It’s no secret that today’s audience, especially Generation Y, have more sympathy for villains than heroes. Brazilian actors, after coming to this realization, are now delighted in portraying malicious characters, especially in Brazilian soap operas, in which the positive repercussion seems to be even greater.

Why are villains considered to be more charismatic than today’s heroes? Has it always been this way? Haven’t past generations usually embraced the good guy rather than the bad guy?

I did a bit of research to try to understand this. The following idea really caught my attention: villains aim to do what they desire. They are strong. They fight for their beliefs and ideals, even if that means they will have to suffer the consequences.

Does this mean that this generation will pursue individual success at whatever cost? Don’t we need characters representing good personality traits?

I came up with the idea for this post when I heard that Mickey Mouse was going to be adapted for Disney. His girlfriend, Minnie lost her sweet, loyal, companion, who nowadays appears as a selfish rat in a bad mood. This new version of Mickey will appear in the video game for Nintendo Wii called “Epic Mickey,” which will be launched in 2010.

This is just the beginning of tactics used by Disney to attract a new generation of consumers to one of its biggest icons, who is losing his charisma and current appeal, when it comes to new generations.

“Epic Mickey” is a story about all the forgotten Disney characters that have had less than 15 minutes of fame. When nobody cares about them anymore, they are taken to a dark world, with broken and strange machines. (Who knew that Disney could be so cruel?)

The game, produced by Warren Spector, one of the masterminds behind RPG, keeps Mickey at the center of the universe. He paints scenes of a post-apocalyptic world. Images of a devastated beach, with black and white characters, and machines that look like the faces of the seven dwarfs in Snow White…

For those who don’t remember, the seven dwarfs were loyal, hardworking, and great friends. In the game, Goofy is depicted as a sort of zombie.

Compare this crazy fantasy world to the corporate world. If business professionals don’t have charisma and aren’t in touch with today’s world, they get left out of the corporate world all together. In the end, is the competition for fame and glory, all that’s left? Are the lack of idols and heroes, what makes Gen Y thrive on the bad guys?

An Interview with the 2009 Miss Mundo Brasil Luciana Bertolini

Standards of beauty are constantly evolving, a rare glimpse into society’s current state of mind. In 1951, the era of the housewife, Miss World, the oldest surviving international Beauty Pageant is founded. Twenty years later, in 1970, the contest is subject to protest as host Bob Hope is bombarded by smoke and flour bombs thrown by feminist protesters. By the 1980’s, the pageant attempts to revamp its image by adopting the slogan, “Beauty with a Purpose,” placing emphasis on contestants’ involvement in charity work. For the first time in history, participants are also judged on their “intelligence” and “personalities.” Now, in 2009, Luciana Bertolini is Miss Mundo Brasil, and a Miss World hopeful…

Growing up, Luciana was no little miss sunshine. Though the 24-year-old model and Journalism student, has just won the title of Miss Mundo Brasil, and will be competing in the Miss World contest this December, her future as a beauty queen is somewhat of a surprise, especially to her 10 year old persona, who clearly remembers thinking, “I don’t want to be wearing a heavy dress full of pearls and stones, parading around with a crown…”

In fact, she recalls the shy but spirited 10-year- old girl, who upon winning her first beauty contest, hid her crown and ripped up her photos, practically dying of embarrassment at the whole ordeal.

And yet, she soon realized she couldn’t cheat destiny. Luciana’s older sister, Adriana Reis, was also named Miss Mundo Brasil in 1998, marking the first time in Brazilian history in which two sisters have earned the same title.

So how did Luciana make the transition from angry ten-year old beauty pageant winner to Miss Mundo Brasil? Luciana explains, “I realized that my participation [in the contest] could open doors for me, especially since I want to work as a journalist.”

When asked about the difference between her experiences as a model and beauty pageant contestant, she concludes, “Models have to be like walking clothes hangers…The good thing about the Miss World contest is that you feel and are treated more like a human being.”

In an exclusive interview, Luciana shares what its like to be a participant in Miss World. She reflects on everything from the ever- evolving standards of beauty, to being a young woman in the midst of the Fashion industry, to what it means when a random little girl on the street confuses you with Barbie…

Ines: Congratulations on earning the title of Miss Mundo Brasil! Was this something you’ve dreamed of doing ever since you were a child?
Luciana: When I was 10 years old I participated in my first beauty contest and won. At the time, I didn’t like being part of it. I remember that when I won, I was embarrassed, I hid my crown…you know kid stuff. I was really shy as a kid. I also remember ripping up some of the photos my mom had taken of me in the contest, which of course made her really sad!

Ten years ago, my older sister also won the title for Miss Mundo Brasil. I remember saying, “I don’t want to do this, I want to focus on my studies, and my professional career.” It really wasn’t something I was thinking about.

However, when I turned 21 years old, another opportunity to participate popped up. This time I realized that my participation could open doors for me, especially since I want to work as a journalist. I’m currently studying Journalism at University.

One thing I really like about the Miss World contest is that they value intelligence. All the candidates are interviewed about current events and controversial issues. For instance, one of the questions they asked me was about the current state of the Brazilian Senate…

Ines: It’s funny, because the perception we often have is that beauty pageant queens always dreamed of doing this, but for you this wasn’t the case…
Luciana: No it wasn’t the case at all! I remember when my sister won the title of Miss Mundo Brasil, I was twelve years old, and we slept in the same bedroom. She would come in and spread all her stuff all over the room. She would make a huge mess with her crown and everything! I remember seeing that, and observing how busy she was, running from one event to the other. I remember thinking, “I don’t want that. I don’t want to be wearing a heavy dress full of pearls and stones, parading around with a crown…”

Ines: So what exactly made you change your mind and want to participate?
Luciana: Of course being part of a beauty contest involves the ego. All women like being called beautiful. But I wasn’t solely motivated by this part, or all the glamour that goes along with it.

I realized that the contest could open doors for me. By obtaining a title like Miss Mundo Brasil or Miss World, it’s another thing that differentiates your resume.

Ines: Why did you choose to study Journalism?
Luciana: I’ve always been really shy. But I’ve always tried to overcome my shyness by doing things I’m scared of doing.

For instance, I started working as an event promoter. I had to talk to strangers on the street and convince them to try products and things. It was difficult for me. It really scared me to death! But I wanted to do things to overcome the shyness a bit and loosen myself up.

I’ve also always loved to write. That’s the way I’ve always expressed myself. When I would tell people that I wanted to study Communication, they would ask, “what do you mean? You are so shy…” But that actually motivated me more, as I saw [pursuing Journalism] as a challenge.

Ines: I read that you said your proudest day was the day you got accepted into University…
Luciana: I really value education. I think that a lot of girls are influenced by fashion in the sense that they start modeling, and forget about their studies. But a model’s career is short. Not everyone experiences the success of Gisele or Adriana Lima. So I think it’s important to have your feet on the ground.

