Don't get me wrong -- I'm proud to be a member of my producer's team and to be part of a site that's gotten so much recognition over the years. I like and respect everyone I've met who works there -- they do SO much work as it is, and they're successful. But I don't think it's fair that people are posting about how tragic it is that the guy who gets the most views and the most feedback and the most fame and the most profit from every single thing he does is deciding to do something that the fans seem to want instead of being ~free to follow his dreams~ or something when so many of the rest of the producers and their teams work their asses off just as hard as he does and have to do even MORE work to promote themselves in order to get enough views to make bus money from what they do, and some of us literally get NOTHING out of it, we just do it for our own reasons.
You can keep taking it personally if that's what you feel. I've gotten emotionally invested in stuff before, I do get that when that happens, it just feels more important than anything else. But this is a reality check of perspective. Not a lot of people know this kind of shit, or think about it much.
Doug bought a house from the money he made from his shows. You want a tragic story? I have a wife and kid and can't afford to live with them, can't afford to buy more than $25-$50 of anything other than food per pay cycle (depending on how much I'm able to save), and we had to sell my car a few months ago to keep from going bankrupt so now I can't even SEE my wife and daughter more than a few times a month. I can't drive my kid to school or put her to bed. I can make dinner for my girls or help with homework or fall asleep with my legally recognized spouse in my arms. My producer, who keeps 100% of the proceeds from HIS show, is living in a one-room efficiency apartment and gets financial aid from his parents. Most producers can't live off of what they make from their shows, even on TGWTG. **HOLLY** can't always live off what she makes from what she does. Almost all of their artists and other crew make only a fraction, if anything, from that unlivable amount. And almost all of us are still driven to do what's popular instead of what inspires us because that's what gets us views. And that doesn't always get us much other than numbers on a screen.
That's why you're taking this too personally and reading too much into the actions of an internet reviewer. I care about Doug too... he's a nice guy who once did something for me that I feel was extraordinarily generous even without knowing who the fuck I was. He does DESERVE to be cared about, as a person and as a performer. But... so do other producers, and artists, and crew. Doug is good. I don't think most people on TGWTG or their artists/crew would be doing what they do if they didn't think that. But sometimes it hurts just a little bit when people post things like this about the guy who really MADE IT, who has a girl and a home and a career and all by doing what we're all desperately trying to do... and being on TGWTG feels at first like an "I made it" moment until you realize that it's not. It's a bragging point, but no one necessarily knows your name or cares or wants to help you out. Like being in an award-winning school choir is a good point on your resume, but no one cares what songs you sang there.
And by the way, some of us are artists only because we aren't sufficiently successful in other areas. Did you know I have as much training as Kyle does in singing? And I'm better at it than I am at art? And that I had to take out a loan of $2000 just to keep up with the quality of art that gives my producer attention and respect even though it'll take me YEARS to pay that off? No? That's because I look like a troll doll, and not in the cute way. So my producer gets to sing, not the dumb twat who does his art, films his episodes, watches movies with him and riffs on them for jokes for his scripts, helps him out with costuming, transportation, and even DOES appear onscreen with him sometimes. For free.
And you know what? I actually have it pretty good compared to some other producers/artists/crew, whose names I will not mention because it's not my place to do that.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2013-01-23 12:45 pm (UTC)You can keep taking it personally if that's what you feel. I've gotten emotionally invested in stuff before, I do get that when that happens, it just feels more important than anything else. But this is a reality check of perspective. Not a lot of people know this kind of shit, or think about it much.
Doug bought a house from the money he made from his shows. You want a tragic story? I have a wife and kid and can't afford to live with them, can't afford to buy more than $25-$50 of anything other than food per pay cycle (depending on how much I'm able to save), and we had to sell my car a few months ago to keep from going bankrupt so now I can't even SEE my wife and daughter more than a few times a month. I can't drive my kid to school or put her to bed. I can make dinner for my girls or help with homework or fall asleep with my legally recognized spouse in my arms. My producer, who keeps 100% of the proceeds from HIS show, is living in a one-room efficiency apartment and gets financial aid from his parents. Most producers can't live off of what they make from their shows, even on TGWTG. **HOLLY** can't always live off what she makes from what she does. Almost all of their artists and other crew make only a fraction, if anything, from that unlivable amount. And almost all of us are still driven to do what's popular instead of what inspires us because that's what gets us views. And that doesn't always get us much other than numbers on a screen.
That's why you're taking this too personally and reading too much into the actions of an internet reviewer. I care about Doug too... he's a nice guy who once did something for me that I feel was extraordinarily generous even without knowing who the fuck I was. He does DESERVE to be cared about, as a person and as a performer. But... so do other producers, and artists, and crew. Doug is good. I don't think most people on TGWTG or their artists/crew would be doing what they do if they didn't think that. But sometimes it hurts just a little bit when people post things like this about the guy who really MADE IT, who has a girl and a home and a career and all by doing what we're all desperately trying to do... and being on TGWTG feels at first like an "I made it" moment until you realize that it's not. It's a bragging point, but no one necessarily knows your name or cares or wants to help you out. Like being in an award-winning school choir is a good point on your resume, but no one cares what songs you sang there.
And by the way, some of us are artists only because we aren't sufficiently successful in other areas. Did you know I have as much training as Kyle does in singing? And I'm better at it than I am at art? And that I had to take out a loan of $2000 just to keep up with the quality of art that gives my producer attention and respect even though it'll take me YEARS to pay that off? No? That's because I look like a troll doll, and not in the cute way. So my producer gets to sing, not the dumb twat who does his art, films his episodes, watches movies with him and riffs on them for jokes for his scripts, helps him out with costuming, transportation, and even DOES appear onscreen with him sometimes. For free.
And you know what? I actually have it pretty good compared to some other producers/artists/crew, whose names I will not mention because it's not my place to do that.
Yeah, poor Doug.