Catfish was an adventure from start to finish. The entire story is jump-started by a woman so lonely and desperate that she poses as multiple people online for validation and human connection. The question is: Was this the right way to go about it?
An argument could be made against the opinion that she lied. All of the personas she displayed were extensions of the different Angela(s) she could have been. Every profile she made was another repressed dream she couldn't live in her daily life. Yes, she fabricated a few tales, but was it actually a lie for her? In her mind, wasn't she Meghan, Abby, Trisha, Vincent, Bobby, Dudley and so on?
Another notable opposition could be the fact that she cheated on her husband to receive the connection she so longed for. Personally, I don't think Angela really cheated on her partner. She was never physically with Nev to do so, but I do agree that the act would have occurred had the barrier not been there. I also don't doubt that Angela was gone to her family. She was run down and tuckered out, hanging on by the skin of her teeth. It wasn't a wonder that she would become seriously emotionally attached to anyone who treated her as well as Nev did. Does this mean that she cheated on her husband? The answer to that depends on the person, and the opinion can be defended either way.
What I primarily turned my focus to when thinking about this particular Catfish situation was the lie. Fortunately (or unfortunately) in this situation, the only real lies constructed were those of a name and a face. Oh, poor boy, her name was actually Angela and she's not a blonde. A rose by any other name still smells as sweet, but in this case, is that true? The real problem with this honestly small lie is the pretense of the unknown. Potentially everything Angela has shared about herself (while posed as Meghan) is true, but how do we or Nev know this? What else could be shrouded in dishonesty. Taking not only that into account but also the declarations of friendship and desire and even stronger emotions established during their relationship- how, with all those feelings and loyalties, can you continuously lie to someone you'd call upon so endearingly?
When looking at Angela's home life, I can seriously see where her sense of hopelessness could have stemmed from. The lack of self she had is truly a smack in the face for anyone! Maybe that lacking in her life was gained back through her interactions with Nev. Maybe a sense of self was gained from these daily conversations. Even still, the fact that she would do this while basically disregarding the consequences for herself and the one she effected is wrong. Yes, this truly could have been much worse, but it wasn't. It's this, and it's still not the right way to go about it. I don't believe it ever will be.
An argument could be made against the opinion that she lied. All of the personas she displayed were extensions of the different Angela(s) she could have been. Every profile she made was another repressed dream she couldn't live in her daily life. Yes, she fabricated a few tales, but was it actually a lie for her? In her mind, wasn't she Meghan, Abby, Trisha, Vincent, Bobby, Dudley and so on?
Another notable opposition could be the fact that she cheated on her husband to receive the connection she so longed for. Personally, I don't think Angela really cheated on her partner. She was never physically with Nev to do so, but I do agree that the act would have occurred had the barrier not been there. I also don't doubt that Angela was gone to her family. She was run down and tuckered out, hanging on by the skin of her teeth. It wasn't a wonder that she would become seriously emotionally attached to anyone who treated her as well as Nev did. Does this mean that she cheated on her husband? The answer to that depends on the person, and the opinion can be defended either way.
What I primarily turned my focus to when thinking about this particular Catfish situation was the lie. Fortunately (or unfortunately) in this situation, the only real lies constructed were those of a name and a face. Oh, poor boy, her name was actually Angela and she's not a blonde. A rose by any other name still smells as sweet, but in this case, is that true? The real problem with this honestly small lie is the pretense of the unknown. Potentially everything Angela has shared about herself (while posed as Meghan) is true, but how do we or Nev know this? What else could be shrouded in dishonesty. Taking not only that into account but also the declarations of friendship and desire and even stronger emotions established during their relationship- how, with all those feelings and loyalties, can you continuously lie to someone you'd call upon so endearingly?
When looking at Angela's home life, I can seriously see where her sense of hopelessness could have stemmed from. The lack of self she had is truly a smack in the face for anyone! Maybe that lacking in her life was gained back through her interactions with Nev. Maybe a sense of self was gained from these daily conversations. Even still, the fact that she would do this while basically disregarding the consequences for herself and the one she effected is wrong. Yes, this truly could have been much worse, but it wasn't. It's this, and it's still not the right way to go about it. I don't believe it ever will be.
2 comments:
I really like that you talked about all the distrust surrounding Angela. People can see that she's had a hard life and all, but look past that and go straight to the numerous lies she has created. I think the various lies honestly is what took away from any of the sympathy a person would be inclined to give her because we live in a world that truly accepts everything at face value, and don't take too kindly to lies.
I loved the point you made about Angela`s lie and why she lied. Angela did feel a sense of hopelessness an even though its a bad way to escape, it was her way to escape. She created these personas,yes,but the unique thing is that these personas were happy and Angela began to be.
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