A little white lie is what you tell your friend when she gets a bad haircut. Or perhaps when your significant other cooks you a horrible dinner but you tell them you love it. A little white lie is when you arrive late because of "traffic" but really you slept in. Those are little white lies, not telling a life story that is untrue, or publishing a memoir that is falsified. Those are great big lies full of exaggeration and manipulation.
Often times, little white lies can turn into great big lies. They may start off with good intentions but manifest into a downward spiral of lie upon lie until it is so big it begins to hurt people. This is what happens more often than not. Unfortunately, it may not have began that way but a lie is a lie no matter what! Including little white lies. Regardless of how innocent the lie may appear, the truth is you are being honest. For instance, if your friend discovers you dislike her hair, she will no longer trust your opinion. If your significant other finds out you dislike their cooking, you could hurt their feelings. Or if your co-worker takes the same route to work with no traffic, you are found to be a liar hurting your credibility.
These little white lies appear to be helping you in the moment but the reality is that unless it is the truth, it's not worth stating. Especially in the case of literary works. Fiction is understood to be the telling of an untrue story and a memoir is understood to be truth based on real experience. Once you begin to confuse the two, the reader no longer trusts the author therefore loosing credibility as a literary genre.
Thus, a lie is a lie is a lie regardless of the intention or outcome. Witholding the truth in any circumstance discredits you of honesty especially as a writer. Trust is the most difficult virtue to earn and once it is broken it is three times more difficult to gain back. Therefore, avoid lying at all costs whether the intention is good or bad. Afterall it's usually the worst problems that began with good intentions.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Little White Lies
Little White Lies:
I hardly consider fabricating a criminal career and creating an entirely new identity for oneself "little white lies". Both Frey and Belaney were full-out lying. Although I think it's pretty low and heavily lacking in integrity to purposely lie in order to embellish a story, I am able to accept it in the case of a memoir. It's not as though it is an autobiography. I'm not the least bit affected by whether or not James Frey was telling the truth or not. He claimed he was a worse criminal than he actually was and now we know he is a liar. I can't say I'm surprised. I think people are much too invested in their entertainment. When it comes to internet videos I remember that anyone can put anything on the internet and I'm immediately questioning the credibility of the material. Because neither the youtube video or Frey's book are educational in nature I don't care what is truth or fiction in them. I would be much more upset if an informational piece of writing like a scientific paper had published false test results and data (as many of them do). As far as white lies go, everyone draws the line between a white lie and a full lie somewhere else, thus it is difficult to distinguish when it is appropriate and just how slightly one can allow himself to be dishonest. People eventually start taking advantage of this "innocent lie" to start telling full, concrete lies. As disheartening as it is, that is how people are.
- Lucie M
I hardly consider fabricating a criminal career and creating an entirely new identity for oneself "little white lies". Both Frey and Belaney were full-out lying. Although I think it's pretty low and heavily lacking in integrity to purposely lie in order to embellish a story, I am able to accept it in the case of a memoir. It's not as though it is an autobiography. I'm not the least bit affected by whether or not James Frey was telling the truth or not. He claimed he was a worse criminal than he actually was and now we know he is a liar. I can't say I'm surprised. I think people are much too invested in their entertainment. When it comes to internet videos I remember that anyone can put anything on the internet and I'm immediately questioning the credibility of the material. Because neither the youtube video or Frey's book are educational in nature I don't care what is truth or fiction in them. I would be much more upset if an informational piece of writing like a scientific paper had published false test results and data (as many of them do). As far as white lies go, everyone draws the line between a white lie and a full lie somewhere else, thus it is difficult to distinguish when it is appropriate and just how slightly one can allow himself to be dishonest. People eventually start taking advantage of this "innocent lie" to start telling full, concrete lies. As disheartening as it is, that is how people are.
- Lucie M
Little White Lies
In my opinion little white lies are harmless, what you don't know wont hurt you, right? Or does it, to some people any lie is a bad one. The crazy bride video is harmless to people watching, it is just entertaining, you would never know what it was made for until someone tells the truth. Where as James Frey had lied, but the whole world had seen it as a tragedy, and many look up to the book as inspiration and sympathy. Oprah had added this to her book club, and to her it was an amazing story, straight to the heart and she felt for him. When she had found out it wasn't true she was ashamed to have put this book out there to her viewers as a great read, but actually was giving them a story that was false. To her she had lied to the world, even though she had not known this before. In ways little white lies can be extremely hurtful, but when they are unknown to others it is harmless. I am sure many books or any story is altered with lies, to the creator it could just make their story more interesting, we will never know what story's have little white lies unless the truth comes out.
White lies while Oprah gets taken for a ride.
I laughed to myself during the "Frey" debacle. It is one of the only times Oprah Winfrey has been takin for a ride. And I like that. However, for James Frey to present this book as unswerving truth is kind of dumb and reckless.
To present a piece of work in a public setting is like playing with fire, as we saw with the smoking gun. The folks at TSG were diligent and followed the paper trail all the way to its logical end. Which in the case of "A Million Little Pieces" exposed the memoir as a lie. Not a little white lie but a huge stinking stew of lies involving real life events and people. That my friends is a recipe for disaster and Frey should of expected it. In this case, the huge tainted falsehoods of Frey's memoir are unacceptable considering he himself lauded the work of fiction as non-fiction. All his fault.
