Popular media is no longer just a "trivial distraction" but a substantive part of political and social discourse.
What used to take months to become "cool" now happens in hours via memes. Memes act as shortcuts to virality, bypassing traditional media gates entirely. Swallowed.24.05.27.Lily.Lou.And.Kay.Lovely.XXX....
We have moved from an era of media scarcity (three channels and a movie theater) to an era of infinite abundance. The anxiety of the modern age is not "Can I find something to watch?" but "Am I watching the right thing?" Popular media is no longer just a "trivial