You Are Not Bootstrapping Your Way to the A List

A comforting story many independent conservative creators tell themselves has it that breakout success is a mere matter of volume. If the work is good enough, if the output is consistent enough; if the grind never stops, recognition will eventually follow. The gates will open, and the culture will take notice.

It’s my regretful duty to inform you that this story no longer matches the conditions on the ground.

A-list visibility is not a tower one climbs from the outside. It is granted by institutions that already control distribution and publicity. Those organizations remain firmly in the managerial elite’s hands, and they have every incentive to exclude ideological outsiders.

In short, the barrier to entry is not talent. Instead, it is alignment.

Legacy publishers, studios, and networks still decide who receives mass exposure. Their brand survival depends on signaling the correct values to their benefactors. Conservative creators are a liability under those incentives. That means the gate does not open by degrees; it swings wide or stays shut.

Some respond by pointing to social platforms as the alternative. If the old system blocks access, they contend, viral fame will bypass it. The algorithm will discover raw talent, and audiences will decide directly.

Read the full post on Substack!

Access it free for the first two weeks, then find it in the paid archive.