Ines: Can you tell me more about the contest’s idea of “Beauty with a Purpose?”
Luciana: The contest in Brazil embraces an environmental cause, which is the preservation of the Amazon. So we work really closely with the ONG “Amigos da Terra.”

Miss Mundo Brasil essentially dedicates her image to working with social causes and towards social change. The goal is to try to get people to reach a higher level of social consciousness. I have to really know what I’m talking about, I can’t just talk the talk. I really have to know about sustainability. For example, this Friday I’m going to be going to a lecture on sustainability.

Ines: Is sustainability something you feel really passionate about?
Luciana: It’s really funny because my friends make fun of me, saying that I’ve always been “Miss Ecology.” Ever since I was little I couldn’t stand seeing people litter. This comes from my upbringing. When we littered, my father would make us go back and pick up the trash. So my friends say, “Of course you won the contest, it had to be you.”

I guess I’ve always had this environmental consciousness. I just didn’t have as much knowledge about it as I do now. So the cause really does speak to me. I cared about it ever since I was a young child.

Ines: What is beauty?
Luciana: Beauty is ample. The standards of beauty today aren’t the same as the standards a few years ago. Beauty standards are constantly adapting themselves. They are created by society. Often, in beauty contests it’s not the girl who is most beautiful, in the physical sense, who wins. I think that beauty, independently of the era, is a combination of attitude, elegance, intelligence, and charisma.

If someone is beautiful on the inside, I think that transpires. So I disagree when I hear people saying, “It’s a beauty contest not an IQ contest.” It seems cliché, but beauty encompasses so many things. That’s why I really value the Miss World contest, because I think they realize this.

Ines: Yes. It’s interesting that the candidates are currently high achievers. They speak various languages, and usually have at least one University diploma.
Luciana: Definitely. The thing is that beauty queens have always been really stereotyped. There’s still a lot of prejudice. People imagine a beautiful woman with no brains. They think of someone who is totally innocent and naïve.

A lot of people will remark that I’m quiet but really astute. I think we have to preserve our innocence in regards to some things, but you also have to be conscious of other people’s not so good intentions.

For instance, you have to understand that after you win a title, many men are going to come after you, saying the things you want to hear. But the truth is, they see the title and not the person. It’s important to know how to separate things.

I’m a very realistic person. So, for a man to say certain things, I think he needs to know you very well. I’m not fooled by words. There are girls that will believe whatever they hear. Men are “trained” to say what we want to hear.

Sometimes it’s really funny because you hear the same lines over and over again, and then you know something is wrong! Like guys saying, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” That sort of thing doesn’t have value for me.

Ines: Does the idea of “judgment” ever bother you? Do you ever feel like an object being judged in this contest, in the sense that maybe people don’t end up seeing what’s inside, but just focus on your appearance?
Luciana: Sometimes you do feel like an object. People see you, they judge you on your appearance, but they don’t know you.

Ines: What about the idea of body image, do you feel there are some unrealistic ideas on the body? And is it difficult being a woman in this sort of environment?
Luciana: A little while ago, a law passed stating that models could only work if they had a certain level of body fat. A lot of models have died from anorexia. The standards of fashion are very rigid and quite cruel. After all, the model is a human being. A lot of people forget that. They see you as a Barbie, who doesn’t have any feelings.

I don’t think the beauty standards are going to change. Why do models have to be so thin? The reason is that the model can’t be attracting too much attention. The clothes need to be attracting the attention. Models have to be like walking clothes hangers. The good thing about the Miss Mundo contest is that you feel and are treated more like a human being.

Ines: Since you are involved in both, what do you perceive as the main differences between Modeling and participating in a Beauty Pageant?
Luciana: The model needs to sell clothes or a product. With Miss Mundo, it’s really the opposite. She needs to show the jury who she really is. She dedicates her image to social action and social change. The Miss is an example, especially for kids. Actually one time, I was walking by this little girl and her mother. Her mother said, “Look honey, it’s Barbie.” And the little girl looked at me, with sparkling eyes. That experience really made me think. I realized the responsibility involved in being Miss Mundo Brasil. A child looks at you, and tries to be like you. You become an ideal, not just in terms of beauty, in terms of everything. That’s why you have a much bigger responsibility than a model for instance. You can’t be drinking, or dating in public. You have to be a lady. You have to take care of your image. You really become an example and a point of reference.

Ines: The Miss World contest is the oldest surviving beauty pageant. From your perspective how have the standards of beauty changed?
Luciana: In the past, the winners of the Miss Mundo and Miss World contest had curves. The really skinny ones rarely won. Of course, this is changing today. I find this a bit sad. The Miss Mundo contest is also following the standards of the fashion industry.

Ines: What do you want to accomplish in your life?
Luciana: I want a career in Journalism. I also want to write books.

By Eline Kullock
I just read an article on Folha On Line in which an actress, wearing a short dress (not even that short in the eyes of a baby boomer,) went to various prestigious Brazilian Universities (including the Law School at USP, FMU at University Ibriapuera, and PUC).  The actress, pretending to be a student, asked random questions like, “Where’s the bathroom?” just to test the reaction of students to her outfit.

Ironically, this actress suffered the same crazy reactions as the Uniban student Geisy Arruda, who was violently bullied, insulted, and ostracized by her classmates for wearing a short mini skirt.  The actress did undergo less violent reactions than Geisy.    In Geisy’s case, the police even had to get involved.

As I watch and reflect on this, I think about the pendulum theory.  Hippies created a counter culture, starting a revolution. Non-conformist went it came to war, they rebelled against the values of their time.

As society obtains certain liberal values, the pendulum seems to swing back to the other side.  There’s a rebellion against these liberal values, and a quest for a “middle ground” of the pendulum.

Are young people who rejected the micro-skirt attempting to express what can and can’t be done?  But this is the generation that CAN DO ANYTHING.   ANYTHING.  TOTAL FREEDOM FOR ALL.

Of course this “can do anything” mindset doesn’t encompass harmful actions, such as stealing, and killing.  However, it does include posing naked on the Internet.  It seems that young people don’t care about this.  “The body is mine, and I can do what I want with it.”    This has always been the message Gen Y has expressed.  A level of zero prejudice.

Even in my lectures young people are less prejudice than baby boomers.  There’s usually the sense that they accept people more as they are.  The accept diversity.

However, I’m really surprised at the number of weddings I see among very young people.  Up until very recently, wedding rates were low.  Our generation, the baby boomers, were revolutionaries.  We opened up doors for people to simply live together, without the need for a signed piece of paper, a priest, or a rabbi.

Generation X lived together and usually didn’t care so much about the tradition of marriage and religious ceremonies.   Especially because the fairytale of a virgin bride isn’t even close to reality anymore, it’s become totally irrelevant.   And yet, why is that in big Brazilian cities like Sao Paulo and Rio, I see more and more young people really wanting to get married?  What’s more, they want the classic wedding that we considered really old-fashioned in our day!

