Modern Celebrity & Audiences

Behind The Curtin is an idea that I’ve kicked around in my mind and bounced off of friends, family, or anybody who would listen to me since the Spring of 2018. Lots of “analysis” and “perfecting” the idea between then and now. I’m excited to be off to the races more formally than I have at any point over the last few years - I’m going to build & just figure things out on the fly.

Time to build a new media company.

I’ve spent my career in sports marketing, talent representation, residential real estate brokerage, and the online media business where I’m currently Head of Partnerships at The Dink Pickleball. Historically, I’ve joked that I am a master of none, but I’ve started to embrace the fact that I’m interested in various things and have my hand in multiple industries. I keep my ear close to the ground on current events, understand relevant players across industries, and I want to be a bigger contributor in the spaces I’m passionate about. Behind The Curtin is meant to uniquely capture the convergence of Sports, Entertainment, News, Business, and how they dictate Pop Culture. That’s where I think this brand, Behind The Curtin, can make a name for itself. 

I recently watched the David Beckham docuseries on Netflix and was quickly reminded of how big of a Superstar and A-list celebrity he was in the late 90s + early 2000s. Same for Posh! It’s a level of stardom you don’t often see now that the world is so much more diluted with entertainment options and access to “stardom” is more democratized. Innovation with phones, social media, and streaming platforms is a big contributor to this but there are also cultural shifts within newer generations. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck often talk about how these changes have influenced Hollywood over the last 20+ years. There are fewer movie stars and fewer risks taken by studios (a shame in my opinion). The corporate powers that be prefer the guarantee associated with projects that have built-in audiences the way you see with Marvel and similar franchises.

Ultimately, the idea of celebrity and its audience has undergone a lot of change. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing is a personal opinion, I’ve been on both sides of the coin. I learned the hard way that even well-known NFL starters can be a tough sell for endorsement opportunities. A few years later, I found myself negotiating 7 figure brand deals for Instagram meme pages like Shitheadsteve, content creators like Grill Guy, and a “niche” internet golf show, Bob Does Sports. The show got big enough that we launched an apparel brand, Breezy Golf, and an event series, The Breezy Invitational. I realized how powerful audience and community can be, even as a relatively newer, internet-centric brand. It’s a big business!

I’m eager to continue exploring these opportunities that surround athletes, creators, entertainers, and brands that have captured various forms of “celebrity.” There are constantly changing ways to influence, launch businesses, and create newer ways of doing things.

Stay tuned for more!