No Need to Apologize

I’ve been thinking about my compulsion to apologize for listening to the My Favorite Murder podcast and playing Dream Daddy, which was co-produced by Game Grumps. There’s actually nothing wrong or even “problematic” about either of them. Both My Favorite Murder and Game Grumps are creator-owned production companies, and really the only thing that’s problematic about them is that they’re successful enough to have their own fandoms. It’s the fandoms that are the problem.

I get the feeling that, when people say that they hate My Favorite Murder or Game Grumps, what they’re really saying is that they hate the fandom. Or sometimes bullshit will arise in the fandom that the creators then feel the need to respond to, as their user-supported income model is partially based on the illusion of accessibility. Unfortunately, no matter how professionally this communication is handled, it still adds fuel to the fire of the discourse.

And it’s all discourse. These creators aren’t exploiting their fans, who get content for free regardless. They’re not exploiting their employees. They’re not sexually harassing or assaulting their fans or employees. They’re not promoting or apologizing for people who sexually harass or assault their fans or employees. They’re not promoting or apologizing for evil corporate platforms. They’re not promoting bigotry, hate speech, or libertarianism – and this is actually kind of a big deal when so many creator-owned media production companies are successful precisely because they promote bigotry, hate speech, and libertarianism.

I’m not saying that the people behind Game Grumps and My Favorite Murder didn’t record stupid shit when they were just starting out, but I also feel like this stupid shit should be viewed in the context of the good intentions of the creators, who apologize and learn from their mistakes. There are so many creators who are actively trying to hurt people or defend the stupid shit they’ve said that it feels unfair to focus on punishing creators who are willing to acknowledge their mistakes. In fact, I think genuinely evil creators are allowed to thrive unchallenged because the fandoms of relatively good creators are so obsessed with attacking each other.

I know I’m not saying anything new. But as for myself, sometimes I like things that are popular, and I don’t care about the personal lives or social media presence of their creators. Following celebrities is always going to be a game of attrition, as is separating yourself from their work and becoming a fan of their fandom. Idk, if no actual people are being hurt, maybe it’s okay to take a break from social media discourse and just enjoy things.

The Building Is On Fire Karen

Let’s say there are three scenarios in which you have anxiety about your apartment building catching on fire.

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So I guess, for me at least, what I appreciate about My Favorite Murder is that the hosts take anxiety seriously and speak from the position of having good therapists who help them understand it. And what they say is what a good therapist should be able to tell you: “If you smell smoke, then you need to get the fuck out, because buildings catching on fire is a thing that happens all the time, and you’re not crazy for noticing the warning signs.” And it’s really nice to be able to hear that, even in retrospect. Even from two comedians hosting a podcast.

By the way, the stories on the podcast aren’t just about murder. I’d say that maybe a third of them are about (easily preventable) disasters, including buildings literally being on fire. To be honest, I feel like this podcast is teaching me a lot about American history and infrastructure. It’s sort of like 99% Invisible without the annoyance of Roman Mars being an insufferable prick, and also with the added bonus of listener-submitted horror stories.