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Cam’ron vs. Jim Jones, TikTok Drama, & Elon Musk’s Social Media Impact
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Dive into the world of friendship, pop culture, and social media with this thought-provoking episode of Unsolicited Perspectives with Bruce Anthony. We explore the high-profile feud between Cam’ron and Jim Jones, unpacking the lessons about loyalty and the fragility of friendships. Then, we delve into the TikTok drama, analyzing its cultural significance and the potential consequences of U.S. legislation that could reshape the platform's future.
But that’s not all—Bruce breaks down Elon Musk’s controversial impact on social media, from the financial decline of X (formerly Twitter) to the rise of hate speech under his leadership. How does this affect creators, advertisers, and users? And what does the future of platforms like TikTok and X mean for society?
This episode is packed with social commentary, pop culture insights, and personal reflections. Whether you’re a fan of Dipset, a TikTok enthusiast, or curious about the balance between ego and success, this video has something for you. #podcast #tiktok #elonmusk #hiphopbeefs #unsolicitedperspectives
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Thank you for tuning into Unsolicited Perspectives with Bruce Anthony. Let's continue the conversation in the comments and remember, stay engaged, stay informed, and always keep an open mind. See you in the next episode!
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Unsolicited Perspectives 🎙️🔥💥
00:58 Friendship: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Truths (Personal Reflections) ❤️💔🤬
05:02 Diplomats, Diss Tracks, and Drama: The Explosive Cam'ron and Jim Jones Beef! 🎤
16:35 TikTok: How This Little App Took Over the World (And Your Brain) 📱🌎🧠
17:48 TikTok's Ticking Time Bomb: Will the U.S. Ban the App? ⏳💣
24:57 Elon's Playground: How One Man's Ego Reshaped (and Maybe Ruined) Twitter 🚀
28:33 Advertising Woes and Engagement Drops: The X Factor💸💔📉
29:57 The Creator Crumble: How Twitter's Changes Are Impacting the People Who Made It Great 🤳💥🧑🎨
31:09 The Money Pit: Is Twitter's Financial Freefall Unstoppable? 💸📉🤯
31:47 Micromanaging or Mismanaging? A Critical Look at Elon Musk's Twitter Reign 🧐👎👨💼
34:48 Hate Speech Unleashed: The Dark Side of Elon's "Free Speech" Twitter 🤬🗣️❌
35:59 Beyond the Algorithm: What's Next for TikTok, Twitter, and the Future of Social Media? 🔮📱➡️
39:13 Lost in the Sauce: Hilarious Anecdotes and a Healthy Dose of Delusion 😂🤪🥴
41:40 Self-Belief to Success: The (Slightly Delusional) Edge ✨🧠
55:40 Wrapping It Up: Reflections, Thanks, and What’s Next 🎬
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Unsolicited Perspectives'
00:00:11
Speaker
Welcome. First of all, welcome. This is Unsolicited Perspectives. I'm your host, Bruce Anthony, here to lead the conversation in important events and topics that are shaping today's society. Join the conversation and follow us wherever you get your audio podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our video podcast and YouTube exclusive content. Rate, review, like, comment, share, share with your friends, share with your family. Hell, you can share with your
Episode Focus: Friendship, TikTok, and Personality
00:00:36
Speaker
enemies. For today's episode, I'll be talking about friendship,
00:00:41
Speaker
TikTok and certain personality traits. Dig me here, follow me, but that's enough of this intro. Let's get to the show.
Personal Reflections on Friendship
00:00:58
Speaker
Friendship. You know, I can't say that I'm a great friend. I'm not. Well, I'm not a great friend in this regard. I'm not there every day. I'm not. You could go weeks, months, even sometimes years without seeing me or hearing from me. However, when you need me, I'm going to always be there. And I've had some strange friendships through the years. I remember in Lynchburg, Virginia, I had got what would be considered my very first best friend. I had had friends before that, but my very first best friend. We had known each other since we were eight years old and or eight, nine years old, but elementary school. We've known each other since elementary school. And it wasn't until I moved from Lynchburg, the summer going into my junior year,
00:01:50
Speaker
We were driving around this car and it was the last day of us driving around and he yelled out, man, I'm losing my best friend. And I was like, I know I'm losing my best friend, too. We were best friends. Let's fast forward. How much of a best friend and was it to me? Well,
00:02:06
Speaker
He never came up to visit me, despite the fact that I came down to Lynchburg because of him all the time. He even moved up here to go to grad school. And when he moved up to D.C. to go to grad school, I was like, oh, we'll hang out. We hung out a couple of times, but not too much. The very last time that I saw this man, mind you, known him since elementary school, very last time that I saw this man, this man was at a bar.
00:02:30
Speaker
And I just happened to be at a bar with two guys that I consider my brothers right now. They've been my closest friends since I was the age of 16. I was with those two guys celebrating my engagement to my now ex-wife. But celebrate my engagement. And I looked across ah across the bar and I was like, and they had met him before, honestly, because how would they not meet my friend that I grew up with?
00:02:56
Speaker
And I look across the bar and I was like, yo, that's him. And they were like, yeah, that is him. I was like, let me go over there and say, what's up? Because he had gotten married, and I didn't don't know if he had had kids yet, but he has kids now. He got married to a young woman that I knew from high school back in Lynchburg. So I walked over, and I said, hey, man, what's up? How you been? It's like I've been good. He was with another person. He was like, well, what are you up here? And I'm up here with my two boys, you know what I'm saying, celebrating my engagement. He was like, oh, congratulations. I was like, hey, man, let me buy a round. Let me buy you a beer. Just chop it up for a little bit.
