Especially Patreon. Patreon more or less takes people's money in exchange for warm fuzzy feelings. If they piss off their users, the users get less warm fuzzy feelings, and they'll stop buying.
I suppose that can be construed as a warm fuzzy feeling.
Just because there's no defined benefit or exclusivity doesn't mean all you're paying for is "fuzzy feelings".
There's also a fair bit of patron-only content from many people - bonus comics, behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos, requested artwork, whatever.
So yes, you are purchasing arts and entertainment. Just in an unusual model.
I read you want to put weight on how the very fact of giving or retracting donations messages an expectation to the creator and creates a kind of defacto commercial relationship.
But honestly I see it the other way round, where creators on patreons have already put something out in the world, and donations come after the fact.
There is an expectation that they go on creating, but if they said “fuck it I can’t do it anymore” I won’t be running after them to ask for my money back; I already got my warm and fuzzy feelings, the deal is closed on my side.
Yes. In the same way that you purchase something from a charity when you make a donation.