#and showfall media member

[fullyfazed]

thinking about... gen loss oc template....

[st4rkissedwebz]

What does the founder actually plan to do when/if he recaptures the escape au gang? Would he just try to reform the company and continue what he was doing before

That or he would just take hetch back and get rid of the others before trying to reform the company

(If he is not able to do that he will Just make sure the entire gang dies with the secrets of showfall media)

[razberrypuck]

hey can we talk about how gl!ranboo has escaped before. can we talk about how some of the videos on the genloss channel used showfall media branded missing posters of ranboo, with a phone number that sends you to the showfall missing persons line. how, at the beginning of spirit of the cabin, ranboo says "it wasn't supposed to go like this" before the mask activates. or how, in response to there being four different codes, hetch says "they must've increased security since last time" and doesn't elaborate. how showfall has a 7 foot tall mechanical monster as their security, and made sure to flood every possible route that they didn't want ranboo and charlie to go down with staff members. how they took every possible precaution to make sure no one could ever escape again. can we talk about that.

[iminseriousdebt]

GENLOSS RAMBLE

Heyo! This is a little ramble I needed to make before the founders cut comes out!  yipee!

(GENERATION LOSS SPOILERS)

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So we can see in the above images the methods Showfall Media is using to control gl!Sneeg gl!Charlie and gl!Ranboo, they use an already pre-existing technology called an Electroencephalogram (EEG). Now this technology has been in use for decades, and essentially how it works is that it uses electrodes placed onto your scalp combined with a conductive gel to measure the electrical activity in your brain, these electrical signals are usually referred to as “brain waves” and these brainwaves can be subdivided into four categories, Gamma (greater than 30 Hz), Beta (13-30 Hz), Alpha (8-12 Hz), Theta (3.5-7.5 Hz), and Delta (0.1-3.5 Hz)

These different brainwaves are generally assosiated with different emotions, awareness levels, brain activities, etc. Now if Showfall Media has installed these onto sneeg, charlie, and ranboo, that means they have access to their thoughts and feelings, but brainscanning isn’t an absolute precise device, it still takes a lot of human effort and time to properly interpret the brainwaves. If Showfall somehow had a tool to easily interpret the signals they could much more easily operate, say, a live show. Lucky for them there is already a real life solution to this problem, kinda.

Its called Brain Generative Pre-Training Transformer, or BrainGPT for short.  What its goal is, is to act as an assist tool for human neurologists to use in real neuroscience cases and case studies, what it does is it uses a Large Language Model (LLM) full of pre-existing human research papers and other neuroscience knowledge too vast for human comprehension. And whenever a neurologist hands BrainGPT a prompt, (such as anomalous finding or to asses the fields understanding of a certain topic) , “would generate likely data patterns reflecting its current synthesis of the scientific literature”  (braingpt.org)

Now in regards to Generation Loss, what this means is that Showfall Media potentially has acces to this sort of technology, and would be able to use it in the production of their shows, now BrainGPT has a good way to go before its widely avalable. But in the genloss au, it can be far into development at this point, and be available for companies to use in whatever way they see fit.

Now reading and decoding brain signals is one thing, but to mind control someone is far beyond what is capable today, but Showfall Media has somehow developed technology to do so, the way I’m guessing they did it is that they produced certain brainwaves from the electrodes on the actors heads to give them the emotional reactions they needed for the show. I can’t exactly get into the technical stuff cause I’m not a neurologist, but its just a hunch on how I think they did it.

As for the mind controlling devices themselves, I feel there’s a more subtextual reason as to why those objects in particular are chosen as the devices that are central to the show’s operation. Ranboo’s mask has been a heavy emphasis throughout Gen 1 TSE,

Its been a central figure in not only generation loss’ marketing, but also ranboo’s marketing, because when you think of ranboo one of the first things that pops up is the mask, atleast in the wider public’s eye.

But these general associations not only exist with Ranboo, with Slimcicle you usually think of the wide brim glasses, with Sneeg its his backwards cap, and this is with the other cast members too when their introduced on the spinning carousel in episode 2. Furthermore, with Niki it’s that’s she's just so nice, with Austin its that he’s just a gay guy,  and with Vinny and Ethan these associations don’t really exist. So, with Vinny he's just the “hoarder”, and Ethan isn't even introduced. And then there's Jerma, who is relinquished to a goofy character with a weird voice and a strange sense of humour which sort of fits his public image.

But what I wanna mention with Ranboo’s mask specifically is that with the three images shown on the genloss twitter of the control devices, sneeg’s is just a hat, like theres nothing special about it, just a hat with electrodes on it, when you take it off he’s completely in control of himself. But, with charlie’s it’s a good bit harder to just take it off. His glasses are drilled into his skull connected to electrodes which are also implanted in his skull, with an additional feature of a speaker in his jaw. But if you remove the glasses, there would be a lot of bleeding and his vision would be impaired, but he would still be a free man.

But with Ranboo, poor, poor, Ranboo… Like Charlie, they have electrodes implanted on to their brain connected to a switch on the back of their skull (which also may or may not also be connected to their spine, idk its hard to tell). These sprout wires that thread through the mask and lead into their throat, and the mask piece itself is sewn shut onto their SKIN.

Now this makes me wonder, why is Ranboo so heavily guarded when the other are (relatively) easy to set free? Is it because Ranboo is an integral part of the show and therefore high risk? Is it because Showfall needed extra resources for the chat to be able to control them?... Or is it because Ranboo tried to escape so many times before that they were forced to disfigure them to such an extreme degree, and yet somehow, SOMEHOW, they are able to resist, whether it be tapping SOS on their hand when they're on full control mode or shanking a Showfall employee with a dagger, Ranboo, Resists. But Showfall will never let them leave. Or they will? Idk founders cut hasn’t come out yet as of writing this, anyway ramble over. You can leave now.

[mollish-art]

What is Generation Loss: Unperson?

Unperson is a Generation Loss AU written, illustrated, and narrated by yours truly!

The story begins as canon-adjacent to Generation 1 (the first chapter, Savior's Stigmata, is technically a prologue, in that it takes place during the events of episode three of The Social Experiments). In chapters 2 and onwards, the cast of TSE begin an adventure anew.

Showfall Media has revolutionized the field of interactive entertainment. In Hetch's Social Experiments, this entertainment took the form of three consecutive livestreams, which the audience could actively participate in and, ultimately, decide the fate of the Hero [i.e. Generation 1 of Generation Loss]. Now, Showfall Media is proud to bring you entertainment through an even more immersive medium: video games.

Anathema Annihilation is Showfall's most innovative use of "Phantoptics" technology to date: a video game where one's choices really matter and actively impact the world we live in.

Charlie awakens in a new environment and with a new purpose as the face of the beta tester's Hero avatar. Elsewhere, Ranboo has been revived, reprogrammed, and repurposed with a new face of his own: a biomechanical, bestial antagonist known as "The Devourer".

The player character - the Hero (who we know to be Charlie) - joins forces with a helpful non-player Companion (Sneeg) to eliminate a wide range of enemies - known as "Anathemas" - across multiple levels, each culminating with a fight against a powerful boss: an "Abomination".

Depending on the player's Variant choice, the theme (and therefore appearance and ability mechanics) of the Anathemas, as well as the Hero and Companion classses, changes.

Regardless of the player's Variant choice, however, the Abominations always remain the same: previous cast members who have been previously rejected by an audience and have been revived and repurposed as biomechanical monstrosities.

As the Hero and Companion progress through the levels of Anathema Annihilation, their minds become increasingly plagued by questions concerning their memories, free will, and grasp of reality. But they are not the only ones cursed with introspection; the Devouerer, too, clings desperately on to whatever shreds of humanity it still possesses, and seeks, above all else, to avenge its friends.

...

Now that you have a brief synopsis of the world and premise of Unperson, if you are so inclined, you can read the available chapters here or check out the in-universe website I created for it!

