Sunday, December 30, 2012

Happy 2013!

2012 was a year filled with great adventures and lots of good times with human and dog friends. He also misses a few very special friends who are no longer with us as of this year, especially his Auntie Betty.
Humphrey celebrated with his best pal Tigger and some "tiger tail" from BR, which seems eerily realistic!
 
Humphrey wishes the world a wonderful 2013 - hopefully it will be 365 days of wiggles for everyone!


Friday, December 28, 2012

On the Creative Class, Or, The Study of Hipsters

It's a hipster reference to James Joyce and Humph's namesake. Google it!

It had been a long time since Humphrey had seen his hipster West highland terrier friend, Sir Percival Puddles.

“Sir Percival Puddles?” Humphrey exclaimed, seeing him in the organic grocery store.

“It’s Dr. Sir Percival Puddles!” the dog exclaimed with delight. “How are you Humphrey?”

“Congratulations on the doctorate, Perce! What are you doing with your days now?”

“I now study the ‘creative class,’ quite fascinating really!”

“The what?”

“The ‘creative class’ as coined by Richard Florida – or some call it ‘creative industries’ – it’s a big deal these days, dontcha know! Like, policy to cultivate creative workers, how location can impede or cultivate creativity in economies, intellectual property, that kind of shizzle. My ‘thing’ is mapping that estimates the ‘significance’ of the creative industries to the modern economy in order to re-orient economic policy in accordance with that significance. My work totally extends beyond just the manifest production of cultural goods and employment of creative people. It has a more general role in driving and facilitating the process of change across the entire economy. It’s awesome.”

“Wow, those are a lot of air quotes you just used, man,” Humphrey replied. “Basically isn’t your work just, like, the academic study of hipsters?”

“Yes it is. But it’s more than that. It’s like, how can we create spatial communities for creativity, and how can we create and sustain ways for the creative people to do cooler and cooler work. ”

“Do you just hang around Parkdale and Ossington or something?” Humphrey asked, quite sure that Percival himself was a hipster, studying his own kind.

“Exactly, Humph!” Dr. Puddles said, nodding with exuberance. “That’s just where Toronto’s creative class flourishes! And they are leading edge, these artist-entrepreneurs. That is our future, their future!”

“But it’s really just the government saying, ‘hey, let’s promote these entrepreneurs, so people can be unemployed and not complain about it!’?”

 “They’re entrepreneurs, ergo they’re not unemployed, though. So, um, no.”

 “But they are unemployed, in the sense that they can’t rely on social safety nets like Employment Insurance or employer-sponsored retirement and healthcare programs.”

“Well, that’s what some of the policy can look at – like, their own collectives for those things. But who cares. They are the future.”

“Perce, are you sure you’re not falling into the trap of ‘irrational exuberance’?”

At that moment, Dr. Sir Percival Puddles wandered off, as dogs often do, nose wiggling following the scent of artisanal bacon coming from the store’s deli counter. Humphrey didn’t mind – he sniffed some heirloom cabbage, their vibrant greens and purples delighting his eyes as he thought about roasting some for supper.

The creative class, he thought. This reminded Humph of something. Aristotle elaborated three basic human activities, each corresponding to a type of knowledge. There is theōria (contemplation, what Humphrey was doing at that very moment) which corresponds to episteme (knowledge, know-what), whose end goal is truth. Then there’s poïesis (making) which corresponds to technē (method involved in producing an object, know-how), whose end goal is production. This seems to be what the creative class is concerned with. Finally, there’s praxis (doing) which corresponds to phronēsis (practical wisdom), whose end goal is action. Aristotle implied in Ethics that poïesis and praxis always precede any mode of theōria in that dealing with everyday needs and responsibilities comes before the non-productive activity of seeing and knowing.

So, human activity is making, doing, and thinking. But this new-found emphasis on the creative class is about the importance of making over thinking and doing. So, you do need people to do a bit of each for a society to function: but is all this excitement about “creative industries” a problem?
 
For example, philosopher Hannah Arendt called praxis the highest and most important level of the active life, arguing that philosophers need to engage in everyday political action by way of praxis, which she saw as the true realization of human freedom. Paulo Freire took the position that praxis as a central defining feature of human life and a necessary condition of freedom. So does all this attention to poïesis endanger the kind of action that is necessary for freedom?