Does all this have to do with the shift and movement of counterculture?  Is this a movement of a current generation saying “enough!” to certain things?  Enough to “you can do anything?”   I can only understand the ban on the miniskirt (not only in the case of Geisy but also in all the Universities the actress went to), through the pendulum theory.   But if this isn’t the explanation, then I’m completely confused by the signals this generation is sending.  Perhaps some college students can explain what’s going on to me…

Are we going to buy the Brazilian representation that went all the way to Copenhagen? Do you remember who the Brazilians that represented the country in Denmark were? I don’t remember them all, but I remember that the president of Comitê Rio-2016 Carlos Nuszman was there, along with secretary Carlos Roberto Osório. Lula and Marisa looked emotional. Pele, and Hortência, the eternal muse for basketball and the minister of sports were present. The governor Sérgio Cabral, the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, João Havelange, César Cielo. Of course our Olympic winning swimmer Paulo Coelho, and the president of the “Comitê Paraolímpico,” Dayane dos Santos. The sailor Isabel Swan, and many, many others. Of course we probably exaggerated our presence a bit, typical of Brazil. But what does matter is that we didn’t board a plane at the last minute, arriving two hours before, as Obama did. I’m sure he had his reasons, but he didn’t act as if he really wanted to host the Olympics.

I remember that many years ago when I was starting my company, Grupo Foco, I was told to go speak to a Belgian consultant about a possible partnership with a large multinational here in Brazil. This consultant was going to speak to three other potential partners, and then make a decision.

Of course I was nervous. I wanted the partnership. I prepared thoroughly, and went to meet the consultant, who turned out to be really intelligent. When the interview ended, I felt uncomfortable. I was better than I had managed to convey in my presentation. I knew I hadn’t done very well in the interview. I couldn’t get over it. The consultant had told me which hotel he was staying at. I didn’t have any doubts: I called the hotel, and asked to speak to him. I explained that I was better than my presentation, and that I really wanted the partnership. I asked for the chance to speak to him again. Sure, he must have thought I was a little crazy, but he agreed to meet with me again. I was thrilled! When Marnix and I met again, it was excellent! We really connected, and kept laughing. The partnership wasn’t founded on anything other than our own enthusiasm and goodwill.

What does all this have to do with the Olympics? Well, Brazil really wanted to host the Olympics. And I feel they employed the necessary creative rage to earn it. The rage that propels you, that moves you towards action.

When you really want something, you can’t arrive in the country two hours before everything starts. Obama talked about how important the Olympics were for Chicago. Brazil expressed how the Olympics would be an incredible and joyful experience in Rio.

What does all this have to do with Generation Y and businesses? It seems that generation Y needs to show just how much they want to be part of businesses (video). It’s not just businesses that need youth. Young people also need the experience gained in these organizations, even if they do end up becoming entrepreneurs later, that is if the business doesn’t manage to retain them.

Young people need to show that they have this creative rage, this will, this desire to learn, to collaborate, to interact, and to belong. These are the skills that businesses need and want to see. This passion for life, the tenacity, overall commitment, and the crazy will to get it right, the humor of the carioca, and emotion which seeps out of one’s pores.

Gen Y needs to show that “Yes, we care.” That’s much more important than “Yes, we can.” But does Gen Y actually care?

By Eline Kullock

I ask myself why Harry Potter is so popular with generation Y.

Is it a deficit in idols that makes this “hero” more significant than Spiderman for this generation? What values of witchcraft and magic does this generation identify with?

Everyone will agree when I say that Harry Potter mania is officially upon us…

We often hear about the idea of a Peter Pan Youth who just doesn’t want to grow up. And yet, every individual has a Peter Pan within, independently of what generation they belong to.

Having to assume responsibility isn’t the most fun. Everybody wants to stay young. Everybody wants to fly. It’s not a generational question. It’s a question of being human.

But going back to Harry Potter, it seems that some of Harry Potter’s personal history, relates to the life history of Generation Y. He’s an idol, but he’s also an orphan. His parents were killed by a wizard. Who is the wizard that killed the parents of Generation Y? All young people feel like orphans to some extent. Their parents go out to work, and they currently live less in function of their families. They are more preoccupied with themselves. This preoccupation is legitimate, and allowed. Divorce is now an option, the pill has liberated women, and as women started entering the workplace, they made personal happiness a priority. For most people, home sweet home is a space they only see very late at night.

The children of baby boomers often came home to an empty house. It seems that Harry Potter put that feeling out in the open. The adoptive parents of Harry are not magicians. They are normal human beings. They are good people, but they are very distant from Harry’s reality. That’s exactly how young people feel. Parents aren’t aware of the magic possible through technology. Kids don’t learn with their parents anymore, they learn among themselves, with their friends. Their parents don’t know the “tricks” of life anymore.

Harry’s enemy is the murder of his parents, Voldemort, who wants to achieve immortality. Again, this concept of eternal life, which has been so sought after among human beings, appears here, showing us how dangerous and negative this ideal can be.

It’s also interesting to note that Harry goes to a boarding school. There’s no house, street, or city. These concepts are more and more viable today. Perhaps school is still the most secure (or the only “real” as opposed to virtual) environment to be with your friends.

The story unravels as Harry and his friends face various dangers. Together. Spiderman and cat-woman are no longer relevant. There’s a group of real people who attempt to find solutions to dangerous and problems together. That’s how generation Y wants to be perceived: as a team.

There’s also no discrimination between men and women in this story. Hermione Granger is brilliant, she’s a great friend, and she’s always ready for new challenges, just like her friends.

The other thing that caught my attention is that reality and fantasy blend exactly as they do for generation Y. Just as Gen Y spends time playing virtual games, the film also mixes the reality lived by Harry and his friends with games and challenges, similar to those generation Y finds in the virtual realm. This connection depicts the life of a young person today. Sometimes, it’s difficult to separate reality and fantasy.

It seems that the Harry Potter books and films are very symbolic of young people’s realities today. They identify with Harry. Perhaps there’s an indirect message for us here. We should think about the generation we are raising, and about how our new lifestyles affect them. Reflecting on our future seems important, so that we can attempt to grasp the best possible future. After all, Harry teaches us that both in magic and in real life, anything is possible!

By Ines Schinazi

“My mother has always been an actress to me.”  This is how Jessy Hodges explains that her relationship with her mother hasn’t changed, despite the fact that they’ve recently found themselves in very similar places career-wise, while obviously being at completely different points in their lives.

As a mother gets back into her acting career, a daughter stands on the cusp of her fresh beginning.

