This is an ongoing friendly discussion with a friend.
I have a friend with a fairly successful YouTube channel. Please go check it out. It’s The OG GM Adventures. He does a lot of neat TTRPG news and current events videos daily. He is also featured in the intro of a certain very negative, overly critical, anti-TTRPG YouTuber.
(*Disclaimer: This is not me attacking The OG GM. I have lots of respect for his channel and his accomplishments. We merely disagree on this one issue. It’s not an Earth-shattering feud or anything of the sort.)
The debate comes from the idea that even negative heat (pro wrestling term for audience attention) is still good, cheap heat. His contention is that even cheap heat for a heel (pro wrestling term for “bad” guy) is still more ticket sales, Pay-Per-View numbers, etc. OG has even said this in several videos. He likes the attention regardless of where it is coming from or the context in which it is being used.
Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.
Why I come at this differently.
Social anxiety. Social phobia. (I didn’t just make that up. Definition and discussion by the National Institute of Mental Health here.) That having been said, thanks for stopping by. Have a good one…
Waitaminute. I think you deserve a better explanation. Yes, my Social Anxiety Disorder definitely plays into this, but there’s more to the story.
There’s a reason I don’t allow comments directly on the blog any more. There’s a reason my YouTube channel is currently without its trailer right now. I’m even hesitant to comment on social media these days because I know negative clout chasing bitter dude is out there lurking, just waiting for me to say something to abuse.
I get that’s a personal issue for me psychologically. Social Anxiety is actually different than stage fright. I’ll dance naked on stage for a million dollars, sure. There’s nothing personal there. It’s stage work. I wouldn’t even read reviews.
My issue with it is I don’t want the next person being attacked to be you.
I understand the ugly, very vicious dark nature of social media and YouTube. I don’t like watching other people getting attacked. I sure as Hell don’t want that for me. It’s maybe weird, but I care. That’s not what I’m here for.
I have friends on X (Twitter) and YouTube that I’ve talked to backstage. (Personal messages, etc.) They’re beautiful, positive, nurturing people. Or at least they’re extremely cool gamer folx. I’d talk to some of these people all day in person. I’d invite many of these people over in the real world for BBQ and TTRPGs. Most of them don’t live anywhere near here.
I have open communication available through my email jeffsgamebox@gmail.com any time. I also check my various inboxes on X (Twitter,) Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads, etc daily. Thank goodness they’re usually empty. I’ve had one or two lovely emails, though. Thank you! You know who you are.
My open communication is there for comments on various blog articles and social media commentary. I’ve noticed people are a lot less confrontational in personal messages. It’s like now you’re dealing with a real person rather than putting on a show for the social media/YouTube audience. Cool. I like civil, rational, polite discussions on a more personal level. Please do that.
Clout chasing on social media is completely unnecessary. I’ve had people block me on X (Twitter) and still no idea why to this day. I know why some YouTubers have me blocked, sure. (*Again, I would very adamantly apologize to Ginny if I ever saw her anywhere. I’ve honestly tried to apologize.) But I have other people on social media who have blocked me, and I’m not sure if we got off on the wrong foot or what.
The bottom line is that I believe in a peaceful, benevolent Universe. We’re not meant to be on social media or YouTube tearing each other apart like petulant children. If our outer reality reflected our innermost being more closely, I dare say social media would look a lot different. We have the freedom to choose to be better.
I’m trying to build a positive brand image and I care how I go about it.
Sure, I’ve made mistakes. I still manage to stick my foot in my mouth. (*Just ask my wife.) I try to learn from each and every mistake and do better the next time. It’s human nature that we’re never going to get it perfect every time. I forgive as many mistakes in others and myself as I can.
Back to pro wrestling for a moment. A heel turn (when a good guy suddenly becomes a bad guy) can be great for some short term attention. A heel constantly calling out the same face over and over can only lead to a wrestling match. This is especially true on social media/YouTube.
I am the face of my brand in pro wrestling terms as well as in reality. (A face in pro wrestling is the good guy, the one everyone wants to root for.) At the end of the day, I have no desire to be that bad guy. I want people to remember me for the things I did well. I want to be recognized for getting it right. I have zero desire to be associated with that incredibly negative anti TTRPG guy.
I wish my good friend agreed with me on this. I’d really love to see his channel grow above 2,000 followers. I can’t tell other people how to live, act, or be. I can only tell my side of things and accept whatever comes afterward.
The OG GM is a face. Make no mistake. I ultimately believe he’s a good guy. (Even my kids like listening to him.) Please support The OG GM Adventures.
I won’t name that other guy. He’s choosing to bathe in negative energy every chance he gets and spread his toxicity all over YouTube. That’s probably never going to change. It boggles my mind how anyone so nasty toward other people manage to get 2.71K subs. I won’t name his channel on here ever again and I prefer he never mentions my name again. (*See also building a positive brand.)
I don’t want this blog to be associated with one of the most toxic personalities I’ve ever seen on YouTube. If I could figure out a way to get my name in the mentions of really good YouTubers, I would. No, commenting on their videos doesn’t work because of that incredibly toxic dude and his followers. Trust me, I’ve tried. I end up deleting almost as many comments as I post these days.
My message again today is please try to be as positive as you can.
I love TTRPGs. I love talking about TTRPGs. I love watching YouTube channels dedicated to talking about TTRPGs. I wish all of us in this space could focus on the things we truly enjoy about the TTRPG hobby.
Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.
Jeff's Game Box 