Fails, believe it or not, have been around since before the Internet.
(Yup, can't go wrong with the classics).
We've been using them for our own amusement for a long time now. It's just that with the Internet's inception (no I'm not going to pull in another movie joke here) we've been on a manhunt for the next biggest meme.
(Putting up the Fonz or Mike Haggar would be just too predictable).
What is so powerful about this phenomenon that we have to scour our days on our computers day in and day out looking at some stupid viral video or creating lolcats? Here's my opinion on the matter.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a post about bashing fails, not at all. I personally love going to Failblog every now and then. This is about how fails, memes, viral videos, and just about anything that I've forgot to mention capture us 24/7 being the most constantly used form of the Internet second to porn (I thought it might've been my blog, but I guess I failed in that assumption... Get it, failed on the assumption!?! *crickets* Ugh, why bother).
I supposed let's just get to the root of why we love to watch fails. It's kinda a two part thing. One of which is the "it's always funny unless it happens to you" we've been putting into fruition since the dawn of the practical joke. The other is that those whom do a regular 9-5 job with a computer in front of you and the whole world wide web at your fingertips. No matter how much you try to resist you either would give in to either that YouTube clip that your coworker or friend emailed you that link to or that gif with the guy falling right on his nuts on the railing going Mach 5 with his skateboard.
We watch to break the monotony of our day and get a good laugh. We all need it, and it's good on occasion. But it has became like all drugs, an addiction that once you're hooked, you're on it forever. Seriously, there should be a rehab center for people to ween them off fails. Isn't it enough that we have Attack of the Show providing us with fresh fails for the first 15 minutes of it's show? Or the fact that the show is roughly 90% fail in itself? (There goes my AOTS endorsement). They've done the busy work for us already, all we have to do is pay our cable or satellite bill to watch it on DVR and laugh.
We watch to break the monotony of our day and get a good laugh. We all need it, and it's good on occasion. But it has became like all drugs, an addiction that once you're hooked, you're on it forever. Seriously, there should be a rehab center for people to ween them off fails. Isn't it enough that we have Attack of the Show providing us with fresh fails for the first 15 minutes of it's show? Or the fact that the show is roughly 90% fail in itself? (There goes my AOTS endorsement). They've done the busy work for us already, all we have to do is pay our cable or satellite bill to watch it on DVR and laugh.
I mean, I see in what I do a decent amount of fails, not enough to compete with the likes of the cheezeburger network, but enough to give me a chuckle every now and then. I don't go out of my way for the next big fail and hope that it put me on the map. Sure I might put something stupid and random up on YouTube everyone to see, but for me to become the next meme is not in my intent. I did my time doing/imitating Jackass stunts even before Jackass was a grindhouse of dick-and-fart-jokes personified. I don't need that. Also if I find something funny or failish, it's most likely gonna appeal to those I'm immediately with. We'll get it, the moment will pass, and that'll be that. Most of my stuff is more observational and standup-ish type of material. It works for me but not everyone's cup of tea.
The reasoning is that it doesn't need to be a constant thing for everyone. The Internet is 24/7, you don't have to be. It'll be there when you get back. I just think that fails, as addicting as they are, don't have to run all of your Internet presence (seemingly).
BootLeG sampler.. signing out...
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