First off, I understand that Tuiasosopo had his problems, but I don’t believe that justifies how he treated Te’o because Te’o did nothing to harm him first. This could be considered a case of egoism, albeit confused egoism. Egoism is the belief that individuals should do whatever furthers their own interests. I truly believe that Tuiasosopo knows what he did was wrong and that, as the relationship grew, he developed honest feelings for Te’o, but at the time he started “dating” Te’o, he clearly had number one’s interests in mind. Maybe he didn’t originally intend to seduce men like Te’o, but he didn’t nip it in the bud when it began either. Secondly, Tuiasosopo made the charade and made it believable. Most cartoons come nowhere close to fooling anyone. He changed his voice to sound like a girl’s voice and kept the charade going after he knew that Te’o’s relationship with “Lennay” was growing. This shows that he created a believable hoax and kept up with it. That takes serious deliberation. And lastly, pen and stage names are used by authors, actors, and musicians to protect their private lives. As far as I know, they do not mean to trick anyone into believing that they are someone they’re not, especially not to start a relationship or feel in control of their lives. Superheroes wear masks to protect their identities as well. On top of that, I know this may come as a shock to some, but superheroes aren’t real. This is a trap I think we all fall into at some point: we put so much faith in how someone looks that we fall for a mask or false appearance. Mary Jane fell in love with Spiderman and Christine fell in love with the Phantom of the Opera, both without seeing the man’s face. And I’m sure that Tuiasosopo wasn’t the first to find out that we tend to rely so heavily on looks that sometimes we overlook the important things. One hard earned piece of wisdom that we can learn from all the “catfish” in the world is that we should treat people we haven’t met in person or haven’t seen in years online as though he or she is wearing a mask. I’m not saying that online dating is wrong or naive. Who knows, I may even try it someday. I think we all just need to use a little more common sense when we’re online. That’s the only way we’re going to “gut” these “catfish.” | With all the lies going around on the Internet, something like this was inevitable. In fact, it happens more than we realize. The reason this story is getting the kind of attention it has is because of two factors. First is the documentary and new show “Catfish”, which showcases situations similar to this on a weekly basis. Sometimes it’s a middle aged married woman claiming to be 22, other times it’s some creepy fat guy, but the general idea is pretty much the same. Second, there’s the matter of Te’o’s fame. When strange things happen to people in the public spotlight, word travels fast. If Mr. Te’o had been on the third string, we wouldn’t be talking about this because no one would know who he was. Ultimately the question is “is what this man did wrong?” I’d say more no than yes. It may be true that he was lying to stay in a relationship, but while they were together they were happy. Find the people who make you happy, and keep them close to your heart. This Valentine’s Day, try to be less concerned with what you got, and more so with whom you got it from. Material goods can be lost, stolen, or destroyed. Love is immune to all three. |
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Like us on facebook for the latest Boone campus news!
Categories
All
Archives
April 2013
Sponsors |