The curse of the selfie

dixiefly

Or more accurately the idiot that broke a 126 year old statue in an effort to take one.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/tourist-climbs-and-smashes-126-year-old-statue-while-taking-a-selfie-a7022016.html

Gather round, children.

Let us recall a time in which there existed things called museums; great monuments filled with treasures, ancient artefacts, spectacles of paint and stone. That was all in a time before, believe or not, the selfie was invented; before each and every piece of art was systematically destroyed and turned to dust by the vanity of mankind.

Truly, the selfie has become both ally and enemy to the art world; embraced by some as a new form of expression, while also posing a genuine threat to the preservation of existing works.

Reuters reports an unidentified tourist outside the Rossio railway station in Lisbon has accidentally toppled the 126-year-old statue of a Portuguese king; which crashed to the ground and shattered when he attempted to climb its pedestal to take a selfie.

Though he attempted to flee the scene, he was caught by police and will appear before a judge at a later date.

The child-sized statue, completed in 1890, depicted the tragic figure of Dom Sebastiao; who died in battle in 1578, at the age of 24, when he waged a crusade against Morocco. His body was never identified, spawning an old legend that he would one day return to claim his throne and save Portugal from an age of turmoil.

Though whether he'd have the power to defeat the selfie stick is another matter.

Sonics2k

Pretty sure a self-portrait is just a selfie that takes a bit longer.

kfallon

The selfie has been around since photos were invented, just back in the day you had to get someone else to take your 'selfie' for you!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

What I find alarming is people who put themselves in harms way to take a selfie. If you look up the amount of people who've died taking selfies, it's mad.

Duggy747

I remember this old picture did the rounds and everyone had a jolly good laugh at her.

Junkyard Tom

I like to post selfies of myself, on social media, doing interesting things to give the impression that I'm an outgoing adventure-lover instead of a regular person plagued by insecurities and inner turmoil.

StupidLikeAFox

dixiefly wrote: »

Let us recall a time in which there existed things called museums; great monuments filled with treasures, ancient artefacts, spectacles of paint and stone. That was all in a time before, believe or not, the selfie was invented; before each and every piece of art was systematically destroyed and turned to dust by the vanity of mankind.
Though he attempted to flee the scene, he was caught by police and will appear before a judge at a later date.

Ah here

_Kaiser_

LexieOnRale wrote: »

What I find alarming is people who put themselves in harms way to take a selfie. If you look up the amount of people who've died taking selfies, it's mad.

That's just Darwinism at work. More idiocy from the attention/validation-seeking generation.

(I sound really old saying that - I'm 40! - but I have no time whatsoever for this sorta crap)

riclad

Every month theres a person who dies talking a selfie,
they fall off a cliff or a bridge or a high building somewhere in the world .
It seems you need a pic of every social event or occasion otherwise it
may as well not exist .
Its darwins law stupid people do stupid things which lead to deadly accidents .
Privacy is nearly gone,
eg any pub or club or party you go to people take pictures on phones .
Without asking permission .
Are people more self obsessed or is it just that everyone has a smartphone,
before digital camera,s you had to go to a shop to get photos
printed out and it cost money .

I don't mind selfies, preferably depicting an achievement or milestone rather than a "oooooooooooooo, my new dress" vacuous inane effort.

If a person took a pic outside the Louvre or wherever and put it on Facebook, I don't think that's too vain or objectionable.

Clearly putting their selfie before the art, now that's unforgiveably thick.

whiskeyman

dixiefly wrote: »

spectacles of paint and stone.

Sure many of those were 'selfies' from a bygone era.

We'll probably have a 'selfie museum' in the future where some dude will get arrested for trying to whip up a quick sculpture of himself...

The King of Moo

Selfies themselves don't necessarily annoy me, but for some reason I hate to see people taking selfies in public when there are people around that they can ask to take the picture for them. The picture will look better.

I don't think selfies are making people more narcissistic: I think people have always been so, and the selfie just gives them another outlet for that. An outlet that sometimes gets them killed or causes statues to be destroyed.

And there are other people who are just doing it because it's fashionable. If the trend were to go out of your way to find someone to take a photo of you, they'd do that: they're just following the crowd.

I do think the idea of buying a selfie stick is ludicrous though. A selfie should be something spontaneous done on the spur of the moment, where you quickly turn the camera round to capture the moment. Going to time and expense and effort to get something to take selfies with seems ridiculous.

cowboyBuilder

Depressing generation, from idiots taking selfies to even bigger idiots taking pics of their food.

f*ck off!!

KERSPLAT!

This lad got a little too close when trying to take a selfie... so funny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy8Yt-P614w

Samaris

I liked the first comment on that article: "Perhaps his punishment should be to have to take the statue's place, dressed in plate armour, until the original's repaired. Might get a bit warm, though."

Also GOOD GODS on that clip. He's lucky he didn't get his daft head clipped right off!

Badly Drunk Boy

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

This lad got a little too close when trying to take a selfie... so funny

KERSPLAT! (Sort of...)

maudgonner

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

This lad got a little too close when trying to take a selfie... so funny

What he says is so perfect: "Wow that guy kicked me in the head. I think I got it on film!"

Muppetry of the highest order. It's just sad he's ineligible for the Darwin Awards.

stoplooklisten

You'd think they'd have some sort of cement glue to keep the statue more secure

I'm off to drag a swan from a river for a selfie

Ruu

Pummeled with a selfie stick until dead.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Thank god the moron was apprehended.

I hope the Portuguese authorities make an example out of him. Stupid bastard.

PTH2009

Hate selfies and annoyed by the people who take them.

I'm going to Bryan Adams tonight and can't wait for him to take a selfie on stage with the crowd in the background

osarusan

maudgonner wrote: »

What he says is so perfect: "Wow that guy kicked me in the head. I think I got it on film!"

Muppetry of the highest order. It's just sad he's ineligible for the Darwin Awards.

He could have made up to $250,000 from advertising after the clip went viral.

Muppet...I think not...although...yes, he is.

JupiterKid

I must admit that I have taken selfish for Facebook but I don't have a "selfie stick". I think it's ok to take a selfie every now and then to update your profile pic, but taking selfie a every week seems pretty vain.