The harm seems to come not so much from the content itself but from the fact that it replaces more enlightening ways of spending time. – The New York Times
Category: media
Is The Reason Movie Comedies Are Failing This Summer A Culture Wars Thing?
“Part of me wonders if audiences aren’t giving these movies a pass because, like everything else, our comedies have gotten wrapped up in the interminable culture war.” – Washington Post
Peak TV’s Fastest-Growing Genre? Cooking Shows
“‘When you’re looking at categories of programming that people respond to globally, food and cooking shows are on the top of that list,’ explains Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of nonfiction series and comedy specials.” In this genre, audiences don’t seem to mind subtitles, so “food shows can play in all markets and [even] spawn localized spinoffs.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Young People Have Given Up On TV News ‘Almost Entirely’, Says UK’s Broadcasting Regulator
“While the average person aged 65 and over watches 33 minutes of TV news a day, this falls to just two minutes among people aged 16-24, according [to OFCOM’s] annual news consumption report.” – The Guardian
Duh: Study Shows Audiences Find Jokes Funnier When Crowd Laughter Is Added
“This research shows that while canned laughter does elevate the humour of a comedy, adding real laughter would get a better response.” – BBC
Not “Avengers”: Adjusted For Inflation, These Would Be The Ten Top Box Office Movies Of All Time
There’s a reason the film industry doesn’t measure the success of modern movies against those of the past — movie ticket inflation isn’t an exact science. There are so many factors behind what makes a movie a box office success and those factors have changed since the earliest days of cinema. – CNBC
How ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Changed Television And What We Expect From It
“Six years ago, conversations about diversity and representation had yet to become the lingua franca, in part because Orange had yet to start them. People of color, LGBT people, immigrants, and the disabled are not a trend. These communities predate any single show, as does art representing them, as does the desire for more of said art. But Orange did more to thrust these issues into the popular consciousness than any single show before or since.” – The Ringer
‘When Harry Met Sally’ And The Invention Of The ‘High-Maintenance’ Woman
“According to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, it was When Harry Met Sally that popularized the term high-maintenance in American culture. … An assessment that is also a rebuke, high-maintenance is one of those breezy truisms that is so common, it barely registers as an insult. But the term today does precisely what it did 30 years ago, as backlash brewed against the women’s movement: It serves as an indictment of women who want.” – The Atlantic
“Avengers” Edges Out “Avatar” To Become All-Time Movie Box Office Champ
What do all of these films have in common, besides an undying commitment to computer generated aliens? They’re no longer truly competitors now that they’re all owned by Disney, which is slated to continue its monopolistic dominance well into the future, with nearly a decade of theatrical releases and television series planned for Disney’s streaming service Disney+ already planned out. – Slate
A Rich New Vein Of Stories From/About Millennials
On paper they are the most educated, diverse and materially privileged generation in history but, in the western world at least, millennials are also the first to face dimmer prospects than their elders. – The Guardian