Your take on this is very interesting to me. The story in this article reminded me of the story behind the production of Eraserhead, which took about 5 years to complete and a considerable amount of hardship and dedication. At some point, the bleak conditions of the film-makers lives seemed to meld with the tone of the film itself. There are of course, many stories like this in the world of art. The struggling artist that goes all in and risks health and well-being in pursuit of a vision… and puts enough raw talent and mad conviction in it that he or she makes it, barely. That’s how I read this story, and that’s how I see these guys: talented underdogs going all in and getting a great result from their efforts. Perverse heroism, you know. (Also reminds me of the hellish production stories behind some great Herzog films.) So, no, I can’t agree with you at all, your take is the exact opposite of mine, you interpret this as a tale of ruthless exploitation, I interpret it as a tale of a bunch of eager and talented artists suffering to get their vision done, and succeeding in the end. I love ‘em… I was on the fence about this game, but now, I’m going out to buy it.
But still, I do appreciate and enjoy your take on this, so thanks.

I love that show. Weirdly enough, I just listened to that episode 2 days ago.