The industry doesn’t even pretend to be aspirational anymore. You’d think that effectively being cut off from China would free it to be more loose and free and instead It’s just doubled down on mindless recursion.
FWIW, this whole fracturing of culture topic makes sports even more awesome than they ever have been. There is some fracturing in sports, but it still unites a lot of people.
Also, you are getting old and you will never have a favorite movie like you did when you were 15 or 25. Just not going to happen. You might have a favorite Bluey episode (Cricket for me), you might have memories of liking the same thing as your kid. But youre never going to emotionally engage with entertainment on the level you used to.
What you speak of is why I have such an appreciation for long-form writing. Ethan, despite some excellent podcast interviews you have done, its your articles that are memorable to me. I haven't listened to all your podcast interviews, but I read all your articles, even an article about cycling, which I never really thought I'd want to read, but I did since you wrote it.
This also speaks to a certain level of nostalgia I feel for Bill Simmons long-form articles. Those are like ancient artifacts now, especially the ones from PAGE 2, pre-Grantland days.
Culture ranking lists inevitably suffer from the Big Bang Theory problem. Look up rankings of best comedies and BBT is probably not on the list, but its ratings (and its spinoffs ratings) are outlandish. People love it! And as much as the slop argument gets thrown around I really think it is a snobbery thing. Not to harp on weird cultural hatred of the Big Bang Theory but it's a good show and much like JRE (which is not my kind of thing) I do think much of the hatred of it comes from a place of "I am not like other Americans, I am quirky the stuff I like is underground".
I will never forget when the Ringer said the best fast-food item was Chick Fil-A fries. In the words of eating expert Joe House, "It is not even the best item at Chic-Fil-A!". These type of online lists are always dominated by 25-30 year old Brooklyn nitwits and their incredibly samey ideas.
This whole thing reminds me of what friend of the pod Freddie DeBoer said: hyperpartisan liberals love talking down to people and acting smugly superior, and hyperpartisan conservatives are wildly oversensitive that somewhere, someone is looking down their nose at them.
Hence the stupid culture slapfights we get again and again.
The list came across as something put together by a 37 year old Jewish woman who really wishes she had one good black friend in the hope of impressing a slightly more socially ascended 37 year old Jewish woman who really wishes she had one good black friend.
Amen. Movies are horrible now and I just assume I will not enjoy 90% of new feature films. That said a lot of content has dramatically improved. As one example, most religious content (movies, music, etc) came across as cheesy and low quality in the 80s and 90s. Some of it today is excellent. Nature documentaries today are a million times more exciting than in the 80s. Similarly, some of these individuals on youtube are incredibly entertaining and compelling. This Stuff Made Here and Smarter Every Day guys are awesome. Product review and testing content is amazing now. Growing up with parents that were vigilant against bad influences in media I felt I was always missing out on fun. My kids have more captivating positive content to consume than my parents could have dreamed. Most of it is non fiction, however. Anyway good stuff is out there and people are working hard to survive/thrive despite widespread cultural decay.
I feel like we’re in a period where both film and fiction are at least as pre-occupied with providing a good moral example (unless that example would embarrass the Chinese, in film’s case) as they are with holding a mirror up to life, and those mediums suffer in such periods. An embarrassment of riches in non-fiction though.
I’d been assured by members of my online community that they were a right wing rag. I guess they’ve reformed? Of some of my friends say that about everyone but MSNBC?
“(L)ooks like a central casting urban millennial liberal woman’s stab at podcast history”. Burn, as we’d say back in the day! But honestly, what’s up with these picks?! So okay, no Rogan ‘cause it’s not about numbers (or impact apparently), but then, no “Fifth Column”, “Red Scare”, “Blocked & Reported”, “Gist”, “Dishcast”, “Free Press”, or even “Making Sense”? Guess it’s not really about ideas either, apart from the sort you can hear any day of the week on TOTN, in which case, why listen to podcasts at all?
There was a time from about 2005-2012 when the internet was intensely obsessed with list discourse - somebody would make a top 10 list and people would argue about it, passionately. Things frequently got heated, as people channeled their tribal instincts into defending their favorite band or hairstyle. Man I miss those times.
