Watch Me Entertain Myself!

Sacha Guitry once said, "You can pretend to be serious, but you can't pretend to be witty." Oh yes, I'm the great pretender.
(pilot episode: 20 January 2004)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Ready, Aim, Shoot

I’m your biggest fan
I’ll follow you until you love me
Papa, paparazzi
Baby there’s no other superstar
You know that I’ll be your
Papa, paparazzi

Promise I’ll be kind,
But I won’t stop until that boy is mine
Baby you’ll be famous
Chase you down until you love me
Papa, paparazzi


– Lady Gaga, “Paparazzi”

Obsession is quite a powerful force. One’s sights are telephotoed into a singular object. But obsession, which is desire magnified, makes one blind to the bigger picture. And it does not take into consideration the feelings of the subject. The subject is objectified into a prized image, valued not for who they are but for what they mean to the ones aiming their sights at them. Perhaps it is when the subject is viewed not just through one-sided, rose-colored lenses can a fuller picture of him emerge. Seen from all angles, the subject is not merely an image but a whole person, an individual imperfect with his human foibles and frailty as well as his strengths.

7 comments:

Anonimus said...

Well said, but the only problem I have with this line of thought is that we never really obsess about the people we have a chance to see the whole picture of. Yes? Familiarity breeds contempt for smelly feet and loud mouths. Or maybe you're nega-obsessing (as in wanting to believe that this person is the baddest person there is and you won't stop until you 'get' him) therefore familiarity becomes a pail of cold water.

Which makes obsession a really really bad thing. And badder still because when you have it, you're almost always blind to it. The only thing that makes you snap out of it is to see the bigger picture, but you rarely see it when it's painted for you by others.

If other people paint a picture and you buy it? You're not obsessed, no worries. If you simply refuse to listen to good advice and believe in something when evidence points to the contrary, maybe you're just pig-headed?

But if you start hacking email addresses, creating false FB accounts using his creds, stalking the places he frequents, talking to his friends and acquaintances and dentist and doctor and teacher and classmates to get more information, and all that weird stuff... stop. We have too many stalker stories already. Boring na. Obsess about non-people, like chocolate cake and white pointed leather shoes that look five sizes bigger.

But if you insist, then go ahead. But get a good lawyer. Or get a good bodyguard. Or get both. Some people will be flattered by your attention. Some will simply have an irresistible urge to flatten your nose until it meets your hypothalamus. Or the soles of your feet, even. Or earthworms.

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McVie... I echoed this comment on my blog because I spent half an hour writing it hehehe... sayang naman... nag-effort ako! But really because I think what I wrote here includes a lot of what I believe is right in an oftentimes very very wrong world.

joelmcvie said...

@ANONIMUS: You're right. The more you know a person and see his different sides, both good and bad, then it becomes more difficult to be obsessed with him. Familiarity breeds a bigger picture. And it's possible that you get to love a person even more, warts and all, but at least that feeling is anchored on your fuller knowledge of the different sides of your loved one.

Besides, the beauty of human beings is that WE ALL CHANGE. So knowing who a person is will never be static. =)

citybuoy said...

well said! :D i think there's a fine line between desire and obsession. i'm a little biased. i love this song. haha and your post reads like the perfect song liner.

Herbs D. said...

i was listening to this song this morning and well...hayy....never will i be obsessed. its pretty unhealthy

Anonimus said...

Amen, mcvie, amen.

Mike said...

If you get attracted to one particular "feature" of a person, it's easily to get obsessed. With this, you may jump into conclusion that you are already falling for that guy without analyzing if it's love or not. However, when you try to 'scrutinize' more on his inner self and accepted his flaws no matter how bad they are, that's far better from obsession.


*maybe those imperfections i saw from him and how he stand and straightened his life were the reasons that i surrendered my heart to him :(

joelmcvie said...

@DOC MIKE: "Him"?! Him who?! ;-)

(Si Him Chiu pala, ang nakatatandang kapatid ni Kim.)