For the people who just do not like the life that they have ended up with, there is now another way out. They can join the 20 million people who have become ‘Second Lifer’s’ and create their own avatar in a cyber make-believe world where they can be anything/body they want. Jason Spingarn-Koff’s morbidly curious documentary follows an add assortment of people like a vastly over weight African-American pajama clad 30+ year old woman who chain smokes in front of computer in the basement of her parents home up to 20 hours a day sometimes earning a six figure amount by somehow selling the clothing mansions she creates on line. (I’m thinking it’s sort of like the Emperors New Clothes). Then there is a very (suspect) 30 year- old man who is masquerading as an 11 year old girl, something his fiancé (and we the viewers) fail to understand and appreciate. And that’s not to mention the middle-aged couple who’s avatars fall in love in cyber space and so they try the impossible task of replicating that in the real world.
I guess the concept of being able to have a momentary escape from one’s daily humdrum existence is an attractive thing but when it obviously becomes the compulsive obsession like all the characters portrayed here, its actually very scary. After my initial curiosity wore off, I sat staring fixated at the screen in total disbelief. Whatever one may think of the concept of ‘Second Life’ if this is the reality, it can only all end in tears. Be a voyeur though and watch the movie even though it may creep you out.
★★★★★★
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