rant · moment 15 of 15
The Weird Sexual Undercurrent of Parasocial Internet Fame
from You Can't Have Everything · #50
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
4 minTim and Ray argue over whether creepy viewers imagine influencers inviting them into their homes, debating the parasocial intimacy of social media versus traditional performance, and whether internet fame counts as a real 'craft.'
- 55:48The podcast's mission is analyzing the dark side of the American underbelly without advertisers.
- 56:09Tim agrees there's a weirdly sexual component to watching young internet personalities on social media.
- 56:30The parasocial dynamic creates a sense of intimacy—you feel like you're in the room with them, without traditional performance layers.
- 57:10The attraction isn't purely sexual; it's also about feeling you have a friend, a relatable person to hang around.
- 57:49Misconception: internet comics don't work—they put out a lot of content, even if quality varies.
- 58:17The 'craft' for these creators is the amount of access they provide, not necessarily honing a traditional skill.
- 58:45Tim concedes they've monetized it successfully and have huge audiences, but taking an easy road to fame doesn't earn respect.
- 59:02You can't have it all: shortcut to fame and money means you won't necessarily get respect from the establishment.
- 59:20Tim pivots to a story about someone who threw up at a work event and passed out, apparently earning some twisted form of respect.
- 59:41A guy funding a ski trip for chicks and friends because he's successful on social media still doesn't get the same respect as traditional artists.