#the virtuals

Of course it has him pointing at things and/or people (muppets are probably something in between), a trademark I find for many ways disconcerting and problematic and will explain elsewhere why.

And of course he manages to put on the archetypical face of the cheerful clown, the joker, the sacred fool in a most plastic and intense physiognomy.

Still, or because of all those reasons, it struck me with grief and concern like I would turn into one of those old-fashioned Austrian grand mothers who always fear that one of those funny faces will one day get stuck and rob her beloved grand child of its sweet, innocent, not so horribly over-defined but individual and unique face.

And then there is this other photo that some love to post but I wouldn't. It shows exactly that partial truth I do not want to see and do not want to become the only, the dominant truth about Benedict, the ever changing, over-ambitious rubber or doll face of the global libido.

It is a weird shot right in the middle of a pap shot (being caught off guard) and a „public appearance“ being fully aware of the presence of cameras and lusting gazes – for he is sitting in a car, looking out smiling. It is also one of those unforgiving super close-ups that should be banned from the CC or any other public medium if I were to have a say.

I would call the super-close up a gynaecology of the face, therefore not fit for the public.

And so it shows me a truth I do not wish to behold: he looks at least ten years older than his age (with him from a healthy distance usually looking up to ten years younger), his pale skin is pasty and all in wrinkles as if it were of vellum, as if the layers of habitual makeup would not rub off anymore, as if it were indeed a snake's skin being ready to peel off any moment, but we do not know and do not wish to know what else would come to surface underneath. For he is smiling his dainty, royal smile, but the smile is sad, cold and empty. Nothing but a worn-out mask being presented to an ever hungry, unforgiving public.

I hope and pray that this is not his true face, that this will not become stuck as his main true face with all the other sweet faces slowly disappearing into a secret personal life that he'll hopefully find, or his best upcoming parts he'll hopefully be blessed with in the future.

I so hope that he will not become some parody of Ratpack Las Vegas so early in life, just because he was indeed vain enough to invoke this macho legend that has very little to do with his real personality and primordial socialisation; just to have an iron mask always ready for the gigantic fight with the great Dragon of the US entertainment industry.

For Baby, no matter how hard or changeable your masks may be, that fight you can never win. Even if it makes you so rich that you can get up to three children through elite education it will leave you empty and exhausted and finally robbed of every bit of sweetness you have been gifted with from the start.

And so I end with one request:

I also ask my brother and sisters of the CC to cut him some slack and make it a bit easier, lighter, more charming, more urban, more casual, more boyish and British metrosexual, more Asian-European, more unassuming, even more unmasked to „be Benedict“.