Thanks to MAINGEAR for speeding up everything for us. Check out the VYBE line that’s making up the core of Matt’s new studio -- and use code CREATE for a free additional year of warranty on desktops: https://maingear.com/ref/656/

Join Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecreateunknown

This week we’re exploring how small shifts in media consumption over time may have quietly fractured our once “shared culture.” We kick off that discussion with a deep dive into what was once the most ubiquitous medium, one that many of us knew and loved growing up – cable TV. We talk about how such limited options can create such strong cultural reference points, and how that stacks up to the fragmented nature of today’s algorithm-driven feed. As it turns out, we might all be living in separated media universes

Then we call upon an old topic from a Vsauce2 video, one that explains how people can only meaningfully track a limited number of relationships or, in this case, shows: Dunbar’s Number.When everyone once pulled from the same pool, cultural overlap was inevitable. With streaming abundance, two people can consume constantly and still share almost nothing. That has some seeerious implications on cultural memory.

After that, we set our sights on an area where this shift is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore: film education.. How can we teach film students with an ever-dwindling attention span the true value of “Unc Slop?” From there, Kevin talks about “slopflation,” how declining overall quality can make once mocked content, like the Star Wars prequels, feel better in hindsight.

To round things out, we tackle the scourge of “millennial writing,” a style marked by snarky, self-aware dialogue that flattens characters into interchangeable voices. That leads us to a single, broader thesis, one that continues to ring true as time marches on: as authenticity increases in online content, it may be disappearing from scripted entertainment. That leaves us wondering… if people aren’t looking for authentic stories in TV and film, where are they trying to find it?

Big thanks to our patrons! We’ll be back soon.

You love anime. You love tea. Get 10% off your order with code CREATE at The Dragon's Treasure: https://www.thedragonstreasure.com/

Buy our T-shirts: https://www.thecreateunknown.com/store/

Join our Discord to talk with artists, creators, and fans of the finer things in online life: discord.gg/vnRnr3rCzt

Apple: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownApple

Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownSpotify

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownGooglePodcasts

CREDITS:

Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor

Executive Producer: Ben Webster

Editor: Spencer Vann

"Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: https://linktr.ee/Basswaite

Theme by Mega Drive → http://megadrivemusic.com

Opening Animation: Kidmograph

City Animation: Eric Langlay

"The Create Unknown" is produced by Unknown Media.

CONNECT WITH US:

» Chat with us on DISCORD: https://discord.gg/qAQV3Jw

» Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/createunknown

» Follow us on INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/thecreateunknown

» Follow us on FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/thecreateunknown

» View our website: https://thecreateunknown.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices