Are you a fake bitch?
Control your selves
Are we who we pretend to be? Are we all trying to keep a story going? Or are we doing it all for the plot? We put on an act for work because, like hell, a job is other people. We’re taught (or forced) to structure our time, goals and lives around what we do for a living. We engage in water cooler talk, where our exchanges stay in the shallow end.1 How was your weekend? How are your kids? How are you?
Good. Fine. Good.
Then there’s an endless stream of TikToks and Reels where people segment their lives or exist in “alternate realities.” The 5-9 before my 9-5ers. The morning shedders. The GRWMers. Then there are those living in a different decade. Why let your job define your free time when you can exist in a different universe, timeline or aesthetic? Occasionally, I’ll scroll past one Gen Z creator posting as an 80s rockstar. You can watch him flirt with off-camera groupies or Grace Jones.
Another creator cosplays as “that guy who overdresses for everything” or “your unemployed friend on Monday at 1pm.” Want an offline experience? Look no further than a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest.
Are we trying to find our selves or are we becoming who we pretend to be? Are we getting lost in limbo? Are we fake bitches? Are we doing it for the plot? Are we faking it ‘til we make it? Or do we just contain multitudes? Life is always a bit of a performance — one moment you’re in the audience and at another, you’re on the stage. Or maybe you’re somewhere off-camera, directing the scene?
Who the hell are you?
For Halloween week, I’m exploring the characters, costumes and shows we put on to reflect our best, worst and imagined selves. Keep the masks on because we’re watching Mannequin (1987), The Mask (1994), Bowfinger (1999) and more all week.
See you all tomorrow.
Does anyone want to befriend their coworkers? There are exceptions, but the rule is no.