In regards to the Grey Owl, I see a man in search of an identity he could believe in. I don't see a man harnessing the power of the little white lie to benefit himself at the expense of others. Instead Archie Stansfeld Belaney at the crossroads age of 18 latched onto the allure and romance of the wilderness. Taking on himself the identity of a native indian. What I see here is more of a search for purpose. Although Archie labeled himself a native his ruse did not affect others. His transformation was for the peace of his soul.
The crazy bride is ridiculous, I am surprised anyone would invite her onto a talk show. Why? Why would you want a guest who's only claim to fame is a video showing her throw a hissy fit, albeit a staged one. That is retarded and just goes to show the state of the public and our need for drama.
The crazy bride is the ugly ducking out of the three talking points and won't get a response from me. I would rather stick my tongue in hot toaster.
- Chris Ribau
To present a piece of work in a public setting is like playing with fire, as we saw with the smoking gun. The folks at TSG were diligent and followed the paper trail all the way to its logical end. Which in the case of "A Million Little Pieces" exposed the memoir as a lie. Not a little white lie but a huge stinking stew of lies involving real life events and people. That my friends is a recipe for disaster and Frey should of expected it. In this case, the huge tainted falsehoods of Frey's memoir are unacceptable considering he himself lauded the work of fiction as non-fiction. All his fault.
In regards to the Grey Owl, I see a man in search of an identity he could believe in. I don't see a man harnessing the power of the little white lie to benefit himself at the expense of others. Instead Archie Stansfeld Belaney at the crossroads age of 18 latched onto the allure and romance of the wilderness. Taking on himself the identity of a native indian. What I see here is more of a search for purpose. Although Archie labeled himself a native his ruse did not affect others. His transformation was for the peace of his soul.
The crazy bride is ridiculous, I am surprised anyone would invite her onto a talk show. Why? Why would you want a guest who's only claim to fame is a video showing her throw a hissy fit, albeit a staged one. That is retarded and just goes to show the state of the public and our need for drama.
The crazy bride is the ugly ducking out of the three talking points and won't get a response from me. I would rather stick my tongue in hot toaster.
- Chris Ribau
Friday, March 20, 2009
white lies
A 'little white lie' can be described as an unimportant lie (especially one told to be tactful or polite), or told to avoid hurting someone's feelings. So it is basically a lie told to add positivity to a situation rather than negativity. This applies in all cases studied including the crazy bride, James Frey and Grey Owl.
Of the three I believe Grey Owl is furthest from the label of being a liar. Having been re-born into a tribe and adopting a new identity his situation is legit. Of course he was born English and has no ounce of Native blood in his body, it is his spirit and soul which was adopted by the wilderness and he continued to live in that way, passionate about the forest and everything in it. His identity had changed drastically, claiming to be half-blood or named Grey Owl or part of a tribe is not far from the real truth at all.
James Frey on the other hand, is a little more severe. Having been investigated on his memoir, which he insists is non-fiction, and error in his story telling has been revealed. Yet we have studied that memory can be drastically changed by time, emotions, personal experience etc. The article 'A Thousand Little Lies' makes his story seem drastically false. Regardless of this I believe it is his life and how he perceived it. He could have even been writing from his own point of view, how he regarded himself at that time. Maybe he thought he deserved to go to prison, maybe he desired so strongly to rebel that he convinced himself it actually happened, or deserved to have happened? No matter the case, his novel is about his life and it has captured thousands in the pages and even changed peoples lives. A story of hope for addicts, alcoholics and criminals. A story of triumph against all odds.
The crazy bride clip on youtube doesn't apply to the category of a white lie, in my opinion. The whole film is a fake, but maybe it could be a white lie because it was made to entertain? I'm not sure how this video fits into the category or how it can be vouched for, other than the fact that it is entertainment.
In conclusion, I think white lies are absolutely acceptable in these cases. Whether you change your identity because you truly believe you are living where you belong. Or if you're writing about your own life and you twist stories or over exaggerate for the sake of a successful story. Whose place is it anyways to investigate your story and tell you you're a liar? That's just a bit rude if I say so myself.
Of the three I believe Grey Owl is furthest from the label of being a liar. Having been re-born into a tribe and adopting a new identity his situation is legit. Of course he was born English and has no ounce of Native blood in his body, it is his spirit and soul which was adopted by the wilderness and he continued to live in that way, passionate about the forest and everything in it. His identity had changed drastically, claiming to be half-blood or named Grey Owl or part of a tribe is not far from the real truth at all.
James Frey on the other hand, is a little more severe. Having been investigated on his memoir, which he insists is non-fiction, and error in his story telling has been revealed. Yet we have studied that memory can be drastically changed by time, emotions, personal experience etc. The article 'A Thousand Little Lies' makes his story seem drastically false. Regardless of this I believe it is his life and how he perceived it. He could have even been writing from his own point of view, how he regarded himself at that time. Maybe he thought he deserved to go to prison, maybe he desired so strongly to rebel that he convinced himself it actually happened, or deserved to have happened? No matter the case, his novel is about his life and it has captured thousands in the pages and even changed peoples lives. A story of hope for addicts, alcoholics and criminals. A story of triumph against all odds.
