It was the incredible moment of the digital age. Centuries of cultivation and poise of the arts led up to one man who captured his desires, introducing his medium to the masses. The legendary, king of painting, Bob Ross took aim at Twitch in an effort to reinvigorate and instill a true solidarity among the new generation and art. Ross worked tirelessly, trying to constantly improve his platform and provide quality expressionistic ideas, yet dividing the world in what was believed to be “great art”. Alas his journey came to an end and Ross’ show concluded, but the questions still remained, en masse, for many journalists including myself — how did such a man keep up his constant vigor? How could someone stream near-endlessly with no breaks? The most damning fact of this mystery is how could he not have responded to chat? In this edition, we will explore the fascinations of his stream.
1. He does not interact with chat.
[su_note note_color=”#f5f5f5″ text_color=”#2f2f2f” radius=”4″]The interaction between streamer and viewer is truly something special and throughout that entire 200 marathon (and after) he continues to ignore chat. His marathon brought ~5.6 million unique viewers and never once did he acknowledge them. If he were actually live, the odds are that he would of at least said “hi” to his strong community.
[/su_note]2. He streamed for 200 hours straight without taking breaks.
[su_note note_color=”#f5f5f5″ text_color=”#2f2f2f” radius=”4″]Hearing each brush stroke caress the canvas may have been one of the most mesmerizing sounds heard in all of Twitch. We understand that, without a doubt, he is a master of his craft and loves every moment of it. However, it is simply not humanly possible to stream for 200 hours straight without taking any breaks for food, rest or relaxation. Even the most skillful and experienced Twitch streamers struggle with 24-hour marathons, but Ross somehow managed to push through basic human needs to stream? Seems both unlikely and unhealthy.
[/su_note]3. Video and production quality.
[su_note note_color=”#f5f5f5″ text_color=”#2f2f2f” radius=”4″]Live streams continue to strive for the most advanced resolutions to create a crystal clear picture to all users in the audience. However, his video quality, even with the benefit of a Twitch transcoder at source settings, looked like choppy technicolor quality. Many community members boast about their computer specifications and strive for the best picture possible, but Ross’ stream bared no mind to it. In this day and age, quality is king and it seems silly to not adhere to that standard.
[/su_note]4. Changed outfits every 30 minutes.
[su_note note_color=”#f5f5f5″ text_color=”#2f2f2f” radius=”4″]If you paid enough attention during Ross’ cast, it was obvious that he broke the segments into 30 minute “episodes” (but no breaks between each). After each “episode” he miraculously had on a new outfit, different from the last. How is that possible? There were 403 episodes throughout his streaming marathon and each time he decides to switch his clothing? We understand that quick changing is a learnable talent but the odds that Ross did that “just because” seem low, not to mention the sheer amount of clothing.
[/su_note]The information is staggering and apparent. Bob Ross truly was the great symbol between the digital world and artistic expression, but the speculation remains. We need to rise up and ask the important questions that will resonate with the rest of the Twitch community. We need to stand in solidarity and find out who this Bob Ross really is.
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