Post Secret is a project that displays postcards on which individuals have written a personal secret. In their presentation, my classmates Jenn, Henry, Seanie and Vinson explored its prevalence in the study of autobiography, as an unusual form of anonymous memoir.

They discussed the unsuccessful attempt of a “Post Secret” online application. As founder Frank Warren states in this interview, the site was taken down within three months due to deliberate misuse, involving repeated posting of offensive and/or pornographic material. The negative community that formed reminds me of the many comment threads found on websites such as Youtube that are known to propagate rude and destructive interaction.

As Kevin Wallsten and Melinda Tarsi explore in their Washington Post blog post, there is an ongoing debate about whether or not anonymous comments should be banned from websites. One of the main arguments presented against such anonymity is that users are more likely to act in an uncivil manner when they are not accountable for their behaviour. This point is relevant to a topic discussed in Dr. Sullivan’s Sociology lecture yesterday: socialization and the individual. She spoke of George Herbert Mead‘s understanding of the self, which he believes to contain two parts (greatly simplified below):

• the “me” encompasses the rules of social interaction that individuals gather over time through exchanges with others.
• the “I” responds to the “me” by following, or not following, the understood social norms and appropriate behaviour.

Anonymity seems to provide freedom from the usual social expectations since the feedback that is usually received during face to face interaction is absent. Perhaps the “me” (that knows it is not acceptable to make that remark) loses control, and the “I” (that really wants to make that remark) does as it pleases, because there will be no repercussions.

This raises important considerations around anonymity’s role in communication. While I have discussed apparent negative outcomes of the “I” speaking freely, positive aspects are relevant to our study of life narratives. Taking Post Secret as a model, we can observe a very honest display of individual experiences, unabridged by feelings of shame or by the desire to accommodate social norms. As well, by reading confessions that are nameless, the audience witnesses a collective of humanity’s secrets to which they can relate, hopefully building a sense of belonging.

This makes me wonder how signed autobiographies differ,  and if it is even possible to write honestly when a part of the writer (“me”) constantly reminds him or her of the assumed expectations and judgement of the readers.

Adèle Therias

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Works Cited

Frank Warren. PostSecret.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

Hurst, Melissa. ‘George Herbert Mead: The Self, ”Me” & ”I” Video – Lesson And Example’. Education Portal. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

Sullivan, Rachael. “Socialization.” University of British Columbia. 22 Oct. 2014. Lecture.

VanderMey, Anne. “PostSecret founder has a few things to say about new anonymous apps.” Fortune. Time Inc., 9 Aug. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.

Wallsten, Kevin and Melinda Tarsi. “It’s time to end anonymous comments sections.” Monkey Cage. Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.

Youtube.com,. ‘Youtube’. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.

Orange is the New Black is a memoir by Piper Kerman: a caucasian, upper class American woman who was convicted of carrying drug money. She chronicles her 15 month experience in a women’s prison, offering an unusual perspective on the incarceration experience.

Her book inspired a Netflix TV show by the same name (short form OITNB) which has had huge success; in fact, widespread critique displays preference for the series over the original memoir. In this article, writer and blogger Riese compares the two works to explore the modifications that were made, and connects Kerman’s observations to realities concerning the US prison system.

Despite the general understanding that the story is modified, OITNB’s audience seems to better identify with the fictionalized version. These are commonly stated reasons for this preference:

• The TV show does a much better job at characterization. Viewers feel more attached to Piper’s peers, which leads to more emotional investment and empathy for the inmates.
• Piper’s point of view in the memoir is frustrating: in a blog post, Genie Giaimo describes Kerman’s voice as “self-satisfied, egotistical, clueless, or otherwise questionable.” The show allows the viewer to interpret Piper’s actions for themselves, potentially making her more likeable.
• The show’s take on Piper’s experiences is much more dramatic. This is important for entertainment purposes, and makes the story feel significant, therefore drawing more attention.
• It addresses social discussions much more explicitly. This encompasses the lesbian relationships between inmates, the difficulties of being transgendered in prison, the tensions between racial groups, and injustices within the institution.

Such reaction points to public needs that must be met in order for a story to have impact, ones that may only be fulfilled by popular TV. While discussion was initiated by Kerman’s memoir, the fusion of fact and fiction seems to have given it the momentum for positive social action and change. One example is this campaign to improve the conditions at Riverhead jail. Does a positive outcome justify the manipulation of fact, or is the authenticity of the original text unjustly neglected?

Blending platforms may itself be emerging as beneficial to the memoir genre, which author and critic Taylor Antrim criticizes for often being “fragmentary” and “narratively non-rigourous.” The ripples that OITNB has set off suggests that, in an increasingly digitalized society, written memoirs are no longer sufficient; they may require a visual counterpart to make them more “real,” enticing and ultimately more powerful.

Adèle Therias

(For more information about Piper Kerman (the original!) check out her website.)

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Works Cited

Antrim, Taylor. “Why Some Memoirs Are Better As Fiction.” The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company, LLC. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.

Giaimo, Genie. “Orange IS NOT the New Black: The Problem of Adapting a Life Narrative to Television.” Visual Memoir. n.p., 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.

New York Civil Liberties Union. “Fix the Orange is The New Black Jail.” NYCLU. n.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.

Riese. “How “Real” Is “Orange Is The New Black”? Comparing the Show To The Memoir To The Numbers.” Autostraddle. The Excitant Group, LLC. Web. 4 Aug. 2013. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.