Decipher Podcast #3: Our Selfies, Ourselves
In this episode of Decipher Podcast, a story about the pressure of selfies and a discussion on selfie culture.
Lauren tells a story about feeling self-conscious as a young girl taking photos and how that has evolved as she has grown up. She ties in the cultural reputation and impact of selfies — specifically the high profile Instagram model, Essena O’Neil, who quit social media after feeling overwhelmed by crafting the perfect image. Following this, we discuss selfies and what they mean to us individually and break down whether the selfie is an art form or driven purely by vapidity.
Intro (0:50)
What’s on our minds?
- Sharmila: The movie Get Out. So many layers…traditional horror tropes, with racism as the scary part, intense themes laid out simply.
- Corey: Thinking about how he can manage to not buy a Nintendo Switch just to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
- Lauren: Being jealous of everyone who’s seen Get Out. Omg. So excited. Watching Blazing Saddles again? Also rewatching Jurassic Park and forgetting that Malcolm was such a dick. A hot dick, but still.
Story (01:44)
Our Selfies, Ourselves
Lauren tells a story about feeling self-conscious as a young girl taking photos and how that has evolved as she has grown up. She ties in the cultural reputation and impact of selfies — specifically the high profile Instagram model, Essena O’Neil, who quit social media after feeling overwhelmed by crafting the perfect image.
Decipher (17:40)
The selfie is generally viewed as vapid and self-obsessed. Selfies are synonymous with celebrity, consumerism, and social media. But what if selfies are really more than that? Are selfies a form of art? Are selfies a way to subvert beauty norms? We discuss.
- What role, if any, do you feel the Selfie plays in your life? Personally, professionally, subconsciously?
- Are they a means to an end or genuine artistic expression?
- What role, if any, does misogyny play in the discourse surrounding this topic?
- Do you feel your own self-esteem or estimation of the quality of your life/work is impacted in any way by the selfie and accompanying social media trends?
- Does consumerism push or stymie artistic growth?
Outro (01:05:54)
Where can you find us?
- Lauren: screaming “LEAVE EMMA WATSON ALOOOOOONE” on Facebook and instagraming all the colors of the wind @indomitablelulu. Also, follow up to last week — Sessions, also the product of a deal with a Lovecraftian beastie? Discuss.
- Sharmila: Find me on Instagram @sharmilarose and look at the selfie I took after this episode.
- Corey: You can find me on Twitter @coreymlong, finally embracing my inner fanboy. And yes, I’ll take a selfie too on my Instagram, also at coreymlong
Production Credits
- Hosts: Sharmila Sahni, Lauren Hayes, and Corey Long
- Story Segment Writer: Lauren Hayes
- Story Segment Producer: Corey Long
- Audio Production: Corey Long
- Decipher Theme Music and Cover Art: Nathaniel James Zablan
Music
- “Nocturne Op 15 No 3” and “Nocturne Op 27 No 1” by Podington Bear
- “Pianoman is not Sam” by Lobo Loco
Clips
- Essena O’Neil — Why I REALLY am quitting social media (Mirror) (Youtube)
- Announcers Tear into Sorority Girls at Baseball Game (Youtube)
Further Reading
- “How To Look Like A Reddit Troll’s Worst Nightmare” (The Establishment)
- “Why Are We So Scared Of Teenage Girls?” (The Establishment)
- “SELFIE” (Matter)
- “Selfies hurt self-esteem. No, they help. Scientists can’t make up their minds” (CNN)
- “The Selfie and Self-Esteem Have An Unexpected Link” (Psyblog)
- “The Good, the Bad, and the Unexpected Consequences of Selfie Obsession” (Teen Vogue)
Let us know if there are any topics you’d like us to decipher in future podcasts or if there’s something you’d like to discuss from an episode, by tweeting us @decipherpodcast or messaging us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe & Follow
iTunes / Google Play / Stitcher / Overcast / RSS / Facebook / Twitter
You can subscribe to this podcast in iTunes, via any podcast player using our RSS feed, via Overcast, in Google Play, or on Stitcher. You can also listen on our podcast page.
Our podcast is part of The Codex podcast network. We are hosted by Simplecast. If you like the podcast, please review us — and spread the word by telling your friends!
Support Us!
DONATE to our podcast to support us telling and discussing great stories. Thanks in advance for supporting narrative journalism and civil discussion!
Email us if you’re interesting in promoting a good or service via a sponsorship on our podcast 0r the site. Learn more about our revenue model at The Codex.
This podcast is part of The Codex Podcast Network. Subscribe to The Codex newsletter to get a weekly digest of our podcasts and stories and be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