On the website, you can find additional lore, concept art, links to all currently available chapters (as well as audiobook adaptations of all of them, narrated by the author), themed playlists, and a fanworks feature page (showcasing some of the fanart and cosplay that you guys have made for this story)!

I am always open to Tumblr asks if you have any further questions!

Please note that Unperson is currently on a bit of a hiatus, however, as I am in graduate school and must focus on my academics before working on this AU. It will be completed - I promise you that! I have plans for the rest of the story, as well as more art and such on the way. Patience is key ;)

Here are the currently available chapters:

That's all for now, folks! Remember to check out the official website as well as my Unperson Youtube Playlist, which contains speedpaints for all of the chapter art as well as the audiobook adaptation!

Lastly, if you'd like to keep up to date on this project or share your feedback, follow or post on the #UnpersonGL tag!

[medlarmeadows]

thinking (and writing?) about canon-divergent GenLoss where Charlie and Sneeg rescue Ranboo in the nick of time. where rgbtrio were part of a Resistance group against Showfall Media. where Resistance members would be caught and placed into the GenLoss programme to prove a point, to scare others into submission, to brainwash them. where Ranboo can't remember much of his past immediately but something in his chest feels safe around Charlie and Sneeg. where Charlie and Sneeg have to hold themselves back because their little brother, not by blood but brother nonetheless, can't remember them yet.

[nothingmattersbutgenloss]

Gl!ranboo is not a good person

Gl!ranboo os not a good person. Hear me out, I also wouldn’t classify them as a bad person either? It’s been something that’s been on my mind the last few days and ranboo confirmed some of my thoughts in a stream yesterday. They talk about the original idea to end Gen 1 with the audience not liking gl!ranboo because they made selfish and cruel decisions. I don’t think that would have been enough to make the audience kill them but I could be mistaken, I liked the alternative ending that we got to see.

Continuing in the thoughts I have been having about gl!ranboo not being a good person. Showfall media frames them as the “hero”. The trailers, when Hetch discusses them, gl!ranboo is called the hero of the episodes. Ranboo actively says they just want to go and escape, rather than take down this horrible company. And although still under control of the company, there is still some choice there I’m sure when gl!ranboo decides to rip open patient Charlie and pushes Sneeg and Austin out of the way so he can fit through the hole in the wall. Both these actions are done out of survival instinct, both lead to the death of others, so do we judge that as bad or good? Was it even gl!ranboo if they were supposedly forced to do those thing? Depends on your own moral code. Would you do the same to survive? Or would you refuse to be involved in something that would kill someone.

The thing that was interesting to me is that when gl!ranboo gains more control in ep 3, they momentarily forgets the idea of escape when they find out that some of the other cast members are alive and need saving. This makes them seem more selfless and little more like the hero we are told we are watching. This doesn’t last long before gl!ranboo decides to just escape, wanting to just let the police deal with it.

We are so used to seeing the “chosen one” be hesitant at first but ultimately make the decision to save everyone and any cost, gl!ranboo does not give us that typical chosen one we expect. They kill for their own survival, attempt to make bargains with the bad guys to survive: gl!ranboo begged to be let go and in return they wouldn’t even tell anyone what was going one- leaving many to suffer at the hands of showfall media.

It’s just so interesting to me that regardless of state of gl!Ranboo’s control over themselves, they dance the line between moral and immoral, good or bad. But at the end of the day it all comes down to what you believe is okay in the name of survival

I still love gl!ranboo very much. They are very sad and I just want to give them a hug and a snack without pickles or slime, but they are not your typical perfect chosen one hero. They are a realistic version of a person - at least of one in their circumstances -trying to survive. They are not a good person.

I think it speaks more of the need for things to be black and white in our society, when most of it is just grey and depends on your own moral values

Regardless of whatever I say being accurate or not, props to Ranboo and crew for creating this! It’s true my spectacular and I haven’t had this much fun digging up and analyzing and just in general enjoying a fandom.

[maybebitterxox]

CALLING ALL GENLOSER FAN ARTISTS!

TW // Descriptions of gore

This whole concept centres around a genloss AU, one that’s not too far from canon but is just a little bit more disturbing.

We know that, at least with Ranboo, Sneeg and Charlie, they’re controlled by various headwear; Ranboo his mask, Charlie his headphones in Episode 3 and Sneeg his hat. With Ranboo and Charlie, it’s made clear that taking it off is what regains the consciousness of the person; however, Ranboo is warned by Hetch that if he tries to take his mask off prematurely, his “whole face comes off with it”.

(We know this doesn’t apply with Charlie or Sneeg as their headpieces are removed easily, and Sneeg’s whole hat thing just feels like a big exception to everything, but sssshhh just pretend. As I said, this is based on an AU).

Now, Hetch was likely saying that just to convince him not to try to take the mask off. But what if he had been serious? Consider an AU where the mask is literally surgically attached to Ranboo’s face, and all the other headpieces being used to control other cast members are exactly the same, making it incredibly difficult, or even deadly, to remove them.

Now consider a group of frantic people, afraid, panicked and angry, who are willing to harm themselves to hellish extents by removing their headset objects to regain control. Consider one person on the carousel breaking free of the control and ripping masks, earpieces or hats off of the rest of the cast in a panicked state in an attempt to save them too, or multiple people working together to remove controlling devices from another cast member who cannot do it themselves.

Thus is born a gory fanart idea of the characters having tried to rip away the thing keeping them under control, or of another character having done it for them. Here’s kind of how I imagine it would look like:

Earpieces: This is one that will work with any character, because if you look in the episodes, you will see all of them wearing obvious earpieces for communication purposes (Ranboo talked about how there was no real way to hide these earpieces, much like the cameramen in episode 2 and 3, so they’re made to seem intentional and to fit in with the storyline. So yes, they’re canon). To get something attached to the ear off wouldn’t be the worst; in fact, it would be mild in comparison to most of the other options here. Maybe ripping it out would just badly injure the ear and damage the skin, maybe the whole ear would have to come off depending on how it’s been attached (which is plausible, ears are surprisingly easy to rip off). So you could really draw any of the characters like this, with a bloody, mangled ear and clutching the remains of the earpiece in their hand (or just the whole ear itself).

Regular face mask: Ranboo, the Ghouls and Jerma (the Puzzler) all wear a mask over the lower half of their face. The Puzzler’s is technically prosthetics, but let’s assume it somehow acts in the same manner. Skin would obviously be ripped away and maybe even flesh, which could give them a half zombie-esque look with holes that expose their teeth and gums. Very grim to picture but also cool. And in Ranboo’s case, maybe he would have to cut the wires out from his neck as they could be attached there too, or down his back.

Rat Face Mask: A good three quarters of their face skinned and ripped away. Their eyes and mouth/general lower face area would be fine, but the rest… ouch. Also a zombie-esq look like the regular face mask, but more on the upper half of the face.

Showfall Media Mask: Yeahhh the employees get the worst deal out of this. Their entire face would be basically torn apart, but instead of blood, consider wires poking out of the rips in the flesh, or maybe even out of the eye sockets. I imagine you would see this after one of the cast would try to pull the mask off of an employee they encounter.

Hats: Okay, this one set up to look pretty stupid, as you would immediately imagine it taking all the hair off the top of their head, which would look ridiculous. But rather imagine wires maybe being threaded into the skull through the hat; maybe in a sewn on kind of way, maybe just with just multiple drilled holes in the head that the wires run down through. Wires would be trailing out of the head once the hat has been removed, or you would see them stitched into the skin under the hair. Blood would be soaking their hair and face, which would be pale because of the blood loss. Niki, Sneeg and Vinny apply here.

Glasses: Ethan and Charlie both have glasses, which are an easy deal, like the earpieces except better. Just ripping off skin/flesh where the glasses are attached, so the bridge of your nose and the side of your face. Painful, but won’t affect any of your necessary reflexes/senses such as hearing, sight or vision, and won’t kill you.

