#TheDress or that trending topic dress
Politics, economy and climate change are not the only things capable of producing huge controversy. History shows that the most trivial and absurd topics can generate debate, perhaps not as serious but surely more “fierce” than those matters traditionally or socially branded as relevant. It has always been this way, though it has only been able to reach unimaginable dimensions since Twitter is Twitter. And, by way of example, the latest controversy dividing the social network comes in the form of a hashtag: #TheDress.
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Politics, economy and climate change are not the only things capable of producing huge controversy. History shows that the most trivial and absurd topics can generate debate, perhaps not as serious but surely more “fierce” than those matters traditionally or socially branded as relevant. It has always been this way, though it has only been able to reach unimaginable dimensions since Twitter is Twitter. And, by way of example, the latest controversy dividing the social network comes in the form of a hashtag: #TheDress.
The story behind the matter that is “breaking the Internet” began with a typical insignificant discussion among a group of friends who, unable to reach an agreement over the color of a dress, decided to compare opinions by asking Tumblr. “Guys, please, help me. Is this dress white and gold, or blue and black? My friends and I can’t agree on this and its driving us crazy”, the girl who unleashed the controversy pointed out.
The rest is history, and a trending topic in various countries –from the US to Australia, passing through Spain or London; largely thanks to the huge coverage provided to the matter by media such as Buzzfeed, where they published an exclusive photo of the owner with her dress, or the Washington Post.
You're all idiots. #TheDress pic.twitter.com/ztevESHRVX
— Professor Snape (@_Snape_) February 27, 2015
Celebs have also had their say— and quite a lot at that— about the enormous notoriety gained by this debate. And stars like Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Ellen DeGeneres or Mindy Kaling, among many others, have also been unable to resist partaking in the discussion. Though they, like the group of Scottish friends that launched the question in the first place, have also been unable to reach an agreement.
I don't understand this odd dress debate and I feel like it's a trick somehow. I'm confused and scared. PS it's OBVIOUSLY BLUE AND BLACK
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) February 27, 2015
A huge controversy that drove Wired magazine to look for an answer by turning to science for help. The explanation regarding the difference of opinions, according to Bevil Conway, the neuroscientist consulted by the magazine, involves how light is perceived and how the brain interprets the information. “What’s happening here is that your visual system is trying to discount the chromatic bias of the daylight axis. So people either discount the blue side, in which case they end up seeing white and gold, or discount the gold side, in which case they end up with blue and black”. Though the matter itself has not been clarified, Wired concludes: “At least we can all agree on one thing: The people who see the dress as white are utterly, completely wrong”.
But Wired is not the only one who considers the #blackandblue team as the winner. The dressmaker ensures that this model is not available in white and gold. Controversy settled?
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