Actually, tell me 25 more things, would you?

So, I’m sure if you’re on Facebook, you’ve either read or filled out that “25 Things About Me” chain letter thing that’s going around, and if you haven’t, please let me encourage you.  I think that particular meme is one of the most fascinating things ever—I read every single one, and constantly find myself going “wow—I had no idea!” or laughing over some new revelation about a person that I’ve maybe known for half my life or more.  I even read the ones from people I don't know that well, in the hope that maybe I can find out something totally interesting about them that will make me want to know them better, you know?

Here’s one thing I don’t get, though—why is the media so down on this phenomenon?  The New York Times did this piece about it, which I guess is par for the course considering they're the New York Times and have to be snooty about anything that reaches pop culture status, but they’re definitely taking a more “this is wasting time” angle.  THEN I got this Time Magazine article, “25 things I don’t care about,” forwarded from a friend, and I was just totally blown away.  I don’t think I’ve ever disagreed more with an article, and while usually I’m impressed that someone has pulled it together enough to write for a big-name publication like Time Magazine, at the end of this I actually found myself wanting to write this person an email and ask them—“If this doesn’t fascinate you, then why did you become a writer?”  The list that she pulled together of supposedly trivial things she doesn't care about?  Hilarious!  Brilliant!  A "best in show" collection of funny stuff from that game. 

I mean, come ON– #5, "I am addicted to the ass-slapping dance move.  Sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it."  So funny, so honest, so personal–  one of the most hilarious things I read all day, and this was her example of things she doesn't care about?  Seriously?

I guess I understand her point about losing valuable work time filling out these types of surveys, but is this really a problem?  How does she know people are doing this during work time?  Plenty of people I know that have jobs only do Facebook at night, and this particular meme actually had me thinking of things and writing them down at all hours as I remembered them, so I’m at least one example of a person who didn’t do theirs during “regular business hours.”

I’m totally serious—I don’t get why journalists are hating on this meme so much.  I would like to issue a blanket rule—if the “25 things” meme doesn’t intrigue and fascinate you, then you should stop being a writer.  Writers, no matter what they write, explore the depths of the human psyche.  Writers are, by their very natures, curious about the intricacies and quirks of human beings.  If you are an accountant and you find these lists mundane, fine.  If you’re a writer and you can’t stand intimate, private details of people’s lives, I think you seriously need to consider a career change. 

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