Headphones: As I mentioned earlier, Charlie’s headphones are removed without injury in episode 3, but ssshhh and just imagine. I would think that they would probably have wires connecting into his ears, so after they were taken off there would be loose wires poking from the ears and a lot of blood coming with it. Also probably a complete loss of hearing accompanying it, even though you can’t exactly draw that. That or both of the ears have to go.

Horns: Charlie also has his horns as The Spirit in Episode 1. This all depends on how you’d imagine them being attached to him; if you’re thinking like just fake horns on a simple band (like the actual prop used), then it would be a similar deal to the hat with the wires running into the skull along the band, most likely in a sewn style. If you like the idea more of two separate horns fully attached to his head, then just imagine they were stitched there and had to be pulled off. Yikes, poor Charlie.

You can also do combos. If a character has an earpiece and a hat, draw them as though they needed to rip both of these items off!

This is just a concept I came up with that I think would be really cool to see. No credit needed for the idea if you do take inspo from this, but do tag me in art as I love to see it!!

Also, just a little specific idea I have related to this is either Charlie in episode 3, Sneeg in episode 1 or just the carousel crew from episode 2 trying to remove Ranboo’s mask, maybe even just out of curiosity or ignorance, to horrible results. Very disturbing, but a good prompt for both fanartists and even fic writers I think

[personwithatophat]

Intresting concepts, I love where you're going with that idea. I needed some expansion on that ngl and you fully cooked there /pos (Also hi Tophat)

What thoughts do you have on the idea Austin can see everything/the fact he either has no filter or a broken filter? Why would he be given this ability by Showfall besides the idea of an entertainment asset?

Hello! o/ thank you and good followup because austin is my crutch so i appreciate making me take it head on. (feel free to challenge my theories it helps me build them! :] ) As for austins filter being broken, I think the theory is good but incomplete. Austin does have a filter and has involvement, but it clearly works differently. in fact most of the 'filter items' have their own rules that they go by, its not a uniform model.

and a bit of this has to do with just how the show works sneegs hat isn't wired into his skull because he takes it off a couple times during the show or moves it around charlie has some kind of base program where he can run multiple items at once since during episode 2 he was wearing the glasses and the headphones and there are theories that details like this such as placement, hardware, etc have an effect on the items' limitations. for example, sneeg doesn't have surgically implanted hardware so he can't run two items like Charlie can and when they try, it shorts out and we get the ep 2 hat scene. or that other cast members couldn't be 'The Hero' since ranboos mask is necessary and capable of more complex sequences. that being said I've seen people speculate that Austins item is his jacket, which is entirely possible but it makes it confusing when he actually takes it off in the dressing room. so I'm going to pivot to the theory that he doesn't have a formal item. "so he doesn't have a filter?" not what I said. During the beginning of ep 2 before sneeg gets soft rebooted he doesn't actually have a filter item either and is still very much in character, he doesn't even recognize ranboo, we have hard proof that this is possible. and we know Austin is filtered/playing a character just by how he's acting in general. Austin as a showfall media victim has no reason to lie about having a wife and several children. why wouldn't he have a formal item? maybe because he was originally written to get double-tapped in Nikki's place in scene 1. Its very up for interpretation still but I believe a lot of this stems from the way that Austin is compared. Specifically how he gets compared to ranboo and sneeg when Ethan dies. i would like to counterpoint this with the way that Austins character is built for the episode. desperate, afraid, ......straight. but at the same time, he stalls to catwalk in the closet, mouthes off to puzzler questioning him having children, and is also very gay. so I think there might be some difference in writing. So yes, Austin is the only one who has a normal and more aware response to Ethan's death. Austin is also the only one there that isn't 3 layers deep in meta.

during this moment Austin is the only one freaking out but consider the company. ranboo is an NPC at this point. he got factory reset and basically has a cap over free thought, right now the only thing in his brain is the objective to go through the show. Austin is still in his role of character trying to escape this actual saw trap he's stuck in, his panic is as warranted in character as it is out so he panics and when the others don't it freaks him out more. sneeg on the opposite side of the spectrum is knee-deep in lethargy. sneeg is actually the one seeing everything how it is and can't respond to any of it so he doesn't care about anything anymore. after his soft reboot sneeg can still see but he's confined to the roll, I want to make a separate sneeg post because he's actually the one I think people view Austin as. so yeah I think that Austin has something going on but I think it's a step to the left of the current theories. sneeg is where the real awareness is feel free to ask me for any clarification on this since I jumped around a lot or if you have other questions/theories because this is epic :D -Tophat

[bitethetablet]

genloss has alot of references

1. saw / willy wonka / the cabin in the woods / truman show

2. baking cake vids / mining streams / hole in the wall / jerma’s dollhouse streams

3. mouse trap / operation / overall maze games? / dress up games

*added note: genloss sneeg, ranboo, and charlie fitting a highschool movie trope possibly accidentally: the nerd the jock / “bully” and the main character who just wants to make it

i’m sure there’s more i’m probably missing but there’s just alot of references right? but the show moves fast- we go from cooking gl!slimecicle a meal to suddenly playing mouse trap with rats, there’s no time to understand what’s happening YOU have to do this.

there’s endless keys to collect along the way, don’t look at the fallen cast member, look for keys!

all staff at showfall feature blank expressions even covered up by a mask, there’s this parasite controlling everything in this mall, what is it? a look into infinity? why are we told not to watch this? why is gl!ranboo blamed?

(i think) the parasite is a rogue sorting algorithm, it goes off of your interests, it looks into the cast member’s brains, it constantly puts in more and more media it thinks you would like so you keep watching and feeding more answers into it

[peninkwrites]

The Green Room - Ch 3 of 4

Showfall Media’s recasting process starts with a trip to the green room. There, cast members are offered the truth before the slate is wiped clean…

crossposted to ao3

Ch 1

Ch 2

Ch 4

CHARLIE SLIMECICLE - RECASTING 104

“Hello, Charlie!  It’s good to see you again,” a cheerful voice jars him awake.

Charlie sits up sharply, heart already racing, body remembering things his mind can’t.  He feels something constricting his chest, tightening around his wrists, even his ankles.  “W-What…?  Why am I… Why am I tied down?!  Why can’t I move?” Charlie tugs desperately against the bindings around his body.

“Hi, Charlie,” a woman sits across from him with a clipboard, smiling.  “You’re tied down because you have a history of quickly getting violent when you start to remember, but I’m sure you can figure as much from how you’re struggling right now! I’m going to try to move fast, jump-start the process, we’re pretty good at it by now, huh?”

“What’re you… What’re you even saying?” Charlie can’t explain the panic gripping him, but he knows this is wrong, this is bad, but that doesn’t change the fact that he cannot move.

“Charlie, I am a technician who works for Showfall Media.  You call me Dr. Smith,” she says gently.  “We’ve met and talked many times before, you just don’t remember.”

“Where’s…” Charlie’s chest feels very tight, old pain digging into him, not merely internally, but it feels like his skin is pulled too taught, phantom claw marks digging into his back, wrapping around his torso.  “Where are they?”

“Where’s who, Charlie?” The woman asks.

“Where are the others?” Charlie feels dread deep in his gut.  “Do you… do you have Ranboo?”

“The others are alive.  They’re fine, Charlie.  They’re either in their Green Rooms being prepped for recasting, or they’re waiting for their next roles,” Dr. Smith looks slightly puzzled.  “Hm.  You don’t usually ask about specific costars, but I guess this last role you had, you really bonded with Ranboo as the Hero, huh?”  She laughs.

Charlie feels sick.  “Roles?  I don’t… I don’t understand.  I don’t know what’s happening,” he has a tremor in his voice, even as he feels like this is not a place for weakness.