The crazy bride clip on youtube doesn't apply to the category of a white lie, in my opinion. The whole film is a fake, but maybe it could be a white lie because it was made to entertain? I'm not sure how this video fits into the category or how it can be vouched for, other than the fact that it is entertainment.
In conclusion, I think white lies are absolutely acceptable in these cases. Whether you change your identity because you truly believe you are living where you belong. Or if you're writing about your own life and you twist stories or over exaggerate for the sake of a successful story. Whose place is it anyways to investigate your story and tell you you're a liar? That's just a bit rude if I say so myself.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The whole truth and nothing but the truth...I don't think so
I think that memoir’s should tell the truth but not always 100 percent. I mean this in the way that, I don’t believe that someone writing a book that begins in their childhood, thirty years earlier, is going to remember every piece of information and detail about the situation, which they write in their memoir. So some points are going to be factual and some are not. There is no way you can recall every detail about the experience you are writing about, unless maybe it had some profound meaning in your life, where you would remember it exactly. I think that memoirs should be at least 90 percent real, only because it leaves that 10 percent open for error or for imagining how you think you remember something.
Although John Glassco lied about his memoirs, it seemed as though the only way for him to deal with some of his issues was to write a book and call it his memoir. He probably shouldn’t included famous poets and authors that he didn’t actually meet. Would it have been as interesting if it had not been called a memoir? In a way it would seem as though he deceived his readers and made them believe this happened. Only when they found out it was a lie they were upset. I wonder if they still felt the same way about the book after? If only a quarter of the book was un-true then it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
As for Lonelygirl15, I thought it was boring and I wouldn’t have considered watching it if I didn’t have to. If Mesh Flinders, the co creator, didn’t make any money off it then who cares. He lost out because he went and bought all the stuff from Target to change the appearance of his room. And he gave YouTube the million or so hits every time this aired. In my opinion it was not worth the controversy.
If it's not true...it's not a memoir!
I understood a memoir to be a recounting of someone's life experiences. The author is writing from an autobiographical perspective and incorporating their feelings, emotions and observations. Should the recounting of a certain event included in a memoir not be factual, then essentially it is not a memoir, it would be a fictional story based on true events. I also believe that a memoir should definitely be factual. It is a collection of memories and intimate experiences and therefore should be as honest as possible or it essentially is not a memoir.
In reference to the Glassco passage, it is apparent that once people find out that the memoir, or recount of a life experience, is not true they are angry and dissapointed. The anger is not because they were hoping the story was true but rather the anger is a result of feeling as though they were lied to. It is almost insulting to pass off a story as being true and then at the end after all emotions, sympathy's and many other possible emotions are evoked they become insignificant. People can express emotions toward fiction but the emotions that are expressed when something is believed to be truthful is different. Therefore, when you realize that the emotions evoked for something believed to be true is not true, it can be insulting. The reader is made to feel vulnerable and as though they have been taken advantage of. It is not a good feeling. Therefore, in the case of Glassco, telling a lie did make people angry because no one enjoys being lied to when they believe it is real.
In reference to LonelyGirl15, I think it's disgusting. I was thoroughly preturbed by the entire concept that I don't even believe it is even close to being considered a memoir. Despite the recounting of personal experiences and emotions it is staged, made up and not even close to being based on real life events. I think it's also disturbing for a 30 year old man to be writing scripts for a 15 year old girl. I wouldn't even consider this to be a vlogging diary, it's a poor excuse for a new idea.
In the end, I don't believe a memoir should be falsified or embellished. I believe it should be an accurate account of a personal experience from an intimate perspective. If not, write a fictional short story!
In reference to the Glassco passage, it is apparent that once people find out that the memoir, or recount of a life experience, is not true they are angry and dissapointed. The anger is not because they were hoping the story was true but rather the anger is a result of feeling as though they were lied to. It is almost insulting to pass off a story as being true and then at the end after all emotions, sympathy's and many other possible emotions are evoked they become insignificant. People can express emotions toward fiction but the emotions that are expressed when something is believed to be truthful is different. Therefore, when you realize that the emotions evoked for something believed to be true is not true, it can be insulting. The reader is made to feel vulnerable and as though they have been taken advantage of. It is not a good feeling. Therefore, in the case of Glassco, telling a lie did make people angry because no one enjoys being lied to when they believe it is real.
In reference to LonelyGirl15, I think it's disgusting. I was thoroughly preturbed by the entire concept that I don't even believe it is even close to being considered a memoir. Despite the recounting of personal experiences and emotions it is staged, made up and not even close to being based on real life events. I think it's also disturbing for a 30 year old man to be writing scripts for a 15 year old girl. I wouldn't even consider this to be a vlogging diary, it's a poor excuse for a new idea.
In the end, I don't believe a memoir should be falsified or embellished. I believe it should be an accurate account of a personal experience from an intimate perspective. If not, write a fictional short story!
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