Monday 30 April 2007

Get A (Second) Life

I was out in the world of the grown-ups this weekend. H and I went to a friend’s house for a lovely meal, with excellent wines. I didn’t drink too much – well, at least I was still able to stand unaided by the time we left.

Half way through the evening, the conversation turned to the subject of Second Life, and the whole idea of synthetic worlds. It took me a while to realise that synthetic worlds had nothing to do with crackly bri-nylon sheets. I am familiar with Animal Crossing because the kids play it. They talk casually to each other about “working for Tom Nook to pay off the mortgage” (I now know that Tom Nook is a raccoon, not a pimp, which was my initial hysterical response). Like the fossil that I am, I knew very little about Second Life, and in all honesty, I wasn’t that interested. Then someone mentioned in passing that your avatar could buy its own genitalia. From that point on, I was intrigued and appalled in equal measures. How would you go about such a transaction? Where would you go to buy them? Would you get to try them on? Would they stock the men’s in any size other than Large, Extra Large and Ewan McGregor? I was fascinated, embarrassingly so, and kept returning to the subject, long after the conversation had moved on.

According to my friend (who was suspiciously knowledgeable on the subject) everyone in Second Life is young, good-looking, with well-honed bodies and perfect teeth. I think it would be tempting to go there just to create a fat, ugly, middle-aged avatar that could spoil the party for the Beautiful People.

We are out again tonight (gasp!). I know it’s a Monday night, but, hey! Sometimes you’ve just got to throw caution to the wind! It’s another Wine Dinner, and this time all the wines are from the Lebanon – should be interesting. Apparently there is some food too.

H has already requested that I “leave the genitalia out of it” tonight, but I’m not sure whether that’s because he thinks such subjects are not suitable for public discussion, or whether he’s just embarrassed that I had never heard of Second Life before.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are not alone.
I've never heard of Second Life either, but then I do live in the south west. I'll check it out. Sounds fascinating in a vicarious kind of a way.
Great for people - like me - who don't get out much.

dulwichmum said...

Somebody at work recently let me see a picture of her Second Life Avatar, it made Lara Croft look like a hag. Suffice it to say that the image my colleague has in 'Second Life' is wishful thinking! Girls who look like that avatar in real life are not socialising on the internet, they are walking down Bond Street followed by men carrying their shopping.

OK, here I am socialising on the internet - I look a right state in real life, but I am physically perfect here in cyberspace...

Stevo said...

I thought I was low until I read DM's comment. Now close to tears. You see, I'm not even perfect in Cyberspace. I'm a cripple. I think some remodelling is in order and my genitalia are top of the list, ripe for change; Ewan MacGregor, pah! Trevor MacDonald, more like.

What is Second Life anyway...sounds like a long distant memory to me.

By the way, Lebanese wine is very good and should get you very drunk, Mummy.

Stevo

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

People who play Second Life now are like the people who obsessively played Dungeons and Dragons when I was youngre. Nuff said...

Anonymous said...

Second Life? I can't get my head round this one!

Drunk Mummy said...

beta mum - it does appear to offer a rather appealing form of escapism!

Dulwich Mum - you are so right about the girls on Bond Street! Do you suppose anybody blogs on Second Life?

stevo - get the genitalia big enough, and you will only need one crutch when you are recovering. Btw you were right about the Lebanese wine.

M&M - I think you are right - apparently 90% of Second Life users make only a few visits (presumably to show off their newly-purchased genitalia) and then don't bother again.

Nunhead Mum Of One - I'm with you on that!

rilly super said...

drunkmummy, your knowledge of Ewan Mcgregor's manhood suggests there is a 'director's cut' of 'Miss Potter' which is yet to make it to the shelves of my local video shop. It is such a cultural backwater here but you have certainly given me something to look forward to dear!

Drunk Mummy said...

Absolutely Rilly - its the scene where Beatrix re-enacts the Tale Of Peter Rabbit, and gets her hands on Mr McGregor's cucumber.

Omega Mum said...

I am struggling to get to grips with one life but am dying to hear how you all get on as avatars with a second. I just want a computer game that gives me a director's cut of my years to date. There's be changes, believe me.

debio said...

I have never heard of Second Life - all sorts of things came into my mind before I continued reading - not least that you were attending a Buddhist convention.
Didn't realise we could all sell our souls on cyberspace - but perhaps we could order a new one instead?
Lebanese wine - I think it might be smooth and charming with a dash of sleaze, and a stab in the back when you're looking the other way. (Whoops!)

Lucy Diamond said...

Hello, I have stumbled on your fab blog and am very pleased to have done so! I will definitely be looking out for that Beatrix Potter Director's Cut now, although I heard it was a marrow, not a cucumber, to be honest...

So, I've got to ask...did you managed to leave out the genitalia last night, then, or what?

Maddy said...

Given the choice between a second life out for an evening with wine, or a Second Life, I think I'd plump for the former.
Have a great time [jealous]
Cheers

Anonymous said...

Cucumber? MArrow? Hmm!

After that dreadful Star War Episode 1, 1.5, 2 fiasco I shall be looking at Ewan McGregor with renewed respect (ho ho ho!!).

Drunk Mummy said...

Omega Mum - I could do with cutting a few scenes from my own life too. Especially the ones that involved tequila.

Debio - it appears you can sell anything in cyberspace - souls, grandmothers, and genitalia (you see, I told you I couldn't leave it alone).

Hello Lucy Diamond!
Thank you for your kind comments, and I stand corrected about the marrow!
Of course I wasn't able to leave out the genitalia discussion - I just had to do it out of earshot of H.

Hello mcewen!
Thankyou, I did have a good time, but I love my evenings in with wine too. I don't have to wait for someone else to fill my glass when I'm at home.

spymum - and when you see Ewan in "Moulin Rouge" you won't be able to stop imagining him doing cartwheels naked.