OPINION
Actors, Social Media is Fake as F&%k!
People only post good news on social media
(The Anonymous Actor)
(Photo: Sammy Williams | Unsplash)
I’ve gotta admit, bro. Social media used to have me depressed! I mean, seriously! My moods would swing wildly from one extreme to the next.
One minute, I’m optimistic about the status of my acting career. The next minute, I’m drunk, suicidal, on the ledge and ready to leap to my death.
I used to get depressed…
The source of my periodic discontent stemmed from what I saw on social media. I would see all my actor friends inviting others to share in the joy of their latest booking. The good friends, at least.
The not-so-good friends would dry-brag. What I mean is that, under the guise of sharing their latest good news, they would almost be boasting; rubbing it in everyone’s faces.
People only post their successes, never their failures.
It’s no different than the prick who drives slowly in a Tesla, hoping everyone will see them. It’s not enough that they’re riding well in a pimped-out ride. They must remind you that you don’t have it as good as they do.
Some actors use their bookings the same way. It’s not enough for them to share their good news. They have to post about it 10 times! Like, “Look at me. I’m a guest-star on this show and you’re not!”
Things like that used to get me depressed. You see, I’m happy for any actor who lands a great role or catches a break. But, when they began to dry-brag, I would look at my own career and wonder, “When is it my turn? How come so-and-so’s working so much and not me? Am I doing something wrong?”
I realize now that social media is fake…
(Photo: Merakist | Unsplash)
But, I’m happy to report that I’ve turned over a new leaf, as my mother used to say. I no longer get depressed at the successes of my friends, including the ones who boast endlessly about their successes on the Gram and Facebook.
Nope. Not anymore!
All the boasting actors do is fake! It’s all a show.
That’s because I’ve come to realize that social media is fake! All the bragging people do is fake! All the boasting actors do is fake! It’s all a show.
Think about it! When was the last time anyone bragged about being rejected for a role? When was the last time your actor friends told the world that a casting director practically laughed them out of the room after they had a bad audition? When was the last time anyone posted about being turned down by an agent? Or dropped from their agency?
Never happens!
People only post good news on social media. People only post their successes, never their failures. In that way, it’s all an illusion. It’s a make-believe fantasy world where everything goes right and nothing goes wrong.
This is a difficult business for everyone…
(Photo: Jakob Owens/Unsplash)
Once I came to that realization, I stopped being so depressed about my own lack of success. And I celebrate the successes of other actors, including the ones who like to flex.
Because, for all their smiles, I know they’ve shed tears. They’re just too proud to do it on Facebook.
For all their successes, I know they’ve failed. They’re just too damn proud to share it on Instagram.
This is a very difficult business. It’s an endless stream of happiness and tears, of triumphs and tragedies, of joy and sorrow. That’s the REAL life of being an actor. That’s the world we all experience, no matter what we choose to share, and not to share, on social media.
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