00:03:29
Speaker
So we chopped it up for a little bit and then I went over back to my other two boys and then we were just partying for the rest of the night. Bar closed because we routinely closed down the bar. a And then I look around and I'm closing out my tab and I was like, yo, I think my friend from when I was eight years old didn't even come and say goodbye to me. And they were like, yeah, you're right. He didn't. And I was like, man,
00:03:55
Speaker
Guess he really wasn't my friend. And there were other things that went along. I don't know how the move affected him. But I was the one that moved away, right? I still came down to visit him and things like that. I've had fallen out with my two boys that are like my brothers now. I've had fallen out with them. I had fallen out with a man that I looked at as my big brother. ah He was in my wedding. I had a fallen out with him. You have fallen out with your friends, but when they're your true friends, you make a way to make amends. um The only friend that I have never made amends with is that that guy that I grew up with that announces how to make your school with another gentleman that I hire.
00:04:34
Speaker
to work with me and kind of screwed me over at the workplace. And he said he was like my big brother, but kind of screwed me over to the workplace. And he hasn't really apologized. So, well yeah you know, we're not friends anymore. But everybody out there has different relationships with their friends. Some friends come and go. Some people are in your life for a season and a reason. And I bet you're wondering why I'm bringing all of this up.
Camron and Jim Jones: A Friendship Fallout
00:05:00
Speaker
It just so happens that recently two very, very good friends, not in mind of each other, got into a very big media beef and they are Camron and Jim Jones from Dipset. Oh, y'all thought I was just talking about my friendships. No, no, no. I'm talking about friendships in general and this specific friendship. Who is Camron and Jim Jones? We're part of.
00:05:25
Speaker
magical musical group called Dipset that is no longer together but Dipset it was running wild from about 1997 but when they really got popular it was 04 and the group kind of split up in 07. I would say the front man for the group is Cameron. Now I'm getting some people who don't know about Dipset this little bit of background information and so you can understand what the beef is about.
00:05:50
Speaker
So Cameron was a rapper from Harlem. He's friends with Mace, right? They were childhood friends just like me and my boy from Lynchburg were. Knew each other since elementary school to grow up together, right? they they Them and along with some other people were rappers in the mid-90s and they were hot in the streets.
00:06:10
Speaker
And a guy that used to come around a neighborhood whose grandma lived in the neighborhood, and this is from what Cameron is saying, nick groin didn't grow up in the neighborhood, but whose grandmother was in the neighborhood, used to come around and hang around all the time.
00:06:26
Speaker
This person was Jim Jones. Now, Cameron and Jim Jones had been friends since the mid-90s, right? We're in 2025 right now. So we're talking in over 30 years. 30 years are close to 30 years or over 30 years, over 30 years. They've been a part of a musical group together. So what has happened? Because I'm gonna do the story backwards. I'm gonna tell you what's happened recently and then backtrack to see how we got here.
00:06:53
Speaker
So Cameron, on this show, it is what it is, which is a funny show because Cameron and Mesa are hilarious. Addressed, Jim Jones recently going on another podcast and expressing some issues. Jim Jones's issues were that Cameron had 50 Cent on his podcast. And a long, long time ago, Cameron and 50 Cent had beef. During their beef, when Dip Set was still a group,
00:07:24
Speaker
He got Jim Jones, 50 Cent being, got Jim Jones to come and perform in this concert. This is when Cameron, Jim Jones' close friend, and 50 Cent are beefing. You following me? So Jim Jones went and did a show with 50 Cent.
00:07:40
Speaker
So 50 Cent brought up the fact, because Cameron was like, yo, how'd you get that to happen? Because all those beasts were over with now. Like, that was years ago, young man. You squash beef and you move on. Let's see how we can make money together. Cameron had 50 Cent on the show. And 50 Cent was like, yeah, I kind of tricked him out of his spot because I knew that me and you had beef. And if I could get your right hand man to come on the pier on my show, that would make you look bad. Jim Jones didn't like that, right?
00:08:05
Speaker
He thought that Cameron was taking a shot. He knew 50 Cent was taking a shot. So Jim Jones decided on a podcast to say that they were just some penis riders and that they didn't really make a difference in his life and that he was the one that started the dip set movement.
00:08:20
Speaker
Well, Cameron went on his show and said, well, first, let's talk about this, OK? Cameron said, I was already doing music before you got there. You weren't from our neighborhood. You're not from Harlem, even though you claim to be from Harlem. You're really from brats the Bronx. The Bronx and Harlem are a bridge apart, right?
00:08:38
Speaker
said, Jim, I'm from Harlem. You were basically a fan. We were popping in the street with our mixtapes. Everybody knew that we was about to get signed. You had a free crib because your grandmother passed away and you was a nice guy. And also, Mace taught you how to rap. You didn't. You weren't the front man for Dipset. You weren't the the person that was behind Dipset. You were a fan that became my friend that was a part of Dipset. Jim Jones is obviously upset because he's the girl of the group. What do I mean by that? He and another person were the ones to make sure that their records were being played in the clubs and on the radio, any type of street beef that was going on, camera. I mean, ah Jim Jones was the one addressing it, even if it was Cameron's beat. Jim Jones calls himself the Coppola. And if you know anything about the mafia structure, you know, you have a boss, an underboss, a and that Coppola regimes. Those are your captains. You hear Michael Francis talk about it all the time on his podcast.
