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Early on the morning of the 17th a man was shot “A couple metres down there… Outside one of the strip clubs.” in the Kings Cross suburb of Sydney. The victim is stable but the crime has been labeled and attempted murder and police are investigating. Witnesses report the shooting happened after a brief verbal exchange and the weapon was not only a “glock 9″ but it was also “awesome”. News reporters were on the scene doing a story with their usual haste but it was channel nine news who really struck gold.

Seen first in the video above is Clare. This drunken lady and her friend were witnesses to she was interviewed by Channel 9’s reporter. Her responce – a pollitically incorrect narrative, complete with accents, sound effects and reenactments has rocketed Clare to a new found glory in the world of the internet. The full story of the crime and of Clare’s fame can be found here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/814694/man-shot-twice-in-leg-in-inner-sydney

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/815911/shooting-witness-becomes-internet-celebrity

So the question is, how exactly has this happened? How has this vicious crime against another human being been over-shadowed by one very entertaining girl who spoke politely between giving her accounts of the crime? Well it doesn’t take the amazing sluething powers of Sherlock Holmes to draw a simple conclusion from internet communites: We, as a race, are extremely bored. Websites, notably the image board 4chan, constantly produces new “memes” and catch-phrases on what seems like a monthly basis. Their entertainment value is increasingly short lived but with the help of forums like gaiaonline and other websites such as YTMND these memes spread like wild fire in their short life.

Humanity is quite clearly going insane with boredom of the world and so we are always looking for something to pick up our spirits and give us a hearty laugh. This comes in the way of fads that saturate the internet in well known forms. Clare has, in less than a week, spawned printed T-Shirts with her story, mugs, mouse pads and innumerable other merchandise. She has also been immortalised in fake Motivational Posters (My personal favourite form of internet fun), video remixes, Facebook groups and I’m quite sure there are people doing things I can’t even imagine to spready the fun that Clare has unintentionally given us.

Another contributing factor is most likely the news media itself. The shooting had only just happened and the news media was on the scene. This is nothing new because the news media is always waiting anxiously for the next tragedy so they have somewhere to point their cameras and something new to force down our throat nightly. It’s sensationlist, it’s repetitive and people are getting wise to their act. There’s only so much rape, murder, assult and arson we can see before we just stop caring. Every night we’re exposed to the same disasters and now we don’t even blink.

But Clare is new. Clare is different. Clare is sweet and innocent and so so adorably, drunkenly hilarious! We’re far more interested in a week worth of laughs than in another ethnic man getting shot in the seedy parts of the city.

So the question this poses it: Is this okay? Isn’t it a little sick to ignore someone’s pain and unjust suffering because this girl said something in a funny voice? Has humanity sunk to a new low? I guess these are all valid questions and- Hey look! Something shiney…

The Internet: Where accidental celebrities are made and broken over night just to accomidate your boredom. How I love it.