Poll: Have you ever wanted to be internet famous?

[klaynexas3]

Title says it. Have you Escapist users wanted to be famous on the internet?

I most definitely have(and still kind of dream of it). I used to make videos with friends, try and start streaming, let's plays, animation, podcasts, shorts, whatever. Nothing ever really worked, my most notable entry being a 30 minute long podcast of my friends and me rambling on about nothing, half of it saying we should edit the other half out.

What about you guys?

 

[soren7550]

A bit. I want to do a review series on books and their movie adaptations, but I have no camera, no editing program, few things to review in my possession, and no place to film the reviews.

I also want to become an author, but I'd imagine that for that I'd want to be a bit more than internet famous (and actually get back into the writing), but it would be awesome to find people on the internet that like my work.

 

[tippy2k2]

No.

Holy hell no.

OH DEAR GOD NO!!!!

You have to put up with all the trappings of fame (people bugging you on the street, crazy fans pestering you, etc.) while getting no where near the amount of money that a normal celebrity would receive. I could be wrong in this but there also seems to be a TON more work to become (and stay) internet famous.

Not to mention how freaking insane people are on the internet and how quickly they'll turn on you when you say the wrong thing...or when you say the right thing...or when you say nothing...

 

[Mezahmay]

I'm going to go with the hard NO on this one. Definitely not. Never ever. Do you know what happens to internet famous people? Ultimately not good things. Even people who have universally positive reputations are still bound to regular provide content to their audience to maintain viewership and loyalty. The internet has a very short memory you know, and popular opinion can turn on a dime.

 

[Colour Scientist]

I don't think so, no.

People on the Internet are mean, I don't think I'd take the inevitable nasty comments and criticisms terribly well.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

What, and spend half the time on damage control mode? No thank you.
Generally speaking I don't covet fame, I just want the money that's supposed to come with it.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Oh good Lord, no.

I freak out a bit as it is when people tell me that they've seen me from somewhere before, or that they recognize me.

Besides, I like my privacy and there are people on the Internet that are bat-shit bonkers, so I would much rather not have to deal with that.

 

[Qwurty2.0]

There have been times where I've wanted a work I've created to become popular under an alias instead of my real name (a book or drawing, etc.), but I thinking being famous for my real identity would be annoying and stressful.

The internet is full of just as many ignorant assholes as it is kind, smart people. Basically, someone somewhere would find a reason to harass you constantly by data-mining and sending death/rape threats to me or people I know.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I voted no, but I wish I could be internet famous like that HowToBasic guy. The guy has 4 million subscribers, every video is a repeat of the previous video, and he's smart enough to keep his identity a secret.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Not really. I rather be famous by my own rights than to be fame over the internet.

You know being famous enough to go to some autrograph signing or special premier etc than having millions of people staring at your space (youtube channel, twitter or facebook account etc). Yes I know some internet fame people get similar treatment but I rather be famous by my own talent (life if I were to sing, write or draw etc) than do had done something on a video that got posted online.

 

[Spider RedNight]

There was a period when I was newer on teh deviantArtz when I was wee and bright-eyed, hoping to strike it big by showing everyone what I could do! I'd be a veritable WildSpiritWolf and WOW everyone with my exceptional talents!

...That being said, none of that ever happened and I'm not famous which is probably for the best because now that I look back on it, a lot of internet famous people are exposed, exploited and half of them are kind of douche bags, especially in the art world.

So yes. While I HAVE ever wanted to be internet famous, I'm not and I'm glad I'm not nowadays; my sister does commissions and I can't imagine having to turn out art at the rate she does for the sh!t-spewing, drooling fangirls that follow her around and do NOTHING but shower her with (sometimes false and attention-grabbing) praise.

by the by, DO you know who I am??? Of course you don't! Purrrfect, my ingenious plan is working!

 

[StormShaun]

This is an interesting thought.
Internet famous could come in many ways. Actually, you can say it happens in all ways.

For example.
I want to become an author.
Of course I want my books to sell, so I can live in my dream.
Obviously though, if my books sell like J.K Rowling's, of course I will become somewhat famous.
This fame will spread, and surly it will quickly spread to the internet.

