Friday, February 8, 2008

What's In a Name?

When I find myself locked in a egotistical mind frame, I often Look at life as a quest for immortality. As an average student, of average intelligence, living an average life with no real distinguishable qualities setting me apart from the rest of the heard, doomed to be forgotten at the moment of my absence, I take comfort in knowing that the average man can overcome the odds on his journey to stardom. Perhaps the Sean Turner I think I know is just Sean Turner the Hollywood visual effects coordinator, or Sean Turner the Georgian republican, or Sean Turner of “Sean Turner Music”, thrown into the spotlight by some asshole too lazy to write the extra letter required for a Chuck Norris joke. I choose to believe otherwise. I believe Sean Turner was once your plane Jane, one in the same, John Doe Joe Blow. An average McGill student, just like myself, walking along the path of mediocrity with his sails set for a slow, painful, meaningless demise. Yet now he is famous for being average; Sean Turner is part of the 83% of Americans who don’t stretch before they exercise. Sean Turner is on a diet. Sean Turner might be gay. And as of recently, Sean Turner is watching Rambo. Sure he pees sitting down, but being average implies imperfection by definition. Sean Turner took matters into his own hands and created a legend that will live far longer then his mortal soul. Is it in this fashion that I dream of finding my own (dessert)ticket to immortality? Maybe not. But as it stands, this world knows a lot more about Sean Turner then they do of Terry Collier.

Z

4 comments:

Bernice said...

this is interesting
the fact mcgill has this ridiculous character who has a life of his own.
but
facebook is crazy and has told me who he was.
he works in the cafeteria, and an insane amount of mcgillians know his name, but not him. yet, i wouldnt call that fame. id argue its more infamy, as if sean turner went around claiming that he was actually sean turner, nobody would believe him. i think most mcgillians assume (and prefer) that he didnt exist. i wonder what HE thinks about it
i wonder if he knows, i wonder what he thinks.
http://www.overheardatmcgill.com/archives/2007/04/10/sean-turner-secretly-runs-overheardatmcgill/

I Can't Give You Anything but Love said...

In my view, the coolest thing about the Sean Turner movement is that anyone CAN write one but only certain people do. Bernice is right; nobody knows who he is, but his name is a ticket to free expression under the umbrella of the meme-cult which surrounds him. It's not the anonymity that matters; any bathroom scribble is anonymous unless you sign it. But the legitimacy which the code words "Sean Turner" afford their incontinent author is invaluable. Thus the set of all Sean Turner comments is a valuable cross section of those who write on bathroom walls AND want to be part of something bigger to justify that activity and elevate it to something more than idle graffiti.

Sure, a lot of the comments are just stale, rehashed Chuck Norris jokes. But some display creativity, sensitivity, even vulnerability. The Sean Turner I'm interested in is the one who pees sitting down, cries at tax season, gives head for bus fare and then walks home, can't stand celebrity and thus asks for a little privacy (source: the FB group "Sean Turner plays Toilette [sic] Tennis"). This is the soft side of Sean Turner, the Sean Turner who is not Sean Turner at all but a persona; far from a cheap McGill-rebranded Chuck Norris, this Sean Turner is an emblem for all those too shy and too pitiable to express their anguish in their own names as they crap.

Unknown said...

I'd like to thank you all for noticing my group. I actually do not go to Mcgill, but my sister did.
I just went there to study with her. I went to Dawson see, and even what I started, the legacy is spreading there... it's interesting how all of this turned into a snow ball effect.
I invite you to my group, and express your opinions there, many ppl don't appreciate what we as a whole created, this persona of sean turner, who does in fact exist. I especially love the art work i created for the group, i mean a guy playing tennis on the toilette lol! that's classic :)

http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=36071106881#/group.php?gid=2219947253

I Can't Give You Anything but Love said...

Whoa.