Sample gates blog

Downward Trends

There seems to be a trend growing on Facebook these days. What has most recently caught my attention is the “change your profile picture to [blank] this week/month/fortnight” phenomenon. Using an image to represent yourself isn’t a new concept, of course, and it started off on Facebook innocently enough. Themes like your favorite animal or Pokemon were cute, and the niches soon jumped on board to give everybody their day in the sun.

The most recent and popular one, though, involves posting on your profile page the image of a celebrity you resemble. It might not appear to be all that different than the ones listed above, but this particular theme has actually managed to fall into a far lower intellectual bracket. When you were free to select whatever character or pudding flavor you felt best defined you, at least you made the decision on the basis of your perception of your personal characteristics. This look-alike trend removes any personality from the decision and assigns you a celebrity persona based solely on how you look.

While Facebook has never exactly been a one-stop shop for the intelligentsia, most people would rate it a step above other networking services due to factors like security and customizability. Why, then, is it fashionable to give up your individuality so that other people can relate you to some B-list celebrity? Does it give anyone a better knowledge of who I am just because certain people think I look like “Boy Meets World” star Ben Savage?

- Eric Cox

An Ode to Ochocinco

I’ve never tried crack. I have no intention of ever doing so, and can only speculate why anyone would want to associate with a crackhead. However, if I had to guess what it would feel like, I would assume it would be similar to the addiction I have to Chad Ochocinco’s Twitter account.

Ochocinco is quite possibly the Muhammad Ali of professional football. Sure, he might not be the greatest wide receiver ever, but it’s his shameless self-promotion and flamboyant personality that make him such a phenomenon.

Ochocinco’s Twitter account, called the Ocho Cinco News Network (OCNN), is rapidly becoming the premiere example of a new type of reporting. Although Ochocinco’s in-game updates have upset the NFL, as a fan I can assure you everyone else is digging it. Reportedly, Ochocinco is recruiting other NFL players to start acting as “reporters” for his OCNN, and has already gotten the Ravens’ Ray Rice and the Redskins’ Chris Cooley to sign on.

The fallout from this lighthearted endeavour could be significant. If professional athletes break news themselves and pre-empt the major networks, it could signal a change in the way sporting news operates in the digital age. Whether Ochocinco becomes the next Edward R. Murrow, time will tell, but until then, I’m just happy to keep updated on his Call of Duty and clubbing adventures.

-Henry Alderfer