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Everybody probably knows about Post Secret. If not, now you do. Today saw the first “Blog Secret” day, organized by Nilsa.
Secrets are interesting. We want to know when somebody is keeping one.
I read a few Blog Secrets today with the hope of finding a juicy secret, like something that involved a presidential candidate; a bank heist; a sex act that required a car with snow tires, a swing over the river, three tabs of acid and a radio playing “Forever Young”.
I guess nobody listens to “Forever Young” any more. Or robs banks.
Both Post Secret and Blog Secret are more confessional than exhibitionist. They aren’t about bank heists. Instead, they “reveal” the things we know happen but that we don’t talk about in public because talking about it is worse than keeping the secret. They are things we don’t even talk about in private, because it would add insult to injury. (Example: cheating on a partner is bad; telling people is worse, as it threatens further humiliation.)
Why do we post these things to Post Secret, Blog Secret, Twitter Secret (coming next!) or whatever?
I ask because I’m not sure if this is a true confessional experience. A confession implies forgiveness. I describe my transgression and somebody forgives me. These sites only give half the formula - we tell but nobody tells us that everything is OK.
I’m not criticizing these sites. I’m curious about the motivation here. I think I’ve got the reason - confession - wrong. There’s something else happening.
Why submit to these sites? If you posted to either, I’d love to hear your reason.
One Comment
i’ve never posted to those sites… but it sort of reminds me of the bathroom of the grog shop.
i think we live in a culture where people remain instantly gratified and feel safe hiding behind their computer screens. you can listen to music, have sex (sort of…), keep in touch with loved ones, even order your groceries from the computer. so once your basic needs are met, why not give into those exhibitionist impulses you used to have when you went out into the real world? its cyber-space equivalent of a bathroom stall door.
if you ever run across a glory hole though, that would be genius.
i dont know, just a hypothesis.
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