Introduction

I have previously posted on Venkatash Rao's Powertalk/Gametalk/Babytalk theory.

I follow his blog Ribbonfarm and I recommend it if you're looking for in-depth business/redpill ideas.

Rao on Players versus Spectators

http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2013/06/26/players-versus-spectators/

In one of his posts, Rao muses on players versus spectators in both literal and metaphoric games. I think his theory is quite brilliant because it extends to life and sexual game as well:

In both kinds of games, spectators need players to create value, and players need spectators to consume it.

Open up this main chart before continuing. Or view it on his blog:

Players who are still in the game can be classified into three kinds. Celebrities are very aware of the audience and respond to it, accommodating its demands to varying degrees, and in many cases, deriving pleasure from the interaction. Artists see the audience mostly as a necessary evil to be tolerated, except for connoisseurs. Contenders are players who haven’t yet proven themselves and are also very aware of the audience, but play to it in a different way, seeking legitimacy.

Spectators can be classified into three kinds as well. Cheerleaders seem to live vicariously through players, feeding off the positive emotions of victory. Connoisseurs effectively ignore the players and focus on the quality of the game itself. Hecklers seem to live for Schadenfreude. In terms of skill in understanding what they’re seeing, connoisseurs and hecklers tend to have roughly comparable levels of skill, while cheerleaders usually understand less, but feel a great deal more.

X as the player attitude and Y as the spectator attitude.

How does this relate to the Sexual Marketplace and TRP? Who are the Players?

The interactions at the four corners illustrate basic human relationship needs playing out in the context of player-spectator relationships. They involve the least information and the most emotion. The four [middle] cross positions involve less emotion and more information than the corners, with one side dehumanizing the other to an extent. The center position is nearly pure information flow.

The "Players" X-axis becomes "Players" in the sexual game sense.

However, the PUA community is fragmented and not even a dedicated PUA is necessarily a master of social dynamics or a social alpha male (as evidenced by /r/seduction). There is even a growing rift in /r/theredpill on subjects such as LTRs, cheating, unicorns, and whether or not morality should play a role in sexual strategy.

Rao's theory actually accounts for these inevitable rifts:

When boundaries are blurring, and extrinsic markers of player-versus-spectator distinctions weaken, confusing meta-debates can emerge about who the “real” (or legitimate) players are, and posturing around questions of professional and amateur status can emerge.

In this context, "Contenders" can be viewed as those PUAs/Redpillers who champion morality, honor & "sharing emotions" with the supposedly "high value" girl they are on a mission to find.

"Celebrities" and "Artists" likely achieve the same results in terms of sexual accomplishments. However, Artists do so for more self-derived reasons (their personality doesn't allow them to do otherwise. They are who they are.) while Celebrities do so for attention-seeking and the thrill of getting laid. Artists probably have more true Dark Triad tendencies, whereas Celebrities are those who seek to "make up for lost time" by plowing as much pussy as possible.

Despite differences, both are equally aware of the true amoral nature of the sexual market and accept it. On the other hand, Contenders are either unaware or don't accept this. Instead, they rationalize their own anecdotal experience as the "norm", rely on wish-fulfillment as their reality, or label counter-reality as the result of dealing with "low quality women" (NAWALT, basically).

Who are the Spectators?

The "Spectators" Y-axis becomes a combination of bluepill men + doubters + MGTOW who sit on the sidelines.

In this context, "Cheerleaders" are the bros you occasionally meet and give you props, but whom are ultimately doomed to hopelessness despite their best efforts.

"Connoisseurs" becomes long-term married men/MGTOW who have seen the real problems the sexual marketplace present but who still have persevered somehow.

"Hecklers" are bluepill men, male feminists, and white knights who try to shame you and/or defend women.

Final Thoughts

While my application of Rao's theory is not perfect, Rao's base theory certainly applies to the Sexual Market, game, inter-group dynamics, and our own Redpill movement.

If you take nothing else, bookmark Rao's blog as it's quite brilliant.