Pay For Content...
If you find yourself consuming more content than usual in this age of social distancing, and you find yourself grateful for that slice of distraction during the day, how much is that worth to you? Even if it looks it, NO content is effortless. Even me pretending right now that blogs are still a thing, takes effort.
And so, in this era of elevated quarantine-content-consumption AND the political spirit of the season (whereby I am not political because even though I’ve read the Hatch Act, I’m still afraid I will somehow interpret it wrong,) I would like to introduce you to my own kind of grassroots effort-
Grassroots Entertainment Subsidies.
Some people pay for cable. Some people pay for Netflix. I don’t watch either of those things, because I prefer my content, artisanal.
If you share a financial situation with me, please stop reading.
If you don’t, let’s talk about how much I pay independent creators every month and who I pay!
Pictured, Ken Reid, (@tvguidancecounselor) TV Guidance Counselor over Shibuya Crossing.
First, merch. When I stan, I prefer to stan in public. Hey, people who listen to music wear band tees -- people who listen to podcasts wear merch.
There are a few creators that I pay directly -- they’re the Old Guard folks, who had to figure out how to monetize in the days when that wasn’t easy to do.
Direct Subscriptions:
Funemployment Radio: A Portland podcast totally famous in its own right, famous to me because one of the co-hosts lived next door to me growing up. Amusing and distraction-worthy content every single day, is absolutely worth it. $7
Keith and the Girl: There’s OG and then there’s the people who have been podcasting since iPods actually existed. Your subscription gets you their whole back catalogue and all of their spin-off shows, which I go through phases listening to. Really, I subscribe because I wouldn’t have met my BFF or survived Basic Training without them. I want them to keep doing what they’re doing. $15
Gymcastic: I want someone to talk about the best and worst leotards thoughout history and recap the 2000 All Around. Being an expert in a niche and being consistent about your art is worth money. Subscribed. $2
I want Sordid Deets to come back so bad. They dropped a surprise ep this week and it was the best thing ever. I miss them so much.
Audio content on Patreon:
Solid Listen Network: This is the rebrand of the network that brings you Mother May I Sleep With Podcast, excellent in its own right and a podcast title that makes me jealous of the perfection, perpetually. I pay for Troy McEady. I subscribe to over 100 podcasts, his is the ONLY solo act I listen to, and he is a marvel. A delight. I’m like a tier-three sub for his Britney content alone. STAN. $8
Last Podcast on the Left: Honestly, my subscriptions don’t typically run this mainstream. I try to use my dollars where I think they’ll make the most difference. That’s not to say they don’t make content that’s worth money, but this one was sort of forced. They went to Spotify only and as we all know, I don’t listen to music, AND they dropped their Lee Harvey Oswald series right after? Dirty. Still. Becoming mainstream means there were a lot of years you weren’t, so not mad about it. $10
True Crime Obsessed: This is the most organic and shrewd and early-adopting use of Patreon out there. Is that a usual thing to praise and reward? Good business models? Maybe not, but these cats -- SMART. They, almost from the jump, used their free feed as bait to get to the premium content. Their free feed is GOOD, but all the stuff you REALLY want? Is premium. So, so, smart. Also I like them a lot, I’m even extra tier to get the After Party. $7
Morbid Podcast: I reward a hustle. If you’re working jobs and have kids AND make time to be consistent with your art? I’m in the Window Latching Coven because I see you. $3
Video content on Patreon:
Offhand Disney: In my list of things I am obsessed with, Disney backstories are on there. This nostalgia/business/behind-the-scenes channel with great research is awesome. VIDEOS ARE HARD. $5
Wheezy Waiter: I love his chill, not-at-all-self-important life challenge content. He puts out a lot of extra content on Patreon, but mostly I’m just subbed because I want him to keep doing what he’s doing. $5
Paul Lucas: In one of greatest adulting failures, is that I cannot for the life of me figure out how airline rewards work and have ever only upgraded to Premium Economy out of my own pocket. I am an air-travel embarrassment. I also love very thorough, methodical reviews of stuff you might not think you’d find yourself watching a review of, like in-flight amenity kits. It’s SO SOOTHING. I love airports, and I love to be soothed. $3
Swell Entertainment: Love her. Love her personality, love the effort she puts in to the concept of each video, love that I got to watch her go from 8k to over 50k in a week? Her content isn’t your typical “Hey guys!” and that’s the point. She’s unique, and I’m here for her hustle. $3
LEMMiNO: I hate to even link this video and then look at how small the pledge is, the RESEARCH and the ANIMATIONS and the ACCENT. At the very least, if you’re interested in spooky and mysterious things at all, go subscribe on YouTube. He’s amazing. $1
Nexpo: I sometimes like spooky stuff. (In the daytime, at the gym, where there are very few ghosts.) I like deep dives of spooky internet oddities, and his are deep. $1
Other artists on Patreon:
Funny But Mean: A sketch comedy troupe I was in in the early 00s, who is still doing the amazing feat of creating theatre in San Francisco today. It costs like $5000 just to SAY San Francisco, anymore. So they get my money. $5
The Unipiper: He’s a Portland cult figure, the unicyclist who plays the bagpipes in a Darth Vader helmet, and I just so happen to know he has a pretty great heart when it comes to his fans. That’s reason enough for me. $5
Kaytlin Bailey: I subscribed for her podcast, The Oldest Profession, which is an amazing empowering deep-dive into sex work throughout history, and stayed because she’s out there doing activist work on behalf of sex workers today. My money is more powerful in her hands than mine. $5
That’s $83 a month. Does it seem like a pretty big budget item? Maybe. But creating independent content is HARD work. Researching and being consistent and hustling because it’s content you care about making? I would rather pay the artist directly.
Like conceivably if I watched anything but YouTube, or listened to music at all, maybe I would have a streaming service or a cable package, but this is what I like. I like people making art.
I DO wish Patreon had a better “discovery” experience. To my knowledge, you have to know exactly who you’re searching for, to add them. I want to be recommended people! Browse creators to add. Maybe they’re working on it.
Because it seems like I have an itchy $17 more dollars that needs pledging... whose content are you paying for?













