May 28, 2025 • 6 mins
What does it mean to be famous in a world where everyone has a platform—but no one has the spotlight?In this thought-provoking and wildly entertaining episode of The Ben and Skin Show, hosts Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray dive headfirst into the evolving nature of fame in the digital age. From AI-generated influencers to cultural preservationists, the crew explores a viral Threads post that breaks down the last 50 years of fame—and predicts what’s coming next.💡 Key Themes & Moments:
- The rise of “expert-led fame” and why trust in influencers and legacy media is fading.
- The unexpected power of cultural translators and local legends like Robert Wilonsky.
- The chilling (and hilarious) reality of AI-generated OnlyFans stars and digital personalities.
- The concept of micro fame and how the show’s loyal listeners are part of a deeply connected subculture.
- A hilarious exchange:
KT: “I have micro fame.”
Skin: “Micropeen fame is what I have.”
KT: “I have a tiny penis.”
Skin: “You can’t steal my thunder!”
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But right now it's time for this. Why do you
love me? Why do you need me?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Oy forever?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
So good Man a child. He loves technology. They met
in the chat room. I forgot that worldwide livens. Did
you make me sell it?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So I love technics. You see the best actor. Yeah,
the last fifty years, that's what we've been in one movie.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Okay, sell me the first to tell you that I
am a little bored with AI content and just the
discussion of AI. It's out there, we all know it,
we're using it. Yeah, but I don't even want to
be around anymore. I know, right, But this was interesting
to me. I've actually been sitting on this for a while.
I found it this morning. I was like, oh, yeah,
why have I been sitting on this since April tenth.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
So there's this.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Gal that was on Threads and she was basically like,
in the last fifty years someone was on Threads. Yeah,
Threads is still killing it, dude, is that right?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Keeps trying to get me to go every day and
I never.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Do something I don't Yeah, but when I click on it,
I'm always interested. Okay, So here's what we see. Who
was famous in the seventies and eighties musicians and actors
rock stars, bitch. Nineties became kind of models and like it,
men and women you know, still actors still that, but
kind of fade away. Two thousands, TV personalities, Reality TV,
and then twenty ten's became influencers normies. So this bitch
(01:33):
we went to chat GPT yeah and said, what is
the next phase of fame based on what we've seen
over the last fifty years. Artificial fame number one, expert
led fame. So like, you know, there's growing distrust in media, oh,
legacy media, yes, and there's grow and there's distrust in
(01:56):
influencer culture. Yeah, but there is a shift toward valuing
people who have depth and credibility yeah, and academic knowledge.
So if you're running a YouTube channel or you're hosting
a radio show where you're you know, being an expert
on one topic, uh huh, and the branches around that topic,
that's what will be famous next.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
That's interesting to me.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That's interesting to me, especially since I read a story
this morning that a cabinet member is trying to ban
scientists from writing in medical journals anymore.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
But no, I mean this is really interesting.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You know, if you really want to spend more than
five seconds thinking about it. The person saying don't trust
legacy media, why would they be saying that.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, spend some time thinking about it. Yeah, I try
not to. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Cultural preservationist and translators, oh ilbalization continues.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Absolutely, Translators are so valuable. Right now, you know who.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
The number one DFW cultural preserve preservationist is, Robert Wilski.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Robert Wilanski.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Like you weren't even halfway through that sentence, and the
first thing I thought was, so, that's what Robert Wolanski.
That's how he functions in this city, and I respect
the hell out of it.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Fame here is less about spectacle, more about stewardship and storytelling. Yes,
thanks Sarah Hepplis kind of going down that, Yeah, that
same avenue. I agree that, alas Morning News, that's what
our buddy, Rest and peace. I got real sad the
other day because I thought I had some music and
I was sitting there and I was like, I would
love to share this with Zach Crane right now.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Oh my god, what a great guy. Rest in peace.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I told you I had seven three AI generated or
AI enhanced personalities.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Personalities are going to be famous AI personality. Yeah, I
fear this. I think they're already.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
There aren't people subscribing to like FA porn and fake
only fans and stuff. I don't like this, Like, isn't
been looking at a picture right now of an AI
generated guilf Hold on?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Can we make money from that?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Though?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
If I were to do an AI generated person.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
If you're the one that generated it or hit the
you're the one that hit the sin button.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I guess I don't even know what the world over
Now I'm back on board.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Okay, there are no rules, but you will get canceled
if you get handsy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah, shows why I still have a job. Have it
been handsy and not in a while?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Purpose driven figures people seeking meaning public figures tied to
causes activism, mental health, yeah, social justice, yeah, all that stuff.
Those people have created a following that we're seeing this happening,
and the people that.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Are trying to stop those things have created a following
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Now here's us. Yeah. Micro fame and community celebrities. Yes,
that's me. I've got micro fame. Micropeen fame is what
I have. That guy, it's famous versus micropeen. I have
a tiny penis. Oh, Kevin, you can't steal my thunder.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Funny.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I went in there over the weekend and urge that
I'm deleted it.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Christina's got it on seven different hard drives just in
case that's the case.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Because the Internet's fragmenting fame into subcultures with platforms like TikTok, Discord, Patreon,
blah blah blah blah blah. This is fame without universality,
intensely loyal, highly engaged like audiences. You know, it's our
listeners are efing awesome, Yeah, locked in and you know.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
What it really brings up, though?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Do you care more about money or fame because they
are not the same and these this is fame. There's
I think a lot of these fragmentation is going to
stop the mega rich are people becoming mega rich? Not
the big corporation are always gonna have their money and
those people that started. But I'm saying, like an actor,
(05:42):
you know, being so financially set because of all these
things he's created, I think fragmentation makes that harder. I
think it's harder now to know who the new actor is.
