Mirror Platform 434

“Shut it down; all of it”

FlikPop
was a category 5 mirror platform
codenamed “434” by the aware

the ones in power, obviously
felt threatened
they looked into it
briefly, without looking
and got scared
but, thankfully
to observe a reflection
one has to perceive what’s there

although, it took time
the people
laid bare the implications
of what its shapeshifting, multi-arrayed surface
could share

some saw, coordinated
enchanted dancing scenes
make space
for others: hot takes, cat memes on skates
spice
dashed, and rubbed on steak
quick-cut
now come, get ready with me
eyeliner trace over
“Let them eat flakes”
in just fifteen seconds between breaks
the boycott works, allegedly

a resonant voice, somewhere
out there in the ether
far-seeing
and open to new things
a bright blue first-person perspective
who knew, I can get behind the camera and sing!

look, I’m not crazy!
do you see what I see?
to reach out
and take in new information
outside the propaganda machines
you and I swap places, instantly
empathy across space and time
the World: yours and mine
collapses, and now I see

There has been much talk of the TikTok ban, and what it might mean. I don’t think it will happen, and if it does (stupidly), the world will adapt as it always does. The cat is out of the bag, as they say.

While writing this, and thinking about TikTok’s role in my life, I was reminded of The Simpsons. Often, I see Abe Simpson “OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD” but, no, today it was Hans Moleman Productions: Man Getting Hit by Football.

What started as a way for us to share funny moments: cats jumping in boxes, synchronized dances, and make-up tutorials, has evolved. The get ready with me videos talk about news we don’t see on TV, eyes opening wider as the creator unpacks real issues in their morning routine. The platform adapts to show us what we resonate with, “for entertainment purposes only” but increasingly, it’s evolved to be something more meaningful to me.

We see first-person documentaries of wars and genocides unfolding around the world, with real connection to the person behind the camera. The middle-man filtering, and sterile, biased headlines like “bodies found under rubble” (did they appear there?) are showing us how tragically uninformed we are by state media & propaganda.

We are relying on the platform that started as a meme-space to be the communal third space we’ve been missing to connect and learn from each other. As we realize how much our politicians are bought and paid for by special interests (and how lazy their reasoning) it’s clear why they want to restrict our ability to see across the world in an instant, and form relationships with new perspectives. It threatens their narrative that we are surrounded by enemies and scary Others that lack humanity. The more we see what we have in common, the better off we all will be.

So, while this “isn’t America’s funniest home videos” let’s all remember Homer’s “Football in the Groin had Football in the Groin” and ask what else it’s showing us along the way. It works on so many levels…