00:09:36
Speaker
Jim Jones called himself a copal and a good soldier, and he felt that he didn't get represented enough in the dip set, and he got upset. And Cameron eviscerated him on his podcast basically saying that he was a fan that became a friend, that he wasn't a part of the movement, and that it's funny that he will squash all these beefs when another man puts his hands on them, but he won't squash a beef with a person that he's been friends with for years.
00:10:05
Speaker
And it's all messy. I'm a fan of Dipset, a huge fan of Dipset. I wear pink, which is my favorite color because Dipset made it socially acceptable to wear pink. They made it cool that I could go out there as ah as a man.
00:10:28
Speaker
because you know pink where pink has been established as a gross color, which by the way, if you do your history, you find out that that was a designer that decided to do that. That that wasn't always the case. But my favorite color.
00:10:42
Speaker
It's pink. They were wearing pink. Who influenced it out of the group? Jim Jones says it was hit him that did it first. Cameron said, you know, I was already wearing pink. Who knows? Who cares? I don't care. This is my musical group. They did a soundtrack to my life in the early 2000s. And they're beefing. And you know what? They're both wrong and they're both right. Well, Bruce, how can it be both wrong and both right?
00:11:11
Speaker
It's OK for Jim Jones to fill a certain type of way because he's this he's his own musician and his own movement in his own right. He's his own boss. And maybe he feels like legitimately that he doesn't get the recognition that is deserved in this group that is made up of several members. Right. Cameron is saying, hey, man Like you weren't even a rapper before you met me. Mace taught you how to rap. I put you on. I put you in every single album or song that I did. I'm the reason why you are popping and the reason why you are the way they are. Why are you coming at me?
00:11:54
Speaker
And you know what's funny? It's all 50 Cent's fault. Actually, it's not. Jim Jones and Cameron and have an ongoing beef throughout the years. There's something very, very personal between them that only friends know. Only friends know. They know what is really, really personal in between them, that this is really, really all about. These are surface issues. And y'all know what I'm talking about.
00:12:19
Speaker
You've had it fallen out with your friend and everybody is like, I don't understand why you guys just can't sit down and talk because everybody doesn't know the story. The people that know the story are YouTube or whoever else is in the middle of the beef that you've got going on. And we've all had beefs with our friends. I've had numerous beefs with my friends and it's never over something sick. It is always something really personal.
00:12:48
Speaker
that's associated with this beef. How can it be fixed? I don't know. Between cameron and and mate Cameron and Jim Jones, I don't know how to be fixed. Because they he they both said some really hurtful stuff in public. And I don't, well, I do know how you come back from that.
00:13:08
Speaker
Y'all have a personal conversation. You make amends and y'all come out together and said, we squashed all that. And then nobody can ever really talk about it anymore. If you guys truly squash the beat, it could really truly be squashed. And these neither one of these guys, as street lore will tell you, is punks. So some pop off in the street.
00:13:30
Speaker
Both of them are with the shits. um So I just really don't. It's sad. It's really, really sad oh that these two music giants, even though Cameron doesn't really do music anymore, but he still can rap his ass off, right? He'll do a freestyle before his podcast. And I'm like, man, please come out with another album. He's like the only one of my old rappers that I actually want to come out with a new album, right? It's the people from back in the day from the two, from the early 2000s. It's really only Jay-Z and Cameron, maybe Lil Wayne, maybe.
00:14:06
Speaker
But that's really pretty much it. I don't really want to hear old rappers anymore. I want to hear new rappers. But I would love to hear a camera on Apple because I'm such a fan of Cameron. And I'm a huge fan of Jim Jones, too. I identify a little bit more with Jim Jones because he's a little bit more gritty, a little bit more street than Cameron. Cameron is a little bit more polished. And I say that he's not street and not gritty because he obviously is. But Jim Jones is a little bit more. And I look at.
00:14:33
Speaker
the the parallels with my friends, and I'm the one that's a little bit more gritty. The little warren balloon war one that's a little rough around the edges. The ride or really die friend. i had Not to say that my friends aren't ride or die, but I'll go to the ends of Earth for my friends. I'm just not going to be there every day. I'm not going to be there every day. You might not hear from me, but when you need me, I'm going to always be there because it's that loyalty.
00:14:59
Speaker
and The reason why I bring this up is because maybe somebody out there listening or watching is going through something with one of their friends right now. And I'm here to say, one, you're not the only one. That's not to say that whatever it is that you're going through is an extremely painful to you. All I'm saying is you're not the only one. And that people have come back.
00:15:26
Speaker
Me and a couple of my friends have said some things to each other that I wouldn't forgive anybody else for really saying it. It's just like family and friends. And my friends are my family. Like my my close friends are my family. I don't get along with them all the time. I agree with them on some of their policies and ideals. But boy, do I love them. And boy, will I ride to the ends of the earth for them.
00:15:53
Speaker
So if you're going through something with one of your friends and you feel the same way about them that I feel about my friends, sometimes all it takes is you swallowing whatever pride that you have that's holding you back from making the phone call or the text to have a conversation. Maybe that friendship can be salvaged, maybe it can't be.
00:16:18
Speaker
but at least you put in the effort to make it right. And if you do that, you can live with whatever the results are.
00:16:36
Speaker
so Most people that are listening to this know what
The Rise and Controversy of TikTok
00:16:40
Speaker
TikTok is. But let me just give you a brief overview. So in this case, there's somebody in the back that doesn't know what TikTok is, doesn't understand what TikTok is. So TikTok is a short-form video hosting service. It's owned by a Chinese company.