What makes this story even more interesting, is the fact that Jessy Hodges, and her mother, Ellen Sandweiss (most famous for her role in the cult horror film “The Evil Dead”) are “learning together” as they both explore the completely new territory of acting in web series. Jessy stars in “Anyone but Me” (www.anyonebutmeseries.com) and Ellen in “Dangerous Women” (http://www.strike.tv/show/dangerous-women/).

In an exclusive interview, Jessy speaks about first discovering the film, “The Evil Dead,” and the teenage “OH. MY. GOD.” moment, that went along with that.

While she clearly feels lucky to have a mother who can give her advice about her career, she’s also really thankful that her boyfriend is a Law student, allowing her to take a break from the “ongoing conversation” that is acting.

On “Anyone But Me,” she plays the subtly omnipresent Sophie. Though ironically, she calculates she’s really only “…spent about 8 minutes on screen so far.”

Speaking to Jessy, you get the feeling that she’s quite wise beyond her years.  Full of introspection, playing Sophie has given her a lot to think about…

Ines:  Because of the technological nature of a “web series,” and all the advertising that goes on through Facebook, and Twitter, do you find yourself doing a lot of explaining to your mom as to how these things work?
Jessy:  It’s really funny, because in that specific regard, I find her totally explaining stuff to me.  She’s taken on a producer/directorial role, in her web series.  She’s an extremely energetic and motivated to learn type of person, so the stuff that she needed to figure out, she figured out pretty quickly.

Then at the same time, I’m of the computer generation, and so she’ll be like, “Wait…how do I turn it on again?”   Sometimes, she doesn’t get the basics, but she knows way more about Myspace and Twitter than I do.

Ines:  I read an interview in which you speak about, growing up without knowing that your mother was really famous for her role in “Evil Dead.”
Jessy:  My mom went to school for Theater and was very involved in Theater and acting in the early years of my life.

Then, she kind of took on a more mother figure role, particularly when my younger sister was born.  She also worked in my dad’s business, and stopped acting for a long time.

I had seen her on stage a lot when I was younger.   But the film, “The Evil Dead” was not a part of that conversation.  I believe it came out that she was in a movie when I was like 13 or 14.  And I was like, “What???” “You were in a movie?” I had no perception of what this movie was.

Then, my friends and I found this old VHS copy of “The Evil Dead” behind a line of books in a bookshelf!  And we were like, “OH. MY. GOD.”

We had to start watching for ten minutes while she was gone, and then put it back in the bookshelf…

When I turned 15 or 16, I finally got to watch it.  But it was only a couple years after I had seen it, that I realized what this movie was. This was a really important movie in horror. Sam Raimi (the director) coined all these technical camera techniques and all this cool stuff.

I only began, a couple years out of college to really appreciate the movie.  And every time I watch it, I love it, and appreciate it more.

Ines:  I’m curious to know what it’s like going from a kind of “outsider” perception of your mother’s career, to becoming a professional actress yourself, and following your mother’s current career.  What has that shift been like for you?
Jessy:  It’s intense really.  My friends will comment on my relationship with my mom.  They’ll be like, “Jessy and her mom are best friends.”   That’s the relationship that we already had.

Then, with my mom really starting to get back into acting, just as I’ve started getting into it.  You know it’s been wonderful and it’s been hard, and really interesting, and really bizarre.

Not only do I have my parents’ support, but also someone who knows exactly what I’m going through, and who can give me advice when I ask for it…stuff that most actors’ parents wouldn’t even know about.

But also, empathetically speaking, it’s rough. We both know what the other is going through, because for as many “baby successes” as you have in this career, there are a million disappointments. It’s a real hard but really gratifying world to be in.

It’s an ongoing conversation.  Sometimes all I want to do is talk to her about it and ask her about it.  Other times I’m like, “Ugh… god!  I can’t talk about this anymore! All my friends are actors, my mom’s an actress…luckily my boyfriend is a lawyer…”

Ines: Obviously you and your mother are at completely different points in your career, but because the web series is something that is so completely new and innovative, do you think your experiences, as actors on these web series, are really different or actually similar?

Jessy:  We can totally relate to each other on it.  We are both kind of bewildered and confused by it.  I feel like we’re in such beginner stages with web series, that we really don’t know what they are yet.  I mean people hardly know how to make money off them yet.  I think we’re both going “Wow.” I’m learning along with everyone else, including my mother.

Ines:  Can you talk a little about what it’s like to play Sophie on “Anyone But Me?”  She’s a really interesting character in the sense that she’s kind of off to the side, but we already get the sense that she’s going to be so central to the whole story…

Jessy:  Playing Sophie is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done.

Though because of the web series genre, I’ve probably spent about 8 minutes on screen playing Sophie so far.  You only get a little bit of time every time, so you’ve got to make it worth it.

On relating to the character, I really do.  I think more so, than I might have realized at the beginning.

It’s been so cool, because we’re filling in the lines, coloring in Sophie.   I’m sure that Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward would say that as they’ve gotten to know us as people, it’s definitely affected the writing.  They’re constantly writing, changing, and editing.

First of all, it makes me feel like I’m in High School again, which is crazy.  Also, I never had the experiences that Sophie is having or may have in the future.

I had close gay male friends in Theater growing up. But I never had someone the same sex as me, who was choosing to date women, at that young of an age. I think that it would have been confusing for me, despite the fact that I consider myself entirely open and gay friendly.

I wonder how that would have affected me in High School. I wonder how that will affect Sophie, being opened up into this world, in the suburbs, away from a big city, especially in real-world circumstances, not in some lame, stereotypical, one-dimensional way.

So it’s exciting, and it gives me a lot to think about for the character, and about myself in a weird way.

It’s always you playing the character.  I feel you have to establish your point of view, so that you can look into the character, and establish the character’s point of view, and see how it differs.

There’s always a comparing and contrasting, and a melding of the human you are, and the human you are portraying.

By Ines Schinazi

Like little peeping toms, peering through television screens, mesmerized by the dancing photography burning from somewhere within the screen. The reality show hits the human mind, like a burglar with a baseball bat, knocking us unconscious. Leaving us ignited with an almost-foreign animalistic desire. We cry out for more and more… Feeding the voyeur within us, teasing the one looking upon us.

Of course, the name “reality show” presents an abundant paradox. Few things are more distant from reality than Paris Hilton choosing a BFF on national television, Lauren Conrad’s life on “The Hills,” the birthday parties on “My Super Sweet 16,” and most recently the show “NYC Prep” (an attempt at creating a real-life “Gossip Girl.)

Shows like “The Apprentice” and “America’s Next Top Model” bring the sometimes more realistic aspect of competition, insisting on the component of unknowns desperately fighting for their dreams. Yet the audience is still watching a TV show, which often packages entire days into a heavily edited hour.

Yet, the demand for these reality shows obviously continues to grow as they flood televisions all over the globe, replacing many traditional sitcoms with a taste of “real life.” Even MTV doesn’t play music anymore. Rather, they play reality shows, and the music sometimes gets sandwiched in.