Humph, of course, acknowledges that his questions imply a dichotomy – and that the three activities are not always separate. But, when he sees the kind of “irrational exuberance” that Dr. Sir Percival Puddles displays, it gives him pause about the nature of “creative industries,” the push for certain types of policies, and how all this will affect the public good.


He knows he's got a lot more thinking to do on this matter!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A Very Conjunctivitis Christmas: The Photo Essay and Modest Proposal for the Veterinary Industrial Complex

It all started in October...
"Humph, what's that on your eye?
Could it be a stye?
But then again, your lids are swelling -
What ever could it be telling?
Let me see your little head...
Oh my, your eyes look red."
After testing for lesions, glaucoma and tear production (twice each!), there seemed to be nothing obviously wrong! He was treated for conjuctivitis, then infection, and allergies.

Humphrey tried everything non-invasive! Conjunctivitis drops, allergy drops, cortesone drops.....
Everyone was stumped, including the vet and Humph's pack.
Hanukkah came and went, and there was no real change in Humph's eyes.
Humph made his way southwest along the 401 to get some answers, and had a scenic detour through Chatham when a strech of the highway was shut down.
He made his first trip abroad to see a specialist in Michigan! Obamadogcare meant a reasonaby-priced facility loaded with board-cerified veterinary dermatologists, opthamologists and more. Not to mention a fancy coffee bar on site. Wow. More tests to rule out mites, fungus and other things.
The diagnosis: idiopathic blepharitis. The treatment: Atopica, which the specialist described as "a special class of anti-inflammatory"...
Humphrey's guardian nearly hit the ceiling when she researched Atopica, which is the brand name for veterinary-grade cyclosporine. She learned it's not an anti-inflammatory, but an immuno-suppressant prescribed for lupus, organ transplants (anti-rejection) and severe cases of psoriasis in humans. And the side effects are frightening! Kidney damage! Vomiting! Increased suceptability to infection!
 

Meanwhile, Humphrey busied himself decorating the big Christmas tree...

...wrapping and guarding fabulous, shiny gifts for loved ones big and small...
...and of course applying his project management skills to the flawless execution of a Christmas meal.
It was a white Christmas after all!
Then came a Christmas miracle! With constant care and unfettered ocular hygeine and some cyclosporine, his condition improved a bit!


And the holiday ended with the entire pack together!


Humphrey also ended the holiday season with a modest proposal. The prescription of cyclosporine for what is essentially dermatitis of they eye (with no damaging consequences) seemed to him like killing an ant with a baseball bat.

Is it worth the increased risk of disease and cancer, the massive strain on the kidneys, and the high incidence of really bad side effects to alleviate a bit of itching that can be managed topically (in people, at least)? He began to wonder if the problem of veterninary clinics selling and dispensing (for profit!)  pharmaceuticals was a conflict of interst.

He considered the facts. There are about 21,000 pet-focused veterinary practices in the US alone according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. In the US, veterinary care spending increased by 40% between 2002 and 2007 – but the amount spent on pet drugs in that same timeframe increased by 52% (source: Fountain Agriculture). That amounts to about $3.5 billion dollars on pet (not agricultural!) medication in the US ! This figure does not include the additional, estimated $261 million in sales of over-the-counter, retail pet medication. No wonder Pfizer can count on pets for 40% of its revenue (as noted in a report from the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration).  Again, that represents pet products - not including those from agricultural animals. Among the choices in its product line are Slentrol (for canine anti-obesity treatment) and Anipryl (for canine dementia). Of course, they are (luckily) the makers of anti-depressant Zoloft, which guardians might need in light of the costs and heartache associated with companion animal illness!

Of course treating a case of blepharitis with over-the-counter allergy drops and thrice-daily washing is not so good for big pharma's bottom line, nor the revenues of veterinary practices.

Herein lies the modest proposal: would it be such a bad thing if veterinary practices were forbidden from the sale of retail pharmaceuticals? Would that result in better "informed consent" (such as letting the patient know about potential side-effects and accurately explaining that cyclosporine is a powerful immuno-suppressant, not at all "its own class of anti-inflammatory")?

It might be time to take a regulatory page from that of the human healthcare industry.

Happy holidays to all...and best wishes for a healthy and happy new year!
Humph's big day at glam Willowdale hotspot, Bayview Village.

"Well behaved women rarely make history."
Thank you Humphrey!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

PSA and Last-Minute DIY Gift: Canine First Aid Kit

Christmas is fast approaching, so Humphrey thought it wise to remind his canine friends to have a first aid kit on hand in case of emergencies. It's also a great DIY gift idea! Assemble as many of these goodies as possible (with dosage and instructions) into a pretty box, and keep a dog safe.