“You will,” she says simply.  “This is the part where you listen.”

Charlie glances frantically around the room, it’s irritatingly calm, furnished with padded wooden chairs, almost like a waiting room.  They’re alone, as far as he can tell.  He looks down at his own body and sees thick straps holding him in place.  There’s no way he could tear free, he sees no escape, so he slumps back, weary.

“Listen to… listen to what?”

“Hm, we could call it a recap of sorts.  You’re one of our oldest cast members, so there’s a lot to fill in, but we also are really good at this by now, huh?” She says, voice sickly sweet.  “What do you remember, Charlie?”

“What… I don’t… I don’t remember.  I don’t remember fucking anything, alright?!  I don’t… I don’t understand what’s happening.  Who the fuck are you?” Charlie sounds more pleading than angry.

“I told you who I am.  Are you asking who Showfall is?”

“And you’d tell me?  If I asked, you’d tell me what Showfall is?” Charlie says it like a challenge rather than a question.

“Of course.  You can ask me questions.  Whatever you like, and I will help you fill in the gaps,” she says with a knowing smile.

“I don’t… I don’t want you to tell me.  They’re my memories, I should fucking remember them!” Charlie shouts at her, still trying uselessly to tug free.

“Yes, that complaint I still don’t quite understand.  Obviously, you don’t remember them, so, what’s the harm in hearing it from me?”  She asks.

Charlie falters.  “Still?”

“Yes, Charlie.  Still.  I knew you would say that.  You always do,” she nods, as if satisfied.

Charlie’s anger is swallowed by panic then swallowed by dread.  There’s a long pause, as she waits for him to reply as he has many times before.  “Always?”

“Yes, Charlie,” she speaks with endless patience.  Every time, the terror is new for Charlie, but for her, it’s part of the routine.  “Always.”

Charlie pauses, trying to piece together with what little memory he does have.  “Showfall… Showfall made all this.”

“Correct.”

“And… it was a show.  All of it was a show.”

“Correct.  And you were following a script, and whatever story you currently have in your head is not quite the truth, and no, you don’t have a family or anyone waiting on the outside for you.  Although,” she laughs, “waiting would imply if you did have a family, you would have access to them again one day, but that’s simply not true.”

One by one, she answers his next questions.  She knew what he was going to ask, because he always asks.  Charlie is stunned, frozen save for his frantic breathing.  “This is… this is fucked,”  he laughs, voice high and frantic.  “This is totally fucked!”

“Mhm,” she is neutral, not attempting to defend the company nor admonish its immortality.  “How is your memory looking?  Sometimes if I go too fast it doesn’t start coming back immediately.”

Charlie’s mind is not an empty cavity, there are memories, memories that contradict and overlap, memories he cannot trust.  “I’ve been here… I’ve been here for so fucking long, right?” He’s still pleading, maybe for a different answer.

“Yes.  A very long time,” she waits for him to continue.  “See, I shouldn’t have led the conversation like that.  I should have just let you repeat as needed.  So, go ahead!  Ask what you’re going to ask,” she says brightly.

Charlie remembers the cabin.  He remembers being a child there.  He remembers the walls always had ghosts, he just didn’t realize that included a camera.  The role he played couldn’t have been the cabin.  It was the devil, it was the slime and the absurdity and the cruelty he remembers with distaste, but the cabin… The cabin was fake too.  He remembers seeing the set just before… just before the pain set in.  He remembers the cabin being real, too.  Not merely when he found himself emptied of all impulses except mischief, but of older memories.  Much older.  Those memories too are distorted and strange, little shreds of understanding.  Sleeping underneath the bare wooden rafters, playing with toys, his little bike.  The whispering from the walls keeping him up at night.  If he was there as a boy, if that’s where he grew up, then why can’t he picture his mother’s face?  Why are there only this bare shards of memory, never something to be called a whole person?  Charlie tries to search for a life within himself, but there’s only the pieces.  His entire life, broken like that stupid jar of ashes… He maybe had a grandmother, but he doesn’t remember her, he only remembers the ashes.  “I don’t… I don’t remember anything before… before this.  It’s just… it’s just bad, it’s just lot’s of bad a-and nothing from before.  When do I… when do I start remembering before?” Charlie asks.

She has an answer ready.  “Well, most people even without rewrites don’t remember very much that far back.”

Charlie feels nauseous.  It reminds him of claws embedded in his chest.  “How… how far back?”

“Coming up on 19 years now!  Don’t worry, I haven’t been here that whole time, before me, there was someone else who was assigned to you, and before then, someone else.  And, before you ask, that means you joined Showfall when you were five years old.  You, of course, weren’t part of any of our productions until you were much older, it was more like… you were in training.  No, we do not have any record of your parents.  We have no idea who they were, but no one has coming looking for you, not even back then, so it doesn’t really matter, now, does it?”

“Why’d… why’d you say don’t worry?  Is that supposed to… to fucking reassure me?” Charlie buries the tremor in his voice and tries to fill it with anger.

She shrugs.  “Sometimes it does.  If I didn’t say that, you’d get freaked out, try to hold me responsible,” she laughs.  “When, we both know I’m just doing my job, I’m just a cog in a much bigger machine.”

Charlie tries to think, he tries to piece together what little he can gather, and he finds only pain.  “There was… there was the cabin, I don’t understand that, but that was… oh god, it gets worse… it gets so much fucking worse, on the table, on the… the operating table, why did I sound like that?” Charlie asks desperately.  “It’s… two memories, it just sort of goes… it blurs together.  I was talking to Ranboo, but I was also screaming, I was begging him to stop, I wanted it to stop, but at the same time––like, the exact same fucking time––I felt nothing.  I just… I just talked to him.  How does that… how does that make any sense?”

“Well done, Charlie.  See, Showfall has a wonderful process that allows us to have both post-production footage and live footage coexisting simultaneously,” Dr. Smith sounds almost excited now, ready to gush about the magic of Showfall Media.  “We cannot fully erase your body’s reaction to, say, disembowelment, but you just screaming the whole time doesn’t make for good TV, of course, so post-production programs you before the show, to act you know, entertaining, while your body and mind still react to the trauma being inflicted, all at once!”

“S-So… so what you did to me, what… what you had Ranboo do, that… that wasn’t fake?”

“None of it was fake.  We here at Showfall value authenticity.”

Charlie nods slowly, eyes swimming, words choked and weak, “so… so what I remember, the cabin, that was real?  But I… I saw the cameras a-and the missing wall, it was a fucking set, but what I remember, it’s– Fuck, my head feels so fuzzy…”

“Well, that exact backstory wasn’t fully accurate, but the best way to make a sturdy backstory is with grains of truth.  You grew up somewhere like that, but yes, it did have a 4th wall.  In the literal sense, not the philosophical sense, of course.”  Dr. Smith stands.  “Scent and taste are some of the greatest triggers for memory.  Would you like a mint?  You’ve had one here before.  They’re nice, see?”  She takes one from the bowl on the coffee table and puts it in her mouth, as if to prove it’s not poisoned.

Charlie shakes his head.  “I don’t… I don’t have parents.  So, who raised me?”

“Showfall did.”

“No, no I mean–”

“Who exactly, I know, I know,” she rolls her eyes.  “I thought I already clarified this, I’ll do better next time,” she makes a note on her clipboard.  “You didn’t have a singular guardian.  They worked in shifts, Charlie.  There is no one person you can pretend is a parent.”

“That’s… that’s not what I’m trying to do.”

“You’re looking for a family, correct?  Or, as I said, maybe just someone to blame?  Usually it’s one of those two.”

“Will you just let me fucking answer?!  Just– Just stop saying it for me!” Charlie snaps.  Weaker, he stares at the faded carpet.  “You… you said you would stop.”

“You’re right.  I apologize.”  Insincere.  She sits back down across from him.

“I… I remember.  I remember some… stuff,” Charlie starts out unsteadily, still refusing to look up at her.  He feels like there are lines of hot wire across his back and his stomach, phantom claw marks he remembers well.  It could have actually been hot wires at the time too.

“Go on.”

“I remember… I was in my office… but it wasn’t my office, it was… it was a mall, but I didn’t realize it… not until Ranboo grabbed me…  I couldn’t see it, not until… Fuck, that doesn’t make sense, how can… how can something look different from one fucking second to the next?!”

“I said I’d answer your questions, but that one, the science is way above my paygrade.  In that instance, your headphones played something that you were programmed to respond to in a certain way.  Not that that was necessary, it was just useful to ensure you reacted the right way when Ranboo took the headphones off.  I can’t explain much better than that,” she at least sounds apologetic.  “Regardless, your office…” she laughs.  “It isn’t real.  You realize that, don’t you?  That was your office.  The details, the home outside that office, that part was… as I said, edited in post.”

Charlie stares at her, baffled and anguished.  “My… my whole f-fucking life… none of it is real.”

She smiles, condescending pity radiating.  “It’s as real as you are, Charlie.”

“I just want to be a person!” He pleads, choking back tears, throat still raw from screaming on that operating table he so vividly remembers.  “An actual… an actual fucking human being!”

She sighs, and she looks terribly kind as she stares at him.  “You don’t even know what that is.  You’ve been here far too long for that.”

“I…” That seems to stun him out of it a bit.  He feels sick.

“Let’s focus on what you remember, Charlie.”

“No!  No, I don’t… I don’t care, I know it’s not… I don’t remember, I don’t, I want…” Charlie trails off, hanging weakly from the chair.  He doesn’t know what he’s trying to say, what he’s hoping will come of this.

“What do you remember?  It will help, I promise.”

Charlie finally nods.  He doesn’t look at her.  “I remember… the kitchen.  That kitchen, in the cabin.  The…” Charlie closes his eyes, two intersecting versions of the same place overlapping and creating a fog in his head.  “The door into the basement was wrong.  In the… in the fake one.  That door, it was supposed to open onto the top of the stairs, not…” His eyebrows furrow.  “Not right into the basement, it doesn’t make any sense.  It’s not a basement.”

“Well done, Charlie,” the woman almost sounds teasing.  “The set could not have an actual basement, obviously.  Just as it couldn’t have an actual attic.”

“But I remember…”

“Yes, you remember the Cabin being laid out like an actual building, but the actual set had to work differently, see?”

“That… that doesn’t make sense.  I… I remember…” Charlie finds it harder to catch his breath, as two layouts overlap, creating something almost impossible in his mind, his comprehension wanes, his vision blurs.  “It doesn’t make sense!  It doesn’t make sense!  It can’t be… It can’t!”  He gasps for air, screaming until his lungs ache.

Dr. Smith stares at his hysterics with mild alarm, but not anything like concern.  “I’ll make a note about set design for next time, clearly, the contradiction is too much,” she says by way of comfort.

“My head… my head f-fucking hurts.  It’s the same door, it’s the same fucking door but it opens on stairs and!  And it goes right in the basement and there’s no fucking fourth wall!” Charlie laughs, high and hysterical, vision blurring as tears finally spill free.  “It doesn’t make… any  sense… Any sense…”

“Charlie, please calm down, or I’ll have to sedate you.  That will put off your recasting, and undo our work here, and make the whole process much more unpleasant,” Dr. Smith tries to talk loudly over his babbling.

“It’s broken!  It’s all fucking broken!  I can’t remember, I can’t––it hurts!” He yanks against the restraints even as he feels sharp pain, as his skin breaks and blood beads around them.

“Sedate him,” Dr. Smith snaps her fingers and a masked figure enters the room.

“Stay away from me!  Stay the fuck away!” Charlie struggles desperately, trying to pull away when the figure grabs his head, pushing it to the side, exposing his neck.  Charlie sees a needle.  Then the room starts to blur.  He can’t scream anymore.

Dr. Smith’s voice continues through the haze.  “I’m sorry about this, Charlie.  We’ll be more careful with set design next time.  And next time we meet, I’ll make sure you have a mint, hm?  Things tend to go better when you do.”

Charlie cannot protest, he cannot scream anymore.  “Normally, he’s much better behaved.  He hasn’t gotten aggressive like this since we introduced the new restraints.”  Her voice is fuzzy now too.  She isn’t talking to him.  His wrists don’t hurt anymore either, instead, a staticky numbness has spread. “We should definitely be more careful with the architecture.  And be extra rigorous with his recasting, brutal, even, considering how bad it got this time.”   Blackness eats away at his vision until he can’t see.  It’s getting harder to hear.  His chest hurts.  “I know the showrunners won’t love waiting on the recovery time, but better than a breakdown like this happening live…”

And then, as always, there is nothing.

[generationlosscorkboard]

So! Matpat has finally rejoined us!

Welcome back to the theorist crew, Matty. We've been busy in your absence.

Now the council will decide whether your theories are truly what we've been waiting for. ('The council' being, well, uh, just me, I guess.)

(At the time of writing this, Ranboo has not reacted to this video. If at any point he does, I will follow up on this post.)

If you have not already seen it, here's the link to his video:

Anyways.

(long post you know the drill)

The first section the video is Matt just recapping his past theory, about the two factions which he has now labelled as being Showfall and Generation Loss. These two factions have been fighting over who gets to say what in the media we're shown, with the Gen Loss crew overwriting Showfall's content with cutaways, red writing (origin of my Red Writing tag), and other such edits.

Note: I can understand Matpat's reasoning for calling that group Showfall. I wouldn't, I'd probably associate these guys with who I've been calling GIC's, but for the sake of clarity and consistency, I will be using Matpat's naming conventions. If I need to make a distinction between Matpat's names and Showfall the company or Generation Loss the show, the latter two will be highlighted in red and/or otherwise clarified.

Matpat states that he's done exactly what we've been tasked to do, and found The Founder. I will admit that I was very interested and dubious in this, given we have barely touched on that here. The most we have is that the Video taper showcased at the end could potentially be our guy, but that hasn't been set in stone as The Theory.

Matpat goes back to discussing the videos, specifically going back to T_2: The Inauguration, which he clarifies is about inaugurating us, the viewer, into the Generation Loss group.

Here's a link to a previous post about this particular video by @ozzybutweirdthistime

OP of that post had interpreted it as a way for picking out the cast members for Showfall, whereas Matt has taken it as being a sort of recruitment for Generation Loss. I find this difference of opinion so entertaining, because in that case, both parties what you willing to kill another human being for the cause. Sounds about right! As for which one I think is true, well.... I kinda side more with Mat Pat on this one. The video, for one, is a Gen Zero video and Showfall (the company, not the GIC's) isn't part of this generation according to Ranboo (last I checked).

Still, it could apply to either group, and I really like that ambiguity.

The next thing Matpat discusses is The Social Experiments, giving a quick recap on what it was, that Hetch was supposedly helping him only to turn out to be Showfall, that we killed Ranboo live, (live). Only he thinks Ranboo didn't die, and that Ranboo is actually The Founder.

His reasoning and evidence for this is the following:

Ranboo, whilst trusting Hetch, didn't take Hetch's advice to do as the audience says, rather picking the wrong code so the alarm would be activated and the show could continue how Showfall planned it.

Ranboo purposely doesn't take the first exit sign post button push, rather he heads for Hetch door.

We were asked to kill the Founder, and who did we vote to kill in the end? RANBOO!

Ranboo purposely picked the wrong exit in the Closet, leading to Ethan's death.

Ranboo knows that Sneeg has been there for Six years, and accidentally slips this when they free him.

The Puzzler is scared of Ranboo and was scared that he killed Ranboo too early, which wasn't what was meant to happen, and he apologized for that. Also, the line "Well that's for you to know and me to find out".

Ranboo wants the audience to kill him, in a mix of " hey look at me I'm so christ-like!" and dying for your sins/getting us to do what we need to do to survive.

The Cutaways require Ranboo to be alive post-production in order for them to happen.

Ranboo is reorganising the footage for release as the founder's cut, making it sadder (MANIPULATION), and to change and add certain details to make it better (REWRITING THE TRUTH/CANON). also Ranboo may quietly delete the original VODs so they no longer can speak their truth (GASLIGHTING)

Now. Here's why I disagree with Matpat on this.

The reason Ranboo didn't take Hetch's advice was not because they wanted the show to go on and knew that "theorists" would hinder that by choosing the correct option. Rather, he didn't want to take advice from a faceless audience who have been the one's controlling his life for a long as he remembers. He isn't even aware that the audience is actively trying to save him the best they can, he just thinks they want him for entertainment. Hence, he makes the decision for himself with a 75% chance of failure and ends up setting off the alarm.

As for why Ranboo ignored the first exit sign, my own mask theory gives the reason for this: Ranboo was almost always being controlled or at the very least, having their perception altered so that the story would go as it was supposed to.

We've killed and/or seen the deaths of seven people over the course of this series (some even twice, or three times over!), and sure, Ranboo's death was a very big focal point, I don't think that meant they were the FOUNDER. if he was, I'm pretty sure that would of meant Gen Loss was over, done, we did the thing we were supposed to do and now can go on with our lives. But no, the show goes on. Ranboo was just the focal point of this particular story. (it's been mentioned by Hetch that this cast selection normally happens off-camera, but because of the novelty of this version, their gets to be live)

Ranboo picking the wrong door. Simple, he was being mind controlled then, which we know because of the lights and also the NPC voice going on then. I find it really interesting that Matt hasn't once mentioned the mind control aspects of the show, in any form it came up as. During those moments, yes they were continuing the story in a story way, but not because they were the one in control.

The Sneeg thing- I'm like 90% sure this was just Ranboo improv-ing, plus he said it in a questioning tone and followed it up with "I don't- I don't know..?" Idk, it sounds just a little to me that he doesn't know.

Now for the Puzzler. Dude's just incompetent at being a Saw guy, man. He did actually kill Ranboo in that moment, according to Ranboo (source: Going through my favourite bits!), so the "nearly killed his boss" is a bit of a iffy thing (even if the filter doesn't let him realise that he did actually kill Ranboo). he's just genuinely sorry about it as is. (again, he's just a goofy guy, who is heavily filtered like everyone else). Although I will admit that the "that's for you to know" line is definitely something. Personally, I'd like to think it was Showfall speaking through the Puzzler to the audience, without the puzzler realising the deeper meanings.

The reasoning for Ranboo dying. Matpat calls it as Ranboo making himself out to be Jesus like (and while, yeah CC Ranboo is basically doing that cause hell yeah), I think of it as Showfall showing off how in control they are, mimicking religious imagery (almost mockingly) and their apparent control over life and death. How God-like they are. So, we have similar ideas around this particular one, only we just differ on the one sending the message.

Matpat then compare's The Social Experiments to those of Stanley Milgram (who, coincidentally, A friend told me about the day this video was uploaded). And I agree! There are definitely a lot of similarities. The subjects are forced into a situation by an authority figure (the experimenter) of deciding the fate of another subject, to the point of inflicting pain that could cause death (only for the pain to be fake, and the whole situation fabricated).

Matpat and I agree, that Ranboo's death was faked. Well, sorta. But for veryyyy different reasons. Matt says it's because he's the Founder and needs to stay alive, while I say it's because Showfall like to reuse everything, so why waste a perfectly good body? (Clarification: Ranboo the person is dead. But their body is reused, either like Frank or as one of the Employees.)

With the cutaways? I think they were filmed before. Ranboo is completely under their control, so it's easy enough to make pre-prepared cutaways and then make their actors do certain things that make the cutaway make sense/relate to the show. especially with how meticulously planned this particular show is. Especially since this show is completely Live apart from the obviously cinematic stuff, but again, pre-recorded (either in-universe or because of IRL health and safety laws requiring that actors don't actually get smashed by anvils).

His whole founder's Cut idea is certainly something. However, the main reason for the founder's cut is to remove a lot of the livestream-y stuff, add in some of the things that got missed out the first time around because it just got skipped over in the live performance, and just tweaking a few things here and there so that we get the experience of Gen Loss we were always supposed to get. (yeah yeah it's rewriting the current Canon but not in THAT WAY). I actually have a couple of friends waiting on the founder's cut release purely because I suggested they do due to just how long and sometimes a little stuck in places the og is (as much as the first episode was great, they were in the kitchen for a LONG time, hell even the YouTube VOD skips out the Create a Creature bit). Also i would like to see Ranboo even TRY gaslighting us. Have you SEEN the amount of edits, scene packs, small detail discussions (my own Masterpost of small details for one.)

Final Notes

Now I don't know why Matpat didn't mention the whole mind control aspect, or why he wasn't apparently aware of certain details that Ranboo himself has confirmed, but honestly, even I'm not caught up on everything going on. I've got a private playlist on YouTube called "gen loss to watch" and wow I have not watched half of those. I also have the benefit of being focused on Gen loss, and not managing four channels each with a wide range of things to cover. That and the fact I'm constantly in the loop with all of you, and seeing what you all think.

AHFG anyways. No theory is a bad theory, and it was really nice to hear Matpat's thoughts on this, no matter how differing. Don't spread hate to him, and don't interpret this post as me hating on him. We're all just trying to solve this thing, and by god are we going to do it.

But hey. It's just a theory. A GAM- wait.

[otherfloppiestcatto]

Genloss x QSMP brainrot part 3 electric boogalee

part 2

(part 2 links part 1)

Every minecraft series referenced in QSMP is canon to the Genloss x QSMP universe, but with things like DSMP, that was a live action show that Wilbur, Philza, Bad, Foolish, Quackity, and Slime all originally acted for, but none of the deaths actually happened, and after the controversy-ladden shutdown of the DSMP, all of them eventually broke ties with Dream to go off on their own thing.

(for slime his thing was joining genloss and fucking dying)

Also yes technoblade did die of cancer in this universe. Phil and Niki left because they didn't feel comfortable continuing the series without one of the biggest stars.

2b2t is a 'no mans land' filled with some of the most dangerous and powerful individuals, both in terms of physical strength and magical strength. Almost every member of 2b2t has some sort of magical ability, otherwise they don't last long. Some magic users go to 2b2t because it's one of the only places that will allow them to legally use their abilities, be it:

Flight,

Super strength,

Clairvoiance,

Mind control, (which is how groups like the spawnmasons built that giant obsidian symbol.)

And FitMC does have these abilities, and made himself known as one of the main people interested in analyzing the history of the area. However recently, due to his absence, his control and influence on the players of 2b2t has wained, some believe him to have chickened out, others believe he's just been focused on new opportunities.

Yes, Ranboo was a hybrid during the events of Genloss, however Showfall Media found a way to surpress his powers, so he basically had the physical strength and speed of an average tall person.

also random shit-posty fact: Wilbur hasn't been able to get the white streak in his hair out, (he dyed it), so now he just kinda lives with it. Some of the QSMP members have asked him about it, and he just kinda responds with a "I just remember it being like this forever."

[miriclebunny]

Quick Genloss Theory

So. After watching EP 3 and sitting on it for a bit, I had a quick brain moment and things just clicked into place.

So, what we know so far about showfall media is that they actively wipe the memories of their cast members and manipulate them into doing what the company needs / desires for their show. gl!Ranboo was manipulated by the mask, but not by the showfall mask like Sneeg was.

Sneeg was reprogrammed by a different mask than Ranboo was being controlled with.

