Over the next week or so of playing the game, I would see my rising star - Naya - fly through all manner of status lists and social circles - whipping off my virtual clothes and trampling all over my virtual dignity and real-life morals in the pursuit of fame and fortune. But all of this virtual success was to come at the expense of my own life. I found myself so immersed in the game that I was only ever half-present in reality, half-heartedly, but not really, listening to any real-life conversations that I was supposedly involved in. It wasn't long before I was sneaking off at family gatherings to sit by my charging iPhone in order to get five stars on my photoshoot before time ran out, or prematurely ending disagreements with my partner to snuggle up and check on Naya and my Hollywood lifestyle before bedtime. Safe to say, I had become the number one, the most official...the sad bastard.
But, it didn't stop there..and I fear that it won't stop...Not until Naya is THE number one celebrity. Currently, I'm number nine with 40.8 million fans. Unfortunately, in reality...I'm not Naya, I'm probably, pretty much, totally Z-list and I have approximately five fans: my boyfriend, my parents, my bestfriend and my dog - all of which are probably becoming largely disinterested in me and my shifty behaviour as of late.
If anything good has come from the game, it's really got my brain ticking. When you reallllly think about it...The game touches on some interesting life points (ps. this is the part of the post where I attempt to justify my addiction by claim of meaningful insight):
1. How far will you really go to achieve your dreams...and how far is too far? In other words, is stripping naked for a quick buck and a few likes the be all and end all of life? Scrolling down my Instagram feed, one would think not. The question is: is the game really warning against it, or merely encouraging such behaviour as a means to an end...a small sacrifice for a gain? What worries me greatly is that my ten year old niece is currently playing this game and I realllllllly don't want her to start believing that the latter is an acceptable means of gain or achievement - a means of achievement, come to think of it, so cleverly linked to Kim's own rise to fame.
2. If we really put as much time into our own life goals as we do sat on meaningless (albeit highly addictive) games and chatting shit on social media, we could really get things done around here. So, this is my new daily life goal...starting riiiiiiight after I become the number one celeb.
3. As regards to the dating aspect, expect to be hooked up with the most arrogant of males that are more than certainly going to remind you of that ex that you finally ditched after your senses were reawakened. Almost every male that you date in this game is going to break the number one rule and tell you that the £4500 designer leather jacket and colour block dress combo that you just purchased shows that 1. you have no sense of style and 2. you're really not putting in enough effort to impress. Fuh real? And just to add some real salt to the wounds, this asshole is in Topman jeans and a Primark t-shirt. This all comes before the date even begins...After which point, you are expected to waste all of your energy - and money - to improve your "relationship" with this douche.
I have to admit, this really reminded me of one of my own exes who claimed that jeans and a tee were "not enough effort" to sit on his sofa all day and watch a film. Excuse me, sorry? Had I known Harry Potter marathons were such a high-profile, haute couture event, I would have contacted my stylist sooner. Needless to say, I showed up in my (dressing) gown after that - Winnie the Pooh and everyyyythang...I don't mess around.
Every single man that my character dated in the game continuously left her feeling inferior and filled with low self-esteem. The attempts of these arrogant, controlling (and due to their inability to pay for anything: evidently broke) partners to dress and mould my character into someone more of their liking merely highlighted the realities of the media and the society which we live in. And, I'm so sorry to say it but...I couldn't help thinking of that KUWTK episode (yes, I actually watched it...pitiful, I know...) in which Kanye has Kim throwing out all of her clothes (which I'm still waiting for to find their way into my wardrobe to be honest) in favour of clothes of his choosing. I'm sorry, WHAT!? Since then, it's safe to say, Kanye has worked wonders, he really is a transformer - a true miracle worker: we've seen Kim dressed as a sea lion, Henry the Eighth and...the all time favourite: great grandma's freshly upholstered floral sofa. Moral of the story: please stay true to yourself, you are not a sofa.
Basically, I totally rambled on here, but the main point was that I just wanted to put out a word of warning, because I don't feel as though the true price of this "free" game was made clear at the point of download: this game will lure you in and then devour your soul, and your social life. You will undoubtedly ignore your real-life partner in favour of their virtual, asshole counterpart, and you will no doubt play continuously and consistently until you become THE number one celeb. You have been warned.
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