Why does modern society crave and enjoy reality shows so much? The reality show has existed since the 1940s. Allen Funt’s “Candid Camera” was possibly the first. However, reality shows only began experiencing global success in the year 2000. Since then, they’ve been multiplying exponentially, clearly marking an inflection point, as society looks to the television less for escapism and distraction, and more as a sort of distorted mirror.

The reality show’s explosive success also coincided with the boom in digital and online communication. Interestingly, online social networking sites also experienced a boom the 2000s. Myspace was founded in 2003, Facebook in 2004, and Twitter in 2006.

Reality shows and online social networks share the same voyeuristic aspect. Both allow individuals to observe others in passive anonymity. Both types of media suggest “real life,” but end up serving up an idealized version of it. An edited scene of a reality show seems comparable to a carefully constructed online profile. In both cases, what you see is often not what you get. The illusion of reality reigns.

Does the reality show increase our attraction to online social networking? Or does online social networking draw us to the reality show? Or do both types of media feed off each other, reflecting the type of society we’ve become?

The 2009 Facebook statistics reveal that, “More than 120 million users log on to Facebook at least once each day, More than 5 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (worldwide), and more than 30 million users update their statuses at least once each day.”

As social networking becomes more and more “social,” inevitably replacing some face-to-face interaction, does the appeal of the reality show increase? Is the reality show, an attempt at watching “real life” if you can’t get enough of a real one yourself?

The camera hones in, catching the shy pulse of adolescence. Fluttering images, replete with beauty, cut sharply against the rough and gritty pain of characters stuck somewhere in the middle…

Susan Miller (Baby Boomer) and Tina Cesa Ward (Generation X) write about Generation Y, as young actors portray parts of themselves. Clearly some things never change. No matter what era, what generation, and what new technologies emerge, “…the voyage to self-discovery doesn’t get any easier.”

At first glance, “Anyone But Me” looks like just any other Teenage TV series. Look a little closer. It may quite possibly be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Susan Miller, renowned Playwright, OBIE award winner, Guggenheim Fellow, and writer for “The L Word,” spoke to me about co-creating the new web series “Anyone But Me.”

I also spoke to the Rachael Hip-Flores, about her role as Vivian, being a part of something so groundbreaking, and what it all feels like.

Watch the series here: http://www.anyonebutmeseries.com

An Interview with Susan Miller

Ines: How did the idea for “Anyone But Me” come about? Was there a particular experience that made you want to write the show?
Susan Miller: Tina Cesa Ward is my co-writer on the show. She really brought this idea to me. It was something she wanted to develop, and the timing was right for me to say yes. To talk about growing up, and becoming a person, that’s really rich material. So we really set out together to create the show. What I was attracted to in what she wrote was the concept and the idea of doing a New York show about young people who are struggling. I wanted to make it larger than it was really, about young people who are struggling with their identity and modern relationships, but I also wanted to bring to it the larger picture. I thought, “We have an opportunity for the show to be about young people, but not as if they are living in a void, but as part of this world, now.”

Ines: Can you talk a little about the title?
Susan Miller: What I love about it is it’s so open to interpretation. I think that it’s both about inclusion and exclusion.

Ines: The tagline for the show is “Introducing a new generation searching for love and belonging 
in the post 9/11 age.” From your perspective, did 9/11 change this generation’s idea and conception of love and belonging?
Susan Miller: I think in a way it has forced young people to be a little more aware, not just of self. When you’re growing up, you are trying to figure out who you are, and how you fit into the world. Now because everything is so global, you realize you are part of something bigger, and what happens to other people in a way happens to you. I think underneath it all, what the world is like right now, has a subtle if not an obvious effect on the characters.

Ines: As a baby boomer writing a series about generation Y, what do you think makes generation Y different or similar from your generation?
Susan Miller: Everyone’s gone through adolescence and a finding of oneself, and a re-finding of one’s self. I think that’s what we have in common for sure. It’s interesting because I’m a parent, and my generation, the baby boomers, we kind of focused our children in a certain way. We were given the opportunity as a generation to go to school. Women started to have more voice in things, but in many ways those things are sort of coming to bear now. You think about the civil rights movement, which really began when I was young. It’s really hard to believe that that wasn’t so long ago. Yet, here we are, with another civil rights movement, which is, gay rights. But we’re connected in a way because we have an African American president now, which doesn’t mean racism is over, but it comes as a circle. I feel very much a part of that. I do think that the big difference is sexuality is more open. There’s certainly more acceptance, even though there’s still hate and exclusion.

Ines: The show is quite possibly the first time that the “gay question” is really openly addressed in a teen TV series. It’s really offers us a different perspective. In other teen series, there may be hints at gay characters, or we see characters like Serena’s little brother in Gossip Girl, who is gay. But it’s never a main character, it’s never the main story, it’s always peripheral and very much a side story. So this really makes it fundamentally different than anything we’ve seen before. I was wondering if you could talk a little about that, and just breaking down barriers in general with the show.
Susan Miller: That’s what I’ve always done in my work. I wrote a play called “Confessions of the Female Disorder” a long time ago. It dealt with that issue, and someone finding themselves in both worlds, straight and gay, or possibly gay, and trying to figure out what were these feelings. The main thing here is you hardly ever see stories about lesbians and teens for sure, you don’t see that. You maybe see a gay guy who is friends with the lead of the show or something like that. I don’t know of anything like this and like our characters. That’s what’s important to me and I love doing it. We don’t have to think about restrictions a network might have. We decide the stories we’re going to tell. A lot of the fans (they’re of all ages by the way, from 16-50 something) will say, “I wish I had a show like this when I was growing up.”

Ines: One of the most interesting aspects of the show is that it really exists on two planes.
On the one hand, it is very much a teenage series, just like all other teenage series. We see the characters dealing with school, relationships, parents, moving to a new school, etc.
Of course, as we look closer, it’s obvious that this isn’t just another teen series. I would argue that this makes the show more powerful. By incorporating elements of the traditional teenage drama and then juxtaposing it with a lot of things that go against the stereotype. I was wondering if this juxtaposition was a conscious choice for you?
Susan Miller: Yeah, I’m really psyched that you get that, and appreciate it on that level. For me, I only want to write things that are a challenge…things that also are complex and have these layers. Even if people watch it and aren’t totally conscious of these different layers, that’s part of the draw.
First of all, there’s a level at which everybody has access to this, because everyone struggles with “Who am I?” and “Who am I going to find to love?” and “Who’s going to love me?” and “Is that the right person?” And then you struggle with “How much do you reveal of yourself?”
I think we want to make the relationships with the adults not the usual. We don’t want to create the stereotype of the adults either. We want to deal with real interaction.
Another major aspect of “Anyone But Me,” that makes it really unique, and what I’m really drawn to elaborating and examining is the relationship between Vivian and Archibald. Can a young, black, straight guy be friends with a young “off white” 16 year-old lesbian girl?” It’s interesting because it taps into another lens we have going on. We’re coming at people in a way they don’t even realize. Instead of making it an issue, we’re demonstrating that these two people have much more in common than the world would think. I feel like young people today interact much more with one another. They don’t pay as much attention to this idea of what’s “right” and what’s “wrong,” what’s “normal” and what’s “not normal.” They just see one another more clearly.