Assuming that Sneeg and Ranboo went through the same process, it wouldn't make sense for Ranboo to be manipulated, unless he is able to break free of his programming very easily. Even then, when people do break free, they are easily reprogrammed. Why is Ranboo different?

I think that he is either the founder of Showfall or before he was programmed, he was a great enemy of showfall. That is why he was treated differently. Showfall can not afford Ranboo to break free as his old memories might come through, and it could potentially destroy everything showfall built.

Additionally, the mall Showfall inhabits is in disrepair. It looks like it was falling apart. What if Ranboo caused it? What if, as the founder, he created something that ended up with the complany looking the way it is. Or, he did something that caused the facility to look the way it is due to sabotaging the company.

If he is the founder, what if a member of the company deposed him and took over. What if the new CEO of showfall is trying to recreate something that Ranboo created but can never seem to get it right. What if they decided that the only way to keep the magic that Ranboo created was to keep Ranboo in the show.

Ep 3 ends with Ranboo being killed. I think, no matter what he was going to die.

Showfall can ressurect him anyways, whats stopping them now? They just needed to teach him a lesson, that they are always in control.

[lost-in-frog-land]

Generation loss is defined as "the loss of quality between subsequent copies or transcodes of data." (Basically when you screenshot something and it goes a bit crunchy)

I think that, in the context of the show, this is referring to the people, the "cast members" who keep dying and being resurrected and reset. I think they lose more and more of themselves in the process. Every time they die, every time they're brought back for another show, they fall further under the control of Showfall Media, and further from the person they used to be.

[axolotlclown]

My essay is completed

This bitch took me days. I got some fat points in here.

I would recommend the doc, as I worked very hard on the MLA format. But in case it decides not to work, here is a transcript of the essay. (also, sources in the doc for the stream i mentioned in the intro) :)

Generation Loss, The Social Experiments, and Its Commentary On the Relationships of the Modern Influencer

Generation Loss, “The Social Experiments”, created by RanbooLive explores the relationships between the modern content creator and the institutions they work for, their self-identity, as well as their audience. Generation Loss, an interactive comedy-horror production streamed live on Twitch, contains three episodes that make up “The Social Experiments” chapter. The series was created by RanbooLive, produced by JK Productions, managed by Ghost Commander Inc., and streamed onto the RanbooLive Twitch channel. The series follows Ranboo as they explore a production— streamed to a live audience— only to discover they were kidnapped and forced to remain a cast member. This wouldn’t be so bad, however, the show seems to take on heavy inspiration from the Saw franchise. 

“The Social Experiments” seems to have taken on after the creator’s own life. For example, in a behind-the-scenes tweet, we see a photo of a list titled, “OFFICE REGULATIONS”. This list includes additional information about the livelihood of the Showfall employees, as well as a straight-cut reference to a RanbooLive stream from 2020, in which he had listed reasons why he should be president of L’manburg (a country from the Dream SMP, a popular Minecraft roleplay server). This stream would serve to jumpstart RanbooLive’s career. 

The creator, RanbooLive— also known as Ranboo— began their career as a Twitch streamer on September 11th, 2020. During a time when everyone would rather stay inside, as a result of the Covid-19 virus, it did not take long for the RanbooLive Twitch channel to gain some attention. On November 27th, 2020, Ranboo had been invited to join the Dream SMP, a popular Minecraft roleplay server at the time. Seemingly overnight, Ranboo exploded in popularity. Freshly turned 17 years old (though, the audience would remain none the wiser), Ranboo skyrocketed to become the most subscribed person on Twitch. During this period, Ranboo preferred to keep their personal information private. Although Ranboo has opened up about some of these personal truths, he continues to keep their name and face anonymous. 

As their career progressed, he moved away from streaming Minecraft on Twitch and toward a variety of content. This would create an opportunity for a project as large as Generation Loss. When the first episode aired on May 24th, 2023, Ranboo would be 19 years old. With the mounting expectations, responsibilities, and stress, it comes as no surprise that a project of this scale would need a personal connection— a soul of its own— to have a chance at being successful. When the audience asked Ranboo: “What is the scariest thing that could happen to you?”, the answer was clear. 

The media in charge of producing the shows we see in “The Social Experiments” distinguishes themselves as ‘Showfall Media’. They produce the content that the viewers, as well as the characters, see and interact with. They are also responsible for the deaths we see on screen. Showfall seems to be a stand-in for a corporation— in this context, Twitch.

 In episode 3: “The Choice”, the streamers are depicted as being forced to stream. During this scene, we see that Slimecicle is reacting to a color compilation on a Twitch stream. This is the reality for a lot of streamers signed on as partners for Twitch. Twitch requires partnered streamers to stream at least 25 hours a month (these hours may be negotiable depending on the revenue the streamer brings to them). Streamers on the higher end may find themselves killing their creativity in an attempt to meet these requirements.

The media workers are also seen in “The Choice”. They are depicted as emotionless drones. They are seen to be sort of  ‘offline’ during times when there are not any shows. This is a commentary on how Twitch executives view their employees as machines. Later, we see a dead Showfall employee slumped against a mall map, bleeding; security had mauled them. Showfall has demonstrated that they would only kill those who attempt to defy them. The employees are very vulnerable to the decisions of the executives at the top. Their lives are just as much at stake as the streamers. When Ranboo finally breaks and attacks a worker, they do not bleed; they are made of wires. To the streamers, they are the same mindless machines that keep them trapped there. Humanity is ultimately lost. 

Snowfall has found that putting their streamers and actors in peril creates engagement. This is the plot of episode 2: “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”. Every streamer— except for Ranboo— dies at some point throughout the episode. The streamers, playing the roles of actors, are seen as disposable by Showfall. Though the viewer sees the exact actors return, this may be more of a metaphor about how replaceable they are— even Showfall can’t tell the difference. There will always be a new streamer available to take advantage of. This is especially true in the final scene of “The Choice”. Ranboo’s death is meant to resemble a crucifixion. This would imply that Ranboo is viewed as a sacrifice to Showfall. To them, it did not matter whether the viewer chose to let him live or die, they already got their views and engagement. Ranboo’s death was a cheap money grab. 

The tonal shifts throughout the three episodes exemplify the loss of innocence as the streamer grows. The first episode: “The Spirit of The Cabin”, carries a generally comedic tone. Although Ranboo is horrified and confused at their situation, it is difficult for the audience to understand what they are afraid of. This is because of the grandiosity of the presentation of the set, characters, and scenarios. This creates a much more goofy atmosphere than a creepy one. Because of Ranboo’s mind control, his behavior comes across as static and abnormal. It is difficult to relate to them. Overall, the audience spends more time laughing than cowering. These actors are not real. Death is not a real threat.

In “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”, there is a slight tone shift. In the first scene, Ranboo is not under any mind control. This leads to their delivery being more believable and relatable to the viewer. The further introduction of more realistic actors breathes realism into absurd scenarios. The comedic tone may remain for a few moments as the situation is still too extreme before the terror of the consequences begins to become known. Death is permanent now.

“The Choice” intends to fill the viewer with dread. Ranboo has complete control now, leading to their character, and their problems, being completely relatable to the viewer. The fear derived here does not come from cheap jumpscares, nor is the scenery particularly decrepit. The fear comes from circumstance. Showfall has become too real. The audience understands how this will end, no matter how much they want it to be any different. There is no true exit. Once the viewer arrives at the ending, their fears become just as real as the show. The threat of death becomes a guarantee. 

These shifts originate from the progression a young streamer may go through as they grow. In the final scene of “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”, Ranboo becomes aware of the horrors of the system he’s found himself trapped in. This is that wake-up moment a streamer may have, exaggerated at a young age. At this moment, Ranboo realizes their childhood is over. 

