Have we, as a society, lost the ability to recognize or demand 'better', having adapted to a steady diet of mediocrity? Or are we self-soothing our collective PTSD caused by the horrors of the world and are grateful simply for a distraction, irrespective of quality?
I'm struck sometimes by this phenomenon where I go read episode recaps of shows I might want to watch on places like Vulture and AVClub, where I used to be a regular in the Actual Golden Age of TV That Is Now Over, and it seems like every show gets reviewed by some new guest editor who gives everything, at minimum, a B-, and usually higher. And then I read the review and it's all about what characters everyone loves, and what characters everyone hates, and if the right things happened to each, where with the best Golden Age shows they used to be about Themes.
I used to think that was about the reviewers, but now I think it's about culture. We still like our shows to be a stream of hot goss as much as we did when SatC was running, it's just now we need to be able to pretend otherwise.
I watch and read so much bad stuff, my Goodreads ratings (and Netflix when you could rate things) are chock full of 1s and 2s. Yet I return over and over again, wallowing in my hymns played on guitars culture.
"amid a perceived declined in the prestige and centrality of literary studies in the broader culture."
Was there ever such a prestige and centrality of literary studies in the broader culture? When was the golden age of literary studies prestige?
"And then as I got older and young people stopped coming to church, certain churches started adopting a “come as you are” attitude. Our church tried it for a few months. "
You go to church? You are a Christian? Fascinating.
the chair is peak jeans in church culture
Have we, as a society, lost the ability to recognize or demand 'better', having adapted to a steady diet of mediocrity? Or are we self-soothing our collective PTSD caused by the horrors of the world and are grateful simply for a distraction, irrespective of quality?
Loved this.
I'm struck sometimes by this phenomenon where I go read episode recaps of shows I might want to watch on places like Vulture and AVClub, where I used to be a regular in the Actual Golden Age of TV That Is Now Over, and it seems like every show gets reviewed by some new guest editor who gives everything, at minimum, a B-, and usually higher. And then I read the review and it's all about what characters everyone loves, and what characters everyone hates, and if the right things happened to each, where with the best Golden Age shows they used to be about Themes.
I used to think that was about the reviewers, but now I think it's about culture. We still like our shows to be a stream of hot goss as much as we did when SatC was running, it's just now we need to be able to pretend otherwise.
Great production value + world shatteringly transcendent, I keep watching and hoping...
So long. 😂😂😂💀💀💀
I watch and read so much bad stuff, my Goodreads ratings (and Netflix when you could rate things) are chock full of 1s and 2s. Yet I return over and over again, wallowing in my hymns played on guitars culture.
Well done, Brandon.
Well done. So true.
"hoard" should be "horde"
"amid a perceived declined in the prestige and centrality of literary studies in the broader culture."
Was there ever such a prestige and centrality of literary studies in the broader culture? When was the golden age of literary studies prestige?
"And then as I got older and young people stopped coming to church, certain churches started adopting a “come as you are” attitude. Our church tried it for a few months. "
You go to church? You are a Christian? Fascinating.
'Nothing real to say' Sums up so much noise out there and that's hurting its own arguments.
I watched all of The Chair last night. I think it’s good at doing what it’s attempting to do. It’s not good at doing what it’s not attempting to do.
Well done, so true.