Ines: Not only is “Anyone But Me” bringing different themes to the table, but it’s also being diffused in quite a revolutionary manner, through the show’s website (www.anyonebutmeseries.com) and through Blip and Strike TV, allowing you to reach audience members all over the world. What do you think are the benefits and limitations of Internet diffusion?
Susan Miller: Right now I only see the benefits! We get to interact and we get to hear responses right away. I’ve been moved by comments. I’m moved that we’re getting fans from the Netherlands, France, UK, Argentina, and Brazil. When I see that it’s thrilling! It means that people are hungry for good stuff, for quality material. People are hungry to see themselves. And I don’t just mean if they’re gay, but to see something that’s honestly human.
I think the only difficult thing about the web, is that you sort of go in as a pioneer. You go in on your own. That’s the hard part. There are other web series creators too. We share this uncharted territory, and that makes it exciting! We did things I never did before, like Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook.

Ines: As an extremely accomplished playwright, what’s it like to go from playwriting to writing a web series? Besides for the obvious difference in form, does it greatly affect the way you write, the content, and your writing style?
Susan Miller: It’s interesting because I think playwrights are much more suited to write for television than for film. In this form [web series] where we have to compress everything in this very challenging 8-10 minute form, it’s not unlike writing plays. You don’t want to tell everything, but you want to have subtext. A play generally has a limited time to tell a story, build characters, and point you to the main struggle. “Economy” is really the key in playwriting as well.

Ines: What do you think is the biggest difference between the baby boomer’s conception of romantic love and generation Y’s idea of it?
Susan Miller: Yeah, it’s different! It depends on your family too. I’m really fortunate because my parents were married for over 50 years and my dad was in the army.
When he came home from the army, I think I saw my parents as this romantic model for me. I was kind of a little shocked when I entered the real world and experienced it for myself: different relationships, marriage, and Divorce.
I think that this generation, the great thing is, that they are clearer. They see things. They don’t romanticize things as much. But on the other hand, I feel that’s also a shame. It’s two extremes. If you base anything on the old romantic ideal: one partner, one soul mate, for the rest of your life, you’re going to eventually find faults, flaws, and be deflated.
I really worry about young people ultimately finding someone to trust. That’s what I worry about the most.
A lot of people my age, because we did get divorced, and we did experience the sexual experimentation of the era…you know the 70s, we do have a lot that we relate to, because we went through real upheavals.
Hey, we shocked our parents! Our parents had to confront our divorces, our changes in sexual partners, and our way of raising our kids.

Ines: Can you speak a little bit more about “trust” and this generation?
Susan Miller: Even in “Anyone but Me,” there’s something running through with that.
You don’t know what’s going to happen. Everybody has a history. You start to have a history. You don’t have a lot of history at 16, but you start to have one, and then you meet other people with a history. This is a history of both wonderful relationships and terrible ones, and loss and connection. So people are weary.

Ines: Do you see this weariness as being more prevalent with our generation?
Susan Miller: I do, because you’ve been more products of broken homes, and of many, many, relationships, at a young age.

Ines: The show accurately depicts generation Y as avid technology users, as they communicate through various different technologies.
Some argue that all these technologies allow for a more flexible identity, as one doesn’t always have to interact face to face, and can rely on a sort of idealized self. What are your thoughts on this?
Susan Miller: I think it contributes to fluidity in general, and perhaps invasiveness. People don’t have as much of a sense of responsibility towards each other. They will share information, and secrets, in the “Twittering Nation” that we belong to. People don’t stop and think first.

Ines: You wrote for the 1st season of “The L Word” and you’re obviously co-writing “Anyone But Me.” How are these projects different?
Susan Miller: “The L word” was groundbreaking and it was very cool to be a part of. It was both treacherous and completely amazing to be part of the beginning of a show like that. “The L word” was about adults. It was much more sexualized and it became exaggerated in my mind, eventually.
With “Anyone but me” we’ve taken a leap. We haven’t asked ourselves: “Who’s going to buy this?” Or “Should we tone this down?” or “Maybe we can’t have two gay characters…” We just trust our instincts. I think we’ve come up with a web series, (and I give this credit to Tina), that looks beautiful. Everyone comments on how well produced it is, and how it looks like it should be on network or cable television. I’m so proud of this.

Ines: Vivian and Aster interact with parents, who at least for the time being, have been very comfortable with their sexuality. There isn’t a whole lot of conflict between generations. Do you think this is an accurate depiction?
Susan Miller: Well, there will be [conflict]. We have it set up so that Vivian’s dad seems to be ok with it. That was important to us. The truth is there are accepting parents.

Ines: Do you think that’s something we’re moving more towards?
Susan Miller: I think the more images of positive relationships, or images of people at least trying to work it out, and trying to understand, and find a meeting place, [will help us move towards more acceptance]. I don’t think parents want to lose the love of their children or relationships with their children.

An Interview with Rachael Hip-Flores

Ines: Can you talk a little about what it’s like to play Vivian on the show? Was it easy and natural for you to relate to this character?
Rachael: Definitely. I think it’s an extremely positive experience. I think we’re very similar mentally. We both tend to keep things in a little bit. And I know what it feels like to sort of feel like you don’t quite fit in, and to deal with that knowledge in the way that she deals with it. It’s a little bit like going back to High School for me. It’s like, “Oh Ok… I’ve done this before…”

Ines: Do you think the teenage characters in “Anyone But Me” are a good representation of our generation?
Rachael: Yeah, absolutely, I think the characters are much more complex than their mainstream counterparts. Nobody really fits into a “stereotype” in life. There are a lot of mainstream characters that are gay now. It’s much more open now than it was 10 or 15 years ago. But I think there is still some unease, especially when you are young, and you are first figuring things out. No matter how much attention an issue gets, I think that it always comes down to your own personal journey. I think that having more attention given to it helps a lot, but no one can take it [the personal journey] for you. It’s always going to be difficult. That’s the universal truth, no matter what generation. The voyage to self-discovery doesn’t get any easier.

Ines: I think that one of the most interesting aspects of “Anyone but me” is the fact that it is perhaps the first time that the “gay question” is really openly talked about in a teenage TV series.
It’s really a different perspective. It’s the main story, and not peripheral or a side story…
Rachael: Absolutely. I mean, we did start to see it in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” with Willow and her partner. And “Dawson’s Creek” had Jack, another gay character in there for a while, but, yes, they were on the periphery. Little by little, the more it gets talked about, the more mainstream and accepted it becomes. So I think this, as a teen show where the gay relationship is the central one, it’s hopefully the next step.

