I really appreciate your most recent posts because I think that they really address the double edged sword of pandering to a very small group of fans, as Sam has done. He seems to be happy as long as his relatively small (in the grand scheme of things) most devoted fans are happy. The ones who will travel anywhere, buy anything he sells, spend endless amounts of money, and will not criticize anything he does.
I think he is losing other fans, and he doesn’t realize it (because the most committed ones keep showing up). I’m a very normal, happily married, middle aged mom. I love Outlander and I love a good cocktail. I have subscribed to Starz and enjoy Sassenach Spirits. I have zero desire to go stand in line for an event, go to a comic con, etc (I would have loved to see Macbeth, because I love Shakespeare and I love theatre in general). That’s just me. But, while I am not a huge, flashy, spender, I have been constant. For years.
What happens when those of us who are quiet fans, start dropping off? I do not put celebrities on a pedestal. I generally don’t give a shit about their personal lives. I’m not jealous of Steph and I harbor zero delusions that I am going to ride off into the sunset with Sam (I feel like that is important to say, since some people scream “you are jealous!” anytime there is any criticism aimed at Sam or Steph). But the current situation with Steph (and her daughter), is disgusting. To the point that I can’t/won’t ignore it. So, I’m not going to be giving Sam any more of my money. No, it’s not a lot, but how many others like me are there? And when will Sam realize he has a problem?
I absolutely enjoyed reading - and re-reading! - your thoughtful ask, which I feel was not even sent to me, but to S, for all intents and purposes.
I am also one of those quiet fans, not especially willing to try/buy his spirits, because I am a teetotaler who only cooks with alcohol. I went to the Landcon to meet some wonderful women I had already met here and as a one-time social experiment. What I saw there cured me from any other attempt. I went to see him in Macbeth and was more than turned off by the filter-deprived hysteria of his Mommies. To the extent I needed time to let my own thoughts and feelings about the show settle down to something that would not sound like unfair bitterness or superficial praise. I would lie to you if I told you his image was not dented, in my mind, ever since - admittedly a biased, but honest feeling.
In Paris and SUA I saw more than a couple of those faces that somehow always pop up on Instagram, at every single con, show or other cast event. I have to say that with the exception of Pickle Lady, who was civilized and potentially warm, the two others - a French Cait Stan and a Spanish Sam Only - were nasty, snarling women, who somehow walked around with a sense of purpose and entitlement I found absolutely ridiculous. French Cait Stan having the dubious distinction of making faces at me during one of the panels, which informed me she somehow knew I existed and immediately made me question her emotional intelligence.
The money you and me poured towards these people is perhaps not a lot, but we are not alone. The Casuals do not give a flying fuck about Madam Mao, but they do not seem to be interested by the booze, either. Which is why I always thought it would be good to spin off the JAMMF vanity project and try to appeal to a wider array of potential clients. Conversely, MPC's numbers are constantly dropping, because of the same absurd sense of purpose and entitlement I mentioned earlier. And let's be honest: while there are people who genuinely seem to enjoy the fitness remote coaching offer, how many of them are still there in the hope S will notice them, or because they -more or less honestly - think they are a part of his inner circle?
Madam Mao has brought this fandom together in a way not even a war would be able to, at the scale of an entire society. This is testimony to who she is - not in a positive way, sorry - and to a collective lack of appetite for following along a shitty narrative that is thrown at their faces. Whatever the outcome, he will be the one to bear the costs of massive disaffection, because his semi-avoidant tactics are just poor strategy, on the long run, and a hail Mary of sorts. Yes, pun totally intended.
I have no idea when will he realize he has got a real problem. Maybe when crowds will be consistently thinner and he will know many of those faces staying in line for the umpteenth autograph and their three minutes of one on one rapport. I can only wish sooner than later, because deep down I think he is not the nouveau riche dumbass he is trying so hard to portray, at the moment. Tattoos on top.
Thank you for your ask, Anon. You are always welcome to this page and I will answer with great pleasure.
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