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There is no evidence as to piracy even being a cause for the decline, I say this not as a supporter (I do not pirate) but to correct a misconception. 2002 is w

There is no evidence as to piracy even being a cause for the decline, I say this not as a supporter (I do not pirate) but to correct a misconception. 2002 is when tvs got larger, fidelity with cable tv improved, dvds were readily available, etc. it was also an era where more people started gaming (the industry took off around this time), so people were shifting away from movie theaters as a social activity. The rise of literalism (as in the article) is probably a partial response to increasingly shorter attention spans. Songs are shorter (<3 minutes) and lyrics simpler as a result. People don’t want to think anymore.

pickledoyster 1y ago
> People don’t want to think anymore. Or the bean counters in charge target the largest common denominator, shaving off the long tail of above-average sophistication with every mediocre release.
- ToucanLoucan 1y ago
  It's far more this, plus a combo of not only targeting the largest common denominator, but having to do that internationally which obliterates any script's ability to tie into cultural knowledge or norms, or the "vibes" of any given population. Not to mention nothing ever goes to screen that can't be quickly scooped out to appease the Chinese censors, lest they lose the largest audience on earth right out of the gate. And I don't think you can totally disregard that movies cost more than they ever have to make while also looking worse than they ever have. The special effects in Pirates of the Caribbean utterly trounce newer productions that cost far more to make just for everyone to bounce around green screen stages in motion capture pajamas, and to be clear, this is not industry professionals costing too much or being bad at their jobs, it's almost solely down to the studios wanting the ability to hysterically tinker with films until the 11th hour to ensure maximum market reach. The industry should be ashamed of itself.
  - pickledoyster 1y ago
    I'm not a fan of horror, but it seems like it's still extremely profitable (low budget -> solid viewership in theaters/streaming) and the one genre where creatives have enough freedom to experiment and do stuff out of the ordinary
- s1artibartfast 1y ago
  or the least common denominator is decreasing, as people increasingly will scroll on their phone as they watch a film at home - just like most daily activities.
whoisyc 1y ago
> Songs are shorter (<3 minutes) and lyrics simpler as a result. People don’t want to think anymore. Beatles songs are around 164 seconds long on average. https://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/uploads/6/5/4/3/6543054/duration_in_beatles_songs.pdf https://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/uploads/6/5/4/3/6543054/durat... An 2005 compilation of Johnny Cash’s greatest songs averages just a little over three minutes per song. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Johnny_Cash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Johnny_Cash Gerry and The Pacemakers did not have long songs either. https://www.discogs.com/master/369149-Gerry-And-The-Pacemakers-Greatest-Hits https://www.discogs.com/master/369149-Gerry-And-The-Pacemake... Neither did the Kingston Trio. https://www.discogs.com/release/666498-Kingston-Trio-The-Kingston-Trio https://www.discogs.com/release/666498-Kingston-Trio-The-Kin... Before recording, popular forms of folk music typically has just one fairly short melody. You can repeat it over and over with different lyrics but the “core” is simple and short . Sing “Oh Susana” or “Kalinka” or “Scarborough fair” to yourself and count the seconds before you the melody repeats. Frankly, “popular songs being over three minutes long” is likely an anomaly in the history of humanity. What we are seeing with shorter songs is probably just a regression to the mean.
- WorldPeas 1y ago
  I've noticed on outings that some songs I hear on the PA system now will slow themselves down momentarily for what I'm sure is a "tiktok soundbyte". I'd be curious to see how music discovery works via that avenue
BizarroLand 1y ago
All of media, art, and majesty have been an attempt to stave off boredom, be it through glory, or splendor, or sex. We have more boredom today than ever before in the past, and the richnesses of our lives are gutted with the continuous striving against the specter of boredom. It's all been bread and circuses since before the fall of Rome. We only strive to make something happen until we reach the point where we have everything we ever wanted, and then we don't have the first clue what to do with it.

pickledoyster 1y ago

> People don’t want to think anymore. Or the bean counters in charge target the largest common denominator, shaving off the long tail of above-average sophistication with every mediocre release.

ToucanLoucan 1y ago
It's far more this, plus a combo of not only targeting the largest common denominator, but having to do that internationally which obliterates any script's ability to tie into cultural knowledge or norms, or the "vibes" of any given population. Not to mention nothing ever goes to screen that can't be quickly scooped out to appease the Chinese censors, lest they lose the largest audience on earth right out of the gate. And I don't think you can totally disregard that movies cost more than they ever have to make while also looking worse than they ever have. The special effects in Pirates of the Caribbean utterly trounce newer productions that cost far more to make just for everyone to bounce around green screen stages in motion capture pajamas, and to be clear, this is not industry professionals costing too much or being bad at their jobs, it's almost solely down to the studios wanting the ability to hysterically tinker with films until the 11th hour to ensure maximum market reach. The industry should be ashamed of itself.
- pickledoyster 1y ago
  I'm not a fan of horror, but it seems like it's still extremely profitable (low budget -> solid viewership in theaters/streaming) and the one genre where creatives have enough freedom to experiment and do stuff out of the ordinary
s1artibartfast 1y ago
or the least common denominator is decreasing, as people increasingly will scroll on their phone as they watch a film at home - just like most daily activities.

whoisyc 1y ago

> Songs are shorter (<3 minutes) and lyrics simpler as a result. People don’t want to think anymore. Beatles songs are around 164 seconds long on average. https://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/uploads/6/5/4/3/6543054/duration_in_beatles_songs.pdf https://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/uploads/6/5/4/3/6543054/durat... An 2005 compilation of Johnny Cash’s greatest songs averages just a little over three minutes per song. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Johnny_Cash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Johnny_Cash Gerry and The Pacemakers did not have long songs either. https://www.discogs.com/master/369149-Gerry-And-The-Pacemakers-Greatest-Hits https://www.discogs.com/master/369149-Gerry-And-The-Pacemake... Neither did the Kingston Trio. https://www.discogs.com/release/666498-Kingston-Trio-The-Kingston-Trio https://www.discogs.com/release/666498-Kingston-Trio-The-Kin... Before recording, popular forms of folk music typically has just one fairly short melody. You can repeat it over and over with different lyrics but the “core” is simple and short . Sing “Oh Susana” or “Kalinka” or “Scarborough fair” to yourself and count the seconds before you the melody repeats. Frankly, “popular songs being over three minutes long” is likely an anomaly in the history of humanity. What we are seeing with shorter songs is probably just a regression to the mean.

WorldPeas 1y ago
I've noticed on outings that some songs I hear on the PA system now will slow themselves down momentarily for what I'm sure is a "tiktok soundbyte". I'd be curious to see how music discovery works via that avenue

BizarroLand 1y ago

All of media, art, and majesty have been an attempt to stave off boredom, be it through glory, or splendor, or sex. We have more boredom today than ever before in the past, and the richnesses of our lives are gutted with the continuous striving against the specter of boredom. It's all been bread and circuses since before the fall of Rome. We only strive to make something happen until we reach the point where we have everything we ever wanted, and then we don't have the first clue what to do with it.