Remember to always check dosage of any medication for your pet. And be certain to check for contra-indications if your pet is on any other medications before introducing anything new!
 
1. Children's Gravol (NOT adult Gravol!) can help with nausea and vomiting. Dose is 2mg to 4 mg per pound of weight.

2. Have at least one syringe (without a needle, of course) on hand. These ares useful for administering liquid Gravol, feeding a dehydrated dog by squirting water or boullion at the back of their mouth, and so on.

3. Pepto Bismol is useful for settling a canine tummy, and is even effective for some dogs who have the runs. Beware, though, that once they take it, their "output" will be very, very dark. It's not blood, though, but the bismuth making its way out. Pepto Bismol in its liquid form can be messy to administer, so Humphrey gets half a tablet when needed.

4. Hydrogen peroxide is  useful to clean and disinfect cuts. But, it can also be used to induce vomiting if a dog eats something toxic! Vomiting has to be induced within about 20 minutes of the dog injesting a poison, before it can make its way into the body. Dosages to induce vomiting vary by weight according to this vet, but don't start with more than a teaspoon - and use a syringe to administer it.

5.  Always have some Gas X (simethicone) on hand - it can save a dog's life if bloat starts. Humphrey always travels with it, because sitting in the car for long periods of time can make his tummy a little distended, and this breaks down the gas and can prevent dire problems.  Gas X comes in many forms, but the films (thin minty strips) are probably be the easiest to feed to a dog.

6. While Gas X can help with potentially deadly bloat, diazepam (Valium) is often used by vets when dogs are admitted with bloat, since it relaxes the muscles quickly. As well, diazepam (in liquid form, when adminstered in the "back door" with a syringe) can halt a seizure in an epileptic or older dog prone to them if given immediately. Diazepam is only available by prescription in the US and Canada, but when a dog is prone to certain conditions, the vet will make it available.

7. Lots of cohesive stretch bandages (along with gauze, not pictured) are very important to have on hand in case a dog gets a cut or some other injury that needs wrapping. Cohesive stretch bandages are kind of like velcro (without the needles) in that they stick to themselves without glue - so you can easily wrap a foot, leg or knee securely. In the case of (minor) ligament injuries, they can provide extra stability until you can get the dog to the vet.

8. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) - perhaps the most important item in the first aid kit, espeically for Humphrey who has insect allergies is Benadryl. For dogs, ONLY use plain diphenhydramine (an antihisamine), not some fancy version with additives or other types of medication mixed in with the diphenhydramine. Dosage is 1 mg per pound of dog weight. Benadryl can save a dog's life and buy time to get them to the vet for an injection in an emergency. Some dog guardians even bring Benadryl on walks, so it can be administered if the dog is stung by a bee or wasp.
 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Humphrey's Holiday Gift Guide, 2012

The holidays are almost here! Humphrey thought he would share some of his gift-giving and gift-getting ideas.

1. A one-of-a-kind treasure from The Nunnery Vintage


Humphrey knows he can count on Claudia's exquisite taste in editing the shop's collection, and by giving vintage, he can feel better about the ethical implications of his shopping choices.

2. Who can resist a holiday Toro?

In light of last year's Nylabone factory fire, these tasty treats have been in short supply! Nylabone re-branded the Toros, and Humphrey can't get enough of them. Too bad that distribution has not been restored in Canada.

3. Any proud Canadian knows HBC stripes are a must have!

A cheerful, colorful outfit on a dreary winter day can lift the spirit.
HBC seems to have actually thought about dog comfort and ease of dressing when you  don't have opposable digits in the design of their coats (but not sweaters).
Humphrey may have already received an HBC collar, lead and nylon coat to show off his Canadian pride!

4. Dogs and people with an interest in education, politics *or* cookies can't resist these fine publications

Curriculum Reform in Ontario (University of Toronto Press, 2012) tells the story of just that, including Harris "whiz kid" perspectives on the politics of education reform! And 95 Strategies for Remodeling Instruction (Corwin, 2012) offers just what it promises - 95 ideas for better, student-centred instruction - it's even a Corwin Best Seller! Both are available at all major retailers.
 
