Guest Editorial from Justin Zzyzx

Hot Juicy Gossip!

One of my favorite quotes has always been “Hell is Other People”. You could find it inscribed on buttons, bumper stickers, t-shirts, of course, now it has gone the way of the “Kilroy was here”. For the younger audience, I’m just waxing nostalgic. Of course, after many years of being alive and consuming Sartre’s play NO EXIT, I understand the quote was much more than that basic quote. The story of four people locked in a room with no exit, which turns out to be hell (sorry for the spoiler), the quote is better extended. “Hell is Other People’s Opinion of You”. Much worse, much more self reflective. Possibly something that only comes with age and insight into one’s self. Are people allowed to change? Or must we always look at them with the view we once established?

During my 20+ years in this industry I got to meet a veritable “Who’s Who” in the club of mineral dealers. Mostly lovely people, enjoying this fine hobby. Some of them retired school teachers and professors, some ex-geologists, mixed in with some plain ol’ capitalist merchants. Indeed, there is always the train of gossip that swirls around, but you CERTAINLY, well, ok, RARELY, found anyone in the hallways of hotel shows, or in the middle of arena just shouting obscenities and showering the show with bad tidings. If there was, or when, those sellers would not find themselves in the graces of the general buying public. Then, the internet came along. The dark, evil internet. Nobody has really painted as beautifully dark a picture of the internet as Bo Burnam.

A certain protest group on the internet that was anonymous in nature liked to say “None of us are as awful as all of us”. Truly, the disconnection from the real world has fueled this mean nature that comes part and parcel with the internet and the dealings online. Name calling, rudeness, casting aspersions, airing private drama, not only in words, no no, full on LIVE videos filmed in the moment of heat!

There is a whole group of internet dealers who sell minerals via live video who literally create a Cult of Personality, where customers and fans follow them as pseudo celebrities. These parasocial relationships are fueled by the drama, the group hate and the nature of “who knows what they will say or do” that keeps them coming back for more. Boss bitch, mean girl crew. I understand it personally. I would much rather the mean nasty girls LIKE me, rather than use me as a target for their cruelty. In fact, having the mean girl umbrella over you gives you the chance to lash out, to abuse a target, all the while, the umbrella cheers and prods with you. Even better, they might console you if the target dares to strike back. Bullies come in all sizes and flavors. What flavor do you choose for your life? Are you full of spite and hatred, or do you find that off putting and flavorless?

In the past year I have taken part in many live sales, witnessed dozens of 3rd party sellers and worked for a couple that is so toxic, it is beyond words. In the end, it boils down to one simple fact. Be cruel, be wildly mean, cast aspersions, punch down. Share your ups and downs, your baby momma drama, your cruel intentions and you’ll have a HUGE following. Cast that off, be pleasant, be kind, be fun and informative, stay below 100 viewers. On the internet, being a bully is money. The algorithm loves and promotes it. The internet is an awful place now. Human nature is cruelty. Might is right, as long as you support it.

Many years ago, from 2008-2014 I made my living giving lectures and writing about minerals. I traveled around the Southern California area, flew away to the east coast to give lectures and so on. With over a dozen lectures on things like Palos Verdes Barite, Agates of the Western USA, Rockhounding 101 and such, the talk that put butts into seats was my talk on Fakes and Forgeries.

Here is that lecture, in fact, redone in 2023 for a new life on the internet. I had joined a group of sellers on a private facebook group and they were asking for lectures. I presented this lecture, on fakes and forgeries and the person running that group told me that it was the most watched and most rewatched videos of the lecture series.

Why? Why is it always that lecture that gets so many viewers? It is all about the DIRT! The Gossip! The juicy 2 minute hate that we get to throw at the scam rocks. We get to come together and let bully Justin cast aspersions and accusations at the rocks.

Yes, sadly it is 2023 and hate is paramount on the internet. The floodgates are open. We are, collectively, a rubbernecker’s delight.

The poet Jello Biafra once said something that rings true to this situation

We don’t destroy society in a day
Until we change ourselves first
From the inside out
We can start by not lying so much
And treating other people like dirt
It’s easy not to base our lives
On how much we can scam
And you know
It feels good to lift that monkey off our backs

There is so much going on behind the scenes with the people who enwrap you into this chaotic world of hate sales. If they can devote a half hour feed talking absolute horror about someone else, or putting others down, either other sellers or their own suppliers, what do you think they say about you behind the scenes? Do you really think they think of their customers as anything but suckers? Maybe stanning for trolls isn’t the hot thing. Or the right thing. Or the ethical thing. Maybe that support helps to spread more discontent and ill will into the world. Does this world need that?

Hell is other people’s opinions of you. Those who live a life of hate, greed and mistreatment of others, as a society, we should give them hell. Maybe they will change, let’s let people change. However, if you run into a live seller of minerals who is being cruel, promoting drama, exposing deeply personal and unfavorable public life, maybe you might want to hold your support for that seller. There are dozens upon dozens of pleasant, happy, joyful, educational sellers out there who need your support. Your money speaks. Make your voice strong and positive. Be a part of the solution.

Of course, these are just my personal thoughts on the issue. I’ve seen too much of this behavior being rewarded. I understand the desire. I simply hope that one or two people read this and become aware of these issues. We all want to be good people, I imagine, at least most of us do. Let’s support good people, if we can.