So I'm afraid that sometimes you have to become famous to live your dream or chosen profession, depending on it of course.
My answer is yes, I guess.

 

[Frission]

This is an interesting thought.
Internet famous could come in many ways. Actually, you can say it happens in all ways.

For example.
I want to become an author.
Of course I want my books to sell, so I can live in my dream.
Obviously though, if my books sell like J.K Rowling's, of course I will become somewhat famous.
This fame will spread, and surly it will quickly spread to the internet.

So I'm afraid that sometimes you have to become famous to live your dream or chosen profession, depending on it of course.
My answer is yes, I guess.

Internet fame is different from regular fame though, and more often than not 'internet fame' is actually pretty infamous. Not to mention it's stressful, ephemeral and ultimately useless most of the time.

I think all of us will like to be well known in our respective fields, but that's a far cry from internet fame.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I don't have a desire to be any type of famous. If it happens due to something I've written or made, fine. But honestly fame is like the last thing on my mind.

 

[Ieyke]

Been there.
I even became a well known acronym.
It's..whatever.

I'd happily join the Game Grumps or Yogscast, but not for fame. They're just doing what I'd like to be doing.

 

[Vault101]

sometimes when I'm in a day-dreaming mood I look at internet "reveiwers" like Nostalga Chick, jon tron ect and think "you know, I think I could do that" but it requires a hell of a lot more dedication than I have (given how saturated the "market" is) also the fact that putting yourself "out there" like that you lose a little privacy. And well...added pressure if you're a woman

...That being said, none of that ever happened and I'm not famous which is probably for the best because now that I look back on it, a lot of internet famous people are exposed, exploited and half of them are kind of douche bags, especially in the art world.

So yes. While I HAVE ever wanted to be internet famous, I'm not and I'm glad I'm not nowadays; my sister does commissions and I can't imagine having to turn out art at the rate she does for the sh!t-spewing, drooling fangirls that follow her around and do NOTHING but shower her with (sometimes false and attention-grabbing) praise.

geez man...what did the fangirls ever do to you?

 

[Spider RedNight]

geez man...what did the fangirls ever do to you?

Not give me the attention I DESERVE-- *shot*

Noooo I'm just bitter and cynical; deviantArt has some REALLY crappy fangirls, even by, like, crappy fangirl standards. Also I'm inwardly seething with jealousy that my sister's more popular than me though all she draws is cats and wolves.

Hmmmm I think I just discovered one of the formulas for how to be successful on dA -ponder ponder- Not that it matters because I don't yearn for "internet fame"

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

Crazy as it seems, I HAVE always wanted to do something that made me famous, internet or otherwise. Nothing gives me the same thrill as being in front of audiences and having them wrapped around my finger. I also love being in front of cameras.

As for bad publicity? Bah! I could handle it.

 

[TakerFoxx]

Well, I'm decently well known in a couple fanfiction circles, mainly Touhou Project and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. It's nowhere near people like Game Grumps or Totalbiscuit or Yahtzee or whatever and no one outside of those niches stand a chance of even hearing about me. Still, it's pretty nice on the whole. Just got a couple of pieces of really cool fanart from one of my readers this morning. Though coming across the odd raging hater comment can be a little discouraging, and I can't imagine what it must be like for the really internet famous people who get probably get hate mail every day. I recall seeing this one panel from a convention that had Jontron and some of his friends reading their hate mail out loud. Yikes.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Actually yes! I know the hate comments would be mentally taxing for sure, but there would be a bunch of upsides. Usually, internet famous people are doing something they love, in this example, I would want to be famous for a video game show on Youtube. Whether it would be doing a let's play show like Game Grumps(I know they don't like to be called a let's play show, but I don't really have another word for it), or a more structured content maker like Peanutbuttergamer, it's a win-win. For every hate comment, there will be positive ones, if you are popular enough to have a loyal fanbase of course.

I think being famous to a limited extent would be preferable to being a world famous celebrity. Internet famous people can still go out in public without fearing for their privacy or safety. I would rather have one person come up to me and ask for a picture or hug, than to be isolated by security personnel to avoid being swamped by fans and the like.