But Humphrey is featured in a number of books - ranging from author to model! You can see his work on Blurb
 
His major accomplishments include a fully-illustrated cookbook, Who's that Wiggling in my Kitchen, his thoughts on democracy in the watercolor-and-ink illustrated My Citizen and Me, and Beauty Fades, Smart is Forever featuring affirming rhymes for girls of all ages. But who can forget his holiday classic, The Saddest Dreidl, with it's Humphrey-centred surprise ending!
He hopes you'll read them for free online.

5. Paw-crafted gingerbread

Each year, Humphrey makes gingerbread poodles, dreidls, and of course, the infamous Little Shark of Bethlehem as tasty gifts with a personal touch. Decorating can be a lot of fun...if one has time to do it.

6. Customized postage stamps!

Canada Post's Picture Postage allows you to create your own stamps using any image!

7. An autographed photo from your fave celeb!

Humphrey enjoys celebrity culture, as readers know from his Parasocial Pups post earlier this year. Humphrey has experienced the surprise of receiving autographed swag from some of his favorite celebrities, including Amy Sedaris (ironically, the author of Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People), Vanity Fair editor and SPY Magazine founder Graydon Carter (who happens to believe women should run the world), Mel Brooks, and others.
Of course, the tone of autographs vary immensely, from Graydon Carter's impeccable etiquette (left), to Amy Sedaris' observational humor (right).

A final thought...




Humphrey always reminds people: "good things come in small packages."



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Old friends, new places!

Humphrey saw a few of his old friends today, visiting Doggie Do's on Sheppard at Cocksfield. He spent his time behind the camera today, though, to capture some great memories on film. When he walked in, he first saw Angela, the human he likes very, very much! But behind here were some canine surprises!

All the little dogs hang their jackets on labelled hooks when they come inside - so civilized!

There were so many places to run, hide, and nap! It's hard to see all the dogs present.

Jello was happy to see Humphrey - being a Maltese dog, he had a *lot* to say to his old pal! Woof!

Mia was a coquette, as always, and played hard-to-get. It's tough being the only girl! Even daycare is patriarchal.

Murphy was sure to remind everyone *not* to take his treats and toys - especially you, Oliver!

And as always, Oliver made Humphrey laugh...a lot. Here he is, chortling at his own silliness.


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Chicks, flicks, and more microagressions


Despite being the canine persuasion, Humphrey is not what you’d call outdoorsy. He’d much rather spend an afternoon sprawled on his favorite chaisse with a bag of Humpty Dumpty Party Mix and some good television shows (including, of course CTV News).

With all his recent contemplation of microagression, he’s found himself applying the Bechdel Test to his viewing to identify gender bias. Now, the Bechdel Test (created by Liz Wallace and popularized by artist Alison Bechdel who featured it in a comic) is pretty simple to use. To pass it, the movie or television program….
1. must have at least two women characters with names…
2. who talk to each other…
3. about something other than a man.

Sounds simple, right? But surprisingly few movies pass this threshold!

Humphrey’s highly unscientific tests have actually confirmed others’ research and reporting – that there’s a lot of gender bias in the media!

Of course, passing or failing the test is no guarantee of good gender representation but it is indicative of problems. And those problems, are of course, the acts of microagression he talked about in a previous post.
 
In the past week, he has applied the test to New Girl, Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, Big Bang Theory, The New Normal, and 30 Rock. Most of these shows are predominantly about women – and yet, they didn’t pass! Think about it - even shows with strong women, like 30 Rock, are reduced to un-Bechdel discussions because of patriarchal structures. For instance, the recent storyline in which Tina Fey's character was involved in presidential politics meant that most of the dialogue (especially with Jenna) centred around presidential candidates that are men. Had the presential candidates been women, it might have passed! Similarly, in the recent New Normal, several of the conversations among women were about Jesus - again, the patriarchal structure of the religion meant that the conversation necessarily failed the Bechdel test.

Humphrey will keep on watching his favorite stories - but with a far more critical eye.

Humphrey's bone to pick with J.Crew

Humphrey looks forward to the arrival of the colorful J.Crew catalogues passed his way every couple of months. For the past year or so, he has been fascinated by the unique styling and color combinations! But he has begun to notice a trend…and now he has a bone to pick with J. Crew.
Now, on the one hand, he is impressed with the creativedirector Jenna Lyons, whose personal style is said to be reflected in the retailer’s rebranding. She posed for some gender atypical catalogue photos, including painting her son’s nails (which stirred up quite a bit of controversy in 2011)! Their deliciously appealing catalogues are master-minded by Gayle Spannaus, the company’s fashion director and head women’s stylist.

