A Simple Form of Freedom

          The phenomenon of binge-watching reflects a desire for immersion and continuity, indicative of a nomadic flow through an array of narratives and visual experiences. And since the convenience of everything has become widespread, people simply no longer wish to sit through rigidly structured television programming, and would rather have the ultimate say in what they watch. It embodies a rejection of the linear, fragmented consumption model that dominated traditional media consumption for the past several decades. In essence, the rise of binge-watching signifies a departure from traditional linear viewing habits toward a more immersive and on-demand mode of engagement. However, there are more contributing factors at play.

          Firstly, advancements in technology have greatly assisted the proliferation of streaming platforms, offering an expansive catalog of content accessible at any time. This accessibility has empowered viewers to curate their own viewing experiences, bypassing the constraints of scheduled programming. Secondly, the abundance of content available on these platforms has created a culture of exploration and experimentation. Viewers are no longer bound by the limited offerings of traditional television networks, but instead, they are encouraged to explore diverse genres and niche interests. Additionally, people communicate with each other about a great new show they have just viewed, mostly once again through technology, compounding the popularity of streaming services that have these programs available. Furthermore, the episodic nature of many contemporary television series lends itself to binge-watching, as viewers become deeply invested in the ongoing narrative arcs and character development and thus wish to view more content immediately rather than waiting a certain period of time for the next installment. 

        Conversely, the decline in ratings for prestigious awards shows like the Oscars can be interpreted as a symbol of broader cultural shifts. Traditional measures of cultural significance and validation, epitomized by these ceremonies, are increasingly perceived as out of touch with the evolving tastes and values of contemporary audiences. 

        Whether this trend is inherently good or bad is subject to interpretation. On one hand, the democratization of cultural consumption allows for greater diversity and accessibility, empowering marginalized voices and challenging antiquated systems. On the other hand, the erosion of traditional institutions and cultural markers may lead to a loss of shared cultural experiences and a devaluation of artistic excellence as that would lead to a broader criterion as to what makes something artistically valuable. The bar for what makes good art may be set lower. 

       Looking ahead, it is likely that the trend of binge-watching will continue to reshape the landscape of media consumption, with streaming platforms exerting increasing influence over content creation and distribution. Meanwhile, the future of awards shows remains uncertain, as they grapple with the challenge of remaining relevant in an era of fragmented and new audiences and shifting cultural norms.

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Watching Increases, Awards Decreases

Samantha Wilson

         

People binge on movies and TV shows, but…  Ratings for the Oscars and other award shows have collapsed.

Today there are many different platforms for people to stream movies and TV shows. Some of the most used are Disney, Hulu, Max, Netflix, Paramount, etc. But even platforms that are not intended for streaming services like Amazon Prime have access to movies and TV shows. We have so many ways to access movies and TV shows that it makes it easy for people to watch whatever they want at any time or anywhere. The Oscars are aired on live television but since we have all the different streaming services many people do not have cable anymore. A study estimated that in 2024 69.8% of US households will not have cable and by 2026 80% of US households will not have cable. This is one explanation for why the Oscars and other award shows have collapsed. Another explanation for this is that award shows like the Oscars are outdated. The first Oscar show was 94 years ago. Things have changed since then. The younger audience has different views and impressions of things. Many of them complain that the Oscar is too long and don’t want to watch three hours of people making speeches and talking. They feel like it’s a waste of their time when they can see the content of the award show in just five minutes the next day. Barbie and Oppenheimer were popular movies leading up to the Oscars, but it wasn’t till after the show that many of the young audience saw the video of Ryan Gosling performing “I’m Just Ken” or Cillian Murphy winning Best Actor for his performance in Oppenheimer. Many argue that the Oscars aren’t as diverse as they should be. They argue that many of the awards and winning movies are based more on popularity than on quality. This trend of the award show ratings falling is bad trend because the rating will likely still decrease over time while more people leave cable and turn to streaming services. The Oscars have also tried to adjust the show to the young viewers like cutting down on time, but they still haven’t succeeded. Their unsuccessfulness will lead to the decline of award shows in general. This isn’t just a bad trend for the shows themselves but it’s bad for the celebrity and movies that are receiving recognition. For them the award shows allow them to self-celebrate, it highlights and shows their accomplishments. I think that if these trends continue then the awards show will eventually become irrelevant to many people and will take away the importance of the accomplishments that they highlight. If these awards shows want to improve their ratings and bring back young audiences, then they need to evolve and capture the attention and appreciation of the next generation that will be watching. One way they can move forward to better trends is by promoting diverse perspectives and awarding work for its quality rather than its popularity among the viewers.  

