PAJim Carrey has dropped some pearls of wisdom about taking selfies with fans, and his words will resonate with anyone who is a bit tired of being part of the selfie generation.
While being interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter alongside various other comedy legends, the 57-year-old actor reflected on what it was like to have no anonymity, joking ‘even my dog makes a big deal [out] of me’.
His characteristically surreal remark sparked laughter among the other interviewees, a glittering group which included the likes of Ted Danson, Don Cheadle and Sacha Baron Cohen. However, Carrey had a far more serious point to make.
GettyMusing on the falseness of celebrity selfies (which he believes ‘stop life’), Carrey admitted he would much rather have a chat with someone than just end up as an image on a fan’s Instagram.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Carrey said:
But I dropped the whole trying to be something for somebody a long time ago. I don’t feel there is a pressing responsibility to please everyone.
I’m not unkind to people, but I would much prefer saying hello and who are you and what are you doing today to giving a selfie.
Because selfies stop life. You go (contorts his face), “Eeehh.” And then it’s going on Instagram to give people a false sense of relevance. Everybody was so gaga about Steve Jobs, but I picture him in hell running from demons who want a selfie.
Carrey likened being in the public eye to ‘walking on the moon’, noting:
You can want to walk on the moon all you want, but then you get up there and there’s no gravity. You can’t live there.
GettyA 2015 study from Now Sourcing and Frames Direct found the average millenial will spend an hour each week perfecting their selfies. This time encompassed taking the photo itself, as well as retakes and edits.
Millennials were found to take around nine selfies each week, spending seven minutes on each pic. With the average human lifespan being 27,375 days, your average millennial will snap 25,700 selfies during their lifetime.
I’ve always loved taking photographs, even when you had to take your disposable camera to Boots to get your blurry, red-eyed holiday pics developed.
Selfies can be very precious, and can help to remind you of exciting or special times. However, they often do detract from the moment, and can take away from potentially meaningful interactions.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.