Popular Culture Part VI: Film Industry

One perspective on the strange forces that shape modern popular films in theaters and on streaming services.

[@a.randomjack6661]

I used to like marketing. Then I studied it, then I understood it and it's people. "Marketing is the most twisted Body of Knowledge ever erected by the most twisted minds ever: psychopaths/sociopaths"

[@matthewcasey4795]

What's the first thing someone in marketing does in the morning? Practice their facial expressions in the mirror.

[@nygelburdick4575]

I went to college for graphic design and then realized slowly but surely that every single aspect of creating advertisement is centered around manipulating the viewer in one way or another. It became more and more disturbing the deeper I got into it, realizing just how much is known about the psychology of shape, color, composition. And how those things are knowingly used to twist people's desires and understanding. I had to quit.

[@MrsBifflechips]

Create a walled garden and charge people to get into it, and surprise, it's filled with a hedge maze.

[@ashemvidam]

What a great metaphor. I find myself not even bothering with streaming services for this exact reason. It’s not even a conscious decision, I just don’t have the patience to sift through basic boring stuff. Luckily, I play a lot of games, especially indie games, and the industry feels much more like the book publishing one then the film one.

[@matthewcasey4795]

Actually its filled with dog turds and you have the privilege of spending even more money on bags to clean the mess up.

[@MrsBifflechips]

Hahaha, that too. Or the hedge maze is filled with mosquitoes, and you have to pay them for afterbite. No repellent available, though. @@matthewcasey4795

[@schumanhuman]

For quite a while I worked for a UK independant arthouse cinema in London which later got swallowed up by a bigger chain, to be fair we did keep the breadth of choice up pretty well, partly because they also distribute their own films. I did notice when one of their own films was doing badly, 100 tickets would mysteriously be sold with no one in the screen😄... At one point, the cinema I worked at was closed for a while to convert from a 2 screen to a 7, apparently as soon as this happened the landlord doubled the rent. This is why though Henry George accepted land was not the only monopoly or form of rent seeking he called landlords the economies 'final robber'.

[@obrotherwhereartliam]

I don’t have the notes on this but I have read that the American Army approves the scripts for superhero movies and act as consultants for other things. They spend a lot of money in Hollywood for their own marketing purposes. Makes you wonder…

[@baller1325]

while I feel like this touches more on the economic side of things It hearkens to me thoughts on society of the spectacle

[@trayvon4484]

Good evening again, Mr. Cecil. Attention > monetization> profit. The American capitalist ethos: Make money. Take advantage of human values, goals, and ideals that cannot be bought, and sell them that idea. I Really appreciate the Pop-Culture lectures, I'm certain others do too, as it helps build critical thinking skills. By analysing industries concomitant to modern Pop-Culture, its specific markets, human nature, business models, and to sell consumers un-buyable ideas by Phenomelogical, or direct means. Have a great day!

[@cheri238]

Exactly 💯

[@post-structuralist]

There is no human nature, just human behavior, and the corporations use your very malleable mind to their advantage.

[@TomRauhe]

In Munich, we have a lot of alternative movie theaters that show alternative films. Americans would first need to realise that other countries (and languages and cultures! Oh god... Imagine...) apart from the United States even exist. On another note, if bookstores only could sell 8 different books at a time like movie theatres can, it would turn out to be the exact same mechanism.

[@vegansportsbar7453]

Gooooood evening youtube comments

[@tomasmiller5502]

Goon analysis. And this behavior of the film Industry is enabled because of crowds. It is sort of a faculty of crowds, which is not static and develops differently in the cultures of nation-states. And the crowds have individual voting rights or their effective equivalent. It is daunting when thinking in political terms.

[@cameroncarpenter7595]

Goon analysis

[@iforget6940]

I was just gonna suggest pirating movies and tv shows and boom you spoke my mind see you next time.

[@monklast9752]

Are you surprised at how popular you are?

[@robmann400]

From the year 2005 to 2019, I amassed over 20,000 titles, on VHS, DVD, & BluRay. The downfall of the video store, the movie theatre experience, and the availability of choice were all very predictable. The rise of the streaming services, and the studio fragmentation of selection were also predictable. I spent a lot of money but bought almost noting for more than 5 dollars. I bought up huge percentages of cherry pick titles from video store that were going out of business, and accumulated ridiculous amounts of grea titles at local used bookstores, and thrift stores. I still come across rare stuff like a mint condition box set for $20 of three sci-if films from East Germany (1960, 1972,&1976) (DEFA studios). I recently paid $2 for a copy of Avatar 2 which I bought out of curiosity. James Cameron movies are generally weak especially since that box office smash Turdtanic. Glad people are making money on garbage, but don’t call it a great movie. I didn’t like Avatar, and I doubt the sequel will be anything to word of mouth about. People get what they deserve. If Netflix sucks, try reading a book.

[@user-id3jg1op5e]

Terrible sound.

[@thebrickton1947]

Took off where the church finished, soft prop.