<<And as much as the slop argument gets thrown around I really think it is a snobbery thing. Not to harp on weird cultural hatred of the Big Bang Theory but it's a good show and much like JRE (which is not my kind of thing) I do think much of the hatred of it comes from a place of "I am not like other Americans, I am quirky the stuff I like is underground".>>
I don't disagree with your point generally, but the list is positioned as "The most innovative, influential, and informative listens in the history of the medium." Leaving off Rogan is more akin to leaving Gunsmoke or I Love Lucy off a list of 100 influential television programs (both massively popular, early, and category-defining).
Most writers are consciously trying to fashion a reality more than reflect reality. I think most people who aren’t committed members of a team (and even some of them) understand this.
Oh I agree. I was honestly just having a flashback to 15 years ago when endless asinine lists like these appeared constantly and functioned as a daily source of anger and eye rolling.
The movie environment is just so much worse than it was. The number of really good movies coming out a year is what 1/3 what it was 20 years ago. Less?
Dude, I don't know how not to overstate this, but your writing resonates so specifically and so deeply with guys like me who belong to your generation but have struggled to synthesize our experiences in so many words.
Your best (and this is one of your best) is up there with similar voices from past generations writing to their respective "peers of perspective"; Thompson, Kerouac, Didion, and of course the devoted HoS commenter himself Sherman Alexie.
There's just nobody else hitting this particular vein in this particular way (maybe Scott Alexander came close once upon a time, but he's far from that place now), and I really appreciate what you're doing.
“There’s barely a Hollywood.”
The industry doesn’t even pretend to be aspirational anymore. You’d think that effectively being cut off from China would free it to be more loose and free and instead It’s just doubled down on mindless recursion.
FWIW, this whole fracturing of culture topic makes sports even more awesome than they ever have been. There is some fracturing in sports, but it still unites a lot of people.
Also, you are getting old and you will never have a favorite movie like you did when you were 15 or 25. Just not going to happen. You might have a favorite Bluey episode (Cricket for me), you might have memories of liking the same thing as your kid. But youre never going to emotionally engage with entertainment on the level you used to.
idk man i cried the other day listening to a new album from someone i was unfamiliar with, and im pushing 40
It's the Duck Cake episode for me, simply for all the creative bakers it inspired!
I dont even like Rogan but not putting on the list is hilarious and immediately disqualifying
makes absolutely no sense
I mean, if you asked a random person to name a podcast I'm guessing the majority of responses would be his
What you speak of is why I have such an appreciation for long-form writing. Ethan, despite some excellent podcast interviews you have done, its your articles that are memorable to me. I haven't listened to all your podcast interviews, but I read all your articles, even an article about cycling, which I never really thought I'd want to read, but I did since you wrote it.
This also speaks to a certain level of nostalgia I feel for Bill Simmons long-form articles. Those are like ancient artifacts now, especially the ones from PAGE 2, pre-Grantland days.
Yup, those are my readers.
Lmao!
Culture ranking lists inevitably suffer from the Big Bang Theory problem. Look up rankings of best comedies and BBT is probably not on the list, but its ratings (and its spinoffs ratings) are outlandish. People love it! And as much as the slop argument gets thrown around I really think it is a snobbery thing. Not to harp on weird cultural hatred of the Big Bang Theory but it's a good show and much like JRE (which is not my kind of thing) I do think much of the hatred of it comes from a place of "I am not like other Americans, I am quirky the stuff I like is underground".
I will never forget when the Ringer said the best fast-food item was Chick Fil-A fries. In the words of eating expert Joe House, "It is not even the best item at Chic-Fil-A!". These type of online lists are always dominated by 25-30 year old Brooklyn nitwits and their incredibly samey ideas.
Hah, I despised Big Bang Theory. I think you might be the only HOS and BBT crossover fan lol
This whole thing reminds me of what friend of the pod Freddie DeBoer said: hyperpartisan liberals love talking down to people and acting smugly superior, and hyperpartisan conservatives are wildly oversensitive that somewhere, someone is looking down their nose at them.
