A TV host’s success could come from curation skill rather than on-camera talent

Evidence

Ed Sullivan, whose show (originally entitled The Toast of the Town) had a shaky start. On first viewing it, even the unerring Paley insisted that Sullivan be temporary. (His evident “anti-talent” would inspire the classic remark that “Ed does nothing, but he does it better than anyone else on television.”) But Sullivan’s talent wasn’t his presence on camera; rather, as with Paley, it was his connections and an eye for the talent of others, and his show gradually took off until it became the most watched on Sunday evenings by a broad margin. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 450

Categorization

• XREF: Ed Sullivan as a proto-Spotify/DJ-style curator whose value is taste rather than performance — echoes the modern platform model. — connects to: Mundane everyday skills can generate internet celebrity rivaling elite talents — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 134

Broader Connections

• Mundane everyday skills can generate internet celebrity rivaling elite talents #corroborates (0.80) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 134