- Jan 2023
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www.theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com
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A recent H&M ad campaign promised that the brand would make sure that “you are the main character of each day.” In September, my partner booked a hotel room for a weekend trip; the confirmation email vowed that the stay would allow him to “craft your next story.” My iPhone is now in the habit of transforming photographs and videos from my camera roll into mini-movies.
"Where do you want to go today", Microsoft's campaign, 1995.
But like... these are real & worthy groundings that aren't some new novelty, some meta-verse-al creation, but just like the ground philosophical basis of the mind. Most of us cannot live up to our own expectations/aspirations, but whether we choose to let that delegitimize the mind, whether we accept that poison chalice & accept disbelief & skepticism broadly is up to each of us.
These corporate entities are extremely tuned in to the plot, to the reality of the mind. They get it. The skepticism is due, but it's not "the metaverse," it's not just fiction, it's deeply part of the human experience, our motivation.
For sure, this all must be tempered with a reality. But I think the duality here is invaluable, and the pure cut-down attitude needs counter-skepticism.
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Now, though, the value is not merely interpersonal charm, but the ability to broadcast it to mass audiences.
I doubt this will really last. It was a new thing, and we have no real proof this novel concept has had any truthfulness or staying power to it.
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Today, the critiques that the news channels were obsessed with ratings, or that too many people had abandoned the 6 o’clock news for The Daily Show, seem quaint. There is no longer any distinction: The news has become entertainment, and entertainment has become the news.
I mean... the Daily Show had a pretty real take, again and again. It was less about exacerbating political squabbles than pointing out genuine interest in a decent yet humorous way.
The news has long had a bit more bias, a bit more hooks. And now it aims to serve, to appease it's audiences. That duty to audience, that desire to polarize & oppose, stands in opposition to the simple genuine.
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When you’re watching a show like Gaslit or The Crown, you are supposed to accept that the story is true in a broad sense, not a specific one. You are not meant to question the difference between nonfiction and a story that’s been “lightly” fictionalized. And you are definitely not supposed to be on Wikipedia, trying to cross-reference the real history against the one you’re seeing on Starz.
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