Swirlee

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m really getting into Lonelygirl15. Not the girl, but the saga or, if you prefer, the brand. At this point I have no doubt that it’s fiction, but what’s significant to me is that up until people started calling it a hoax, I didn’t really have any interest in it. Now that its “hoaxiness” seems a foregone conclusion (though I still don’t think the “confession” is authentic), I find it much more interesting. Someone out there is creating a fairly interesting and entertaining video serial exclusively for the internet, anonymously.^† And they’ve amassed a huge audience, relatively speaking. I think we’re at the tipping point where more people believe that “Bree” and “Daniel” are actors than don’t, and though a lot of viewers have undoubtedly abandoned the “show,” I think it’s gained a lot, like me, who find this sort of thing fascinating.

I don’t want to get too deep into the philosophical/psychological implications of all of this. I dislike “reality” TV but have a certain degree of affection for readymade dramedies like Gilmore Girls and now Lonelygirl15, and I’m sure an astute observer of human nature could glean something from that. But I’m really just along for the ride. LG15’s producers are crafting an intricate plot combining the mundane—boy meets cute but naive girl, girl rebels against unseen (a la Peanuts) parental figures—to the serious and somewhat more intriguing—religion and the occult—and I, for one, am all the more interested equipped with the knowledge that this isn’t just some suburban teenager with a webcam, and might actually be going somewhere.

^†When I say anonymously, I don’t mean to suggest that I think LG15’s creators don’t intend to reveal themselves eventually. I believe their goal is to reap immense benefits, both financial and professional, from this affair. If they’re not producing an MTV original series by this time next year, I’ll be surprised.