I’ll Do Anything To Support Content Creators Except Watch A 15-Second Ad
I’m totally behind those scrappy, independent content creators balancing on the knife-edge of affording food and chasing a fulfilling creative career. I’d do anything for my favorites except, obviously, watch the literally endless 15-second ads that run before all their videos for some reason. I’m a busy dude. Who has time for 15 un-stimulated seconds before watching a meticulously researched, 45-minute video essay on All Dogs Go to Heaven?
Oh, cool, you have a Patreon. And I can use it to directly support your creative efforts? Neat. I’m actually a little light on cash right now, but I’ll be sure to halfheartedly share it on Facebook without any context or personal endorsement. If you’re lucky, I’ll click through and post a complaint in the comment section of your next video about how the cheapest tier is basically just a donation. Five bucks for “your most sincere thanks?” I know I’m the end consumer of your blood, sweat, and tears, but how about I get something else besides contributing toward your rent?
So, beyond the 15-second ads that are basically like getting waterboarded and that Patreon thing, I’d do anything to support content creators like you. For real. Do you have merch I can buy? I promise I’ll click through this time. In fact, I’ll visit your shop page, bitch about how everything is expensive because you’re not running a multinational retail empire that can pay slave wages, and then order a 150-dollar toaster oven on Amazon afterward.
You gotta do live shows or something, right? How about you shoot me those dates right now? That way I can find when you’re in town, tell my friends how cool it’d be to see one of my favorite artists in the flesh, then decide on the day of that I’m more of a homebody. I know it’d be a great opportunity to put money in your pocket in exchange for a unique, ad-free performance that’ll never exist again in the exact same way, but it’s just so inconvenient to put pants back on after a long day at the office. Don’t you realize how hard it is being a fan in the ruins of post-Facebook digital media? I thought you, of all people, would get that.
This is seriously bumming me out right now. You know I’d do anything to patronize my favorite content creators except watch an ad I can mute, directly cover a portion of your monthly expenses, order fairly-priced merch, or buy tickets to a live tour that was a huge gamble and largely dependent on your fans showing up to see. Your videos mean so much to me. It sucks there isn’t some way to help that requires literally zero time, effort, or money from me, the person with the most incentive to support you. If there was, you can bet I’d be on board.
Until then, would it kill you to stop talking about HelloFresh at the end of every video?
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