Read on Twitter
Oh my God, Twitter, stop deifying personalities. You DONT KNOW the streamers and podcasters you follow.
Time and time again, some dude does something crappy, he apologizes, and droves of fans talk about what a good boy he is, how much he cares, how he can be trusted and. he. can't.
Not because he's a bad guy, but because you do. not. know. him.
Not because he's a bad guy, but because you do. not. know. him.
But Brandon! You're a content creator, don't you want me to trust you? Can't I trust you? You're a good bo-
NO. I want you to enjoy my media! I want you to show it to friends, I want you to support it's creation financially if you can!
NO. I want you to enjoy my media! I want you to show it to friends, I want you to support it's creation financially if you can!
I hold myself to standards of safety, care, and respect, but if you don't know me, there's no way to separate me just saying that and it ACTUALLY being what I do. I don't want to see myself in a RPG Boys Who Can Hold My Drink vid because I know that people can fake it.
And the people who DO show up in those videos are (usually) people who will tell you that they love you. That you in the community matter to them specifically. That you should love each other and them.
It sounds nice and trustworthy, but THAT'S WHAT NON-TRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE SAY.
It sounds nice and trustworthy, but THAT'S WHAT NON-TRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE SAY.
Creating content people love is a HUGE responsibility and EVERYBODY who does so should be clear about this. Especially people with huge platforms and especially men with huge platforms.
I know I'm preaching to the choir because I freak the f out about this like every three months, but please, please, PLEASE consider a) who you put your trust in, b) how you decide who to trust, and c) how far that trust goes.
When Covid times are over, we will return to the same awful con tradition of drinking in hotels because we have similar interests. This time in quarantine is ideal for forming parasocial attachments. I truly pray we as an industry examine that to improve safety.
So how do you show appreciation for a creator without going too far? Stop appreciating them. Appreciate their work. Share their work. Buy their work. Examine and understand their work.
And when you see them at a con, tell them "I love [project]" instead of saying "I love you."
And when you see them at a con, tell them "I love [project]" instead of saying "I love you."
Lotsa eyes on this and though I wasn't planning on it... I gotta. I make some cool stuff. I'm writing a telenovela ttrpg called PasiĂłn de las Pasiones, i talk game design on @stophackandroll, and do heavily comic inspired superhero actual play @ProteanCity.
Hope you like it!
Hope you like it!
