Tushy.23.07.08.sawyer.cassidy.win.win.xxx.1080p... ★ Recent
Popular media is no longer designed to be watched with undivided attention. It is designed to be watched while scrolling Twitter or doing dishes.
Look at the cinematography of modern reality TV (The Circle, Love is Blind). The dialogue is repetitive; the visuals are high-contrast. Why? Because the editor knows you will look down at your phone for 10 seconds. They make sure you don't miss a plot point.
The Strategy: Don't fight the second screen—optimize for it.
The most popular media today is unclassifiable. The Bear is a comedy (it won Emmys for comedy) that gives viewers panic attacks. Barry is a hitman drama that is somehow hilarious. Tushy.23.07.08.Sawyer.Cassidy.Win.Win.XXX.1080p...
Streaming killed the "genre ghetto." Algorithms don't care if it is sci-fi or romance; they care if you finish it.
The Insight: "Genre" is dead. "Vibe" is king.
Action Step: If you are pitching a story, don't say "It's a thriller." Say "It's The Bourne Identity but set in a retirement home." High-concept, high-hybrid. Popular media is no longer designed to be
The most radical change in entertainment content is the collapse of the gatekeeper. You no longer need a studio deal to reach a billion people. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) spends millions on stunt videos that rival Super Bowl commercials. The D'Amelio family turned dancing into a media empire. Even traditional celebrities are now racing to become creators.
This has created a new hierarchy in popular media:
Increasingly, Tier 1 needs Tier 3. When a movie flops, the studio blames marketing. When a creator’s video flops, the creator loses their livelihood. This accountability forces a level of quality and engagement that traditional studios struggle to match. We are seeing "creator-led" media—such as the Among Us animated series or Logan Paul joining WWE—where internet fame translates directly to mainstream media legitimacy. Action Step: If you are pitching a story,
It would be disingenuous to write about entertainment content without acknowledging the fatigue. We are suffering from "Peak TV" hangover. In 2023 alone, over 600 scripted TV series were released. No human can watch even 10% of the "prestige" content available.
The algorithmic feed has created a passive consumption habit. We don't choose what to watch; we accept what the algorithm suggests. Furthermore, popular media is increasingly stratified. To watch a single boxing match (like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson), you might need Netflix. For UFC, you need ESPN+. For NFL Sunday, you need YouTube TV. The average American now spends over $100 a month on subscriptions—more than the cost of premium cable a decade ago.