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Life in a new light , Performance

A four-minute and eight-second performance of Billie Elish, a multi-talented singer and songwriter. Her animated voice deepens through her soul and egresses in an intensely emotional way. The breakdown of the song makes us rethink our whole life in a way that we never believed we could. Watching this short video I am able to reimagine memories I no longer knew I had. Memories as a child growing up with two brothers and praying for a sister to share clothes with, suddenly reappear. Reminders of my yearly Disney vacations with my family where my brothers and I would fight until the sun went down. As Billie frolics with her doll-sized clothes I can feel my heart flutter and freeze at the same time as a fiery sensation fills my body with emotion. Without warning I am a kid again. Bursting with excitement as my train pulls into the Big Apple to go to the one store I only imagined in tv commercials. Billie’s lyrics open up the same pathway the American Girl Doll store once opened for myself. As the phrase “what was I made for” repeats throughout the four minutes somehow each recurring phrase holds a different meaning.The simple phrase is something all of us have asked ourselves sometime in our lives. Having to ask ourselves such an intense question is truly such a profoundly sad feeling when you don’t know the meaning of our existence. Unlike anything I have ever experienced, this song makes me feel every emotion I have felt in my lifetime. I find myself repeatedly asking myself, “what was I really made for?”, because the answer is never the same. Am I born to be strong or selfless, confident or brave? The assumptions are endless. Can we ever truly be made for one certain thing or are all of our different traits what make us who we are? This performance brings me to another dimension. After fighting for my life trying to figure out what my body just went through I realize it is the effect of Billie’s song. The effect is frankly like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. Mind Blowing, moving and astonishing, who would’ve ever thought one song could make me feel so emotional. No matter how hard I try to avoid it, these sensations will stick with me forever. 

 

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Artistic Impact of Social Media

“Web users obsessively scroll through images online, but art museum attendance is down, especially at large premier institutions.” 

                                        

         

           Social media has had an undeniable impact on art and how it is perceived and presented. Social media has given a platform to anybody with a phone and internet connection, making pictures available to thousands of people with just one click of a button. This may seem like a good thing at first but this high level of exposure has decreased people’s interest in leaving the house and seeing the art in person. The accessibility that social media has allowed for art has lowered the standard for artistic expression. Since art is so easy to produce and share, the average amount of effort and care gone into every art work has gone down in my opinion. I think before social media, art was appreciated more because everytime it was seen it was viewed in person, where you can see every last detail and texture. Nowadays, it is so easy to replicate artworks that a proliferation of images flood social media. Apps such as Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram, offer users an endless amount of pictures to scroll through that are customized to their liking. Overall, peoples contentment with missing out on in-person art institutions is mainly due to the amount of material at their disposal through apps such as Instagram. You would think this art exposure would help grow in-person institutions but in reality people’s view on art is becoming less appreciative. This is because the bar of art has been lowered over the years. This makes sense since newbies, and experts both can post their works of art to social media, so users are receiving exposure to artists of all different levels of talent. While this exposure to art seems nice, it has oversaturated the market, making it harder for talented artists to get noticed by the populace. Ultimately I believe social media has had an overall negative impact on art. Although it has heavily increased people’s accessibility to art, it has also lowered the artistic bar and may fail to bring a talented artist their deserved fanbase due to oversaturation. I think that there are positive and negative impacts of social media on art and they need to be balanced in order to maximize the positive influence it has on art.

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Burnt Casserole – Molly Unger: BLOG POST #3

My father’s character lies a resemblance to a burnt casserole: the promise of a warm and nourishing dish, however, upon closer inspection and first bite, the charred edges and subtle toxicity lurking beneath the surface come into focus. Much like the burnt casserole masquerading as a wholesome meal, his emotions project an illusion of normalcy, yet ultimately fail to deliver true nourishment or emotional health. Rare are the moments when I can meticulously pick through the fragments of my memory and find him in a favorable light. In those blinks of good memories, I am left with his music choice. Most of the music I listen to as an adult now is from my father.  

