I think I have an irrational hate for anything Tavi because I was in journalism school when she was running her blog as a 13-year-old or whatever, and half my first-year classes either involved talking about her, or my classmates wanted to BE her.
Tavi Gevinson aside, I think that in general it's hard to make peace with the fact that success/popularity/even reputation as "wise" or "intellectual" (or whatever typically earned descriptor), especially in a field as soul-sucking and difficult to break into as writing, has almost _nothing_ to do with experience or quality.
It's not random, but it's definitely not talent-based. It's about being selected by the powers that be or circle jerking the right niche at the right time.
Doesn't mean that there's no quality work out there or that popular people are all garbage or that people yearning are all overlooked talents, far from it. But FUCK is it discouraging.
Me too. And I always feel crazy -- like maybe I'm as successful as I am talented, or maybe I'm even more successful than I am talented and should be grateful either way! But then it's like I see this low-effort shit do very well, or even worse, I see points that I've previously made a thousand times get trotted out like new information by more likable people, sometimes even people who read this Substack.
I think the latter is the real frustrating one -- that's what drops an h-bomb on my optimism -- because it underscores like, shit, it really _is_ personal. I have such a love/hate relationship with it all.
I think there's a conversation to be had here (if you're down for it) about that disillusionment; I think it might be tied to the spirituality of "finding your place online" and then seeing that "taken away from you", or just the general malaise of feeling like you don't fit in anywhere.
"If only I were able to [be a way I know I can't] or [produce things in a way I find shitty/boring/unconscionable], things would be better, and I would be accepted."
Maybe I'm projecting a bit here or missing the mark on the common feeling, but yeah.
I agree with you. I think it's common but it's hard to talk about because it is so inevitable. You know, it's an easy thing to misunderstand as "oh, you want a participation trophy" or, "oh, you're confusing not being the best w/ not being successful." But that's not really it.
If you do love producing content (whatever that means to you), it's brutally hard for all the traditional reasons it's hard but also newer, less easy to articulate ones.
The weirdness of the Internet complicates making peace with things that are somehow more tenable: not being talented, not working hard enough, whatever.
You don't know how many times I've told myself, "Hey, this is competitive, I won't take it personally," only to find out I _should have_.
The idea of compassion for that pain seems to always be isolated for "the other side"; I always catch myself thinking "you should have seen this coming" or "you were stupid to think it could be anything different" and I almost expect that to be echoed from anyone "in the biz."
I think we're both stumbling over articulating the feeling, in the way you mentioned of "newer, less easy to articulate ones."
looks like the bad review for calling russian food 'gross' has taught these ladies nothing. bimbocore aesthetic criticism for the win...
The two podcasts I listen to together? I normally listen chronologically (and am back many months), but perhaps I will make an exception.
Not even done with their episode this week, and now this! Wonderful news.
They truly rule
I think I have an irrational hate for anything Tavi because I was in journalism school when she was running her blog as a 13-year-old or whatever, and half my first-year classes either involved talking about her, or my classmates wanted to BE her.
Tavi Gevinson aside, I think that in general it's hard to make peace with the fact that success/popularity/even reputation as "wise" or "intellectual" (or whatever typically earned descriptor), especially in a field as soul-sucking and difficult to break into as writing, has almost _nothing_ to do with experience or quality.
It's not random, but it's definitely not talent-based. It's about being selected by the powers that be or circle jerking the right niche at the right time.
Doesn't mean that there's no quality work out there or that popular people are all garbage or that people yearning are all overlooked talents, far from it. But FUCK is it discouraging.
Agreed. A thousand times agreed. I'm currently going through this a bit.
Me too. And I always feel crazy -- like maybe I'm as successful as I am talented, or maybe I'm even more successful than I am talented and should be grateful either way! But then it's like I see this low-effort shit do very well, or even worse, I see points that I've previously made a thousand times get trotted out like new information by more likable people, sometimes even people who read this Substack.
I think the latter is the real frustrating one -- that's what drops an h-bomb on my optimism -- because it underscores like, shit, it really _is_ personal. I have such a love/hate relationship with it all.
I think there's a conversation to be had here (if you're down for it) about that disillusionment; I think it might be tied to the spirituality of "finding your place online" and then seeing that "taken away from you", or just the general malaise of feeling like you don't fit in anywhere.
"If only I were able to [be a way I know I can't] or [produce things in a way I find shitty/boring/unconscionable], things would be better, and I would be accepted."
Maybe I'm projecting a bit here or missing the mark on the common feeling, but yeah.
Yeah I would be! Hmu any time.
I agree with you. I think it's common but it's hard to talk about because it is so inevitable. You know, it's an easy thing to misunderstand as "oh, you want a participation trophy" or, "oh, you're confusing not being the best w/ not being successful." But that's not really it.
If you do love producing content (whatever that means to you), it's brutally hard for all the traditional reasons it's hard but also newer, less easy to articulate ones.
The weirdness of the Internet complicates making peace with things that are somehow more tenable: not being talented, not working hard enough, whatever.
You don't know how many times I've told myself, "Hey, this is competitive, I won't take it personally," only to find out I _should have_.
The idea of compassion for that pain seems to always be isolated for "the other side"; I always catch myself thinking "you should have seen this coming" or "you were stupid to think it could be anything different" and I almost expect that to be echoed from anyone "in the biz."
I think we're both stumbling over articulating the feeling, in the way you mentioned of "newer, less easy to articulate ones."