Ines: Not only is “Anyone But Me” bringing different themes to the table, but it’s also being diffused in quite a revolutionary manner, through the website and through Blip and strike TV, allowing you to reach audience members all over the world. What do you think are the benefits and limitations of Internet diffusion?
Rachael: I want to say that the benefits outweigh the limitations. The fact is we’re getting “thank you” letters from all around the world. From Malaysia, Australia, and Spain. I actually don’t understand, because the show is not translated into all these different languages. It’s being distributed in English.
Also, we have connectivity [with the fans] through Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and God knows what else! I think that the limitation is the time limit. You want these episodes to go on a little longer. But if you get a 10 minute episode, that’s kind of long for an Internet series.

Ines: The tagline for the show is “Introducing a new generation searching for love and belonging in the post 9/11 age.” How has 9/11 changed our generation’s conception of love and belonging?
Rachael: I think that if there is anything to be gained from it [9/11], it’s the knowledge on a more visceral level that things end very quickly. People can be taken away from you. That’s a horrible knowledge to have, and it’s also very valuable knowledge to have. It makes you value the people that you love. It changes your relationship with what you have.

Ines: Do you think that makes people from our generation more ready to jump in and do what you want to do?
Rachael: I want to say yes to that, and I also I think it’s a difficult to make a generalization about stuff like that. I think it can make you want to jump in, and go for it, and it can also make you a little more hesitant. 9/11 changed me personally. When I see my cell phone ring, there’s a part of me that thinks, “What’s going on?” “Is something bad happening to them?” “Is this going to be the last phone call I get?”

Ines: The show also explores many intergenerational relationships, though it’s interesting the adults seem quite open to accepting Vivian and Aster’s relationship. We don’t see a lot of conflict between the teenagers and the adults. Would you say this is an accurate depiction of how things are?
Rachael: It illustrates something that I don’t think we’ve seen before. I think people are just more open to it [gay relationships] because it’s being talked about more. It’s being explored more.
But at the same time, I’ve talked to people who were saying that their biggest fear was not their friends or their school…it was their parents. I think it’s always difficult because your family is the closest thing to you. Whether we like it or not, we tend to want their acceptance. So when we do something that challenges that, it’s scary. We see the great relationship that Vivian has with her dad, and we also see the sort of non-relationship that Aster has with her parents.

Ines: Technology plays quite a central role in the show, especially in terms of how the characters communicate with each other. We’ve seen a lot of cell phone conversations, and text messaging. In the case of Vivian and Aster, who are in a sort of long distance relationship, would you say this technology strengthens or weakens the communication between them?
Rachael: That’s an interesting question. On one hand, it does make communication more possible, and on the other hand, the fact that it’s more possible complicates things. If Vivian were 16 years old, 15 years ago, there was no cell phone and there was no e-mail. You move away, you’re 16 years old, and you’re probably done. Without technology, it would have broken them up. It would have been awful for sure, but it also would have been “cleaner.” You have no excuse for being out of touch with someone now. So because the “clean break” is taken away from you, [you go through the] “well, what are we now?” You communicate but you can’t be with each other. There’s something immediate and intimate about physicality that you can’t really get. So it puts strength in their relationship, but it also complicates it. With this type of communication and this technology, you can “edit” yourself so much. I heard this story today of someone… You know how when you leave a voicemail you can re-record it? Except the phone that was recording was malfunctioning and so it wasn’t erasing what was going on. So you can hear this guy’s voicemail to this girl. He had just told her he loved her the night before. There were 16 different versions of “Hey we should talk about what happened” and it ended with “Hey just wanted to see how you are.” It’s like you’re putting yourself out, but you’re not. You’re putting your “representative” out. It’s the edited version of what you are. It’s who you want to be. But it’s actually not you.

Ines: I’m curious to know if you’ve encountered censorship or prejudice regarding the show. I watched the video essay Nicole Pacent (Aster) did on “The Catcher in the Rye” and it got me thinking if the show had encountered any resistance of its own?
Rachael: You know for the most part, it’s been very positive. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve gotten Facebook friends, and people who fit the stereotype of people who are going to preach to me, and people who are going to say that what I’m doing is wrong, but I “friend” them anyways. And you know what? All they ever say is, “I’m a huge fan of the show.”

Ines: Romantic relationships are undergoing a lot of changes. In your opinion, what’s the biggest difference between our parents’ view of love and ours?
Rachael: My parents grew up in the 60’s. That was their coming of age. That was obviously a huge time of revolution and experimentation. After the 60’s, and the wonderful, free, beautiful, time that was, there was also the other side …like the LSD. There was a lot of excess that went on in the 70’s. I think that our generation, now that we are coming of age, having had that example, I want to believe that we are a more responsible generation. Now that we’ve seen the aftermath, we’ve seen the epidemic (AIDS, STDs, and unwanted pregnancies), we know what dangers there are out there. Our [sexual] fluidity comes with a bit more knowledge, that there are consequences. We are a lot more fluid and we are a lot more open with our sexuality. But I think we are a bit smarter about it.

Ines: People often talk about how acting on stage is completely different from acting on film. I’m curious to know if being a “web series” actor overflows into the craft and asks for different things of you as an actor?
Rachael: Yes and no. Fundamentally no. You still have to know who you are, know the situation you are in, know how you feel about something, and know what you want. That’s the foundation of acting. In a way [in a web series], you have to give more weight to what you are doing, because this is the most important 10 minutes of these people’s lives right now. But it still comes down to, “what story are you telling?” “What story is written in the script?”

Mauro Segura
I remember a few years ago, during management training, an instructor asked each of us to bring in an image that had spoken to us in adolescence and still remained present in our mind today.
Most people brought in pictures of their family, of their first boyfriend or girlfriend, of their dog, or even a class photo. I was the only person who brought in the image of the first man on the moon.

I was exactly 9 years old when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. It felt like a dream. I remember watching the moon, trying to catch a glimpse of Armstrong’s shadow. I spent a good part of my childhood wanting to be an astronaut. I was fascinated by astronomy, and knew all about the colors of the planets, Saturn’s moons, and the names of the galaxies.

It didn’t even cross my mind that the “space race” wasn’t just about ideals and challenges. Of course, it was also a product of the conflict between the Americans and Soviets.

The world was fighting the cold war, and my mind was stuck on the moon. My interest in the subject was awakened when the USSR sent the first living thing to space in 1957.

I imagined Laika, the first dog in space, as beautiful, as she entered the space ship excited and full of happiness. I imagined her returning from space joyful, as she reunited with her owner.

