Let’s get the important news out of the way first: The Wil Wheaton Project is moving from 10pm to 9pm, starting next week. I don’t know why, but I am told that it’s a good thing, because of reasons. Our ratings have been good, growing with each new episode, which I am also told is what the network expected. I am also trying very hard to just ignore the ratings, because the thing I need to be focused on is being as funny and creative and awesome as I can be. The only reason I care about ratings at all is because I genuinely love the people I work with, and I want to work with them for a very long time.
I was hoping my beloved LA Kings would sweep the Rangers last night, but the hockey gods (and a little snow fort) had different plans. The upshot of this is that I get to go to another hockey game this season.
Here’s what The Pirate Bay has to say about our show as of about noon pacific today:
I have been advised by people who don’t understand me that I should be “more careful with [my] online image” because I’m hosting a show with my name in the title. One person even said to me, “Listen, instead of [list of pretty much everything I do], here’s what your Twitter followers want to hear about from you …” and it took everything I had to not say, “I’m sorry, are you talking about the 2.5 million people who I keep telling not to follow me because I’m lame, but they do anyway because they seem to enjoy exactly what you told me not to do?” So instead, I said, “Thank you. I’ll think about that.” Which is true, because I did think about it, for about one second. Then, I decided that this is pretty much how I will respond to people who tell me to change who I am because of reasons:
More than one person on Twitter observed that that picture is pretty much my online image already. I have to agree. #Butts.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
I don’t think the WWproject would work the same if you were just some carefully managed celebrity. In fact, I think you and Anne set a great example for celebrities in this social media era.
Don’t go changing to try and please me
You never let me down before
And this IS why we follow you and why you have a significant portion of the awesome.
BUTTS!
I especially love that your tongue is a little orange in the photo. It’s all about the details.
You can thank coffee for that.
…in fact, we can probably thank coffee for this post.
The elixir of life!
I would have guessed beer.
I have FIOS but f#ck putting my info in to see it on syfy. Pirates bay is the way to go!
That advice is about as welcome as anything that comes out of the mouth of someone wearing a Promise Ring.
Never compromise who you are. Who you are is the reason you are where you are, and if you enjoy that, why stop?
Coffee tongue? Also, eff those nay-sayers. You’re awesome, your wife knows you’re awesome and so do your kids. That’s ALL that matters in this life! Xo
So, people are actually telling you (basically): Congratulations on your success, now change what is making you successful
We love you for reasons….tell them to blow it out their ear <3 <3
And things like this are precisely the reason we follow you, and why we watch your show. Keep being awesome.
Definitely one of my favorite shows
Pfft! People continue to follow you because of what you have been doing. It’s silly for someone to tell you to change that haha.
I think that image is just about everyone on the planet just after they rolled out of bed. Keep up the lame work because, well, there’s this great big “ignore” button called “unfollow” that people can use if they wanted to and, as you said, 2.5 million people either can’t find it or don’t need to.
Congrats on the time shift. Hopefully you’ll get more of those middle-of-the-road types to start watching so the Sci-Fi (yes, I typed it that way…screw that trademark-driven change! Besides, SyFy if read by a Russian would be pronounced SyaFya which is even more ridiculous
) execs can calmly let you do your thing for a lot longer than a season!
Doing our best to watch from Canada and get you ratings at the same time (don’t ask questions, right?).
I just had to say that as a Calgary Flames fan, and it pains me to even type these words, I hope LA can finish this off on Friday. Watched the snow fort game last night and cringed when they replayed the almost-goals. Not sure how you didn’t have a stroke (or maybe you did, in which case the face makes sense…)
…there should be exponentially more references to CHESS in the world…
Sounds like the typical silly celebrity/image games to me, and I think the last thing you want to do is play games… No, wait, you want to play games — play MORE games even, just not that kind.
Well, I am glad you decide to comb your hair for the show.
And I’ve gotten all Zen about the DVR issue. I decide which airing of the show to watch based on my emotional state at the time. Sometimes it’s a 9am feeling, sometimes a 3am one.
So a serious question: Does it actually matter which DVR airing of the show we watch? Is it better if we watch the originally broadcast one? I’ll do whatever works.
I understand that it’s better for our numbers if you watch it within 3 days.
Hahahahahah!
You have to be yourself. Nobody else will do it, and the world needs you! Besides, look at the wonderful list of great shows that have been canceled just because bean counters didn’t understand them! It’s at least as old as Star Trek TOS.
So, now that you have your own show, do you think the world’s your oyster?
Oh god no.
Come on, it’s at least your clam.
I’m pretty sure PirateBay seed/leech ratios would be a far better guide than Nielsen ratings.
Also, yes – butts.
I gotta say, I know people interested in Catfish the TV show, and your numbers are better than that on the torrent sites. It’s in season 3… just sayin.
As for whether to change or not, I will say this: I watched the SECOND WWP because you, Wil Wheaton, are charming and exactly my brand of geek. It got me through the very rough around the edges first episode. It was worth it, Felicia Day was a perfect counterpoint to loosen you up… and the third episode is settling in nicely. It is something I will happily watch every week to see what new geeky thing I might be missing out on.
I love how other people can say what you should do like the millions of fans from Stand By Me through TNG and Leverage etc all the way to the 3 episodes of TWWP can possibly be wrong in all their Nerddom. Don’t be the guy that all these people love… instead be this cardboard cutout that we control! (Insert best robot voice here) “Hello, I am Wil Wheaton. Take me to your leader.”
I will give you the best advice anyone could possibly give you on what to be like… Be like Wil Wheaton! Not very original and I am sure you have gotten this advice many times from friends and fans but probably never from network or studio execs because the whole idea is to find someone perfect for the part and then tell them to be different!
Can you lose the suit? It doesn’t really go with the show, man! Can’t you… geek out a bit?
The thing is, I enjoy wearing a jacket and a tie.
Sweaters Man, they worked for Cosby
How about: You can keep the jacket and tie and we… we get a real set?
We love you for you and who you are, Wil. The show is awesome and it’s great to see your face and hear you snark for 23ish minutes plus commercials.
My reaction to that advice is “wait, what?” I mean, Syfy gave you the go-ahead for the show with your name in the title because of your online image as it is (and its popularity), a show that is your brainchild and reminiscent of your online image as it stands. So what point would there be in changing/”managing” your image to be something that isn’t reflective of you or the show?
Does Tosh watch his language online? I seriously doubt it. You do what you want and be who you are. You didn’t get millions of people following you online because you were being insincere.
I also struggle with depression and I know how hard it is to decide when to listen to the little voice inside your head and when to ignore it especially when there are people IRL that seem to agree with it. Giving your mind an opportunity to rebuild that wall we have a tendency to erect would be a mistake.
Remember, you are the one that said being geeky isn’t about what you love but is instead about how you love it. Be the true geek that you are.
Two other things.
1) have you considered starting up the occasional poker tournament at Pokerstars again? I never got to participate because I used to work nights but that isn’t an issue anymore. You could ask a few friends if they want to play. I’ve been wanting to take $10 off of Aaron Douglas for a while now.
2) I just got accepted as a writer at AtheistRepublic.com . I’m going to be writing about my struggles with depression and anxiety, my history with religion, how my atheism/skepticism kept me from ending my life and what I’d like to accomplish in the future. I’d love to do an interview with you on these topics if you’re up for it. By email or skype or even over a beer if you end up in Vancouver one day.
I also understand if you don’t want to. I know how busy you are. There are a whole lot of geeky people in the atheism community that have struggled as we have. I’d just like to help a few to know that no matter how much it feels like they are alone that they are anything but.
Salut.
I love your Chess reference! Seriously awesome opera and soundtrack!
phew.. I started humming “One night in Bangkok” and wasn’t sure why for a second. Probably not mad after all.
damn. now the song is stuck in my head. thanks a lot!
Why isn’t this your Facebook profile picture?
“You got this show for acting like you act on a daily basis, but we really think it would improve things if you acted completely differently.” That’s some sage career advice right there.
Like I used to write in the high school yearbooks of people I didn’t know that well who asked me to sign them, Stay Cool, Never Change. Only this time I actually mean it. I enjoy you for who you are. Also, Go Kings! Hopefully we see you in the stands, will you be bringing your horse head?
So, the first thing that popped into my head when reading this was some YouTube vid from some PAX or w00tstock or something (pretty sure a PAX/pre-w00t days) where someone introduced you as, “Wil Wheaton. He’s from the Internet.”
