To understand the present chaos, we must look at the past order. For decades, "popular media" was a one-way street. The 20th century was the era of the gatekeeper. Studio executives in Hollywood, editors in New York, and broadcasters in London decided what constituted "entertainment content." Audiences consumed I Love Lucy , The Ed Sullivan Show , or Gone with the Wind because there were only three channels and one movie theater.
The first major rupture came with cable television, fragmenting the audience into niches (MTV for music, ESPN for sports). However, the true revolution arrived with the internet 2.0—the social web. Suddenly, entertainment content was democratized. A teenager in a bedroom with a ring light could generate as much cultural heat as a network TV pilot. Defloration.24.04.18.Dusya.Ulet.XXX.720p.HEVC.x...
This week, try one thing: Before you press play on anything, ask yourself, "Am I choosing this, or is this choosing me?" To understand the present chaos, we must look