So many people today broadcast the mundane aspects of their lives. From the outfits they wear to the food they cook and even the packages they open, practically nothing is off-limits.
Despite this seemingly intimate access to the lives of others, no amount of fit checks or unboxing videos we watch will change the fact that we do not know these people and cannot have real, lasting connections with them.
In the 1998 film “The Truman Show,” Jim Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, a man whose entire life, including his birth, has been broadcast live on air. There’s one key difference between Truman and all of the celebrities and influencers out there: Truman didn’t know about it.
A man’s life was recorded without his knowledge or consent for nearly 30 years, and the whole world was in on it. Not only was the world in on it, but people loved it. They couldn’t get enough of it. And yet, as soon as it was over, they immediately looked for something else to watch.
When we need hope, inspiration and just simply something to do, where do we turn? We turn to the stars. Unlike the farmers of old who looked up to the sky and made stories of the constellations, we expect the stars to tell stories to us.
Today, the stars are no longer only visible at night. They’re just a tap, click and a scroll away. Right now, I could go on Instagram and see Henry Cavill running with his dog Kal, Joel McHale reposting grilling videos and making fun of Ken Jeong or any other celebrity simply doing their daily routine.
I’ll probably never meet any of them, but I can pretend I’m part of their lives by watching the parts they choose to put online.
For the world in “The Truman Show,” Truman was a constant presence in everyone’s lives. We see a man watching in the tub, a crowd tuning in from the Truman Bar, two garage attendants watching at work and even two old ladies clutching a pillow with Truman’s face on it.
Instead of living their own lives, they are content watching someone else live in a world where everything is for sale. Sound familiar?