It's because everything is fragmented.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Absolutely, there's not enough people know that John Mulaney's fighting
three kids denying.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Oh it's tonight, Oh my god. We'll talk about that tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
We used to know about it, but we don't anymore.
I don't have the other reasons because it's time to go. Man,
we should probably go.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Do you don't want to say one? I thought I
want to do this Today game. I want to hear
about what the Frinkles got cooking, all right? Coming up
next to the Today Games
But right now it's time for this. Why do you
love me? Why do you need me?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Oy forever?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
So good Man a child. He loves technology. They met
in the chat room. I forgot that worldwide livens. Did
you make me sell it?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So I love technics. You see the best actor. Yeah,
the last fifty years, that's what we've been in one movie.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Okay, sell me the first to tell you that I
am a little bored with AI content and just the
discussion of AI. It's out there, we all know it,
we're using it. Yeah, but I don't even want to
be around anymore. I know, right, But this was interesting
to me. I've actually been sitting on this for a while.
I found it this morning. I was like, oh, yeah,
why have I been sitting on this since April tenth.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
So there's this.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Gal that was on Threads and she was basically like,
in the last fifty years someone was on Threads. Yeah,
Threads is still killing it, dude, is that right?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Keeps trying to get me to go every day and
I never.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Do something I don't Yeah, but when I click on it,
I'm always interested. Okay, So here's what we see. Who
was famous in the seventies and eighties musicians and actors
rock stars, bitch. Nineties became kind of models and like it,
men and women you know, still actors still that, but
kind of fade away. Two thousands, TV personalities, Reality TV,
and then twenty ten's became influencers normies. So this bitch
(01:33):
we went to chat GPT yeah and said, what is
the next phase of fame based on what we've seen
over the last fifty years. Artificial fame number one, expert
led fame. So like, you know, there's growing distrust in media, oh,
legacy media, yes, and there's grow and there's distrust in
(01:56):
influencer culture. Yeah, but there is a shift toward valuing
people who have depth and credibility yeah, and academic knowledge.
So if you're running a YouTube channel or you're hosting
a radio show where you're you know, being an expert
on one topic, uh huh, and the branches around that topic,
that's what will be famous next.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
That's interesting to me.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That's interesting to me, especially since I read a story
this morning that a cabinet member is trying to ban
scientists from writing in medical journals anymore.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
But no, I mean this is really interesting.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You know, if you really want to spend more than
five seconds thinking about it. The person saying don't trust
legacy media, why would they be saying that.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, spend some time thinking about it. Yeah, I try
not to. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Cultural preservationist and translators, oh ilbalization continues.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Absolutely, Translators are so valuable. Right now, you know who.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
The number one DFW cultural preserve preservationist is, Robert Wilski.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Robert Wilanski.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Like you weren't even halfway through that sentence, and the
first thing I thought was, so, that's what Robert Wolanski.
That's how he functions in this city, and I respect
the hell out of it.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Fame here is less about spectacle, more about stewardship and storytelling. Yes,
thanks Sarah Hepplis kind of going down that, Yeah, that
same avenue. I agree that, alas Morning News, that's what
our buddy, Rest and peace. I got real sad the
other day because I thought I had some music and
I was sitting there and I was like, I would
love to share this with Zach Crane right now.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Oh my god, what a great guy. Rest in peace.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I told you I had seven three AI generated or
AI enhanced personalities.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Personalities are going to be famous AI personality. Yeah, I
fear this. I think they're already.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
There aren't people subscribing to like FA porn and fake
only fans and stuff. I don't like this, Like, isn't
been looking at a picture right now of an AI
generated guilf Hold on?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Can we make money from that?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Though?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
If I were to do an AI generated person.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
If you're the one that generated it or hit the
you're the one that hit the sin button.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I guess I don't even know what the world over
Now I'm back on board.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Okay, there are no rules, but you will get canceled
if you get handsy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah, shows why I still have a job. Have it
been handsy and not in a while?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Purpose driven figures people seeking meaning public figures tied to
causes activism, mental health, yeah, social justice, yeah, all that stuff.
Those people have created a following that we're seeing this happening,
and the people that.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Are trying to stop those things have created a following
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Now here's us. Yeah. Micro fame and community celebrities. Yes,
that's me. I've got micro fame. Micropeen fame is what
I have. That guy, it's famous versus micropeen. I have
a tiny penis. Oh, Kevin, you can't steal my thunder.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Funny.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I went in there over the weekend and urge that
I'm deleted it.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Christina's got it on seven different hard drives just in
case that's the case.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Because the Internet's fragmenting fame into subcultures with platforms like TikTok, Discord, Patreon,
blah blah blah blah blah. This is fame without universality,
intensely loyal, highly engaged like audiences. You know, it's our
listeners are efing awesome, Yeah, locked in and you know.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
What it really brings up, though?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Do you care more about money or fame because they
are not the same and these this is fame. There's
I think a lot of these fragmentation is going to
stop the mega rich are people becoming mega rich? Not
the big corporation are always gonna have their money and
those people that started. But I'm saying, like an actor,
(05:42):
you know, being so financially set because of all these
things he's created, I think fragmentation makes that harder. I
think it's harder now to know who the new actor is.
It's because everything is fragmented.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Absolutely, there's not enough people know that John Mulaney's fighting
three kids denying.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Oh it's tonight, Oh my god. We'll talk about that tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
We used to know about it, but we don't anymore.
I don't have the other reasons because it's time to go. Man,
we should probably go.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Do you don't want to say one? I thought I
want to do this Today game. I want to hear
about what the Frinkles got cooking, all right? Coming up
next to the Today Games
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