> I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones? Probably, but I hope not (or at least not for lo

> I ask: are we stuck as a monoculture, not making new, interesting things, but simply replicating older ones? Probably, but I hope not (or at least not for long). I think it's normal for people to want to retell stories (see the way we pass jokes around like viruses, or the oral tradition, or the million "re-imaginings" of classics). I also think that inclination has been weaponized and turned against us. Producers -- movie, music, or other -- push or are pushed to maximize gain while minimizing risk. And what feels better than nostalgia? What feels better than a story that doesn't challenge you, doesn't prompt any sort of introspection, or hell, any inspection at all? I think it's a symptom of the push for profit over all else. I do think we ache for new things, but the ship of monoculture is a big one and takes a long time to steer. A lot of momentum is behind where we're at and it's going to take a lot to get away.