Taylor Lorenz breaks down the internet’s journey in Slouching Towards BethleMeme.
Engaging Paraphrase of the Text:
Unleashing the Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet
In 1968, Joan Didion shook the literary world with her essay collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem. It brilliantly captured the disoriented lives of young people amidst social unrest and global turmoil. Now, imagine if a writer like Taylor Lorenz, a chronicler of teen internet trends, could channel Didion’s detached yet empathetic critique to shed light on today’s aimless generation and their penchant for self-indulgence.
Lorenz’s Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet attempts to be a chronicle of this incoherent youth. However, it falls short of being a worthwhile book in the conventional sense. While future historians might consider it a crucial primary text in the “History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire,” for most mentally stable individuals today, it’s simply uninteresting and incomprehensible. A resounding “who?” followed by a dismissive “who cares?”
Written in the breathless style of an internet-addicted pre-teen fueled by both caffeine and Adderall, the book bombards readers with unfamiliar words and names that you’ll wish you never encountered. It’s a dizzying array of terms like DigiTour, ROFLCon, A Night to ReMEMEber, lifecasting, ceWEBrities, FameBall, Webutante, Young Klout Gang, Keemstar, Dramageddon, Hype House, Drib Crib, Vlog Squad, FaZe Clan, GrapeStory, Lilhuddy, Dax Flame, Pokimane, Fred Figglehorn, WhataDayDerek, Lonelygirl15, Vsauce, Smosh, TheBdonski, and many more.
Lorenz believes that the rise of social media and the emergence of “influencing” or “content creating” have brought about the greatest and most disruptive change in modern capitalism. She sees it as a socially and economically liberating force for millions, including teenagers who prefer not to pursue traditional careers. However, Extremely Online is less a social history and more a joyless account of how tech and marketing executives learned to exploit young creators for profit. It’s like Trident paying unknown teenagers to sing about gum while clutching a pink teddy bear. Revolutionary indeed.
Lorenz praises these so-called content creators as visionary entrepreneurs who turned their “likes” into money, akin to how former president Donald Trump used tabloids. Yet, she fails to acknowledge the profound impact the internet revolution has had on society, as if she were the author of a book titled Fun Way to Enjoy Fentanyl with Your Family. Dogs and cats with merchandise lines, viral videos glorifying assault and tragedy, an entire generation addicted to Chinese spyware—humanity’s darkest impulses have been monetized.
The book cries out for the wry and scathing treatment of an outsider, someone like Didion or Tom Wolfe. Interestingly, one of the early influencers quoted in the book even cites Wolfe as an inspiration, recognizing his iconic status as a brand. But Lorenz, being extremely online herself, lacks the critical perspective needed. She hails Paris Hilton as a “visionary” for teaching ordinary Americans how to be famous for being famous, all while celebrating the demise of “legacy media” despite her own affiliations with the Washington Post, Simon & Schuster, and MSNBC. The future may seem bright, but it’s far from it.
If you’re seeking a book that challenges your belief in capitalism’s goodness in the internet age, making you wish you were born in the Bronze Age, then Extremely Online is the book for you. But please, for the love of God, step outside and embrace the real world.
Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet
by Taylor Lorenz
Simon & Schuster, 384 pp., $29.99
In what ways does Taylor Lorenz’s portrayal of the internet culture in “Extremely Online” lack depth and critical analysis, leaving readers feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the subject matter
Ers. However, her portrayal of this phenomenon lacks depth and critical analysis. Instead, the book reads like a laundry list of names and buzzwords, leaving readers feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the subject matter.
Moreover, Lorenz’s attempt to emulate Didion’s detached yet empathetic critique falls flat. Instead of providing a nuanced understanding of the aimless generation and their penchant for self-indulgence, the book comes across as judgmental and dismissive. It fails to capture the complexities and nuances of the internet culture it seeks to explore.
Additionally, the book’s organization is haphazard and confusing. Rather than presenting a clear narrative, it jumps from one seemingly unrelated topic to another, leaving readers struggling to piece together a coherent picture of the subject. This lack of structure undermines the book’s overall effectiveness and makes it difficult for readers to engage with the content.
In conclusion, while Taylor Lorenz’s Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet promises to shed light on the incoherent youth of today and their relationship with fame and influence, it ultimately falls short of delivering a worthwhile and compelling analysis. Its lack of depth, judgmental tone, and disorganized presentation make it an uninteresting and incomprehensible read for most readers. For those looking to truly understand the complexities of internet culture and its impact on society, there are better sources available.
Engaging Paraphrase of the Text:
Unveiling the Untold Tale of Celebrity, Authority, and Potency on the Web
Back in 1968, Joan Didion made a seismic impact on the world of literature with her collection of essays, Slouching Towards Bethlehem. It brilliantly captured the disoriented existence of young individuals in the midst of social unrest and global chaos. Now, just imagine if a writer like Taylor Lorenz, known for documenting the online trends of teenagers, could harness Didion’s detached yet compassionate perspective to bring to light the directionless generation of today and their inclination for self-indulgence.
Lorenz’s Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet aims to be a comprehensive account of this disjointed youth. Nevertheless, it falls short of being a compelling book in the traditional sense. While future historians might consider it an essential primary text in the “History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire,” for most mentally stable individuals today, it’s simply uninteresting and incomprehensible. It prompts a resounding “who?” followed by a dismissive “who cares?”
Written in the frenzied style of an internet-addicted adolescent fueled by both caffeine and Adderall, the book inundates readers with unfamiliar terminology and names that you’ll regret ever encountering. It presents an overwhelming array of terms like DigiTour, ROFLCon, A Night to ReMEMEber, lifecasting, ceWEBrities, FameBall, Webutante, Young Klout Gang, Keemstar, Dramageddon, Hype House, Drib Crib, Vlog Squad, FaZe Clan, GrapeStory, Lilhuddy, Dax Flame, Pokimane, Fred Figglehorn, WhataDayDerek, Lonelygirl15, Vsauce, Smosh, TheBdonski, and many more.
Lorenz contends that the advent of social media and the rise of ”influencing” or “content creating” have brought about the most significant and disruptive change in modern capitalism. She sees it as a liberating force for millions, including teenagers who choose not to follow traditional career paths. However, her portrayal lacks depth and critical analysis. Instead of providing a nuanced understanding of the aimless generation and their proclivity for self-indulgence, the book comes across as judgmental and dismissive. It fails to encapsulate the complexities and subtleties of the internet culture it aims to examine.
In addition, the book’s structure is chaotic and bewildering. Rather than presenting a coherent narrative, it leaps from one seemingly unrelated topic to the next, leaving readers struggling to connect the pieces and form a cohesive picture of the subject. This lack of organization undermines the book’s overall effectiveness and makes it challenging for readers to engage with the material.
In conclusion, while Taylor Lorenz’s Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet promises to shed light on today’s incoherent youth and their relationship with fame and influence, it ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling and worthwhile analysis. Its lack of depth, judgmental tone, and disorganized presentation render it an uninspiring and incomprehensible read for most individuals. For those seeking a true understanding of the intricacies of internet culture and its societal impact, better sources are available.
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