Sunday, April 5, 2009

A Social Experiment

If you know me then you know that I love pictures…of myself. Call me narcissistic, vain, egotistical, what have you. I’ve heard them all and if you must say it again, please be kind enough to put a new twist on it. Repetitiveness gets old. Anyway, because of this well-known fact, much of my online presence consists of plenty of pictures of yours truly and it would be hard to find someone who is unaware of what I look like in just about any possible setting. For some this is great news and for others it’s annoying. The way I feel though, is that if it’s that annoying you have the choice not to look and that way everybody is happy.

On my facebook site, I have a feeling that there are a few of my 1000+ “friends” who have found their way on my friend list without really knowing me personally or caring too much about the things I have to say. I get friend requests daily from people I don’t know and while I think they may just think I have extremely witty status updates or be super fans of my sport, in reality some find their way based on my profile picture. I change the picture often and I see spikes on occasion but I wondered what would happen if the picture was totally not complimentary. So for four days I had the following picture up…



Four days and I had only one friend request from a person I can’t quite place. Does this mean I’m not as witty as I thought I was?! That’s a hard pill to swallow! I expected something like this, just maybe not so major. So yea, I took that picture down. I’ve always wanted to write an anonymous blog but I wonder what my readership would really look like if nobody knew it was me in all my fabulousness. If it looked anything like the facebook experiment, it might just be crickets over here. Well…maybe not totally. There are some of you who do appreciate my wittiness and would continue to do so sight unseen. But for some I guess it is easier to feel like they know someone when they can see what they look like. I’m not ashamed to lure you in however I can…and keep you coming back once the pictures get old.


There is another part of the social experiment which I will write about later this week…

24 comments:

Jon Lustig said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jon Lustig said...

DESCRIPTION! Is it too much to ask for an alt="" just this once for a post on my birthday?
You'd think I'd be the ideal for your experiment, but as I already knew who you were long before you started blogging I guess I don't really count.

Daniel said...

Ms. Glenn,
The internet isn't about friendship.

Anonymous said...

I would have to say that I'm the type of person who gets annoyed by snapshot happy people, and still look...I've tried to stop, but can't help thinking that one day they'll get over themselves. It's really hard when fb alerts me that they've updated pics, taunting me with thumbnails. At least you have an intriguing personality to go along with your "vanity". You don't take yourself too seriously, and it shows. The people I know, although physically beautiful, would make you cringe and curl your upper lip because they have no interests outside of themselves, and other "beautiful" people. Ironically, these people are the most insecure, dissatisfied and miserable. Everyone else has what they want and don't have...something real.
Like they say "the prettiest people do the ugliest things."

#1 Fan

Brianna said...

@jon...HAPPY BIRTHDAY my fellow aries! sorry...it's the least i can do is try to describe the pic. well, it's a little difficult but basically it's a close-up picture of me after i finished a race and I am looking at the time or result and am obviously not too pleased and my lips are twisted and my eyebrows raised and it's just the oddest facial expression. that probably was a horrible job so if anybody can do better please feel free.

@daniel...maybe for YOU it's not a place for friendship.

@anonymous...thank you for acknowledging my personality...i will take that compliment and disregard you calling me "vain". :) I do understand what you mean though.

***I'd just like to point out that this picture is now on my website, blog, and facebook. Perhaps that doesn't make me any less self-absorbed, but it should cut back on the vanity part just a little! :)

Anonymous said...

I like the picture. Its one of your better ones. :)!

Huratio

t.v. said...

I must admit to liking this pic too. It shows a different side of the glamorous you.

When I first saw it, I thought it was funny and wanted to know what was going through your mind, to produce such facial expression.

You're definitely "full of yourself" as we would say back home, but so what. :)

melanie said...

hahaha! i think you're hilarious, bf.
and i don't care how you look or i never would've started hanging out with you when you wore rainbow striped kneesocks and old ties to school with mismatched earrings and glitter fingernails.

Dexter said...

Bri,

I'm one of the 1000+ people whom you have befriended (thank you very much). and while you are "pretty"... "fine" and all those other fabulous adjectives, I "friended" (is that a word?) you because I got hooked on reading your blog (besides, I'm already married with the 2.5 kids, etc).

You're a classic example, I think, of what Facebook is designed to do - allow you friends to learn more about you. Through your blogs and your little witticisms, I have an insight into a jumpers life (and discovered it ain't too much different from a hurdler's life!).

Reading your blogs is sort of like watching "Flavor of Love" (I mean, in a good way)! :-)

By the way, did you decide if you're going to compete at MT. Sac? I had to pull out with a glute strain. Not that you care....I'm starting to digress.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that your social experiment may prove that there are a few superficial people out there but at least you'll know who your "real" 1000+ friends!

Peace!

Dexter

Brianna said...

@ anonymous and t.v....you don't have to kiss up you know.

@ mel...HUSH with all that! nobody needs to know about the socks.

@ dexter... that's what i like to hear!

Anonymous said...

Roses really smell like boo boo ooo, yeahh

Dana said...

HILARIOUS!!!

Double hilarious is Dexter comparing your blog to watching Flavor of Love... in a good way. I don't see the comparison, but I did laugh out loud.

D.P. said...

Bri,

1. Please don't ever make this face again.

2. Girls need to understand that it is very rare that ANY dude just wants to be your friend when he meets you (on facebook or in real life).

3. That being said, you have a great personality and a good heart that make you all the more attractive.

4. I'm stuck in the friend zone. :-)

Ehav Ever said...

Yes you are so vain, you probably think this post is about you. lol

Just kidding. You did say put a new twist on it. (smile) I think that everybody has some level of vanity or narcism. I don't consider them bad things, they are just things. There of course levels of this that are different for each person, but I think everybody wants some level of attention. Whether the attention of a few or many I feel it is a common human need. Kind of like that 15 minutes of fame addage.

Anyone who does social network sites (blogs, YouTube, etc) and checks for hits, like I do, obviously likes to get attention for something that they do, prize, or feel good in creating. I think it is a matter of being proud of something that belongs to you.

On the note of photos. That would be an interesting study to see what type of pictures draw people in on social networking sites and what photos decrease that draw. This picture of you is truly hilarious. You could almost do a caption contest for it.

Anonymous said...

I think an even more interesting study would be to note which one of your blog readers doesn't comment on certain posts...specifically the ones that hit home. I find it rather hilarious when people get "hit in the cross-fire" (ie the fellow narcissists) ;-)

#1 fan

t.v. said...

Maybe it's a good thing you think I'm "kissing up" now.

One would think this is a step up from my sarcastic and confusing comments in the past. lol.

I "owe" you one for the laugh...

brit brat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Daniel said...

Ms. Glenn,
Did you just poke me in the eye again?
Lol.
I wasn’t trying to be a smart-a@@.

brit brat said...

I personally think you should have posted the picture of you straight out of the mud from that day spa. now THAT was a face only a mother could love!!!!!
I'm laughing at it now as I write about it. lets bring it back for old time sake!

Daniel said...

Ms. Glenn,
Who "won" the caption thingy?
I don't do myFace, so I wouldn't know ...
(Remember, I got no "friends")

Coach said...

Looks like that keep the stalkers away!

Andre Rafik said...

still waiting on the rest of this experiment...

Anonymous said...

Are there any naked pitures of Brianna floating around the internet?

Larry Flint

brit brat said...

hahahahahahaha
ew god lets hope not...
seriously.
I just threw up a little in my mouth....