New Rules for Art in a Fallen World

It’s a strange media environment

• There a number of streaming platforms

• Endless music on Spotify and Apple Music

• Countless YouTube videos

• Infinite TikTok feed, podcasts, and beyond.

Our media landscape has transformed dramatically, yet we cling to an outdated vocabulary that speaks of film, music, art, and content in terms that belong to the 20th century. We're overdue for a linguistic makeover, a fresh way to articulate contemporary entertainment.

Mediocrity is Everywhere

It's an undeniable fact of our times: the market is awash with mediocre art, largely churned out by the big studios in a relentless pursuit to capture our attention with whatever is new. But also with the millions of smaller content creators who are trying to get our attention. It can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to find actually good media and art.

It's a race to the bottom. Amidst this artistic decline, one of the most esteemed actors of our generation has taken note and opted for retirement, refusing to be part of the industry's relentless output of uninspiring content.

Is he wrong? I don’t think so. We all feel it. you boot up one of your streaming services and you constantly scroll through hundreds (thousands?) of titles.

@elainebenfield

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When you do find one, you aren’t really sure if it’s any good. I guess it’s ok. But generally, we are surrounded in a sea of mediocrity.

That's not to say it's all bleak now, nor should we fall into nihilism. Quality still exists; it's just dwarfed by an overwhelming tide of the subpar. Our conversations about art need to evolve beyond outdated terms, especially when we're trying to highlight what genuinely deserves attention.

You only have have a few hours of free time. You can’t watch everything. You also don’t want to waste your life consuming trash. That’s not fun. You want to see something great. It’s a big problem we’re having. We need new rules.

5 Rules for Art in a Fallen World

1) Is it Really Good or Is it that Everything is Bad Now and This is Less Bad?

The sheer volume of art bombarding us today renders simplistic judgments of "good" or "bad" inadequate. We need a new category.

Take, for instance, "Oppenheimer." This film not only swept up numerous awards and garnered critical acclaim but also achieved significant box office success.

I watched it. Labeling it as a truly good film stretches the truth. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth watching. It stands out in today’s landscape of mediocrity. My recommendation is that it is less bad than much of what's being produced right now.

This frames a choice for the viewer: settle for something marginally better, or perhaps bypass the modern deluge altogether in favor of exploring the wealth of timeless classics. The decision hinges on whether one seeks a lesser evil or opts for the tried and true masterpieces of cinema.

Our language should reflect a new choice: Comparatively good or Absolutely good?

2) Do You Like It Only Because You’re in a Certain Head Space?

We've all been there — that moment when a coworker or friend corners us. Suddenly, they burst into uncontrollable laughter and proceed to show us something on their phone they find fascinating. But these moments always end badly for us. This other person is in a particular mindset, one that we are not in. The enthusiasm, the context, the humor – it often fails to transfer, leaving a gap between their experience and our reaction. We’re not in the same head space.

It happens all the time. We see something great, and we show it to someone else. And they don’t get it. It doesn’t translate over.

The concept of "head space" is an important one. We consume content in a predominantly solitary manner; we engage with it less frequently in the company of others. What fascinates us individually might not seamlessly translate when we try to share it.

The digital bubbles we inhabit are so customized that the act of sharing something from our bubble often requires more than just showing it; it necessitates translating our personal context and emotional state at the time of discovery.

3) Is It Alive?

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