00:16:53
Speaker
It originally came into existence around 2016, 2017. It really popped off during the pandemic, right? The platform began as a cultural phenomenon, especially among the Gen Z, credited with driving viral trends in music, dance, and diverse array of user-generated content. ah People are getting money off of TikTok.
00:17:15
Speaker
But what's the problem with TikTok? TikTok has faced significant scrutiny and controversy, particularly regarding data privacy and alleged ties to the Chinese government. Concerns have been raised about the potential for government access to user data and national security risks. This has led to several countries especially the U.S. to consider restrictions or outright bans on out on the app. The controversy reached a peak during the Trump administration, which initiated discussions about banning TikTok amid these privacy concerns. As of this month, January 2025,
00:17:52
Speaker
This situation is getting really heavy because there's been legislation slat signed by President Biden that gives the company that owns TikTok up to one year to sell TikTok to a US entity to avoid a ban in the United States.
00:18:08
Speaker
Congress has raised alarms regarding data handling and user privacy, prompting calls for further investigation into the app's operations. The companies faced a balancing user agreement with regulatory compliance and concerns over privacy in today's digital landscape. The future for TikTok is uncertain. Everybody on social media is worried that TikTok is going to be banned. Why? For several reasons. One reason, enjoyment. If you've ever scrolled on TikTok,
00:18:38
Speaker
And I have, it's very addictive. It's more addictive than Instagram or Twitter ever was. Because these short videos of people doing dances or talking or what have you can just lead you down a rabbit hole. The next thing you know, two or three hours pass, you're supposed to go to bed at midnight, it's three o'clock in the morning and you're counting how many hours of sleep you've got left before you got to wake up at seven. It's simple math, three, minus seven, it's four hours ah before you got to wake up and go to work.
00:19:07
Speaker
Like it's serious. It's serious. So another aspect of TikTok is these content creators is getting money. You get money. TikTok pays you based off of views, comments and likes that your content gets. So some people have published what they're making on TikTok and it is a heavy source of what's supposed to be side income, but some of that side income is six figures or more. Just like on Instagram, how people have become Instagram famous, people have become TikTok famous. Another thing that people don't think of or talk about when they're talking about TikTok
00:19:46
Speaker
is how old movies, music, television shows get not rebranded, get reintroduced to an audience, especially Gen Z, that is never introduced to them. So how does that help the economy at large? Those people that created the music, that created the television shows, that created the movies start getting paid again because those things become popular. Old songs from the 80s have become hits. New artists that have gotten trends, dance trends,
00:20:16
Speaker
but with their song in the background, have blown up musically because people do these viral dances and next thing you know, what's that song in the background? You do a Shazam search and you're like, oh, that song's kind of dope. You listen to the whole song. You found out it came out in 1985. You was born in 1995.
00:20:37
Speaker
You didn't even know that song existed. Now it's in your regular rotation. Not just in your rotation, it's in your friends' rotation, it's in your friends' friends' rotation, it's back in your mama's rotation, it's in your auntie's rotation, it's in your cousin's rotation. Your next door neighbor is playing any of you like opening up that song too? How do you know that song? Well, I heard it from back in the day, but I was reintroduced to it on TikTok. So TikTok is a major cultural and influencer oh of not just the US, but pretty much the world. And they're going, they want to ban it. And to ban it is justifiable. right like You to be weary of what the Chinese government is doing. This is what people don't know about the Chinese government. Do you know who owns the majority of our debt? The Chinese government.
00:21:37
Speaker
Chinese government owns our debt. We're indebted, financially, to the Chinese government. Yeah, you didn't know that they're buying land. They've got several businesses here. They're a thriving economy. The old Cold War that was back in the 60s, 70s and 80s between the US and the old USSR, which was Russia, right? Which is what Russia is now. The old Soviet Union is now the US and China. It's a
00:22:14
Speaker
competitive, fairly friendly ish competitive rivalry, right, of who's going to be the number one superpower.
Potential TikTok Ban in the U.S.
00:22:24
Speaker
And hey,
00:22:26
Speaker
this This is about as close of a race as you could get as it was with the Soviets in the US. So it's understandable why government figures in this country would be extremely apprehensive about this platform, this software, this social media that is being run and controlled by a Chinese government. I don't know how that works to make a company sell it make a company sell itself to a US-based company just to make you feel better. The US can ban it, but people already finding loopholes around that stuff. You download a VPN, you set that VPN to Canada or Mexico, you can still access TikTok. So they're not going to, they might solve the issue somewhat from users using TikTok
00:23:22
Speaker
They might decrease the number somewhat, but it's not going to be an overall. Nobody's ever going to use TikTok in the U.S. Like that doesn't work. You've banned drugs. People out here using drugs all day long. There are laws to stop kids from underage drinking. Look, I'm going to tell you all not an unknown secret. I've been drinking since I was 16. And not just get somebody older to go buy it. I had me a little fake ID, and sometimes I didn't even need to use the fake ID, and I went gettin' beer and wine. I was goin' into the liquor, the liquor store, and goin' to get me some liquor, right? what um What I bring that up, what I'm tryin' to say is is that Gen Z kids, teenagers, 20 year olds, adults are gonna find ways around this band, so it's not gonna solve the problem that the US is hoping to solve.
00:24:18
Speaker
short-sighted, which oftentimes US legislation is very short-sighted. But okay, this is a real concern. How do we address the concern? The US has suggested, y'all sell this company to somebody in the US and we'll be all good.
00:24:42
Speaker
Here's the plot twist. There's been discussions that the real like less Lex Luthor himself, Elon Musk, is thinking about buying TikTok. Some people out there are probably like, well, that's good. He's a good businessman. No, he isn't. I'm gonna explain that in a minute. But some people out there are probably like, this is a good idea.