But Humphrey noticed something alarming in the past year's catalogues…
 
The male models are not only named, but their careers are listed! November 2012’s catalogue features Joe Carlucci, Contemporary Art Business Dealer; Armando Cabral, Shoe Designer and Model; Spencer Lyons, Financial Advocacy Director; Justin Marquis, Photographer; snow-roofed Pedro Gomez, Artist (in the photo above). They are different colors, shapes and sizes, and some even have snow on the roofs!

Humphrey flipped back to the beginning, searching for the women’s names and careers. He searched. And searched. He got a magnifying glass and searched some more in case there was fine print. Nothing! Not one name, nor a single career! But he did notice uniformity in their makeup and hair.

As a critical feminist canine, Humphrey gave this some thought. The message he was receiving was that if you’re a man, of course you have a name, an identity, a job, and your physical appearance can be diverse and imperfect. But if you’re a woman in the J.Crew world, your only worth is your appearance – and a very specific one at that. Don’t bother with a name or a career or accomplishments. Just look pretty and do what you’re told.

And just as he was drawing his conclusions, the Winter 2013 issue of Fashion (the magazine) arrived – featuring an interview with Gayle Spannaus herself! He noticed two rather interesting statements that confirmed his suspicions: “I had a very specific instinct for what the J.Crew girl should be,” the woman (who has name! Gayle!) said. And, “I will never work with a girl with plucked eyebrows.”

The sum total of Gayle Spannous’ direction, Humphrey realized, are acts of microagression on women. That’s a big word for a little dog! What could it mean?

For those new to this concept, Chester Pierce coined the term ‘microaggression’ in 1970 to describe how specific interactions between genders (and other points of intersectionality) can be interpreted as mostly non-physical aggression. Just as regular-sized aggression and assault are two different things, so are microaggression and microassault.

Gender microassaults are forms of overt sexism, like being called a “girl” when you’re old enough to be a grandmother, a man refusing to wash dishes because it’s women’s work, or men’s unwanted sexual advances toward women. Acts of microaggresion are far more subtle, like the nameless models in the J.Crew catalogue when their male counterparts are celebrated as humans. Another example is a female doctor is mistaken for a nurse at the hospital (with the message that women should be in nurturant jobs, not competent enough to be doctors).

Microaggressions usually seem like no big deal. Each event, observation and experience posted is not significant or shocking. Usually, the aggressor doesn’t intend to hurt others and isn’t even aware of the consequences. But, their slow accumulation of microaggessions over time adds up, and has important outcomes. A Psychology Today article cites this example to show how acts of microaggression influence women’s standard of living and quality of life: White American males constitute only 33% of the population. Yet, they occupy approximately 80% of tenured positions in higher education (something Humphrey’s guardian wishes for!), 80%-85% of federal elected officials, and a whopping 92% of Forbes 400 executive CEO-level positions.

Humphrey’s observation about the J.Crew catalogue by itself may not seem like a big deal. But he is worried that his female guardian, being exposed to yet another instance of microaggression, will continue to feel a little less, and keeps her that much further away from making tenure. On the flip side, as Humphrey reported earlier, there is definitely a social benefit to providing public examples of women in nontraditional positions!
 
He hopes J.Crew will reconsider their strategy of microagressions, which he realizes are probably not intentional on the part of Gayle Spannaus and her colleagues. Nonetheless, he believes he could appreciate a nap on their soft, soft cashmere sweaters with a lot less guilt if they would change their ways.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Neo-Soviet Romanticization?

Zdravstvuj comrades! Humphrey has noticed a recent trend, and officially coins the term to describe it here: neo-Soviet romanticization.

Readers will surely recall that he reported on the debut of Arquiste's odd fragrance, Aleksander, designed to recreate the olfactory sensations of Pushkin's last day. Then, this week Banana Republic's new Anna Karenina capsule collection dropped - a far cry from last year's capitalism-gone-wild Mad Men capsule collection! Now, Humphrey knows that these are examples of romanticizing pre-Soviet Russian icons.
Detail from BR's website
He took these things to be coincidence. But then today, the news reported that Russian president Vladmir Putin thanked presidential candidate Mitt Romney for proving "the correctness of [Russia's] approach to missile defence." The statement was made after Romney named Russia as America's "number one geo political foe."

Now if that's not romanticizing the Cold War, Humphrey has no idea what is!

