Sable is a game about headspace.
I got this one kid on the roster who's stream is lit, Tik is crazy, and acquires new fools like Pokemon. It's not the algorithm, it's not the honeypot digital marketing tactics, it's them, they are naturally talented and charismatic. A born star, and that's the problem.
All talent are insecure wrecks, this is known, but in the pre-internet days the famous were spared the numbers, by design. The studio told you the show/song was a hit, then you could tell how famous you were in three easy steps:
- You consistently get stuck in awkward conversations at Albertsons
- A person you never met before takes your picture walking out of Albertsons
- You can't walk into Albertsons anymore, it's not safe for anyone.
The most famous person in the online world could stand in the middle of Albertsons all day and the only person to approach them would be security. The only proof they are famous? The numbers next to their face. A fame owned by the state, a studio system singularity where the artists are the platform.
Reggie Fils-Aimé said, "In the restaurant business you know how well you are doing the next day." The problem with digital talent knowing how well they are doing the next second is that they don't know what they are looking at. A marketer sees a new engagement, they see a new relationship. And everytime that number goes down by one, someone broke up with them, and they don't know why.
Talent are designed to export emotion, not import. "Fans" in parasocial relationships are designed to destroy, not build. And social media is not designed to engender twenty year careers, shit, a social media star that lasts ten years should be eligible for AARP benefits.
Anyway, oh right that kid I was talking about at the start tried to kill themselves and asked me to pop by the recovery house to talk about career next steps. I was like, gross, a human go-see. But I actually liked this kid, so whatever.
The first thing I noticed was that the recovery house allowed them to use their phone for an hour a day and I thought it an interesting tactic to let a crack addict smoke crack, but only in the morning. The artist showed me this client I had years ago, some rocker. Asked if they were like them. I said, "Yup, except they played in a room of ten people for like twenty years. Happy as a clam." They responded, "Oof, that's sad."
No moral to this story, just bookmarking the experience. Rip tb rip tc rip tall-T. Love is wise, hatred is foolish. Get out there and do great things, we believe in you. Also jobs.
