You say that paying someone for bonus episodes means you're being grifted, because they're not physical products.
No, I'm not. I'm saying that the guy, like many others on the internet, use a business model which requires that the people who "buy" your "product" necessarily need to like you to want to "buy" it in the first place. Someone at a dealership doesn't necessarily need you to like them to buy a car, an actor doesn't necessarily need you to like them to buy the movie, most artists don't necessarily need you to like them in order to appreciate their music or art.
Take a look at "The Dick Show". Sure, you could possibly like it without liking Dick, but he doesn't make any money unless you like his content enough that you'd pony up dough for what is not very much extra. Do you really think Dax is the only guy with a podcast of his format? That he's the only washout with a buddy who can make libertarian and boomer takes while hollering? Do you think Sargon's audience is just watching his vids for the news?
No, just like you can get the content most of these people who I'd label as grifters make with someone else slotted in their stead, and have most of their content available for free. The point where they make money is where they "win over" the prospective supporter, and not a moment before. This incentivizes, once the "content" makes enough money for it to be important to them, keeping their public appearances as on-the-level as possible. Anything that interrupts that, any kind of scandal or what have you, is dealt with as quietly as possible to maintain their relation to their audience.
This isn't a difficult concept, and you're putting words in my mouth with that "you're being grifted" shit. No, I'm not saying this is
all that there is to the definition of grifting, you autist. I'm saying that people who
are grifters are attracted to this business model because the focus is on the personality of the one making the content rather than the content itself. Basically, that conmen are going to be common in a realm where conmen can thrive.
So either you're being massively autistic, or your definition of "grifting" is so wide it covers any number of transactions, as others have pointed out.
I chose to assume "massively autistic" because of where we are.
You either have shit reading comprehension or you have something else that has temporarily fucked with your ability to read. I'm going to choose the latter.
and say Josh should be blunt with Dick. Without np2 money Josh holds all the cards and Dick should be grateful he's even showing up. Dick is blatantly terrified of the nicest assholes on the internet and bending the knee outright is his best option.