Then, Humphrey made his second trip to the market for groceries this week. The first time, shelves were empty, he had to wait in line for a rain check for parmagiano reggiano, then wait again in yet another line to pay for a piece of bread that happened to be in stock. Everyone spoke Russian and he had little idea what was going on (this is a frequent occurance in Willowdale).

Upon his return to the store today to use his rain check, the other things he needed were not in stock! So again, he made his way to end of the loooong rain check line, and of course had difficulty getting what he needed since his Russian is a little rusty. Then back to the loooooong payment line to cash in his rain check on the reggiano. Fortunately, they took hard currency since he was completely out of rubles.

Just as he was getting into his car - which might as well be a Lada - it dawned on him! Late capitalism in North America is just simulacra of Soviet-style society! And those who own the means of production (Banana Republic, Arquiste, Holt Renfrew, Mitt Romney) are making efforts to romanticize all things Soviet (and Russian, since North Americans probably don't know the differnce) to gain compliance via nostalgia!

In keeping with this new trend, Humphrey decided to feign the attitude of a Russian poet, quietly brooding and staring out the window into the abyss, the air freckled with gray sleet on that cold, dark afternoon.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Humph's Hallowe'en House o' Horrors

Boo!

Humphrey got a pre-Hallowe'en surprise in the form of a squeaky jack o'lantern!

It's that time of year again - and rather than jolly tricks and treats with cute costumes like last year, Humph has decided to have a scaaaaary celebration! To set up his house of horrors, he decided to display the most terrifying things known to dogs!

All the things you need to create a terrifying house of horrors

Next, he had to choose a costume. He first considered disguising himself as a ghost...

...but he was mistaken for an adorable lamb-bat. So he thought he'd better get a scarier costume.

After thinking and thinking and thinking some more, he came to a decision. What's the scariest thing you can think of?

A zombie? Not quite. Too much over-exposure in the mainstream media.
A vampire? No, they're actually desirable these days thanks to R-Pat.

What could he be????
Here comes Glitzy, tiara and all, ready to scare passers-by. But despite all the "scary" that comes with this costume, there's also a positive spin! Inclusive attitudes towards difference (including LGBT), a surprisingly supportive family environment, and an absense of some of the damaging body image discourses present in so many other reality shows (Humph's looking at your, Kardashians!).
Happy Hallowe'en everyone! Holla for a dolla, yo!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Parasocial Pups!

Zelig hangs out with Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansen on the beach! (Maybe)

A strange thing seems to be happening – many people and dogs (like Zelig and Humphrey) form attachments to media personalities as a substitute for “real” inter-personal relationships. These so-called “parasocial relationships” occur when people feel as though they know their favorite television characters or celebrities – and sometimes take on a bigger part of life than the real relationships. It’s the way Humphrey hangs on every word television dog Wilfred said during the program’s debut season. It's like Humphrey knows him! He is sure to never miss an episode.
Humphrey meets Santa Claus *and* George Clooney! (Or did he?)
The concept of parasocial relationships is used to describe the way that people attach themselves to celebrities in modern times. In his article, “Identification as a Mediator of Celebrity Effects” (Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 40 no. 4), Michael Basil discusses how celebrity endorsers establish credibility for consumer products (as the likes of Cesar Millan, Ellen DeGeneres and Rachel Ray attempt to do with their lines of dog food!). This strategy, Basil argues, is effective because of parasocial relationships. In other words, late modern diaspora leads people to have a sense of “knowing” celebrities and relating to them as if they were friends. Research suggests that (in humans, anyway) this is a function of people’s need for belonging in a culture where ties to others are very much diminished (see, for example, the synthesis of research by Wendi Gardner and Megan Knowles in their 2008 article, “Love Makes You Real: Favorite Television Characters Are Perceived As “Real” In A Social Facilitation Paradigm” in the journal Social Cognition, 26, no. 2).

Think about it – families are less connected, intensification of work and 24/7 use of technology means fewer “in person” relationships. These parasocial relationships are simpler than “real” ones, especially when you’re a dog! Parasocial relationships require no obligation, effort, or responsibility on the part of the spectator, and can be cancelled at any time. Yet, they can be very powerful in influencing people. 

These parasocial relationships have an interesting connection to dogs. Philsopher Donna Haraway and cultural critic Heidi Nast argue (in various places) that dogs fulfill a similar relationship functions for humans in that they also compensate for people’s increasing isolation from other people. Maybe even blog readers feel a parasocial connection to Humphrey! You never know....
Stephen Colbert's canine friend, the late Finnegan, several Christmases ago.