That oughta hold the little bastards dept.

Too much reality creates unreality. Ubiquitous surveillance, via smart phones and YouTube — all the Little Brothers out there. Used to be, only the rich and famous had to fake their faces for TV. Romney said he was “brainwashed” in Vietnam. End of Presidential bid. Muskie cried. End of his bid. The unforgiving camera saw all — but ignored context. Ordinary slobs didn’t have to worry about it. Even low-level media types. Who's watching them? Even if they are, who remembers?

Now, the ordinary slobs are watching each other — and every gaffe is recorded. Forever. Some newsman says “Let’s get the !@!# out of here.” It goes viral, and he goes looking for another job.

So, when in doubt, act like a politician. Censor, suck it back, don’t say what you’re thinking, stick to the bullet points, and above all never be real.

While you’re at it …

Smile for the camera.