The issue with color on X
If you’re unfamiliar with the analogy, commentators in a sports game typically call out their fact-based assessment of the play-by-play happening on the field. A commentator might say “Tim Duncan is advancing up the court. Lining up for a three-point shot. In and out.” A color commentator on the other hand is the sidekick to the host. He’ll add color and perspective to the play. “Tim Duncan really needs to work on his three-point game,” or “Duncan’s been missing a lot of his shots and it's bringing down the rest of his team.”
On X, commentators are largely non-fictional accounts who bring new information into the system. They are plugged into the physical world by some means and relay new information based on their play-by-play observations. A social media network with only commentators but no color commentary is largely what X was before its acquisition as Twitter, which attempted to be an "objective" observer of the game.
Color commentators are largely your anonymous, fictional, anime-avatar accounts that fulfill one core defining principle: they say the thing no one else is willing to say. They function as the free speech engine of the platform. Saying the unsaid requires major ballsage, and most non-fictional accounts steer clear of that path because the risk can be too high.
