In this case “chat” is as in Twitch Chat, like when streamers talk to their twitch chats directly, like “hey, chat, what’s happening?” Not sure what they mean by 4th person pronoun - I would consider “chat” a 2nd person plural (you all) but I can see the potential for defining it as a completely separate thing due to the nature of “chat” being a undefined person instead of a specific one? Idk it’s fascinating tho
4th person is referring to the hypothetical collective of people beyond the fourth wall. the fourth wall is the invisible barrier between the stage and the seats, the actor and the audience. and actors ‘break’ the fourth wall when they address the audience directly and acknowledge that they’re a person playing a character for entertainment. in some styles of performance this should never be done, like opera or musicals, because it can collapse the weight and momentum of the story. in others, like improv and game shows, audience participation is encouraged because it’s explicitly a collaboration.
in the streaming era (in our panopticon culture) the fourth wall is extremely permeable in interesting new ways. streamers aren’t just playing to an audience, they’re able to read and respond to messages from that audience too. it’s a collaborative improv, there’s a call and response, the audience knows the streamer relies on them for attention as they rely on him for entertainment.
so, yeah, 'chat’ isn’t second person, it’s fourth. i’m not referring to the 'you’ that’s here with me on this side of the stage, im referring to the people beyond this situation, watching our funny little problems. all the world is a stage, now. don’t forget to like and subscribe.
