Mindless Meld: We are Big Brother

Never before in the history of the world have we seen such a seamless melding of media: radio, TV, film, Internet, personal music players, phones, etc. Any format can be instantly converted and distributed into almost any other format. Case in point, the recent incriminating remarks of Alec Baldwin to his 11 year old daughter, or John McCain hepped up on cold medicine making jokes about bombing Iran to the tune of the Beach Boy’s “Barbara Ann.” And of course the infamous remark from Don Imus. It smacks us in the face like a running into a brick wall at full speed. The realization that anything we say, do or type, can be instantly distributed to the world in minutes and used against us. Think about this scenario, you make a casual remark to a co-worker about the boss's choice of tupee, and it’s caught on tape by someone’s cell phone cam. It’s all over the office in an instant, and you’re out on your ass. Or that dirty little email you typed to a girlfriend 2 years ago resurfaces and threatens your social standing. It’s really a wake-up call for those with Loose Lip Syndrome, to give a second and third thought to everything you say and do. We are under close scrutiny now, more than ever before, as we ourselves have become big brother. Jeff Gross