Tales from Facebook by Daniel Miller

Author:Daniel Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Wiley

This echoes a much more general concern with the impact of the tape that arose simply because, in social terms, Trinidad is such a small place. If they didn’t know Josanne herself, they knew her family or her schoolteacher or close friend or some person that was connected with her. In general, they felt for her, and felt that this was an injury that would never entirely heal: ‘people were saying she might have to go and live abroad as a result of it and so on.’ On the other hand, the bacchanal was also linked to her celebrity status. After all, one could equally have said that Josanne will always be known as one of the top singers from one of the top bands in Trinidad. Her achievements brand her for life as much as the catastrophe of the tape.

This ambivalence remains clear on Facebook itself. If one looks at Josanne’s Facebook page, one of the key ambiguities becomes immediately obvious. Although she clearly had no desire to be the subject of a sex tape, the portrait photo remains that of a raunchy singer. In her tight black hotpants, there is no doubt at all that the picture is intended to have an erotic edge. The idea and ideal of looking raunchy is integral to that of being a lead singer in this kind of band. The comments on the photos are revealing; mostly, they are expression of support such as ‘You look beautiful!!! Great to see you’re back!!! I’m sure what you’re dealing with has to be tough . . ., but keep your head up sweetie – this too shall pass!!! Stay positive!!!’; or ‘We’re all so very proud of you Josanne!!! Yaaay’; or ‘Good pic girl we know how life can be keep ur head up and be that star we all know’; or ‘This is one hot chick. All who want to talk cant do better.’ While one comment says ‘People stil talkin bout that video? hmmm they bored’, it is followed by another that says ‘But what happen to you Joel boy? You really had to mention that. Oh gorsh, you so yesterday.’ In fact, an earlier comment noted that they hoped her children never see the videos. ‘Something private gone wrong. Very wrong. We all have our “secret things” that we do. Lets just wish Josanne the best :).’

This site shows the quite extraordinary nature of Facebook. For all this bacchanal around the private being exposed to the public, it is on Facebook itself, that most public of domains, that we still find open debate about this same topic. Directed largely at trying to overcome and transcend the very same issue that this public conversation simultaneously represents, I am caught in the same paradox. I never did interview Josanne but she is a person I could well have met on any number of occasions. She is a friend of several of my friends. In an entirely different context, I heard about the death of her cousin.

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