Quote:
Originally Posted by JHikka
Probably more of the latter, but there are still plenty of things these days that can be considered more of a shared thing than others. Shows like Squid Game or Succession are watched by millions and it's easy to find people that also watch them out in public. Game of Thrones was definitely cultural (if regrettable by the end). If anything, the internet has made it easier to connect with other fans of things, so if i'm watching the newest Star Wars series it's much easier for me to discuss and brainstorm with people online over plot points or details.
It's an easy argument to make that we're in the golden age of TV/streaming/video production and creation. The sheer number of things being made these days and their breadth is incredible.
|
Oh, I am almost certain that today’s media is better and I am not arguing that point.
What I am more saying is that something that crosses a wide swath of society is getting more rare. Game of Thrones was about the last show I can think of that spanned generational divides; it seemed like end of an era. Maybe the divides are just getting larger - the internet versus non-internet divide being the the marker there.
Other things just have their fandoms like Star Wars. Either you like it and are invested, or not. Which is fine, but it is self-sorting to an extent, especially the farther one gets in. The Marvel movies suffer from this too.
Do I feel out of touch with someone 15-20 years my junior? Not completely, but it is just more work to bridge that cultural divide. I find it much easier to relate to those somewhat older, because the type of cultural ‘conditioning’ was more similar. More standardized, whereas I find the younger take is more chaotic, more random, which is unsurprising given the self-catering that is available today.
There will always be common things people share. Food, sport, day-to-day life. But in another sense, as our country becomes more diverse in both a literal sense and cultural one, I am curious how far apart we can go and still retain a cohesive identity.
How atomized can a society become and still be a society? Maybe that’s why we have these nostalgic moments. They are a reminder of what people shared together. Media is a thread of that.