sweet tooth - karl jacobs

chapter 39- waiting

wednesday– three days later

i pace around my bedroom as i watch the timer tick down on the premiere countdown.

"I spent a day with KARL JACOBS"

karl's interview with anthony padilla that he specifically asked me to watch.

but why? did he just want my support? but he's never asked me to watch any of his stuff in the past... and he didn't tell me he was a streamer until a couple days ago. if he wanted my support that badly, he would've said so a long time ago.

the countdown finally hits zero, and i sit down on my couch, pulling my laptop onto my lap as i watch.

the video starts with a short message from a sponsor, then a man immediately falls through the roof. i jump slightly at the sudden action, which is a little embarrassing.

"my name's anthony padilla, and today i'll be spending with karl jacobs," the man says. "the immensely popular streamer and creator who went from working as a camera operator for mr. beast, to now becoming one of the most notable new faces on the internet. by the end of this video, we'll find out how karl achieved this massive fame so quickly, and we'll get a look inside his mind and personal life. has karl's dramatic rise to fame been everything he could have ever dreamed of? or has the expectations and critique from fans and critics alike proven far more cruel than anyone could ever imagine?"

after flipping through random clips of karl and an intro screen, the video cuts to anthony and karl sitting side by side. karl's sitting criss-cross in a chair (which makes me laugh), and he's wearing a black and red hoodie, neutral plaid pants, and black shoes.

just as fashionable as ever.

the two first greet each other, then immediately start the interview.

they talk about how karl's name was trending on twitter because of his flight to LA for the interview, then immediately into how karl blew up.

"the weirdest part for me is, i kinda blew up in the middle of a pandemic when i never saw anybody," karl says. "so i went from nobody recognizing me, and now when i go out in public, i get recognized a lot."

"how would you describe the content you make?" anthony presses on.

"i stream on twitch a lot, hang out with my friends, play a bunch of different games, and then i'm also on youtube, and i guess i'm also on mr. beast."

they continue to talk casually about streaming and gaming, something that all sounds like gibberish to me. but i'm still entertained. maybe because anthony's a great interviewer. and maybe because karl looks so good that it's criminal.

they continue talking about how karl got a job with mr. beast, and karl talks about how he dropped out of college for the job. i smile at myself for already knowing that, and for the topic of dropping out being something karl and i bonded over.

it was all going well, until...

"you've gotten some people saying that you... have ruined mr. beast," anthony brings up gently.

i feel my eyebrows furrow together as i stare at my screen in disgust.

who would ever say that?

karl, the little ball of sunshine that brightens the lives of everyone he interacts with, ruined mr. beast? give me a break.

and even though i feel so angry and defensive, karl laughs.

"yeah!" he responds through chuckles. "i'm proud of that one!"

anthony laughs with him, and i can feel all the anger in my body dissipate immediately.

he can laugh it off? just like that?