The Amazing Digital Circus should serve as a cautionary tale for aspiring creatives.
It's very interesting to see a project once praised, held in high reguard as one of the catalysts that put indie animation on the map, now suffering the fate of being hated, disrespected, and probably ruined in reputation.
As an artist who once had aspirations to create my own show, I feel really bad for Gooseworx. Being drained and apathetic of this whole ordeal, maybe even regretting making this show in the first place, must be a terrible reality to live in. This is my biggest fear if I ever reach a level of fame with my art and characters. Some of this fanbase consists of crazy people dedicated to trolling and harassing creators and artists just because they wrote their story the way they intended, not following your ship or endgame. Some of these fans are parasocial and can't take the fact that they can't get your attention or reaction, entitled to seeing the whole project instead of letting the story unfold naturally.
However, as a fan and consumer (and a Black one, mind you), the jury's still out on wheither or not this was deserved. I was not pleased with the lack of urgency to address the negative situation. I can admit, I was rooting for The Amazing Digital Circus to win in its entirety. I wanted this show to have these major animation studios shaking in their boots, forcing them to being creative and make good stories again rather than hiding behind their old IPs. I wanted everyone involved to reach new heights in their respected fields. I wanted this show to be greatly remembered for its impact it had on the animation community. While TADC has accomplished a lot, unfortunately it seems that it'll be remembered for its contreversies instead...
From resurfaced terrible "jokes" and tweets, to closeted discriminatory behavior, to even working with someone who turns out to be a truly awful piece of 💩 prior to their knowledge. (I'm not listing every single situation here, I advise you to check YouTube and Twitter. There are probably more things that I don't know about yet.) We can summize this down to not using your judgement or discernment correctly or even being just as blindsided as the rest of us the moment drama spills onto the internet.
For the record, I have never put any of these people on a pedestal. Not Goose, not the cast, not even the more famous content creators that got to work with these people in proximity that got exposed themselves. Simply because, I don't know them. While your digital footprint does matter in the grand scheme of things, you don't think to run a detailed background check on everyone that suddenly becomes viral and famous. Ultimately, you shouldn't have to! Social media is meant for entertainment and connection. If you are kind, funny, and easy-going, chances are I'm gonna follow you at face value. Simple, right? But in this day and age, you genuinely have to know who you are supporting and I would rather do my research to ensure that I don't root for someone who is morally aprehesible.
Yes, you can make the same point about companies and studios, but a company is not a person. Moving on.
One can say that their own actions put them in said predicament, "you made your bed, now lay in it." One can argue that the person has since grown and change from their past actions and views and their current behavior no longer alligns with said actions and views. Some people really do change and become better with time and life experience. However, it's up to YOU if you want to extend grace and forgive, but NO ONE deserves to be harrassed or threatened. PERIOD.
The Internet is used to cruel and unusual punishment. They don't believe in the benefit of the doubt, second chances, or even CONTEXT in some cases. Once you fall out of favor in the public eye, they want you gone. The pendulum of the public opinion sways back and forth each day. One minute they love you, next minute they hate you. On Monday you have fan accounts making cool edits about you and your work. On Friday you're a think piece, the subject of hate train you had no idea existed because of a tasteless tweet you made back in 2012 or something.
With that being said, I don't want people to be scared of posting their art or stories! Now that society is trying to shove generative AI and reboots down our throats, I urge people to create original stories and dare to put themselves out there anyway! We deserve great stories and characters!
From what I've spectate through the rise and fall of others, here's some advice I've managed to take if you plan to have virality:
☆ Set boundaries and intentions the first time around. Be clear in the type of community you want to have and cut the BS immediately. Use that block button any and every chance you get. It's your platform, after all! You get to decide what you want and don't want to tolerate.
☆Keep in mind that these people do not know you. They may like you, follow you, even adore you, but the bottom line is: you are STRANGERS to each other. Yes interact with them, but tread lightly. Parasocial behavior should be blocked immediately!!!
