The Several Hundred Second Lives of Barack Obama

President Barack Obama is available as an avatar in Second Life. Mrsigmund Fride makes the most photo-realistic version I've seen thus far, and sells them on xStreetSL for L$2000 (about USD$8), and at his in-world store, too. Since putting his custom Obama avatar up for sale, he's been selling well. "I never quantified it," Fride tells me, "but I think hundreds." (There Mr. Fride is, at left, posing in his creation, on the steps of the US Capitol in Second Life, where once the avatar of Newt Gingrich appeared. But that was during a different time.) He's sold his Obama avatar to many Americans, of course, but often to Europeans as well. As it happens, Fride himself is Italian, and knowing real world Obama was popular in Europe as well as the States, set to work creating a version that's instantly recognizable. (An artist in real life, Fride painstakingly creates and sells avatars of real world personalities, movie stars mainly.)

So hundreds of Barack Obamas roam the virtual world, and it's hard to resist wondering, What are all those Obamas doing in there? Some attending SL-based lectures and conferences, perhaps, others kicking it at night clubs, or armed to the teeth in a combat zone. Many of those Obamas are probably stored away in a Residents' inventory, only coming out temporarily as a party gag, the metaverse equivalent of a Halloween mask; others, surely, to express a more earnest political point.

I ask Fride why his Barack Obama avatar is so popular, and he muses at that.

"I imagine Obama embodies a dream," Fride says, "and Second Life is situata tra realtà e sogno... between real and dream."

The avatar of Barack Obama will soon have company. At the request of a customer, Mr. Fride is hard at work creating the avatar of Michelle Obama. Fortunately for her future owners, a virtual style guide for the First Lady is already available.

Thanks to AntiTaurino Andel for telling me about his Obama avatar and pointing me Fride's way.

Comments

[Uccello Poultry]

Fabulous work! But how long before we see the avies misused?

[Mako Kungfu]

They're already being "misused". I was at a club and a Barack av (also named Barack) came in and griefed the place with particles and noise, spewing racial hatespeak. Though I'm all for freedom of expression, it was still a really an unfortunate incident.

SL resident and Flickrite Xanna Ziskey created avs for both Barack and Michelle during election season last year, and posted a small photo series about their in-world adventures (you can view it here: http://tinyurl.com/qhzfeu ). I saw the pics on Flickr and recall wondering if she was going to sell them and how long it would take for people to start using them for unintended purposes like griefing and enacting their Obama sex fantasies. Lol.

[Max]

Really great work!
But doesn't it break the law, infringing a copyright on photos (as the avatar is definitely derivative work), personality rights of Barack Obama and probably even California Celebrities Rights Act (as servers and Linden Lab headquarters are located there)?

[Christophe Hugo]

Look-alikes are fun! But 3 caricatures are even better, and require more creativity:

http://tinyurl.com/ork4z7

[Suzanne Miller]

Exactly why I won't sell my Obama shapes to anyone but the Obamas, because I am afraid of their misuse. That, and they aren't perfect yet, lol.