It was only decades later that I realized that Laika, was sent to space by the soviets to die. She embarked on a voyage of no return. She was a martyr and didn’t even know it.

Today, the whole race to the moon, truly pinpoints a time in my life when I was dreaming. I dreamed of a different world. I dreamed of a distant future. I dreamed of the almost unattainable. Once I became an adult, reality set in. Still, I kept the image of the moon, in the back of my mind.

This July, man setting foot on the moon, has come back to me. The medias are celebrating 40 years since man conquered the moon. The image of the footprint came back full speed, through newspapers, TV, and the web. It made me dream again. It made me dream much less than in my childhood, but it still took me away.

I get the impression that today’s youth dreams little. Perhaps they are less idealistic. Perhaps they are a bit sadder. When we dream, our future seems closer and concrete. The future becomes almost palpable.

Today, the world moves with such intense speed, and an abundance of connectivity and easy access to information. We don’t know how to disconnect from reality. When we start to dream, we are constantly distracted by a text or by twitter. There is a strong pull pushing us back to reality. In today’s world, it wouldn’t take decades to know that Laika was destined to die. We all would have known in mere minutes.

During my childhood, I would play in open fields, in squares, and in parks. I met my friends there, and we would talk about life. It was always the same group of kids. We played soccer with a flat ball and old, worn out, sneakers. Traveling was a special treat, and almost always unforgettable.

Today’s childhood overflows with technology. Social networks are the fields today. We speak to a huge number of people we barely know. Often time, we call them friends after only a few hours of virtual contact. Our children ”play” online.

As far as traveling goes, we travel almost everyday through the Internet. We are constantly discovering the unknown online. In a sense, the world has really lost its borders.

I’m not arguing that this new world is better or worse than the world in the past. I think we currently live in a more democratic environment, which is much more conscious of its challenges. Yet, upon seeing the image of the man on the moon, it’s impossible not to feel that the world does dream a little less.

Ines Schinazi
The Manhattan summer, filled with pent up heat and the polluted desire of lust, ignites Katy Perry’s voice, making it the perfect soundtrack for half of an instant, as Lindsay Lohan kisses Samantha Ronson behind the DJ booth, in a scene so surreal it could emerge straight from “The L Word.”

Flash forward to the end of summer. A lazy Sunday near Union Square. Katy’s voice still lingers in our ears. Two summer interns sip on red wine while trying to forget the word “Monday.”

Out of the blue, but in perfect harmony with a sense of destiny, Samantha Ronson, herself, walks right past us. A moment of hesitation, just to check if we are dreaming or already too drunk. As instinct hits, we frantically sprint behind her, (and our waiter chases after us, with the unpaid bill.)

In a state of half delirium, we follow Ronson, to the miniscule NYC Deli where she buys her cigarettes. Inside, my friend is struck with sudden, uncharacteristic, shyness. So.it’s all up to me. It’s a “make” or “break” moment.

I gather up the courage to speak to this completely high/hung-over/not so nice looking/ skeletal being. I compliment her music. Silence lingers in the air, as she slowly processes my words. Then, underneath her little signature hat, she says, “Hi, I’m Sam.” and gives me a smile. And, just like that, she walks, coolly, into the downtown sunset, leaving us stuck between packs of cigarettes, and our own laughter.

Yes. These are the times in which we are living. The times of chasing a famous person’s, not so famous girlfriend, down the street, and pretending to know her music. It is (or it was, for I believe their romance is already passé, as I write this) the time of Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson.

It had been a messy sort of summer. First, Katy Perry sang about kissing a girl. Then, actress, Lindsay Lohan admitted she was in love with DJ Samantha Ronson. Even darling little socialites and heiresses, like Casey Johnson and Courtenay Semel, weren’t immune to the raging trend, as they dated each other.

It didn’t stop there. Two months later the world was in a “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” frenzy. Scarlett, Penelope, and Javier painted a new sort of relationship, and the world seemed to devour it.whole.

Just as the summer began to wind down, the French film, “Les Chansons d’Amour” arrived right on cue. The film painted a three-way love story, filled with beautiful confusion. The actor Louis Garrel, who usually portrays virile masculinity, even experimented with another man.

After this heavy injection of sexual experimentation via pop culture, my mother sadly shook her head, and proclaimed these films “A true depiction of our times.” To her, it seemed that our generation, loved (or fucked) whatever was in front of them at that specific instant, regardless of gender.

In short, we are just a bunch of starving, confused, kids. My mother comes from a time when things were simpler (or perhaps more complex.who knows?). One was either gay or straight, and this notion of a “free, fluid, sexuality” did not exist.or at least it wasn’t talked about.

The recent depictions of fluid sexuality in entertainment seem inspired by “real life trends.” At least, this is my personal observation. Is this simply a consequence of our evolution in society as beings? Or are we being pushed towards this fluidity by other factors, such as technology?

These days, most of us, exist in two worlds. We live in the “real world” and the “virtual world.” This allows us an abundance of possibilities and fluidity.

In the virtual world, information flows with great speed, intensity, and freedom. We’ve got everything at our fingertips, and we don’t have to choose, between “this” or “that.” In a sense, we can have more than one thing, and be more than one thing.

I communicate through machines, relying on wires and electricity. Yet it is all very palpable and real. Everything gets tangled up, and inevitably the “virtual world” overflows into the “real world.”

Perhaps, this encourages us to rip up our labels, and roam free from rigid definitions. Our personal identities become increasingly “flexible” and “elastic.” Living between the virtual world and the real world has taught us to “adapt,” according to our “audience.”

In the virtual world, everything is fluid. Information is abundant and ever evolving, just like the identities that create and mold it. Maybe the desire, to move away from the rigid definitions, of “gay” and “straight,” is our way of transposing “cyberspace fluidity” into the “real world.”

I don’t want it to seem like I’m sugarcoating the situation.

We aren’t nearly to the point of free love and tolerance. Lesbians are generally still thought more acceptable or at least prettier to look at, than gay Men, both in the media, and in real life. And if we need any more proof of existing homophobia, there is also the recent passing of proposition 8.

Yet, I do believe that the virtual world plays an immense role in shaping our actions in the real world. Despite the obvious existence of homophobia, most of the world does seem at least a bit more open to alternatives and difference.

It seems that, cyberspace fluidity has begun to pour out, into our real life interactions. It may even play an important role in the current evolution of romantic relationships and allow us to start “un-defining” sexuality.

In the spirit of fluidity, I dare to mix in some philosophy, by borrowing Rilke’s words. Rilke wrote, “…only someone who is ready for everything, who excludes nothing, not even the most enigmatical, will live the relation to another as something alive and will himself draw exhaustively from his own existence.” Clearly avant-garde, Rilke may have envisioned what was to come.

Yeah. I think it is going to be a fluid mess. Let’s just hope it will be as pretty as “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”