Blogs and Arrows
Tuesday, June 3rd by scott malia
In how-meta-can-you-get? news, I recently read an article about what Shakespeare can teach us about blogging. Intrigued by the item, I now find myself in the position of writing a blog about blogs. According to this writer, Shakespeare made a name for himself by combining a variety of different elements. Not only did he borrow story points (if not entire plotlines) from other authors, he also melded their styles together. In his works classical ideas of tragedy are combined with holdover elements from medieval morality plays (particularly their episodic structure). Shakespeare found similar inspiration for comedy from numerous sources, including short comic sketches as well as pastoral comedies. In essence, Shakespeare was all about pastiche….
….which brings us to blogging. When the term first started to appear, I remember thinking, “What the heck is a blog?” Now that I write one, I am not even sure I am any closer to a true definition, but some common elements do appear. Blogs are often the intersection of the critical, the personal, and the popular. Whatever people blog about, whether it’s a play, a politician or a reality television show, the reactions and assessments are always personal. Furthermore, in many forums, people bring their own areas of expertise to the dialogues created on blogs, which can make it a more intellectual experience. Balancing out the potential for that kind of writing to become incredibly snobby (to say nothing of dry), popular culture has become a common medium for reflection and comparison. In the blogosphere, I could talk about William Shakespeare and Perez Hilton (shudder) in the same breath….but, don’t worry, I won’t.
