The Internet Vampire.

It's finally happened, I had feared it for a while, but figured only big chains like BlockBuster were in danger, but it finally happened, my local video store is closing down. I had long since feared that this would happen, but thought that if I just kept giving them support, somehow that would protect them, but alas, I failed.

Now I know that there are a lot of drawbacks to a video store, like late fees, fearing that you'll damage the disc, and the possibility that the movie you want may be rented out by someone else when you get there, but there's one thing that it does have, human interaction. There's a real charm in being able to strike up a conversation with the sales clerk or another customer, that you just can't get with something like Netflix.

 Have you ever been sitting at home with your friends or family or significant other, and you decide that you really don't want to go out tonight, you'd rather stay home and relax with some popcorn and a couple of movies. So what do you do? Well you put on your coat and walk or drive to the video store, there you'll enter through the doors and you'll get to play the picking game! "Should I rent an action movie or a comedy?", "No, we've seen that a million times already, let's see something we haven't seen before",  "Why don't we rent some horror movies and be scared?".  Then after you've chosen a film, you venture back and are rewarded with the comfort and warmth of the house. You've made and evening out of staying at home!

Now compare that to having an instant service, you decide you don't want to go out tonight, so one of  you musters the strength to reach across the couch for your remote so you can scroll through your options and pick something that looks good. Now it's true that you have an unlimited cache of films to choose from, but that means that you're not committed to any one of them, so at any time if you get bored with your intended film, or you suddenly have the urge to watch another, no problem, you can just stop it and start up a new one, and why not check your email or text someone while you're at it? Of course I'm making this option seem less glamorous than it is, and I do know that there are plenty of things that I'm sure I'd love about having it, but what I'm saying is, Video stores used to be fun, they weren't the most foolproof way of doing what they did, but they made us interact with one another and forced us to go outside and get some fresh air even when we may not have wanted to.

That being said, when the video store inevitably does become extinct, I'm sure that I too will get a netflix or whatever, and I'll probably enjoy it, but I'll still miss that human interaction that I get when I go out to rent a movie.

The Internet Vampire isn't just draining the video store though, it's also taken it's toll on Books. Last December, my favorite bookstore, a place I'd been going to read and draw and socialize since I was in middle school, closed it's doors forever. Then, just last month, the big bookstore in the Downtown area, announced it was closing down too, thus insuring that I have one less thing to do when I go there. Of course this is most likely due to things like the Nook and the Kindle, devices that allow you to store dozens of books to read without taking up room space, but once again, have no charm. Also, last time I checked, you didn't need to charge a  paper book, or have to rub your eyes from staring at it's artificially lit pages for too long, and if you got it wet it would short out and be unusable instead of getting a little wrinkly. If I may quote a legend... "You'll never have as good a time starring at a page on a screen, as you will actually holding something in your hands", Stan "The Man" Lee said that on a documentary about the history of comics and I could not agree more with him. Tell me, what looks better on a shelf? A huge row of books ranging from science fiction and romance to history and suspense, each one bound in a different cover, ready to be pulled down and read again? or a shiny piece of plastic crap that will become outdated in a matter of months? You decide dear reader.

Okay, how 'bout this? Imagine that scene in Beauty and the Beast where the Beast pulls down the curtains of the room to reveal that beautiful library filled with books for Belle to read, Her eyes light up with excitement, He's made her so happy with that grand gesture and shown that he has a heart after all. Now picture that same scene, but instead he just hands her a Kindle which is most likely alive because everything in that house talks, much less magical don't you think?

A guy who worked at the aforementioned favorite bookstore said that "There's something civilizing about a bookstore" which I also agree with very much. It's quite true, bookstores are relatively quiet, clean, and any good one wont give you shit for just sitting around. What's more, is that once again, you have that human interaction I was talking about. Sometimes you'll see people at the big tables playing table top games, or reading together, or even just talking. Either way, they're having a good time.

Now I have one final thing to mention before I finish, one of the earliest and most prevalent victims of the Vampire... Newspapers! (dramatic music!) Okay now this one I can understand a bit more, when it comes to getting the latest news out there, the Internet has 'em beat, the only thing news companies like the New York Times and the SF Chronicle can do to stay afloat is to go digital I'm afraid. However, there are things that I will miss, like saving newspaper clippings from important events or putting the latest Foxtrot on your fridge. Also you have to think about all those aspiring journalists and artists out there who would love nothing more than to have their article or strip in the paper. Sure, anyone can post something up on the internet and have people see it (you're reading this aren't you?) but to actually have something "Make The Papers" is a real accomplishment! On another note, what will happen in movies when something interesting occurs? The age old "Spinning Newspaper" gag is in danger of becoming extinct! and where the hell are Peter Parker and Clark Kent supposed to work?

Anyhow, that's my piece for the day, now close that damn laptop of yours and go talk to the person across from you at the Cafe, maybe you'll make a new friend? Or maybe they'll tell you to fuck off because they're too busy playing Bejeweled on their laptop. Don't let that discourage you though, give it a try anyway.