00:25:05
Speaker
I'm going to explain to you why it's not a good idea for him to own another social media company. Let's just break this down since Elon Musk has bought what I still call his Twitter but it has now been rebranded as X.
Elon Musk's Influence on Social Media
00:25:21
Speaker
Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter now and on his X He acquired it in October 2022. The company's valuation has experienced dramatic decline. So you don't you might not know what valuation means. Valuation means. All right, so if you buy a home, you buy anything. You buy anything. And it's valued at what you purchase it as, right? So if I go and I buy this video game, NBA 2K 2025, the game that I'm addicted to right now,
00:25:52
Speaker
And I paid $59.99 for it when I bought it. All of a sudden, in three months, that track that price dropped to $28.99. Well, let's make the numbers easy, $29.99. I then lost $30 of value. In other words, if I wanted to sell that game, I'm going to sell it at a $30 loss, okay? so that's the that's There's been a decline in Twitter X, how much of a decline. When he initially purchased it for $44 billion, dollars he purchased it for $54.20 a share, totally $54 billion. He bought all the shares up and $54.20 a share, totally $44 billion.
00:26:46
Speaker
A year later, in October 2023, the valuation had plummeted to $19 billion, representing a decline of roughly 58% from the original pur purchase price. As of October 2024, two years after buying Twitter,
00:27:08
Speaker
Fidelity estimates indicate that X's worth had dropped further to approximately $9.5 billion, dollars making an overall decline of nine im nearly 79% of the initial acquisition price. He bought it for $44 billion. Within a year, within one calendar year, it was worth $19 billion.
00:27:35
Speaker
Within two calendars years, it was worth 9.4 billion. Amanda lost 80% of the valuation of X and Y. I've already given a breakdown previous shows of how X has become a hateful, right-wing, anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic platform that pushes that.
00:28:04
Speaker
And porn. I don't think nothing is wrong with porn. Porn is okay with me. ah But all that hateful stuff is blown up under his watch. But some of the other factors that ah the factor into this dropping in the valuation of Twitter are shrinking advertising revenue.
00:28:27
Speaker
Mountain concerns over content and brand safety. Various companies have significantly reduced or paused their advertising on the platform due to apprehension over inappropriate comment linked to the to the platform since Musk has taken over. A survey noted that 26% of advertisers plan to cut their spinning on X, the most significant reduction compared to other platforms.
00:28:51
Speaker
Also, user engagement. Despite the challenges, X still boasts a large user base. I mean, they still claim about 57 million monthly after users. However, research indicates that engagement has dropped with the report.
00:29:07
Speaker
showing nearly 11% decline in monthly active users in the US over the past year. This decline in user engagement compounded by financial instability and advertising pressures has led to is increased skepticism about the platform's viability as a profitable business under Musk's leadership. Basically, what that means is Musk f'ed it up. OK, $44 billion when you bought it.
00:29:37
Speaker
now worth $9.4 billion two years later. You say, well, I i mean, so what? It's his company. How does that, you know, it's not that big of a deal. Let me explain to you how it's a big deal. Just as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and any other social media platform, people make money off of these platforms by engagement from other people. Brands decide to partner with content creators as their advertisers, right? So instead of going and hiring actors to do these commercials, you know, to get Hugh Juckman to promote some vodka or tequila, a content creator that has a Twitter following of a few million people could just send out an advertisement, hey, y'all, I'm drinking, you know, this vodka. That brands were enthusiastic about that. People were making money based on the fact that they had a bunch of followers.
00:30:39
Speaker
and that they could advertise brands they were making money. So if the overall platform is losing 80% of its valuation, and I know, I know, I'm saying the word weird, y'all know what I'm trying to say. Just like my sister can't say robot, I can't say valuation that well, all right? Just roll with me, you know what I'm trying to say. If 80% of its value is goal line,
00:31:08
Speaker
That means 80% of what people were making is gone. That means jobs were lost. And I get it. You're like, so what? To go out there and get a real job. That was a real job. You act like you wouldn't want to do that job too. You act like you wouldn't want to take some pictures and videos promoting a brand, post it on your social media, get some clicks and likes to get some money. Mind you, it's hard work. It is hard work. It's not as easy as you think.
00:31:39
Speaker
OK, but people were losing money, lost jobs, lost revenue because of his catalyst way of handling this company. a And they want him to buy Zantok.
00:31:56
Speaker
OK. He's already shown that he mismanages and mishandles a social media site. He just had that we've seen, we've got two years of evidence of a thriving, profitable site before he got his hands on it and just drug it into the ground. I know you're going to say, Stu makes 9.8 billion. and Okay. You're right. And and ah you're thinking of in terms of large scale money. Let me put it in a perspective for you. What if I came knocking on your door right now and I said, Hey,
00:32:33
Speaker
80% of what you own and what you're worth is now gone. You have 20% of everything of what you wanted. And that perspective, you see the significance of it? Yeah, I know you think 9.8 billion, whatever, but 80%, 80% of your value, 80% of what you own, gone, gone.
00:32:58
Speaker
Now, let's go back to the concept creators on TikTok that are making six figures, sometimes a million dollars, right? And you might think to yourself, they don't deserve that. People deserve whatever the market dictates. Right now, the TikTok market is saying they deserve it because everybody has an opportunity to get money if they want to get money. You got to go out. You got to be engaging. You got to be creative.
