Buzzin' at MySpace

Jebus, I hate MySpace.

Yes, I do have a damn MySpace account , mostly because a year or so ago, writers everywhere got the word that they just had to have one to help promote their book(s). And so now we're all over there, yelling and screaming and jumping up and down like spoiled children, with not a genuine desire for true friends among us -- all everybody seems to want is eyeballs on their books. It's the nature of our world today that we must grasp at every available outlet to get any attention whatsoever for our creative efforts. But that doesn't make it any less sad.

But I'm not here to rant. Quite the contrary today! Every few days, I check my MySpace account to see if anybody wants to be my "friend." They are always requests from one of the following:

- writers who want to promote their books or writing in general
- musicians who see I've put Keane in my list and think I'll like their band, too
- sellers of sex-related items
- general lunatics who like to pontificate and desperately need an audience for their daily diatribes

I approve almost everyone. Maybe I feel like someday I can use them like they're using me. Bad karma all around, eh?

Anyway, today I got a "friend" request from the manufacturer of a product that I think is pretty damn cool. It's called iBuzz Two. It plugs into an iPod -- so it immediately has my attention! -- and is a music-activated sex toy. Music and sex. In the same toy. Wow. And its for couples as well as singles.

Now this is a momentous occasion because it marks the first time anybody has contacted me via MySpace with anything I give a shit about. And look what's happened -- I'm now spreading the word about this item.

So maybe there's something to this MySpace business, after all. I guess the trick is to hawk something interesting instead of "you should read my book because my friends say it's fantastic and why would they lie?" or "Look at me! I won an award given by an unknown group for a really lame reason!"