Drama-turgy

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”
Shakespeare, As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

“All the world’s indeed a stage,
And we are merely players,
Performers and portrayers.
Each another’s audience
Outside the gilded cage.”
Rush, “Limelight”

“Life’s a show,
And we all play our parts,
And when the music starts,
We open up our hearts.”
Sarah Michelle Geller, as Buffy, in “Buffy the Musical”

Why does fashion matter in Second Life? It's a virtual world, after all. It's not real. What should we care if our little avatar looks good? It's interesting that even though we can create an entirely different world in Second Life, we simply re-create and reify our own reality. We care what others think of us. We want to look good, be popular, find love, and have fun in SL just like in RL. Oh...if only....

We try to manage others' impressions of us by engaging in this virtual social performance. We go to our sky boxes or hidden bubbles and prepare backstage for this performance. We go through our inventories looking for the perfect outfit, the perfect hair, the perfect skin. All in an attempt to make others see us the way we want them to see us. Once we're ready, we make our entrance. We are the performer, and all the others that surround us are our audience, who are, in turn, managing their own performances for our benefit. We even use props - accessories, furniture, and decor. Our identity is constantly changing for the benefit of our performance.

Embarrassment results when our performance doesn't meet expectations. When we realize that something is wrong. "Oops! I forgot my underwear and I'm wearing a mini-skirt" or "Yikes! Where's my hair?"

(Really, I did that on purpose! I would never be seen in Zindra without my hair!) See! Impression management.

And if we're naked in public, it had better be in an appropriate place. Or, maybe just for the sake of art.

I've gotta go. It's time to strut and fret my hour upon the stage. Next blog...the significance of nothing.

Credits:
Pictures 1 & 2
Outfit: Pixeldolls - Jewel Dress in Rasberry
Skin - Lara Skin - Rachel Pale
Hair - Starmilly Voom - Hair Black
Shoes - 50 Flats - jeweled flats
Location - Fotoscope

Picture 3
Outfit - Another World - Sisters Of Mercy tank dress
Skin - Redgrave 15 Pale Skin - Vivian smoky2
Hair - Starmilly Voom - Hair Black
Tattoo - Moloko Stardust Tattoo
Location - Zindra's Kama City

Picture 4
Skin - Lara Skin - Rachel Pale
Hair - KS Creations - Annah Black
Location - Art Box (recreation of "Christine Keeler" by Lewis Morley)

Dramaturgy is a sociological theory of social interaction originally developed by Ervin Goffman in his book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.