☆ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THAT IS GOOD, THINK BEFORE YOU POST! The internet may have a short attention span, but they keep reciepts and never forget. You never know what will come back to you. If you've been on social media for about 10 years or more, you may wanna delete some of the stuff that may read as problematic now. If you don't that's fine too, but you better be ready to own it should your time come on the chop n' block.
☆ When you frequently engage with social media, try to build thick skin and keep your composure. The internet is an unmanaged, unchecked, unpredictable frontier full of bots, trolls, and people who don't want to be agreeable or reasoned with looking for a reaction and a reason. Use your discernment wisely and figure out what constitutes as feedback or critiscism and what's actually ragebait and a trap that'll get you in hot water.
☆ If backlash is on the horizon, try not to get chased off of social media. If you plan to outlast the hate and stick around through the hard times, make a clear and consise statement addressing the matter then continue posting as normal. Stand on it, if you have to. This will require a lot of willpower and fortitude. Responding to every single comment makes it look like you're spiraling and lost control of the entire situation. Do not buckle once it gets a little hot. Too many good artists and creators leave social media due to unjustifiable backlash that they couldn't handle.
⚠️⚠️⚠️By the way, I have to state the obvious here. If a creator knowingly engages and contributes to the discourse, behaviour, and actions that actively harms children, victims of criminal intent, and people of any race, sexuality, or religion, they deserved to be blocked and ignored. They don't don't deserve your views, comments, or attention.⚠️⚠️⚠️
☆ HOWEVER, protecting your peace comes first. If you cannot mentally, emotionally, or even physically take the heat, get tf out of the kitchen fast! Get off of social media and take a few days or weeks to recoup and let things cool down. Then, whenever you're ready, come back and address things if you choose to.
☆ Most importantly, practice internet safety! It is absolutely okay to be a faceless creator, but if you want to show yourself, try to separate your personal from your professional. Refrain from live posting locations like restaurants, hotels, or airports until after your visit there so people nearby won't pop up while you're enjoying yourself. Don't post your children (if you have any, just my suggestion for their safety), partners, and family members unless you have their consent. Also, check your surroundings when you post to ensure that you don't expose any sensitive information like your address or credit cards. Privacy is your best friend and your most valuable asset. Share what you want, just remember that not everyone needs to know everything about you.
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Anyways, I genuinely hope Goose and the cast find peace after all of this is over. I don't know a lot about them or every single thing they've done, but I am aware of what has gone viral. I do not condone nor forgive racism or any type of discrimination. Period. But if someone has grown and changed since then and their current actions reflect that, I'm not gonna hold that over their heads. All of them are grown asf. Frontal lobes fully developed, I would hope! You should know right from wrong. I'm not usually in the business of dragging and long posting under other people's pages. Everyone else can, but I won't. I just block and move on. Have the day you deserve.✌🏾✌🏾✌🏾💯💯💯
Meanwhile, I will be watching the finale. I mean we've gotten this far, right? Might as well finish it. One of the things I love most about cartoons is the behind the scenes stuff. The chemistry and bonds made with each other warms my heart. And all the love and passion poured into every detail of the show makes me excited! And I genuinely hope the same is continued into...
KNIGHTS OF GUINEVERE!!!! (got this from pinterest! I don't see a signature, but credit goes to the original artist!)
I have been in love with this show the moment it was uploaded! I adore Guinivere's design and the plot is intriguing! Also one of the creators is Dana Terrace and I've been following her work since Gravity Falls, Owl House, and DuckTales (Woo-Ooo! God, I miss my DuckTales phase.😅) I can only pray this show gets a clean rollout from start to finish, and hopefully a great cast that present themselves as good people. And I hope the FANDOM behaves themselves and keep each other in check. I don't expect this show or its development to be free of any drama, that like asking for the moon lol. But should any trouble arise, may it be handled swiftly and professionally instead of waiting over 24 hours to address anything before it gets worse! 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