That made me giggle then and now, because it’s true. For a long time, your “online image” was who you were, so to speak. It was how fans knew you and what made you famous for a lot of people. Your current projects grew from those post-Trek, pre-Eureka/Leverage/BBT/WWP days. And we can’t forget your title in Ready Player One.
So, the network execs have a point. Your online image does matter. It’s all that mattered for you for a while (besides your real life/family, etc, of course) and you found the one that works for you, which is the one that reflects who you are. I know you don’t need me to tell you this, but changing that not only is dishonest, it isn’t necessary. As you said, 5.2 Wheatons ahem, execs, note the term here of followers apparently aren’t leaving, so… sticks tongue out at execs
And now I must away to work. I’m very tired and I don’t want to go, but signing off with this helps a little.
“There’s only one thing that I know how to do well, and I’ve often been old that you only can do what you know how to do well. And that’s be you. Be what you’re like. Be like yourself. And so I’m having a wonderful time but I’d rather be whistling in the dark.”
Thanks for bringing back Neil Degrasse Tyson bits – my favorite part of the show!
The above photo is a deliberate derp rather than the accidental ones that keep appearing. No difference. Don’t ever change, please.
You get a show based on who you are and then they tell you to be someone different?!? There’s TV company intelligence for you.
Had a similar thing happen to me, but on a much smaller scale. Landed a small part in a failed music TV programme called “The Source” back in 2009. It wasn’t anything big, it went out on some channel called Showcase in the UK. In the audition I was basically myself and I landed the part. I shot all of my scenes for season 1 (it was planned for at least 2), then they called me back in because they wanted me to be different, so my scenes were re-shot and I played the part differently, and then they decided to cut my character out completely and it folded after one season.
And that was the point where I said “screw acting”…
And my grammar totally failed in the previous post :-\
Seriously, this rep of the Acme Brain Trust is reckoning without the fact that it is very possibly because of Social Media that you’ve become so entrenched in Nerd Culture. To quote the wise and witty Bugs Bunny: “What a MAROON!”
Your show gets better with every episode, so keep doing what you’re doing. And I really dig the “Skinny Tie”. I really need to find me some of those…
Oh, and would you look at the time? Gotta get ready for Family Game Night.
Stay awesome, Mr. W.
Right? The skinny tie? I think Wil and Chris Hardwick might actually be enough to bring the skinny tie back.
Clearly The WIL WHEATON Project could do with a lot less Wil Wheaton. . .
Oh, no, wait. That’s the reason I watch it in the first place!
More YOU-ness, less PR-handling-ness!
That photo…
Glad it’s coming on earlier!
And I watch you because… you seem genuine. Of course, that could be a great acting job… :-p
Wil, you really need to put a PayPal donate button or something on here so those of us who enjoy your show via ‘interesting methods’ can still make sure you get paid for your work.
I am still laughing about the quote from “One Night in Bangkok”. Nobody ever gets it when I pull that one out!
Please never change, Wil. You’re one of my favorite people because of who you are. And I love the Wil Wheaton Project… it’s not even the type of show I would normally tune in to, but I do because you host it.
Keep doing what you do Wil!
This episode was lightyears better than the first two. You were a lot more comfortable. A lot of the clips were way better edited. The bwong skit/clip was funny. Your pointing at Frankenstein’s blocky bits… omg. lol.
Any updates on the Hulu front? Episode 1 is still the only one available to us cord cutters. Also, that face is probably close to mine before coffee…
Oh no! Now you are encouraging piracy! Why don’t people just watch it on Syfy? Oh wait.. we can’t. Because noone even let’s us pay to do it. /signed all non-americans around the globe.
I am now a big fan, even though I can’t say your taste in hockey teams sits well with the Chicago in me. If you are into boardgames that come in the mail that you have never played before you should stop by Stone Manners this week. Hope it gets to you. Cheers and go Kings!
The fact that you are yourself online and not a target group merchandises is why people follow you. Period. Oh, but it does certainly help that your self is not a dick.
Love the Chess reference. In fact, I now have the soundtrack earworming its way through my cranium. Haven’t listened to it in ages – but I will thanks to you.
DON’T YOU DARE CHANGE, WIL WHEATON! I can’t watch TWWP because of reasons, and my darling hubby, who understands his geek wife, is recording episodes for me. As for the person(s) who gave you that terrible advice, there are ways to deal with them. All I need is a speedboat, a plastic tarp and a bucket of chum.