FAKING IT

Discuss the part of Faking It? that we watched - and provide a prediction: Will Paul manage to fool the experts? ..."fool"!? Why would he be a fake?

I find it hard to see Paul as faking it since he does have a month to prepare for his big test. Faking it would be if he had no preparation and attempted to fool the professionals with what he knows from the past. One month of preparation means that he is no longer faking anything, because now he is experienced. During that month, it basically took over his life and we watched a transformation from an ordinary painter to an artist who could actually sell his works for money. After all of that preparation, it isn’t correct to consider him a fake or trying to fake it anymore.

This situation reminds of actors and actresses who become their character that they are portraying. If they are just acting the part, it is easy to say they are fake, but some actors and actresses research and prepare for their role and actually see themselves as another person in order to be more real. This sort of acting isn’t fake because of the effort and commitment to transformation. Paul is committed and is determined to not just fool the experts, but to become an artist. He transforms his lifestyle for the entire month to become an authentic artist.

However, if he isn’t a fake for doing this experiment, is he a fake if he returns to his original life and severs all ties with this particular experience. If he no longer retains anything after that month, he would be a fake, but I personally think he will keep producing art because it seems like this experience was intense enough to leave a mark for a long time. As far as fooling the experts, I don’t think that he will because as far as what I have seen, his art doesn’t seem complex or difficult to produce. I could be wrong though, since artist have gotten away with a dot on a blank canvas. Paul could hook the experts because of his incorporation of his childhood disability into his art. I would say that if he can produce something that can stimulate sympathy, the experts will be more inclined to consider his work.