Hence the stupid culture slapfights we get again and again.
The list came across as something put together by a 37 year old Jewish woman who really wishes she had one good black friend in the hope of impressing a slightly more socially ascended 37 year old Jewish woman who really wishes she had one good black friend.
One of the better articles I’ve read recently, sums where we are culturally perfectly. Everything is disposable, nothing is meant to last.
Amen. Movies are horrible now and I just assume I will not enjoy 90% of new feature films. That said a lot of content has dramatically improved. As one example, most religious content (movies, music, etc) came across as cheesy and low quality in the 80s and 90s. Some of it today is excellent. Nature documentaries today are a million times more exciting than in the 80s. Similarly, some of these individuals on youtube are incredibly entertaining and compelling. This Stuff Made Here and Smarter Every Day guys are awesome. Product review and testing content is amazing now. Growing up with parents that were vigilant against bad influences in media I felt I was always missing out on fun. My kids have more captivating positive content to consume than my parents could have dreamed. Most of it is non fiction, however. Anyway good stuff is out there and people are working hard to survive/thrive despite widespread cultural decay.
I feel like we’re in a period where both film and fiction are at least as pre-occupied with providing a good moral example (unless that example would embarrass the Chinese, in film’s case) as they are with holding a mirror up to life, and those mediums suffer in such periods. An embarrassment of riches in non-fiction though.
Today i learned Time is still in business. Good for them
I’d been assured by members of my online community that they were a right wing rag. I guess they’ve reformed? Of some of my friends say that about everyone but MSNBC?
“(L)ooks like a central casting urban millennial liberal woman’s stab at podcast history”. Burn, as we’d say back in the day! But honestly, what’s up with these picks?! So okay, no Rogan ‘cause it’s not about numbers (or impact apparently), but then, no “Fifth Column”, “Red Scare”, “Blocked & Reported”, “Gist”, “Dishcast”, “Free Press”, or even “Making Sense”? Guess it’s not really about ideas either, apart from the sort you can hear any day of the week on TOTN, in which case, why listen to podcasts at all?
There was a time from about 2005-2012 when the internet was intensely obsessed with list discourse - somebody would make a top 10 list and people would argue about it, passionately. Things frequently got heated, as people channeled their tribal instincts into defending their favorite band or hairstyle. Man I miss those times.
<<And as much as the slop argument gets thrown around I really think it is a snobbery thing. Not to harp on weird cultural hatred of the Big Bang Theory but it's a good show and much like JRE (which is not my kind of thing) I do think much of the hatred of it comes from a place of "I am not like other Americans, I am quirky the stuff I like is underground".>>
I don't disagree with your point generally, but the list is positioned as "The most innovative, influential, and informative listens in the history of the medium." Leaving off Rogan is more akin to leaving Gunsmoke or I Love Lucy off a list of 100 influential television programs (both massively popular, early, and category-defining).
Most writers are consciously trying to fashion a reality more than reflect reality. I think most people who aren’t committed members of a team (and even some of them) understand this.
Oh I agree. I was honestly just having a flashback to 15 years ago when endless asinine lists like these appeared constantly and functioned as a daily source of anger and eye rolling.
I do feel bad for the people who feel they'll never love a new movie.
The movie environment is just so much worse than it was. The number of really good movies coming out a year is what 1/3 what it was 20 years ago. Less?
Dude, I don't know how not to overstate this, but your writing resonates so specifically and so deeply with guys like me who belong to your generation but have struggled to synthesize our experiences in so many words.
Your best (and this is one of your best) is up there with similar voices from past generations writing to their respective "peers of perspective"; Thompson, Kerouac, Didion, and of course the devoted HoS commenter himself Sherman Alexie.
There's just nobody else hitting this particular vein in this particular way (maybe Scott Alexander came close once upon a time, but he's far from that place now), and I really appreciate what you're doing.
Nothing fairly “left”as well. No chapo. No cumtown.
It was precisely lib.
Couldn’t have said it better myself! When you write like this you really strike a chord! Bravo! So succinct and timely!