Facebook’s Latest Craze: Tag, You’re It (Repeat 24 More Times)

Well, you knew the kids would eventually get tired of throwing all those sheep and posting drunken pictures of themselves.

Now comes a more sober, but still utterly self-absorbed new craze on social-networking sites, most especially on Facebook of late.

It’s called “25 Random Things” and the explanation of what it is is simple:

Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)”

You can imagine the details that emerge. Lots and lots and lots of details. And very random. But they can also be quite revealing about people you know.

Here is the list, for example, from my great friend, Joe Brown, whom I have known for more than two decades.

He works for the Las Vegas Sun and even did a column about a year in a new city, as viewed via Facebook.

I knew pretty much all of what he wrote about himself, but was pleasantly surprised to find out about the earthworm named “Willy”:

1. I live in Las Vegas, but I am immune to most of the things–gambling, women, booze–that charm people into coming here.
2. I’m a Mac person. Also a liberal, a homosexual, an ex-Catholic, a VW Beetle driver, and I preferred Betamax.
3. I have more than 20,000 songs on my iPod.
4. I like books about people with addictions, problems, eccentricities and extraordinary abilities.
5. Sports are invisible, inaudible and incomprehensible to me.
6. I like autumn colors–and autumn itself.
7: Food obsessions include guacamole, bloody mary mix, kung pao chicken, pickles and olives, ice cream cake, blue cheese, potato chips with french onion dip, meatballs.
8. I was 4 years old when I first appeared in the newspaper–as the owner of an earthworm named “Wiggly.”
9. I would rather read than have sex.
10. I have only owned one car all my life, and I wouldn’t have that if a generous friend hadn’t given it to me.
11. Being 50 feels like a relief. I like my gray hair.
12. I’ve met a lot of celebrities in my career, but the only ones who awed me were Lynda Barry and Morrissey.
13. I dream of living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
14. Extremely stupid movies–”White Chicks,” “Hey Dude, Where’s My Car?,” “Superstar!,” “Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion,” “Dumb & Dumber,” “Napoleon Dynamite”–make me laugh till I can’t breathe.
15. I am a cat person, but I’m allergic to cats, which is very sad.
16. I hate overhead lighting with a fierce passion.
17. I unironically adore reality TV.
18. I have no tattoos and have let the hole in my ear close up.
19. I have never had a “Plan B.”
20. Reasons for living include The Sun Magazine, This American Life, sleep, good smells…
21. For most of my life, people have said my name as if it was one word: “Joebrown.”
22. Carol Burnett scratched my back while I was talking to Cary Grant. At the White House.
23. I still dream about my unrequited loves.
24. I have always stood up for the underdog, the bullied, the unpopular. And I’ve been beaten up for it.
25. It’s hard for me to say goodbye, but when I leave, I’m gone, and it’s over.

Joebrown tagged me, of course, but it is doubtful I have the time to banter endless about my quirky ways.

In fact, I am already too lazy to accept my 818 friend requests or answer my 479 messages or deal with my 114 other requests on Facebook.

But let it not be said, BoomTown won’t make some smidgen of effort.

So, here are just five of mine:

1. I am a major Fanilow of Manilow.

5. On the bright side, someday I plan to become a Luddite hermit.

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