Carrie Tart is tired of reporting entertainment news, but with one last day to save the show, she’s determined to follow her dream: Producing a show about real people telling real stories. Will she create the next This American Life, or will she live to regret her career pivot?
“You know what I think is funny about humans? We’re so good at convincing ourselves that what we want is what we need. But that isn’t always true, and you shouldn’t get mad at yourself.” – Mr. Rogers (not the real one)
Yes, I quoted Mr. Rogers from our latest episode of The Fakist up top. I know. Cringey. It could be worse. I could have started with the dictionary definition of “want” or “need.”
Sometimes you want something so much, you’ll sacrifice anything to get it. But what do you do when your dreams come true, and the reality isn’t what you imagined?
Several years ago, I landed a dream job in an industry I’d been trying to break into since college. It went well enough at first, but over time it changed into exactly the type of position I’d told myself I’d never have: Coding, spreadsheets, hunched over a keyboard for most of the week. There were bright flashes of creativity amidst the shit-shoveling, but I started resenting my old dream I’d worked towards for so long and finally achieved.
So, I quit the job, and started work on a new dream: An online “community theater” where like-minded people could collaborate on cool creative projects. Our first group project, One Week In March, was filmed by a couple dozen participants over the first week of March 2020. It was my response to reality television. Real people’s real lives. No gimmicks. No shaping. Just verisimilitude and genuine characters, set during one average week across the world.
We all know what happened the next couple of weeks in March 2020. I was excited for the forced solitude since I was sitting on so much footage to edit. I worked on the project any time the kids didn’t need my computer for virtual school.
Eventually, I had a solid rough cut of the first episode ready to send out to beta watchers to gauge their reaction. The number one comment I got back? Presenting people as they are is boring. People wanted more drama. Good guys. Bad guys. As the editor, I should have done more to shape the story and cut the “fluff.” Unfortunately, the “fluff” was kind of the point of the whole thing.
Now, I both agree and disagree with those comments in different ways, but it was pretty disheartening to hear at the time. I’d left my old job to try a new dream, and it wasn’t landing. Worst of all? It was my fault for having too much ambition and not enough help. I got what I wanted, but it wasn’t what I needed. Again.
So, what do you do? For me, I turned back to another dream, an older dream I’d turned into reality once upon a time. A dream I know from personal experience is both what I want and what I need. I mean, we’ll see, but I like my chances.
In this story, Fakist entertainment reporter Carrie Tart is unhappy with her career. She’s successful, but unsatisfied, so she breaks in a new direction.
Carrie is played by Samantha Crausman, one of several friends I’ve made doing comedy the past few years here in Central Florida. We met as 2020 cast members of The Humor Mill Orlando, so it was natural to ask Kelly Rands to come play with us too!
Andy Ransom, who I met studying and performing at the now-defunct AdLib Theater in Winter Park, rounds out the trio. All will be return in future episodes, and some other local friends will appear in the coming weeks.
Please enjoy After The Thrill Is Gone.