00:33:28
Speaker
Like, if everybody could be an actor, everybody would just be an actor. Everybody could be a director or a photographer and or painter, but you know or a musician, everybody would just be that. You have to have some type of skill and talent. And just because you don't think that it's skill and talent, does not mean that it's not skill and talent. Okay. The market has dictated this is skill and talent and people are getting paid from it. and We want to hand it over for him to run.
00:33:59
Speaker
Think about that. All these people that are making money, we're handing over for him to run. Well, he's already established that he don't know how to run any type of social media. That's the first thing that bothers me about it, is that it's going to affect people's livelihood. More importantly, because I do care about people and I do care about people going out there, get that money, go get that money, boo-boo.
00:34:28
Speaker
Go get it. It's yours for the taking. The world is yours. Go and get it. I want you to have all of it. As much as you can, as long as you're not hurting anybody else doing it. Go get it. The bigger issue for me is what Twitter or now X. And you know what? The way it is now, I want to call it something completely different. X is x is fitting. X. It's a hateful sight.
00:34:55
Speaker
If you get on there now, very rarely do you see something good come from it. If you're on Twitter and you want to get off Twitter, go to Blue Sky, go to threads. you know you it's it's It's Twitter, it's like Twitter. The users aren't all on there yet, but they're moving over there. Trust me, they're moving over there because it's just hate on Twitter. and And if you want to see something hateful, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic,
00:35:25
Speaker
anti-LGBTQ plus, go on it. You're gonna get that. And it's feeding those people. It's feeding the men and the men is fair. It's feeding the end cells. It's feeding all of these people who aren't good people. And he's he's loving it. Even though he tries to deny that, you do you know, I don't condone this, you condone it. Because you retweet a lot of this hateful stuff, you condone it.
00:35:53
Speaker
TikTok is bigger than X. I believe it's bigger than eto Instagram now. I'm not sure. I probably should have looked that up before I started about this, but let's just say that it's either as big or bigger. It's a bigger platform for hate.
00:36:10
Speaker
That's the reason why I don't want him having no control over it. I like Mr. Beast, who was a YouTuber, the the biggest YouTuber, has thought about coddling together a bunch of billionaires to to you know to buy TikTok.
00:36:25
Speaker
and I don't know how I feel as somebody who has started several companies in it and several companies, not companies, several companies in his life. I don't know how I feel about being forced to sell my company because you think that I might be a part of something that's nefarious to you. That's a slippery slope.
00:36:48
Speaker
That's a real slippery slope. And I think all my business owners out there have to think of it as that. If there's any accusations that your company is facilitating national security issues, accusations, no proof, no proof, accusations that they can make you sell your company. That's, hey, slippery slope. So I'm not really feeling that at all. I understand it.
00:37:19
Speaker
Once again, it's a move made by fear, and I don't think any moves made by fear is ever healthy, but okay. If you like it, I love it, I guess. If Mr. Beast can get some people together and and and keep TikTok going, don't change anything. Just keep it like it is. Cool. But I cannot stress enough how much I do not want Elon Musk to have any hand in TikTok. I enjoy TikTok. Not as much as Instagram, but I enjoy TikTok.
00:37:56
Speaker
I enjoy the fact that I can get on TikTok and let my mind escape. Sometimes be reintroduced to a new television show, an old television show, some new music, some old music, a new movie, an old movie, a new dance move, just interesting people.
00:38:19
Speaker
I like interesting people. TikTok and Instagram gives me interesting people. And it's amazing how ordinary people are just so talented. It's a release. It's an escape. And it is for a lot of people. I'm taking it away. Okay. Fine. That's gonna be the rule. That's the legislation. Cool. But can I cannot stress enough.
00:38:48
Speaker
Elon Musk should not get anywhere near this because he's just going to destroy it just like he did Twitter. Well, excuse me, X.
00:39:06
Speaker
I was having an interesting conversation with one of my friends, and this is gonna get a little graphic and a little personal, but ah follow me on here. So this is a brief warning that this next thing that I'm about to talk about, not the entire topic, but this one little two-minute stretch that I'm about to talk about is going to be a little graphic. So if you got your kids around, I'm not gonna cuss or anything. It's just gonna be, you know, a little graphic. So if you got your kids around, cover your ears or whatever.
00:39:33
Speaker
So my friend and I was, uh, was talking another day and we were talking about delusion, right?
Balancing Self-Esteem and Self-Delusion
00:39:43
Speaker
And how we got on it was, yeah okay, I'm going here. How we got on that topic was I was talking about my romance, ah my life, and romance through the the decades, okay? And how there have been more than a few times where I've had, you know, one-night stands. Sorry, Miles. I've had one-night stands. And I've always been under the belief that I am special.
00:40:15
Speaker
but this isn't something that that particular girl would normally do. And there's something that's so engaging about my personality and my presence that just she wanted to lose her inhibitions in this moment and be with me, do something different that she doesn't normally do.
00:40:33
Speaker
And be that way with me. I have long since learned that time through many of female friends that I have that yeah this is something that they do could there be something special about me oh absolutely right like.
00:40:47
Speaker
There absolutely is something about me, right? Because they don't do it all the time. It's not like women are out here just having one night stands every day to week. I mean, I'm sure there are, but and I don't know that to be the case. So there is something special about me. But the idea in my head that I'm that special is just in my head. And it got me thinking to delusion, right, and self-confidence.
00:41:17
Speaker
And I started getting introspective, but then started taking the idea to a macro level instead of a micro level and examining, is it beneficial or deterrent? So I did a little bit of research and found out it can be both.
