CATFISH discussion

Here is the place to offer your thoughts, impressions, opinions and questions. Feel free to address each other's statements; it's not necessary for me to arbitrate the discussion. 

 I did have a wee epiphany today about the "catfish" symbolism today, namely that the "catfish" (i.e. the entity or person that keeps us agile, keeps us guessing) is not necessarily Angela (who keeps Nev on his toes), but Nev (who galvanizes Angela into trying to change her life)...It was exciting to be able to see this on a different level than I had previously; before I just saw Angela as the catfish.

 We spoke briefly about whether the film is authentic or "real." What do you think? 

 What about the implications for the widespread use of social media? Should we be cautious about people misrepresenting themselves?

 And what about the Ms. article from 1985, "The Strange Case of the Electronic Lover"--does the persona of "Joan Sue Greene" created by the psychologist have anything in common with the "Megan Faccio" persona created by Angela?

Fred Rogers was amazing (Emily Blackburn)

If you have some time, I thought you might want to check out this article about Fred Rogers. If you don't have time, some of my favorite tidbits were:

- He almost single-handedly saved public television in 1969 with a direct appeal to Washington

- His show featured everything from why kids shouldn't be afraid of a haircut, to other issues such as divorce and war in a way which was not frightening but educational and friendly to children.

-As a Presbyterian minister he preached tolerance first, and refused to castigate non-Catholics or gays.

-When Mr. Rogers filed a report that his Impala was stolen, the car re-appeared 48 hours later with an apology on the dashboard reading "If we'd known it was yours, we never would have taken it."

- All of the sweaters he wore on the show were hand-knitted by his mother.

Welcome! First reading assignment.

Welcome to the class blog. This is where we'll discuss any number of topics raised in class. You will all be required to post at least ONE original blog post during the semester. Of course, you can post as much as you like! And all students are encouraged to follow the discussions on a weekly basis.

This week while we're viewing CATFISH I'd like you to also read this article from Ms. Magazine, about a case of online identity fraud involving the Internet Service Provider, Compuserve. Please read this before Thursday Jan. 31 and be ready to discuss it in class.

The article "The Strange Case of the Electronic Lover" was published in 1985, and is available at this link: (the author's website).