When Rembrandt painted self-portraits, he was just holding a mirror to himself, attempting to honestly understand who he was, warts and all. That’s why he did so many of them — not because he was obsessed but because he was trying to reveal himself through every emotion he experienced and doing some self-talk. Many would say his 90 self-portraits are a testimony that he was the selfie artist of his time. But now the camera phone has crossed a line that he never imagined, easily traversing from self-realisation to self-indulgence, descending into narcissism and finally becoming a vehicle for self-preaching.
The selfie is driving the democratic grammar of communication in a world of social media. It is the new free speech where everybody is feeding off each other and collectively going up the social value chain. The disseminator, namely the newsmaker, connects directly with the followers, legitimising them as flag bearers of his/her brand appeal. And the followers, who claim credibility by association — thanks to a shared moment of five seconds — lead other followers, becoming influencers and cheerleaders of every fandom. But as the recent heckling incidents involving cricketer Prithvi Shaw and singer Sonu Nigam show, the lines between the star, the original influencer, and the fan, the wannabe influencer, have been blurred.
An internet search on Prithvi Shaw, who refused to oblige selfie-seekers at a private dinner, automatically throws up the name of Sapna Gill, an influencer and Bhojpuri actor, who was so upset at being denied the frame she wanted that she and her friend allegedly bashed up Shaw’s car and have now accused him of molestation. Shaw’s cricket credentials have been overshadowed by this tornado of a controversy where the errant person has claimed victimhood and got equal fame. In a word, she stole the moment from the cricketer. Similarly, in Nigam’s case, the gatecrasher on stage was an MLA’s son, clearly used to appropriating reflected glory and power. For a moment, nobody thought about the vulnerability of either Shaw or Sonu, both of whom could be injured. The selfie-taker is now a better news manager.
In fact, celebrities, who once fed their legions of fans with a casual photo, preying on their starstruck fantasies, are now the hunted. With fans getting too close for comfort, many stars across the globe are retracting from taking selfies with any and everybody. Actor Alia Bhatt, known to be amiable with her fans at events and airports, experienced first-hand how the line between accessibility and intrusiveness might get blurred. Ironically, she could only use social media to document her plight when paparazzi climbed a building opposite hers and zoomed in on her living room. She even tagged Mumbai police, hoping virality would draw their attention. Perhaps that’s the reason why stars like Deepika Padukone and Kartik Aaryan chose the middle path, travelling economy during a domestic flight, dropping a casual smile and “hi,” but not commiserating with the hoi polloi. Too much of their individual fortunes are still dependent on their social media equity, which they cannot afford to upend in a fickle market of public appearances.
How did this phenomenon come about? In social media, which encapsulates the selfie, one doesn’t have to depend on anybody for entry to the exclusive club. And if that one photo with a superstar gives you an opportunity to be liked and commented upon, it encourages you to put yourself a bit more out there and be fearless about it. Sociologically, a selfie is an indication of the craving for recognition, born out of a sense of deprivation. So, when celebrities occasionally interact with fans, either by taking a picture or becoming available for “ask me anything” sessions, the latter might believe that they have earned the right to interfere and get involved in their lives.
The celebrity invests in this fake familiarity and bonding, knowing the follower will keep the faith. Marketers follow, opening up an exclusive world to ordinary people and asking celebrities to endorse brands organically in their selfies at the mall, restaurant or any plebeian space. And the followers announce their social status courtesy of this flimsy proximity without the heavy maintenance of building an interpersonal relationship in the real world. The celebrity comes down, the follower steps up and there’s momentary equilibrium. That’s why both Gill and Swapnil Phaterpekar felt so entitled to do what they did.
The desperation with which the selfie-taker seeks validation of their identity on social media sites is an indicator of their low self-esteem. Selfies are their way of individual story-telling. Unfortunately, it has led to a beehive mentality that has all but reduced the very purpose of the selfie, to stand out among a crowd. Now, if you are crazy, the next person is crazier. Photographer Lee Thompson, who documented the FIFA World Cup in Rio, decided to have his moment by getting up, close and personal with the Christ the Redeemer statue. What we got was an amazing worldview, of looking down, sitting on the shoulders of Christ himself. The question is, who indeed needs redemption after such a vainglorious moment? A mind that has gotten rid of even vestigial remorse?
rinku.ghosh@expressindia.com
