In addition to writing material for the new Axis of Symmetry album, I've been brainstorming some ideas for RobTroid: The Movie. The roadblock that seems to keep coming up always seems centered around that I'll need a lot of help to make the movie happen. With short 10-15 minute episodes of the show, it's less work. Usually it's just me working on it, sometimes Joe helps me set up shots and bounce ideas around, but making a 45 minute independent movie is vastly more complex. I'll need actors, camera and boom operators, and drivers. So, why not send out a couple of feelers? Ask some friends if they'd be willing to help me? That brings us to the topic of discussion for this post; nobody cares.
I've been on social media for a good portion of my life, and I've also been on it long enough to know that it doesn't account for the entire world, but that does beg the question; if the average American spends 11 hours per day interacting with digital media, then what are they doing? Here's my theory, and it's not actually my theory at all.
You're an adult in your late 20s; your young friend gives you a flyer for a house show he's playing. You don't go. Why not? Taking any previous commitments out of consideration, let's say you're an adult in your late 20s with disposable income and a fairly open schedule outside of work.
Conversely, you get tickets to go see U2 play, arrive on time, and enjoy the show. Why did you pick the already established band, who could probably pay their bills regardless of your attendance, over your young friend? The reason is because U2 have already made it.
Well, duh, right?
If you look at someone like Hugh Jackman dating a super model, you say "Well, he can date whoever he wants because he's Hugh Jackman." Conversely, if you see your friend, who's attractive in his own right, dating a very attractive woman, you might say "What's she see in him?" This is because celebrities are already put on a higher plane than up-and-comers. There's nothing wrong with this, it just is the way it is. Therefore, the bulk of time spent on social media is spent following personalities who already have a large following.
This brings me to my next point; why nobody cares about your art. The reason why nobody interacts with your art is because of social comparison. Social comparison theory refers to how we view ourselves in relation to others around us, and how we use that as a gauge for measuring our own self worth. Why don't people interact with your art? Because that can make them feel inferior.
This is not to be taken as an ego trip, not at all, because it happens to me too. My buddy, Nasty Nate, went and joined an up-and-coming pop punk band in the Bellingham area a few years back, and things are going really well for them. Thing had already been going really well for them. Nasty Nate is a stand up guy, got nothing wrong the man, I like him, though he would probably agree that I could play and sing circles around him, but he's more well known. So, why do I feel inferior every time I see how well things are going for Nasty Nate? Because I'm comparing my characteristics to his, and if I surpass him musically, in theory, shouldn't I be the more successful musician? What am I doing wrong?
When people see that you're doing something that your'e passionate about, that scares them. They think that something is missing from their lives. This depends a lot on the person, too, so there are exceptions to this theory. I do this a lot because I have low self esteem from growing up fat.
I'll admit, I've dumbed down the show since the first season facing criticism from what little viewers I have. I've made the episodes shorter to accommodate potential audience members with low attention spans, I've improved the audio and video quality to give it a more polished look. So, why does nobody care? Simply put, they want to feel comfortable doing what they're doing, and seeing you doing something that requires hard work and commitment makes them feel like they have to up the ante, so to avoid feeling inferior, they choose not to participate.
So, y'know, kudos.
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