Caricature Studies

Have you ever noticed how people have exaggerated aspects? This is how caricature artists work. They have you sit down, relax, and while he's playing twenty-questions with you he does a sketch that exaggerates your giant single eyebrow or your floppy dumbo ears, or he gives you a little tiny head engulfed by huge eyeglasses. And the questions tell him about your life, so that in the finished sketch, you're wearing a ballerina outfit or a giant catcher's mitt or you have a beautiful woman on either arm with their own exaggerated characteristics (if you know what I mean). Caricatures.

Well, I have another soon to be famous internet theory of life that states:
Eventually, everyone becomes a caricature of themselves.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary
car-i-ca-ture NOUN:
A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.

The BIG IDEAS here are that, we are all known by something, that we (or others) blow it out of proportion, and the comic or grotesque aspects rely on how well we handle our, eventual, self-awareness of the process. This is true 100% of the time.

Let's take some easy examples. Actors often have success early on that forever identifies them with their audience. Often times it is merely one note of their character. But it is what made them a star. Time passes and they move on to other roles with lesser successes. They (or somebody else) says "Hey! Why don't you do that thing that everybody loved?" And they try it and everybody loves it. So they do it again. And again. And again. Eventually every part they play has to be that character.

This could be Don Knots' nervous antics, Peter Falk schlepping through a detective movie, Sharon Stone re-crossing her legs, Jim Carrey being rubber faced and manic, etc., etc., etc.

This is often referred to as type-casting. Often unfair but many times self inflicted.

Other examples would include musicians. One album or song or on-stage antic forever identified them to their audience. And when and/or if they try to move on or evolve from their earlier stuff, they find their biggest applause comes when they do that thing. Elvis wriggling his hips, Johnny Cash wearing black, Elton John's earrings and sequins. And being human, loving applause and the attendant money, they continue to do that thing. Towards the end Elvis was the greatest Elvis impersonator.

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. And who better to flatter us than ourselves? Donald Trump will forever be known as the arrogant comb-over, Hef has his pipe and smoking jacket, Tom Cruise for desperately trying to appear straight, Angelina Jolie will always be that chick with the LIPS.

Every action we take is derivative from earlier successes. Human nature says if it worked before it will work again. But people get tired of even their favorite things. So these actors/comedians/musicians realize they will have to ramp up their thing to get the same reactions that they used to. This is where they either become comic or grotesque.

Leslie Nielson took his straight backed, two dimensional, literal, dramatic roles from his earlier acting career and created comic gold. With essentially the same character. And the other extreme is someone like Joan Rivers who has had so many face lifts that if she laughs too hard she pees out of her nose. Actually, her daughter Melissa is a more grotesque caricature because she has so little going on she has to imitate her mother.

Finally, this theory of life applies to everyday people as well. We all do something well or are known for having done something well in the past. And, being humans, we need to keep reminding people of our thing. The high school jock and the big game, the homecoming queen, the bake sale lady, the car mechanic, the bimbo, the drunk, the guy with the crazy eyes, etc., etc., etc.

My favorite is the guy who is known for being a loner. But only after the SWAT team arrives.

Look around you. Everyone you know is evolving into a living, breathing caricature. Younger people don't count because the rule states Eventually, everyone becomes a caricature of themselves. If a young person seems to fit the theory they are merely being a stereotype at this point in their development.

But, as we get older, we will follow the path of least resistance. Our actions will become habits. Our habits will become characteristics. Our characteristics will turn us into caricatures. We will evolve that way because of our own self-image, or how we wish others to perceive us, or because people like to niche us (it keeps them from having to remember more than one detail about us and thereby cluttering up their brains, unnecessarily).

We will eventually become caricatures of ourselves by throwing out the non-essentials, until at last, all that's left is the caricature and a vague memory of being young and wanting so much more for ourselves.