"Some of the comments on YouTube make you weep for the future of humanity just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and the naked hatred - Lev Grossman, Time Magazine."Warranted concern for profanity issues and valid criticism of poor spelling aside, what do the comments tell us about the viewing public of animal videos like the Very Angry Cat? They tell us that everyone is given the opportunity to become an ‘expert’ in the online arena and offer their opinion, without evidence to prove their comments or disprove those of others. Many simply fan the flames of cyborg conversations that are nothing more than an argument without foundation. The Very Angry Cat, for example, has a split audience where some label the video as harmless and funny, but many others see it as animal abuse. Rarely, we see a balanced or considered view. Often, we see those who simply make a flippant joke. Occasionally, we see the ‘naked hatred’ that Grossman referred to. To prove a point, the definitive answer to whether or not this cat had been abused is not provided here. The answer is never given online unless the person who shot the video provides it and, even then, since home videos have an air of anonymity, there is nothing to prove the person is being truthful. Viewers must watch the video for themselves and make their own mind up. They then have the opportunity to report the video, like or dislike the video, comment on it, contact the person who uploaded it, and share the video in a cyborg world. None of which results in actual censorship of content.The consequence of the Internet is that animals have now become part of our network of cyborg communication and because they are viewed on a screen, absent from our physical world, it is easy to detach ourselves from the real animal. Our ‘digital selves’ judge and share the animal videos we see, and the quantity of footage at our disposal appears to be limitless. In our expression of disapproval and reports of inappropriate material it seems we are adjusting to a new form of ethical consideration, learning what our limits of decency are in a cyborg world and there is some indication that animal abuse is taken seriously. However, much of what is uploaded to sites like YouTube will simply go under the radar and the Very Angry Cat footage demonstrates that negative hype can fuel just as much interest as common enjoyment. In the end, animal videos simply serve as entertainment alongside other popular online content.
1 mwesch 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAO-lZ4_hU.
