I used to work for a Cemetery/Funeral Home in Los Angeles. I was hired at the cusp of the place going FUTURE. They were installing a small theatre in the main building and would be placing kiosks throughout the park to display biographies of the interred.
One of my duties as a 'Biographer' was to go through stacks of paperwork on the plots, find local relatives and interview them about their buried family member. Typically, I would meet clients in their homes to record them describing the life and times of the deceased. Then we'd sort through old photographs of their dead wife/dad/niece/grandmother and I would digitally shoot about a dozen images of the pictures. My favorite part was the intimacy. I was a complete stranger to these people and often within minutes they were sharing details with me through tears of joy, regret, love, pain... I was a soul collector, without the apocalypse.
I got paid $25 an interview. I'd come back to the cemetery with the information and the cemetery editors would then create a mini biography. Sometimes it was free, sometimes a sales person had called and sold them a package priced per minute.
"It's just like on A&E!"
This was before Facebook and YouTube. I had a crappy PC at home and I didn't even have an email address. Dial up was something I hadn't invested in yet.
I remember thinking what a cool idea these biographies were and at the same time something about them struck me funny. Like spoiled milk funny. Progressive archiving meets narcissism. Something everyone needs. Good for sales, just like death. Documenting not just our heroes who made it through the ranks but equalizing everyone with creative editing and background music... just like death.
Where I grew up, it was common to hear the phrase, "Live your life like it's on TV." The notion that God-watches-your-every-move wasn't powerful enough. It hit home if we pretended everyone else was too. A youth minister told me to picture my every move being displayed on a Jumbotron at a Texas Stadium. Scared Straight? You bet. But wasn't Pamela Anderson 'discovered' this way? How would this frighten the Z-Generation? More like Scared Fabulous.
We should be careful who we are living our life for. Good footage or good times? If 'film is forever', where will we fit everyone after they die? We're going to need a bigger boat.
And by boat, I mean server.
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