The Tragedy of Video Cameras

The Tragedy of Video Cameras

Wisps of hair playfully chased each other across my face as waves of hot, humid air gently blew across the park. Paper cups, chased by the wind, bounced merrily across the ground, pursued by laughing children. The children seemed unaffected by the heat and humidity, while the adults sat in abject misery, wishing the day were over.

Dipping a napkin into a cup of ice water, I began wiping my face and neck, seeking relief from the heat. I was hot and perspiring heavily, causing my mascara to make black circles beneath my eyes. This was our annual Fourth of July family picnic, and all I wanted to do was leave. As I continued wiping my face and neck with the cool napkin, I became aware of a soft whirring sound. I turned toward the noise and came nose-to-lens with a video camera. This was my first encounter with this camera on a personal level. My first response was to hide my face with my hands while making dire predictions concerning the user's future. Thus began my love-hate relationship with this machine.

Over the last several years, the nationalization of video cameras has changed the way that Americans view America. The affordable price of these cameras has made it possible for the "common" man to become the historian for his family, allowing him to preserve for posterity the antics and lifestyles of previous generations. He faithfully transports this annoying little piece of technology to each party, reunion, graduation, birth, and other celebrations. He forces each person present to smile and pose while he tells them to "act naturally." Acting naturally while looking into the lens of a video camera is certainly a paradox in thought, if not in action. At this point, t...

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...ng, only though language, be it written or spoken, we feel and truly understand these emotions. Seeing a smile on the face of a mother as she holds her new baby signifies happiness, but does it convey totally what she is really feeling? Does it fully explore the depth and range of emotions that she is experiencing? The overwhelming feeling of love and the desire to cherish and protect this small part of herself can only be understood through language. Writing becomes the path by which we are able to walk through a person's heart and mind; it symbolizes the totality of that person. With all the technological advances that have been made in the area of communication and photography, we have replaced a priceless form of confabulation, our ability to be expressive, not only through pictures, but also through the creative use of word painting know as imagery.