wrong and they don’t know you personally, then nothing happens and people will assume you’re telling the truth. But if something comes up and you’re exposed, then the consequences can be catastrophic in both the online community and in real life if friends or coworkers were to find out.
New technology over the last decade has made it easier for people to act like somebody they aren’t and lead a different life online. It relates to how our communication has been shaped by the Internet and how people are adjusting to it because by going online, you have a clean slate from the real world and can technically be anybody or anything you want to be. Some people take advantage of this anonymity and abuse the way we communicate virtually with others. They represent a false image of themselves that they would most likely not do if the conversation were face to face. There is no control over this and it’s just an example of how we are all changed by emerging technologies.
Brad Paisley – Online (Official Music Video)
January 22, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Hi Alex,
Yes, technology has definitely allowed people to live a life online different from their life in “real space”. I think it’s created an environment that breeds cynicism; that no one takes anything they read about someone online at face value anymore (if ever). And if they do believe what they read, they’re sure to be disappointed or hurt. But maybe some doubt is a good thing, and that we should get a little background info before we make decisions about people. But I also think the anonymity of the internet can lead to extreme honesty as well. If no one knows exactly who you are when you post online, you are free to write exactly what you think or feel, without fear of offending or judgment.
-Casey