There's too much art and there are too many artists
Summary
There's too much art and there are too many artists," a passenger tells Kareem, kicking off a debate about the internet's impact on creative culture. The rider argues that low barriers to entry have flooded the world with content creators chasing tiny audiences on Patreon instead of developing taste and appreciation. Everyone wants to be an artist. Nobody wants to be in the audience anymore. The solution? Stop creating until you're actually good, because "a podcast for your 50 friends" isn't a podcast, it's just a group chat. Kareem pushes back, defending the value of working things out in public and failing upwards. The passenger admits they like the attention. That's the whole problem right there.
Full Transcript
So what's your take? There's too much art and there are too many artists.
100% disagree. Before the internet, right, the barrier to entry was so high, which is a bad thing, right? Because no one can build up an audience. But nowadays, the barrier to entry is so low that we've got a million content creators with like a million Patreons and no one's listening. There are so many people that are like starting a band or creating an album. I'm sorry. You shouldn't be doing that. You should be learning to build your taste. You should be learning what music means. You don't have to like release seven EPs. Well, maybe the problem is that there's just too much content. There is too much content, and that's because being in the scene and being an audience member is a lost art. Go back and learn to collect records, collect vinyls, be a guy that like loves CDs. You don't have to create something to be a worthy part of the scene. Bring back the goths.
So, are you saying that there's not enough audience members cuz everyone's a participant? Exactly. I should be in the audience. I shouldn't be sitting here with you doing this. I'm just like a random guy. I should be at home reading a book.
Why are you doing this? I don't know. I kind of like the attention.
You like the attention. That's why everyone's an artist these days. But also content creator and artist. I don't know if I can at the end of the day also everything's content.
Everything's content and it shouldn't be. I heard someone the other day call a book a piece of content.
Yeah. Instead, I'm going go to the bookstore to pick up some content.
We're going to end up with a world. Hold on. I just realized something. I guess there is at the beginning of a book something called
the table of contents. That's true. My final point is Kareem. We're going to end up in a world, right, where there are 1 billion celebrities, each with seven fans who pay them like two grand a month on Patreon, and there's going to be no like
community. I think it's okay.
I think it's sad.
What do you suggest people do? Stop.
Just be a little bit good. Then when you put it out into the world, you'll be proud of it. Don't just like
start a podcast for your 50 friends. That's not a podcast. That's a group chat. No, I think that's good.
You think that's good? I do. I genuinely I'm not even doing a bit. I think it's good when you work it out in public.
Fail in public. Fail upwards.
Okay. 100% agree.