“Celebrity” Is Merely A Word
by KLCgame, HSM guest contributor
I’ve been on Home for over three and a half years now. I’ve met tens of thousands of people, and I have probably talked to at least three thousand of them. Of course, I have learned tons of things. However, when I think back on it, a few tidbits have stuck out in my mind:
There will always be the ones who have and the ones who want.
At least one in five males will want a piece of your digital booty.
And lastly, whether you are a top HCV, the host of a popular Home videocast, Preset Number Two or a Corvette-driving Viking, I don’t care: I will shoot you just as quickly as anyone else on Battlefield 3, or any other game in or out of PlayStation Home.
Now that’s just my opinion. I’m not here to change how you feel because, guess what? I’m just another person, same as most of you. The other one or two percent reading this are probably cyborgs. And to you, I request mercy during your impending hostile takeover.
Now with all that said, I’ll explain why, after over a year, I am finally writing another article.
The other night, I was playing games at the Midways — also known as “Let’s Go Fill Up the College Funds of Mass Media’s Children.” (However, please note, I love the Midway, and will keep taking my money there.) It seemed like any other night, until a well-dressed avatar walked up to me and asked me how to get a “No Man’s Land” beta code. This seemed pretty random, until I remembered I was wearing the No Man’s Land Beta Tester hoodie. So I replied that, to the best of my knowledge, the code was sent to random PSN users. Well, after that I was informed that he highly doubted it was “random”, due to my appearances in multiple videos inside and outside of the Community Theater. Also due to the fact that I have connections to specific Home publications, and to other “important” people.
That last bit took me a few extra seconds to digest, because I think of everyone as first and foremost a person. But after a while, and thinking it though, I replied, “Trust me, man, if any of my ‘important’ friends had a beta code to give out, there would be tons of people they would give the code to before me.” And then I proceeded to “Puck It.”
"That's right, I'm a Home celebrity. Now who wants to touch me? I SAID NOW WHO WANTS TO %*&#ING TOUCH ME?!"
After a while, I looked over my chat log to see if I had overstepped my boundaries. I saw that, thankfully, I had not. But after a closer examination, I did see another thing of interest to me. Another group of people had been talking while I was having my previously described conversation. Okay, that seems normal enough. But then I read what they had to say: they were making comments about me, saying that I was another Home bigshot belittling the normal people with lies of “random selection.”
Again, why are there these levels of perceived hierarchy? We are all people. Ugh.
But it made me think. Obviously a lot of people believe that there’s a group of “important” people, and a hierarchy of Home. Why would some Home users be more important than others? That question led to another — how do people become important anywhere? Well, I think it can be divided up in four categories: hard work, being rich, being born into it, and last but not least, the luck of the draw.
That’s simple enough. And, with a few variations, the same categories can work with PlayStation Home. But I would like to point out one thing: if there is such a thing as important people on Home, let’s view the pros and cons of actually being one, as demonstrated by the things I’ve seen over the years.
I'm *famous!*
Example 1. You are one of the people whose PSN ID is on the bottom of the Message of the Day. And your prize is eternal bombardment from random people any time you are in a public space. If that’s not in your job description, it should be. Congratulations.
Example 2. You are one of the few, the proud, the HCVs. It has been said you get stuff early, and maybe even for free, to demo to the public. But you should probably have read the fine print on your contract. Because you’re going to be asked the same question by a hundred different avatars every day, and you have to reply politely to each and every one. Congratulations.
And, of course, the third and final example:
Example 3. After years of hard work, your videos are now in the Community Theater. Now enjoy being asked by everyone and their momma, “Can I be in one of your videos? Please please please? Why not?” Congratulations.
And so we see that being famous in Home it isn’t always rainbows and unicorns. Every once in a while there’s a Demon War Horse. And, though it may be an awesome creature, it will make you want to run for your life.
To those of you that are starstruck, or want to blame Home’s “one percent” for all your problems: remember they’re just people too. And, next time you see them on Battlefield 3 or in No Man’s Land, proceed to empty your clip into their head. It won’t bring you any bonus points. But it may just bring a smile to your face. And, in Home, that’s priceless.
June 4th, 2012 by KLC_KILLER | 8 comments
KLC is a long time user of PSN and Home. She has also been a long time gamer, she has enjoyed various gaming systems and she still has a working Atari, NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, and 90% of variations of all PlayStation generations. When she is not gaming, she is training to join the US Army. She also is interested in joining the WWE as a female wrestler. She currently resides in sunny Southern California.
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Yes, I may be an HCV, but I do my part & serve the community, I am not “Self Serving” & most of the people I do know through either friendship or to the people that I have given tours to will agree on that.
Hey trust me I know, I one time spent a good 3 to 4 hours with a HCV when he was giving tours. I’m glad I’ve never been picked after applying. However, even thou I have great respect for you guys, I will still empty a clip into your face on battlefield just like anyone else.
Great article KLC and something that needed to be said. This whole idea that people who are committed to this community are given special privilege is ludicrous. I have been very active in the community and have never been in any beta test of anything, it is random there is no question of that.
There ARE some well deserved kudos that come with a lot of hard work by HCV and people like Hearitwow who devote ungodly hours of work for no pay to this enterprise we are all in. I think anyone who complains about that is just being silly as I doubt they put half as much effort into Home as these people do. But the kudos come in the form of things like free items they can show others in film or otherwise, not by being in beta tests.
Oh well there will always be complainers, it is the way of things. Good read.
Wonderful article my dear! Speaking as someone that intentionally climb the social ladder in home, I did not do so to achieve fame. Home is a very important part of me and I wanted to be an important part of it. Often when I tell people about my affiliation with Home Station Magazine, their response is that I must be famous or a celebrity on Home. I’m quick to tell them that I am just a dork and I put my avatar on one controller button push at a time just like they do. It is somewhat flattering yet at the same time disconcerting. When my friends list consisted of five names it was much easier to spend the quality time I wanted to with each of them. Now I find I spend a lot of time apologizing for not being able to visit with old friends as much as I used to. But again let me reiterate I do not consider myself a Home celebrity. That actually would be a title I would not be comfortable with. I hope that in my own way I do affect Home in a positive way and that’s all I want.I think the true stars of Home are the people that selflessly give and ask for nothing in return like the HCV’s, Hearitwow and the editors of this magazine. And let me take that one step further and say anyone that helps another person while in Home for no other reason but to help.
Yes very true Olivia, but as you know quite franky better than most, I can respect people but that won’t give them any special treatment in my book or in my crosshairs.
Home is not so different than the physical worl in many aspect, this is another one. (To me, online&virtual is not less real than physical). Celebrety comes with a price. If your not ready to take the bullet, dont set your foot on the battlefield. I missed my 12 friends time too. Now i have wide range of friends. Very few are on the beta test, none of them are Mr. Joe. Perhaps the jealousy you were victim could had been avoided if that space wouldnt had been the first selected when we opened our navigator.
True but does that mean I shouldn’t be able to experience Home the way I want? I don’t think that fair and from now on I shall enjoy Home how I want, regardless of the conflicts I will encounter.
I had never really considered that people could be Celebrities on Home. There are certainly people that I look up to, and people who are visible. There are people I know of and would feel very…lucky?..if I happened to have the opportunity to talk to them. Ultimately though, I run on the assumption that everyone is simply equal under the law.
I hear of people getting Freebies and Previews here and there, and I think to myself “Good for them!” It seems that Home is a community, and those who work for it probably deserve what they get.