00:41:37
Speaker
Like, somebody having a high opinion of themselves, like, you know these people out of here that have these super high opinions of themselves. They think they're smarter than what they are. We got a president that's about to be inaugurated. OK, that has a very, very high opinion of himself. ah Is he as intelligent as he thinks he is? His vocabulary would say otherwise. When you're constantly using adjectives that are elemental, then I don't find you to be that intelligent.
00:42:06
Speaker
But OK, intelligence is measured is measured by many different ways. So but he definitely has a high opinion on himself, right? We can all say that. But then I would say every president would have a high opinion on themselves. You would have to have this delusion of, I can make a difference and help everybody to even run for president. You would have to have a delusion and a super self-confidence to start a podcast, to write a book, to start a business. So these things can be both beneficial, but it can also be a deterrent. So how, what are some examples of delusion and self perception There's delusions of grandeur, right? Some individuals might believe they possess exceptional qualities or talents beyond their actual abilities. For instance, a person might believe that they're the next big star in acting or music, despite having little experience or training. This can lead them to pursue opportunities they might not otherwise have avoided due to fear of failure. And that was key, right? Most people don't go out there and take risks because they fear
00:43:18
Speaker
failing. You kind of have a delusion of grandeur. You kind of have to believe that your gifts are exceptional or that your talents are exceptional to even take that step to not fear, fear, fear of failing. So that's how it could be good. Yes, I am of the belief that there soon to be The second elected, again, president of the United States is not that great and bright of a person, but he does. And because he feels that way about himself, he decided to rough president. I'm not out here running for president.
00:44:07
Speaker
I don't think I had the background check. I wouldn't pass that background check. b but But I don't have the guts, of the run of a president. I don't like people that much. I mean, I do, but I don't. So like yes, you have to have some real strong beliefs in your abilities, real or delusional, to take the chances and make sure that you're not afraid of failing.
00:44:37
Speaker
There's overestimation of skills, right? Many individuals tend to rate their skills such as driving or public speaking as above average, regardless of objective evidence. This tendency towards overestimation can encourage them to undertake challenges that contribute to personal growth or inspiring others. I have an overestimation of my intelligence. I thought, I thought I did.
00:45:03
Speaker
Or maybe, you know, I didn't. I don't know. I haven't. Well, I have an overestimation of my verbal skills. I can get on this bad boy and I can go for an hour. But I'm going to say some words wrong. I'm going to stumble a little bit. I'm not as smooth or as polished as one of my favorite podcasters, but my job shut up. I'm on my job. So he is a great orator. I am.
00:45:28
Speaker
I guess. and ah Let's put it this way. I believe I'm above average. But once again, is that an overestimation? Who gave me the guts? What gave me the guts to start this podcast? What gave you the guts to go up there and and go for that position to get that promotion and that job? That you knew that you were going to be a manager and have to give meetings and go up there and speak in front of people.
00:45:53
Speaker
Sometimes you've got to think that your skills are greater than the what they are in order to accomplish your dreams. ah Benefits of a high self-esteem is motivation and drive. Individuals with inflated self-perceptions may feel empowered to pursue ambitious goals. This drive can lead to personal achievements, innovations, and advancements in their fields, because that which could ultimately benefit society. For example, a confident entrepreneur may create new businesses that provide jobs and services.
00:46:23
Speaker
It also gives you gives you resilience and adversity. A strong self-image can help individuals cope with setbacks. When faced with failure, a person with high self-esteem may be more likely to bounce back and try again, which can which can lead to a eventual success and this inspire resilience in others. I have a high self-esteem and high opinion of myself. I do.
00:46:48
Speaker
Don't get me wrong. I also it's still have imposter syndrome, which I don't know how that all works. like My ego gets inflated and deflated on a daily basis, but by and large, my ego is above average. Above average, right? And yes, I've started businesses before and provided jobs.
00:47:09
Speaker
Right? oh So I started this podcast and I know for a fact some of the things that I, my sister or the guests have said have had an influence in the listener or watcher of the audience. I've affected some lives. It was hubris for me to even start this podcast. Right? But the fact that I can affect some people's lives in a positive way because I have a high opinion of myself That's pretty cool. That's beneficial to society as as a whole. So sometimes, sometimes, once again, having the high opinion of yourself.
00:47:49
Speaker
its okay Another benefit of high self-esteem is leadership and influence. Those who believe they can affect change are often more willing to take risks and assert themselves in leadership roles. Their steadfast belief in themselves can galvanize others to rally behind a cause, which can be beneficial in a community organization or social movements. Once again, I know this is a lot of me talking about myself, but I've always tried to be a boss.
00:48:20
Speaker
I was an assistant manager of a retail store at the age of 18. By the age of 23, 24, I was a restaurant manager of an international restaurant. Well, supervisor, supervisor backslash management. I was in management. Okay. I'm an international restaurant at the age of 24.
00:48:47
Speaker
I like being in the manager role. I have confidence and and in my abilities and believe that I can work well with people. And my track record has been that I do well in those positions. Not everybody wants to be a manager. Not everybody wants to have that purpose. That doesn't mean that you don't have a lot of self-confidence. That's not your bag. Maybe you just want to go do what you will do and then go home. And that's OK.
00:49:16
Speaker
right That doesn't have to be, I have so high self-esteem, this is who I am. I'm just saying that people who do tend to go in these avenues and and that's beneficial to society. Case of point, I have to harbor it again, bring it forward again. The guy that's about to be president of the United States yet again is another example of this. He's a boss. Whether he's a good one or a bad one, i don't have strong evidence to suggest that he is, but he is a boss. He likes being a boss and there's something to be said about somebody who wants to be front and center and lead the charge. There's something to be said about that. I don't want to give him too many, you know, things, but you know, something to be said about that.
