Famous ASMRtists and New, Secret Accounts [DISCUSSION]
Picture this: you stumble upon a small channel with 400 subscribers and are interested in a roleplay they have posted. They only have the lower half of their face in the thumbnail, which is of no concern to you, but 30 seconds into the video you realize....you know this voice, you catch the subtle hint of a familiar accent peaking through. You know that smile, the teeth, even the tip of the nose looks familiar....this is very much a creator you've seen before.
You scroll through their videos and find that their account is very new: just a couple handfuls of videos, all with only a portion of the person's face being shown. Still, you're confident you know exactly who this is, someone you haven't watched in years but used to enjoy. You wonder if they stopped making content and intended to start anew, but no, their massive account with hundreds of thousands of subscribers is still up and running with regular posting.
So maybe you're crazy, but you just wanna be sure and satiate your curiosity. You pull up the video from the small creator and a video from the famous creator, side by side. It doesn't take long for the voices and mouths to match up, but still, some people just look and sound alike. This could very well be a coincidence! Even the shared freckle on the chin could be sheer chance. And then you see it: a distinct mole, with the same coloring, both just slightly bigger than a pencil eraser, on the same side of both creator's necks in the same spot. You're sure of it: you've found the secret account of a famous ASMRtist.
Nothing about their profile suggests they want one account to be connected with the other, not through what they post and not through channel descriptions. You go through the comments, just to see if anyone else clocked it, but if anyone has they didn't share such information (or if they did, then he creator deleted the comments).
This is ultimately not important information, but it brings to mind an interesting dilemma for me: the ethicality of sharing this information, and the complex relationship famous creators may have with their fans.
Firstly, though I have given enough description to where there's a chance this person could be deciphered, I have no interest in being explicit with who they are. It's clear to me that, again, they have no interest in these accounts being connected or of their identity being known. Whether they care that much I couldn't say, but there's still a reason why they felt the need to make a second, secret account. It's also not like I intended to find out this information. It was almost instantaneous: only 30 seconds in with half a face, and I knew who I was watching. Again, maybe they don't care much, or maybe they wouldn't expect someone to recognize them from so little.
Which brings me to the next point: ASMRtists and their fans. Could the creation of a second account be a way to reignite creative freedom? If you're used to making certain content and have attracted an audience that expects that content, I would imagine that a pivot could be difficult as you wouldn't want to neglect, reject, or disappoint those who are supporting you. Worse, if you found yourself making "click-bait" content and are trying to move away from that, good luck. Once you take that route, there's usually no going back in regards to your reputation. And while I personally think we can expect most people to act normal, some fans can absolutely be entitled, demanding, and parasocial. I could completely understand why someone would want to step away from what they're known for even if it's just to reignite their love for their craft away from judgmental eyes.
My questions are: does creativity flow more easily when there's less expectation, less limitations, less routine, less of a persona to fulfill? Is it still fulfilling to find yourself making content you maybe don't want to make because it pays the bills and to then release the videos you actually want to make in secret? Why not choose to pivot on your already successful channel and allow for the growing pains of attracting a new audience? At what point in the development of fame in your respective field are you then paralyzed by the expectations others have of you, or in other words, when do you lose the freedom to determine who you are rather than succumb to the version of you that others have become familiar with? Could there be another reason I haven't considered for making a second, secret channel?
Would love to know your thoughts! xx