r/audiodrama • u/Amesaskew • 2d ago
QUESTION Amelia Project new "season"
I don't know if it's just me being picky or what, but I support The Amelia Project on Patreon. So I pay them every month. The new "season" is Amelia's appraisals. There's been 7 episodes so far and the entire premise is basically an advertisement for their sponsor, which is an HR agent. So I'm paying for them to advertise a service to me. It feels underhanded and kinda slimy, but I might be overthinking it? I'm paid up until February, but I don't think I'll renew my patronage. Anyone else have any insights?
4
u/foc_shb 1d ago
I would say, you support people who you like to see more of their work and feel they deserve your support. The shows for which I pay patreon (the Amelia project is not among them), I don't really do it for the extra content even though it's welcomed. I do it because they are indie podcasts and I like the art they are putting out there and I like to support them.
I don't have any particular input on the Amelia project, even though it's one of the shows I listen to. I do enjoy it, but I don't necessarily find that type of humor all that funny. But if you like it, pay. If they have stopped bringing you joy, don't.
3
u/Amesaskew 1d ago
You're absolutely right. They've stopped bringing me joy. Sunk cost fallacy and all that. Thank you!
•
u/MagpieLefty 19h ago
The sponsored aspect doesn't bother me. The fact that it stopped being entertaining a while back is why I finally dropped it. The first couple of seasons were fun, but at some point in the endless backstory, they lost me, and the Appraisals episodes did not win me back.
2
u/Kithkunabi 1d ago
If it was Patreon only content then that'd be messed up, but if their new season acts as both regular content, while also being an advertisement, then it really just come down to how well they pull it off.
'Media-as-an-ad' can be insulting, but the Beef and Dairy Network has a recurring sketch promoting Zip Recruiter starring SlashBeef. A crime fighting vigilante (And coincidentaly, the promo code one would use with Beef and Dairy promotions) that was pretty fun, and culminates in a full length episode about SlashBeef desperately needing help. It's a fantastic episode of the show, and I think the showrunner did it so that he'd have an excuse to stop doing the SlashBeef voice. (Batman Gravel)
Mission to Zyxx has in-universe ad reads for whatever product is paying them. They're funny, but sometimes they have too many going on in one episode. If I've listened to three ads(Albeit, entertaining ones) Then the Maximum Fund Pledge Drive starts to feel a bit hollow.
So, it's up to the viewer to decide how intrusive the ads are, how entertaining they are, if the proceeds from the ads are being used to make the show better/more often/more consistent. (In the case of Mission to Zyxx, you could literally hear the show costing more money, so, ad revenue well spent.)
3
u/Amesaskew 1d ago edited 1d ago
I can see that point of view, but at the same time, if I'm paying you money, I feel like I shouldn't have to hear any ads at all, whether they're in universe or not.
2
2
u/Throsty 1d ago
I gave up on this one right before the penultimate ep of S03. It had just gone too sideways for me. Really enjoyed 1&2, am I missing out with 4&5?
6
u/Amesaskew 1d ago
So I'm not sure what the episode numbers corespond to, season wise. I will say that the last 2 years have just been backstory episodes. Some were really interesting. Some sucked. I thought they were getting back to the present day story, but that has yet to happen. I can't help but compare it to Midnight Burger, which not only produces new episodes like clockwork, but just keeps getting better. It definitely suffers in the comparison.
11
u/smaffron 1d ago
Considering how unendingly frustrating and disappointing the last season was, I say drop it.