00:50:08
Speaker
Can this person benefit the world already said how they could? They could be innovator and trailblazers. They could be role models. They could be catalysts of change. Having a big ego is not necessarily necessarily a negative thing. It can be.
00:50:26
Speaker
It can lead to delusions and people thinking that they're smarter than themselves. I just finished talk about talking about X and there's a lot of people, not just on X, but in society as a whole, that love to argue against experts when they don't know what the hell they're talking about.
00:50:46
Speaker
So there is a backside to this, right? Yes, having delusions of grandeur and a big ego and high self-esteem can be very, very beneficial to society. I know a lot of people out there are like me. You might be finding out that you're above average when you always thought you were average. Let me explain. I saw a meme not too long ago.
00:51:10
Speaker
that said we were all in school, we were segregated. but I'm not talking about segregation. I'm talking about segregated based on one the intelligence, right? You had your high level classes later became advanced classes, right? You had your regular classes or your average classes and you had your below average classes.
00:51:34
Speaker
We all had this, all of us in school, we were segregated, right? So you were matched up typically with those people that had the same intelligence level of you. And we were doing this all throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, and into college.
00:51:51
Speaker
Right? Because people that tend to be in the advanced or the regular classes went to college. And yes, there is some difference between regular and advanced, but I knew a lot of people in regular classes in elementary middle school and high school that were just lazy as hell.
00:52:09
Speaker
Right? That was just lazy as hell. It was just as brilliant as those people in advanced classes. And sometimes those people in advanced classes just worked hard. ah They weren't that smart. They just worked hard. But there was a segregation of intelligence levels that we had all throughout college. So there are some people that are learning for the first time when they get out of college and they get into the workforce and they just get into life and dealing with people that we are no longer segregated. We are all mixed together.
00:52:39
Speaker
Right. So when you thought that you were just, well, I mean, I'm just in advanced classes, but but maybe I'm not the top in advanced classes. So I'm just kind of average. And then you realize you get onto the world that, oh, I'm actually brilliant because there's a lot of people out here that don't know how to think. Right. There's a reason why Fox News does things. Well, the newspaper writes so that people of a fifth grade reading level can read the newspaper.
00:53:10
Speaker
There's a reason why there is that scenario. There's a reason why people don't have great reading comprehension. And these are the same people that are arguing against scientists about the cure for COVID, the cure for cancer, saying, I got evidence when it's not evidence, when these are hypotheses or theories and not proven in fact, and they don't understand what how to research properly, you know how to prove their point based on facts.
Delusions of Grandeur in Society
00:53:42
Speaker
We're learning this now. So there are some people out here that have these big eagles and illusion of grandeur that think they're smarter or better than what they actually are and it can hurt society. The reason why I brought this up is that that's not always the case. And there are sometimes
00:54:03
Speaker
There are ah more than a few. There are some times where these people that had these delusions of grandeur, that have this really high confidence and self-worth in themselves can be beneficial to society because you have to have that to take chances in life. That's how we innovate. That's how we discover. That's how artists are made. You got to take a chance. So you got to have a high opinion of yourself.
00:54:30
Speaker
Do people need a reality check? Yes. Do I wish I had the super power of the glow hands? Smack reality checks into people. Yes. I still wish that I had that super power, but you know, it is when it is. I hadn't been granted it yet. I'm still waiting. I haven been granted yeah but maybe one day I'll be granted with the super powers of the glow hands and be able to smack sense into people. But until then, realize for every person that you come across that has these delusions that you think is a detriment to society, that there might be another person that has these same type of delusions and ego, a high self-esteem, that's a benefit to society. And where was the whole point? The whole point is, it ain't always what you think it is. Sometimes it could be the other way. And that's life. That's life.
00:55:15
Speaker
and so that's That's the point I'm trying to make today. That's life. We all do our best moving forward. Try to make the next day a better day than the day was behind us. Try to make it forward for the next generation. fa That's all we're trying to do here.
Conclusion and Listener Appreciation
00:55:31
Speaker
And on that note, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for listening. I want to thank you for watching. And until next time, as always,
00:55:42
Speaker
I holler.
00:55:45
Speaker
That was a hell of a show. Thank you for rocking with us here on Unsolicited Perspectives with Bruce Anthony. Now before you go, don't forget to follow, subscribe, like, comment, and share our podcast wherever you're listening or watching it to it. Pass it along to your friends. If you enjoy it, that means the people that you rock with will enjoy it also. So share the wealth, share the knowledge, share the noise.
00:56:08
Speaker
And for all those people that say, well, I don't have a YouTube. If you have a Gmail account and you have a YouTube, subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can actually watch our video podcast and YouTube exclusive content.
00:56:19
Speaker
but if the real party is on our Patreon page. After Hours Uncensored and Talking Straight-ish After Hours Uncensored is another show with my sister. And once again, the key word there is uncensored. Those who are exclusively on our Patreon page, jump onto our website at unsolicitedperspective.com for all things us. That's where you can get all of our audio, video, our blogs, and even buy our merch. And if you really feel ingenuous and wanna help us out, you can donate on our donations page. Donations go strictly to improving our software and hardware so we can keep giving you guys good content that you can clearly listen to and that you can clearly see. So any donation would be appreciative. Most importantly, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for listening and watching and supporting us. And I'll catch you next time. Audi 5000. Peace.