The character Slimecicle, also referred to as Charlie, displays traits that may indicate that he was taken by Showfall as a child. In “The Spirit of The Cabin”, Charlie refuses to eat unless Ranboo would make airplane noises as he feeds him. This is behavior that would typically be displayed by a baby. The basement in this episode is filled with children's toys— presumably owned by Charlie, as the bedroom is confirmed to be his. In “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”, Charlie shows showing behaviors of a teenager. He is generally unbothered by the horrifying situation that he finds himself in. This may also demonstrate how this torture is something that Charlie is accustomed to. By “The Choice”, Charlie begins to behave as an adult. Charlie was likely taken by Showfall Media as a baby and raised within the system. As a young streamer, ‘torture’ is something that becomes a truth about life.

“The Social Experiments” also reveals the thin separation between the facade put on for entertainment and the authentic person. This is a large plot point in “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”. During a scene, there is a large carousel with five streamers plus Frank (a plastic skeleton). Ranboo and the audience must each choose to pick one streamer to survive. The streamers must justify why Ranboo and the audience may decide to pick them. This would mean that they must appeal to the facade that they have created— which would have been historically successful.

One streamer, Sneegsnag, immediately plays a bit that he needs to use the bathroom. This is a reference to how viewers may know him as ‘the fart guy’, a common inside joke between the real streamer and his audience. After attempting to escape, he is returned to the carousel and promptly brainwashed. He begins to take on a much more calm persona. He doesn’t seem to be bothered about whether or not he dies— he is unbothered by the viewers' decision. Sneegsnag takes on the facade that the greater viewers know him for, being the ‘chill guy’.

Another streamer, Nihachu (also known as Niki), is hysterically sobbing out of fear for her life. Upon introducing herself, she snaps out of her tears and rambles about ‘how nice she is’. This is a reflection on how the audience only sees her as either the crying overdramatic one or the really nice one. Both ignore the fact that she is about to die. Both Sneegsnag and Niki are chosen.

Later in the same episode, we see a ‘fashion room’. The streamers believe that to proceed, they must alter their appearance. This being their first instinct, may indicate how natural it is to constantly alter the facade that they regularly put on. This was ultimately unsuccessful. If they don’t present themselves in a way the viewers want to see, they cannot move on.

In the final scene of this episode, Ranboo becomes aware of the show they’ve been forced to partake in. Leaning over the rail of Showfall Media’s place of operation, Ranboo mumbles to themselves, “What the fuck? What the fuck is this place?”. This is not only the first time the viewers hear this character swear, but it is the first time RanbooLive has ever sworn on camera. This scene drives a wedge between the facade that Ranboo has worked hard to keep up and the real Ranboo behind the screen. It also serves as a wake-up call to the viewer that what is happening is much more real than they are comfortable with.

A prominent part of Ranboo’s character is the large metal mask that they wear. Masks traditionally represent shielding one’s humanity. While that is part of the story, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Showfall uses this mask to control him, and Hetch later uses it to speak to him. In the first scene of “The Spirit of The Cabin”, Ranboo attempted to claw off the mask to no avail. The mask remains a burden on the character throughout the rest of the series through mind control. In “The Choice”, Hetch makes a promise to assist in Ranboo’s escape. Only after Ranboo has successfully left, can Hetch remove their mask. The mask remains something that Ranboo has awoken with, died with, and can never remove. It does rob Ranboo of their humanity. Showfall doesn’t see him as human— and neither does the viewer. What robs Ranboo of their humanity is the facade. The mask is the brand. To the viewer, it is the most jarring part of his character. It is the most important part.

During Ranboo’s final death scene, the mask is cracked. We see a sliver of humanity escape as they plead for death. The mask stays on during the execution. Ranboo is killed with a box that completely covers their face. At this moment, there is no brand. There is no facade or authentic self. There is nothing anymore. Ranboo was only free in death. The viewer never saw their true face.

The biggest theme throughout “The Social Experiments” is the loss of autonomy the streamers experience. Ranboo is unable to make any decisions for himself and relies on the audience to make them for them. In “The Choice”, Ranboo defies the audience when selecting a code to input into a computer. Because of this defiance, Ranboo is no longer able to proceed. Hetch disappears. Ranboo was not in Hetch’s best interest, it was the viewers. The ‘fashion room’ in “The Mastermind of The Warehouse” is a literal closet. Ranboo watches Austin and Ethan put on dresses, heels, and wigs while he only put on a jacket to replace the one he already had. The audience, as well as society, is not interested in queer expression. Ranboo cannot express themselves in the way that they would like out of fear of how the viewers would react. 

During the cooking segment in “The Spirit of The Cabin”, the audience discovers that Ranboo cannot cook. This is a direct reference to the popularity of cooking streams on Twitch. In particular, how cooking streams done by people who don’t know how to cook are more popular than those done by chefs. Viewers tune in to watch streamers fail at something that should be easy. Even if a streamer can cook, they gain more viewers if they pretend that they cannot. To ensure that Showfall acquires the views they desire, they make sure that Ranboo is given ingredients that do not make logical sense. The audience is led to believe that he will fail.

Returning to the carousel in “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”, no matter how well the streamers play into the facade, they have no control over the outcome. They cannot decide for themselves whether or not they can move forward. Only the audience, and Ranboo, can decide the streamers’ fates.

In “The Spirit of The Cabin”, Sneegsnag is trapped in a cage. He is unbothered by the situation he finds himself in. He has been doing this much longer than Ranboo. He is stuck with a plastic skeleton named Frank— whom only Sneegsnag can understand. In a behind-the-scenes tweet, we see a document that shows that Frank is a now-deceased person. Sneegsnag likely knew him before he had passed. Frank’s passing was likely the choice of the viewers, as that has been the only permanent death shown. Sneegsnag, at this point, has likely accepted the loss of control.

In “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”, Ranboo is forced to cut Charlie open to retrieve a key. He is told he must to survive. Ranboo apologizes but complies. Charlie seems generally unbothered; this has likely happened to him before. There may be pressure on streamers to have an ‘every man for himself’ mentality. If your friend becomes the target of criticism, is it worth it to defend them? After all, if Ranboo didn’t cut Charlie open, they may not have been able to solve the Mouse Trap puzzle. If Ranboo hadn’t attempted to rescue Charlie in “The Choice”, he may have been able to escape. 

The consequences of the streamers trying to take their autonomy back are made clear. In “The Mastermind of The Warehouse”, Niki goes off script in an attempt to investigate the Candy Room. She is killed. When Ranboo later becomes aware of the realization that they are trapped on a show, the horror starts to set in. The viewer sees how desolate the sets are. How empty the mall is. How dangerous it is to question the system. They see the truth. Did they ever regret it? Is this life worth it?

Ultimately, Ranboo is pinned up and a decision is made clear. They could either live and be forced to continue to entertain the masses at their own expense, or he could die. Except, Ranboo can’t make that decision; only the audience can. Upon the realization that these are his only two options, Ranboo begs the audience to kill them. Is it a commentary on cancel culture? Is it a commentary on depression and suicidal ideation? Does it matter? Aren’t the results the same?

It’s easy to want to envy a popular streamer’s life. They have money, attention, and a lot of friends. It may feel like their lives are a dream— the ultimate goal in life. All you have to do is play a video game, cook, or have an interesting conversation with no one. Who wouldn’t want such an easy life? This is not true.

When the audience chose to kill Ranboo in the final scene of “The Social Experiments”, that was the end of the story for this version of Ranboo. In real life, it is not. Ranboo lives reality as if the audience had chosen to let him live. These themes prevail in real life. The horrors of the loss of autonomy, loss of childhood innocence, loss of control over your own identity, and capitalism are all real. 

What now for the viewer? Will they be kinder? Will they begin to remember the very real humans behind the screen? Or are they just as much wires as the Showfall employees? Is this even worth it? Are they thinking the ‘every man for himself’ mentality, too? How far does it go? Maybe there is no escape. When Ranboo was asked, “What is the scariest thing that could happen to you?”, they answered: “It already happened.”