Will’s Unpopular Opinion – What Streams May Come – 7-22-16

Where do we go from here? In the days of internet based TV shows and personalities, one may wonder what the future of the media holds for so many who make their living off of it. Articles have been written on how to succeed online, but not too many take the leap at prophesying the potential turnover and/or fate of the massive network of heaping opinionated talking heads that pop-up every time you open your youtube page. Youtube and Facebook have both been in the public eye for over 10 years, which not only makes them legitimate staples in today’s culture, but recognized brandname entities not to be marginalized. They’ve shaped the internet as we currently know it, but like so many other contemporary businesses, the question of “what’s next?” for the modern era rises, when the era ceases to be modern anymore.

Generally, like so many other entrepreneurial endeavors, the majority of internet shows and start-ups tend to have a limited shelf life. Is it possible to ride that wave without falling off, or make it safely to the shore unscathed? I hear on a continual basis that people want to host an internet show or a podcast or direct things for online purposes. But if there is a massive influx of “entertainers” online, will it begin to trivialize the profession? The fact is, is it already has. Self importance and entitlements rule the day as people not only assume they’re cut out for the industry, but that their opinions matter to millions of others. And even if that was true, trying to compete on a professional level at this point is akin to opening up a hotdog cart outside of a Capital Grille. Everybody wants attention and to be in the lime-light, but what does that mean for an industry that repeatedly pushes out new products on a continual basis? Competition is great and market over-saturation is a fear of many, and even though the cream always tends to rise to the top, the deluge of persistent and continuous entries into the fray seems to create a dilutive effect, making it even harder to become noticed and/or successful.

“Look at me!”

This isn’t to say that trying to enter into an already competitive market is automatically a foolhardy undertaking, but it suggests that in an industry that is already drenched in topical output, what will help someone breach that abhorrent stigma and create something new and prosperous? The truth is, is that if you wanted to make it big online, you may be out of luck. Truthfully today’s successful personalities planted their feet years ago. 2007-2009 seems to be the common time frame for most of Youtube’s current famed web-based stars. It’s a bit of an uphill battle. Even the major brand name stuff is under par by basic production standards. Lots of stars still just sit in front of a computer and face-time their reviews or reactions; meaning the more prosperous videos of today will be seen as unpolished and underproduced in the near future. Right now anybody can do it, but what makes entering into the industry so accessible now, may lay to it’s detriment down the road.

Similar to the comic boom of the 90’s, there’s a lot of garbage out there right now. Rob Liefeld was a comic artist that came up during that era. He is by all accounts, a hack artist; but was able to flourish in the comics industry at a time where his style was branded as “new and innovative”. However, hindsight is 20/20 and it’s the general consensus now that Liefeld is not a very good illustrator. If he were to try to break in today, it’s assumed he would not have nearly the amount of success he did 25 years ago. He had the prematurity of the new(ish) medium on his side, and used it to his advantage. Currently the internet has a lot of Rob Liefeld’s out there, because the web-entertainment industry is also new(ish). It’s still being molded into what it will become tomorrow, and as a result, access results in excess.

So what happens now? We may possibly be looking at the beginning of the end…(for a little while). As tempers rise and etiquette takes a backseat in current internet conduct, the online entertainment industry may take a fall due to it’s surroundings. The current Presidential election, BLM protests, and summer movie releases seem to be unveiling a lot of pent up rage by so many. The internet is not a nice place and current interactions may cause people to fall off in droves. Reviews and reactions of current political and pop-culture commentary could become overly exhausting in the immediate future. That, combined with low production values and lack of originality (and just plain old review fatigue) may help end an entire fad die; that ironically started as a response to it all.

The smart (lucky) stars will start to sign deals. They’ll combine their talents and realize there’s strength in numbers and that it’s easier to be picked off one by one if a union isn’t formed. ‘Screen Junkies’ recently signed multiple contract deals with many Youtube stars to create a network where each personality will be highlighted individually on a channel that streams as part of a subscription based offering. This may be the best case scenario for so many, because screaming or pontificating to a camera on your own accord – and still looking for followers, will only last so long. Nobody wants to watch an irate crazy person arguing the same points for 20+ years. There’s no pension plan for “do it yourself” celebrities; so becoming part of a larger network is their best option. But where does that leave the little guy who wants to start his own thing? Possibly even further down the pike then they once thought. If major Youtube stars don’t need to worry about spreading the word and gaining viewers, it will just make it that much harder for newer Youtuber’s to even be noticed at all.

If the major networks have their way, over-the-top set-top boxes will become the new norm. PlayStations, Rokus, and low-end PCs will be how many view all of their programs (internet and network based) in the next coming years. Will ‘Screen Junkies’ move to an app-based platform where the channel then becomes exclusive to Amazon Fire Sticks and Apple TVs? Smart money says “yes”, as we now see Youtube stardom morph into calculated business decisions by corporations. It’s becoming similar to the studio system set up in Hollywood and the music industry in the 1950’s and 60’s. Which could mean that the good stuff has yet to come. Things may be bleak for awhile, but that 70’s era of film and rock and roll is just around the corner. Maybe the 2020’s will be the shot in the arm the internet so desperately needs, and we’ll finally have that internet renaissance we keep hearing about.

-Will Valle