tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908745803886785495.post-46570896074604066202008-06-21T19:06:00.003-05:002008-06-21T19:16:09.301-05:00Lots of great stuff coming up in reaction to the previous post, two of which are elsewhere. It got a link from <a href="http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/">Songs About Buildings And Food</a>, a blog so good that it makes me wish I liked <em>The Hills</em> so I could better understand what he's talking about. (And I mean that sincerely!) <em>Laguna Beach</em> and all its offshoots are a pretty perfect example of what I'm talking about--MTV has built a whole programming bloc out of televising reenactments of the gossip-worthy moments in a particular real-world social group, and people love it. That's no accident. As stupid as MTV's programming can look to adults, it's generally ahead of the curve on these things.<br /><br />Also, for those of your that are uncomfortable applying this theory to "lightweights" like Miley and Britney, <a href="http://www.louisianamusicdirectory.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/19/read-bob-not-miley/">Alex Rawls</a> sees a connection between my model and Bob Dylan's construction of character. I think that's true, but only insofar as Dylan is a singularly iconic character. There's a difference between the obsessive information completism of fandom and the social capital of gossip, which relies on widely shared knowledge.Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06554556290192827166noreply@blogger.com