The Two-Faced Nature of The Roar
What does it mean to be human?
Does walking around and breathing the air make us human? Or is more required? In
the words of anthropologist Samuel Hyde, there is a distinguishment between humans,
and what he refers to as “NPCs” (Hyde, 2015). NPC, or non-playable character,
is a term common to role playing games, meaning those characters in the game
that the player cannot control. According to Hyde, a person can cease to be
human, and therefore becomes an NPC. A person undergoes this transition when
they begin to “go through the motions of life”, without second thought, or they
fail to question why things are. According to Hyde, the majority of people in
society are ‘NPCs’. Hyde uses the example of why Australia imported 189,000 migrants
in 2016, when during the same year only 300,000 jobs were created. There were
also roughly 70,000 university graduates during 2016 (Hyde, 2016).
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| According to Hyde, the majority of society is comprised of "NPCs". Retrieved from: |
According to McNeill, a person
can possess both a “real” and “virtual” identity (McNeill, 2012). Analysing
this statement, one can interpret it as meaning that a person can express
themselves differently via the internet medium. For instance, persons who are
normally quite shy and reserved under their “real” identity can become
knowledgeable, confident and frank under their “virtual” identities. Additionally,
shrouded by the veil of anonymity, people can express their true thoughts
regarding matters that do not fit the accepted “narrative” (Kuttainen, 2017).
However, whilst one’s identity may be anonymous to another internet user, it is
likely that Google and Facebook know their thoughts better than even they
themselves do (Kuttainen, 2017).
Networked narratives is
another interesting concept explained by McNeill (McNeill, 2012). Narratives
which delineate from the accepted and comfortable narrative are often censored
by those in control, as it does not suit their agenda. On The Roar, the
prevalence of networked narratives can be witnessed firsthand. The Roar, which
initially championed itself as a website where “your sports opinion” was valued
above everything else, has since backtracked. Now only “some sports opinions”
are allowed to be published. Opinions which tow the party line, so to speak, of
being all inclusive, and benign. Some comments, no matter whether they be
written by a guru or rookie, are universally blocked on questionable grounds.
For instance, one can pick any
page and scroll through the comments. Raucous allegations are made, allegories
to bestiality can sometimes even be viewed. One must wonder why such comments
as these pass through the editor’s filter, whereas others, which are often
articulately written and well-researched, are prevented from being published.
The contradictory nature of
The Roar is alarming. The medium appears to quickly be
alienating traditional commentators, who are now quickly finding that their
opinions are being considered irrelevant, and unwanted. The Roar is in somewhat
of an identity crisis. Because it is not mainstream enough to appeal to younger
fans, it is jeopardising its relationship with old ones. Perhaps the Roar’s hierarchy
should undergo an identity check, so as to reconnect with their true self.
References:
Hyde, S. (2015). On the subject of being and the mind. Richmond,
VA. Royal Press.
Hyde, S. (2016). Concerning global immigration and the fall
of western civilisation. Richmond, VA. Royal Press.
Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002:
Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 6: Networked
Narratives. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au
McNeill, L. (2012). There is
no “I” in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography.
Biography, 35(1), 64-82. https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2012.0009
We know your dreams. (2015). Dream interpretations - People. Retrieved from: http://weknowyourdreams.com/people.html.
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