It's Time for Us to All Forget About "The Liver King"

I have just recently watched "The Liver King" on Netflix. This is part of their docuseries Untold. I enjoy the whole Untold series. I like the in-depth look they take into the stories they are telling us. I knew nothing of this person, but I saw the picture of him on my screen, watched the preview and decided this was a topic I wanted to learn more about.

Apparently this so-called "Liver King" is some internet influencer. I guess he lives what he calls an "ancestral lifestyle". From what I could gather, this means eating raw meat, living off the land and lifting weights. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that is what I took from the hour long documentary. Right from the start I despised this "Liver King". He talks like a snake oil salesman mixed with a wannabe motivational speaker and add on a bit of a used car salesman. That is what this dude reminds me of after watching the show. He talks about the land and getting off the phone and being with your family. But, in the very next scene or sentence he is filming something on his phone or telling the viewer a story about how he would spend twenty hours a day learning how to "be on film", and being away from his family. This dude is constantly filming on his phone. He is in a loop of always making content. He has, essentially, forced his family into this world of being content creators. He is always on his phone or one of his family members' phones. He loves being the center of attention. He wants fame. He wants the eyeballs on him at all times. This is not an "ancestral" way of living. He craves the spotlight and he makes no bones about it. He appears on podcasts and does his own content constantly. He also claimed to never take steroids, which is absolute nonsense.

Well, about halfway through all of this, as is with most of the internet famous nowadays, he gets exposed. He, of course, takes steroids. He packages his product in plastic containers. He consults with doctors about how to get steroids. He is not this "ancestral" being that he claims to be. It was almost cathartic for me to see this idiot get taken down a few pegs.

Therein lies my whole problem with the modern world and what accounts to "fame" these days. While this guy got exposed as the liar I knew he was from the jump, Netflix still gave him a platform. He still has "talent" agents. He still gets to tell his side of the story. You don't have to be talented to get famous anymore. All you have to do is spout off at the mouth and say some straight nonsense that some idiots will believe and follow. This guy is a multimillionaire and he fooled people all along the way. He is not "ancestral". He is not pure. He claims to have mental health and self esteem stuff, but that feels like a crutch from this liar and snake. He does crazy shit online and he gathered a following, which I'm sure he still has to this day. We need to stop putting people like this on a pedestal. He is a steroid abuser who lied to millions of people and made more money than most of us could ever dream about having. I dislike this dude very much for a myriad of reasons, but I'm also annoyed by big companies letting him tell a story. He needs to fade into oblivion and give the right people their proper platform.

I'm glad I watched, but I'm angered that even I am writing a piece about this "Liver King" because that still makes him mildly viable. Watch it if you want, but then forget about it immediately. That's my plan. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Sign Stealer"

I was on the fence about watching the new Netflix doc, "Sign Stealer". I am, as you all know, a super fan of Michigan football. They're the only sports team that I truly love. I care deeply about the outcome of each game. It is a problem, I've been working on it for a long time and have gotten better, but I still care. Some would say too much. So, the idea of a doc that focuses on Michigan's "scandal" from their title winning season seemed like a bad idea. But I read some reviews of it from people that I like, and they said it wasn't all that bad. I am also a big fan of the whole "Untold" series that Netflix does. It is a nice mix of true crime and sports. I like to watch stories about both those things. So, probably against my better wishes, I tuned in to "Sign Stealer" yesterday.

As I sat down to watch I tried to have an open mind. I wanted to hear everyone's side of the story. I wanted to hear from Connor Stalions himself. This is the first time he has spoken about the whole thing since the story broke. But, it was hard for me to tamp down my love for Michigan football while I watched. Look, the whole idea of "Untold" on Netflix is to reveal hard hitting, real life journalistic stuff. The next "Untold" I'm going to watch is about the murder of Steve McNair. I've also seen them take on the Manti Teo catfishing incident, a crime boss buying his son a hockey team, these are real criminal acts.

The whole thing behind "Sign Stealer" is about a low level employee deciphering signals from other teams, a custom that most high level division 1 football teams do. This is not a crime. This is not even fully illegal. It is a gray area, but still, not illegal. The only illegal thing being done, according to the dumbass NCAA bylaws, is advanced in person scouting. What the hell does that even mean? Can low level coaches go to college football games just as a fan? Can they invite friends and family? Can they just be regular fans? I guess not, according to this one rule. I agree that what Stalions did was shady, but he was not the reason that Michigan got better at football. It was nice to see Mike Barrett talk about this on the record. He was there. He put in the work. He made himself a better player and a better leader. So to hear his side of the story was enlightening. Then you have this new person in this that I truly hate, Brohio, talking about how "shady" and "upsetting" this whole situation became for him as a fan and a message board moron. The fact that he calls himself that, that he would lend his "intelligence" on this matter and expect people to take him seriously is the funniest thing to come from this doc. In the end, what I read prior to watching the doc said that if you're a hater or a fan, there is nothing in this that will change your mind. Fans of other schools are going to claim that this lays it all out there and the sanctions should be coming. Michigan fans are going to say it is no big deal, because it is no big deal. For Netflix and "Untold" to take this low level issue and make it akin to true crime docs was unnecessary. But, they need to strike while the iron is hot on this topic, before it fizzles into nothing.

What we watched in "Sign Stealer" will not change the outcome of last season, and the last three years of Michigan football. They are the reigning champs. They've beaten the university of Ohio State fair and square three years in a row. Teams had a chance to beat Michigan after Stalions was let go, and they still couldn't do it. Michigan will keep their trophy, keep their titles and keep all their wins over the past three years. I guess you can watch this doc if you want, but there is nothing in here that will change your mind either way. Go Blue. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.