ety and the Long Tail //
There are two kinds of cultural disappointments in a We’re All Weird world.
Since the advent of cable, we haven’t watched the same things. Not all of us talk about it. Hits aren’t as big anymore. M*A*S*H’s reach is vastly different from that of The Crown. It’s actually about 25:1.
If you’ve grown up in a monoculture, it’s hard to remember. The hits gave us something about which to discuss, to adhere to or to even fight against. It’s hard not to feel lonely when there are so many different pockets of culture.
The new idea is something I hear for the first from younger people who did not grow up in monoculture. They argue that we are heading back to a single culture, where memes, filters and rapid spreading of ideas will make everything the same. The desire for variety and the pressure to fit in is increasing as the algorithms of the monopoly take over.
A hipster coffeeshop in Tokyo is a lot like a similar one in Boise. No, it can’t compare to the hegemony that orange-roofed Howard Johnson’s and yellow-arched McDonald’s had on every road trip. Sisco may use the same sugar packets all over the place, but there are currently three Ethiopian restaurants located in Cleveland. When I was stranded in Cleveland in 1974, I am pretty sure there were none. Think about the fact that people are now talking about the best bagel in… Seattle. You can also discuss the best bagels from Paris, the best cocoa from Missouri, the most ethical spices or the best gluten free cakes of New York.
Mathematically, it’s simple: people consume more than ever but there are few real hits. This means that we spend most of our time in niches and not the center.
The most popular beer, music genre, sport, sneakers, jeans, religion, automobile, and even religious practices are: OTHER. The filters are constantly working to reduce the interest of the top hits, but the tail remains long.
will not be around for much longer.
