I am going to start my blog by stating that I do love that movie, and after watching it, I had that feeling of true love...blah blah blah. Anyway, I did enjoy watching the movie, but this was the first time that I was aware of the CMC taking place throughout the movie.
I took some notes on the movie, and the first thing that I noticed is how both Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks' characters checked to make sure that their significant others were gone before checking email. I felt like that some how innocently illustrated online affairs or guilty pleasures that we've talked about in class.
Also, either Kathryn or Joe said that, "this not knowing has its charms". That was in reference to not knowing each other's identity. Obviously, this dovetails nicely with our reoccuring discussions about online anonymity. They were very safe to not discuss personal topics, and used the anonymity to keep things friendly. This definately illustrates how people feel more comfortable in person, though, because Kathryn and Joe were enemies in person, but very good friends online. That just goes to show that you never know who you are talking to online. Even though they fell in love and kissed at the end, not all online relationships can go this way. Furthermore, Kathryn was able to speak openly about thinking mean things online, but was unable in person. I thought it was cute that when she finally was mean in person, it was to the same person she divulged her secret to online...ironic...
Overall, I thought that this movie was a lovely Hollywood-ized version of what can happen when befriending people in chat rooms. The news reports all of the creepy things that happen when people meet online, but perhaps, it's possible to befriend the one person you hate the most and end up in his or her arms!
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3 comments:
Jamie -
We have been sharing a lot of the same ideas about online dating... haven't we? haha. I completely agree. At the beginning, I thought it was pretty sketchy too how both Joe and Kathleen checked to see if their significant other was gone before they checked their mail. And neither of them talked to each other online if their significant other was in the house... strange? I don't think so. Obviously it meant something fishy was going on, and it was. Like you said, it presented an online affair and online cheating, which is entirely unacceptable. I definitely noticed that too and you made a great point!
Jamie,
I definitely agree with you. The movie kind of portrayed online affairs as scandalous, which is somewhat of the stereotype that they always get. Both Kathleen and Joe were involved in a realtionship with someone else behind their significant other's back. However, this affair was strictly through the interenet. There was no physical contact, so can that actually be considered as an affair? It's hard to draw the line when it comes to online relationships versus face-to-face relationships.
I have started to be slightly less creeped out by online relationships...or at least by relationships that start online. All of the good things I have heard about dating websites, and couples who have met through them makes me think that maybe they are a natural way to meet people.
I feel that the relationship between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail is also pretty normal, and not-so-creepy.
So maybe you are right, pepole can resolve their differences when they are able to see another side of a person.
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