As I sit in the Addlestone Library at the College of Charleston, trying to study for upcoming finals, “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons begins to play.  

Instantly, I am whisked away to my childhood home in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, a place often overshadowed by my Bostonian facade but forever entrenched in my heart as the essence of my upbringing. The house where my primitive years were spent, before I started to have stress, anxiety, and the real world came and punched me in the face. 

There, in the memory-soaked embrace of that suburban haven, I find myself once again seated on the weathered swing, dragging my feet in the dirt, barefoot, seeing the once clean soles become blackened with dirt. As the banjo’s gentle strumming permeates the air, a grin unfurls across my face, a reflexive response to the familiarity and warmth it brings. The air is crisp, not like how it is now, back then, I could breathe, now I just feel smothered. The grass is a vibrant green and the bright yellow forsythias are in bloom. My dad comes out on the freshly painted white porch and his smile, one that I have had to learn to spot from a mile away, is painted with the happiness of the rum he has so heavily poured in his Coca-Cola can.  

As a child, I didn’t know how much my father drank, those realizations would come later in life. He sets his Coca-Cola down on the ledge and comes over to start pushing me on the swing, slowly humming the tunes of Mumford. Though the lyrics hold no significance for me at that moment, I sing them loudly. He whisks me off the swing and perches me on his shoulders, bringing me to the front yard where he sets me down on our comically steep driveway and gets a box of chalk from the garage. The speakers blasting Mumford & Sons are within so I can hear the acoustic guitar, drums, banjo, and piano with more clarity.  

Unfortunately, I am brought back to Addlestone Library by a distant coughing fit. So, I sit here now, thinking about my dad, looking forward to these precious moments where I don’t view him as the man who first broke my heart, and in the symphony of life, Mumford & Son’s melody remains a haunting refrain, echoing the complexities of love and pain intertwined.

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Is Capitalism Going to be the End of Media Platforms?

By: Maya Douglas

Pyramid of Capitalist System - Wikipedia

“The Prisoners Have Been Released From Cultural Bondage” is a graph that demonstrates the functions of deinstitutionalization within the arts. In particular, there was one row that resonated with me in particular. It was the one referencing how “People binge on movies and TV shows, but…” “Ratings for the Oscars and other award shows have collapsed” (Gioia). Although the Oscars have been already declining for the past decade, there is a difference between the act of watching the movie and watching actors/filmmakers win awards for the film. In Gioia’s article “The Most Dangerous Thing in Culture Right Now is Beauty,” Gioia covers the causes and effects within the cultural hierarchy that impact the institutionalization of the performing arts. Gioia notes how, “They want a direct, unmediated relationship with the creative work” (Gioia). Gioia is referring to the viewers, the people who watch television. And that is the main reason why the ratings for the Oscars have collapsed as it does not allow the viewers to have a direct relationship with the work compared to Netflix, Hulu, and/or HBO Max. The Oscars are more of a fashion show putting all the hard work on display, but nothing more than that. It’s common for individuals to watch television for the component of watching television rather than the behind-the-scenes of the actual television. It is not necessarily a good or bad trend. For the Oscars, it would be a considerably bad trend. But for platforms that display the shows and movies that people like, it would be a very good trend. Especially in the capitalistic society that we live in, the use of the platforms brings in more revenue because of the subscriptions required to use them. I think that because of this trend, the ratings for the Oscars will continue to decline over the next decade, and the amount of people who binge-watch TV shows and movies will only increase. This increase is mainly because of accessibility and if one doesn’t have cable television, how could they watch the Oscars? But with these platforms that offer financial plans and accessibility regardless of location, who would say no to that? The other day I used Lyft to travel and after my trip, I got a notification that because of this ride, I have access to one free month of Hulu. The way Hulu advertised their product is appealing as it helps viewers save and watch their favorite shows/movies simultaneously. And with these offers, they attract a greater quantity of individuals who utilize it. Once you get started it is hard to stop and that is coming from an avid binge-watcher. These platforms also make it more accessible as the prices of the subscriptions can range to meet an individual’s needs. As well as family plans which attract an even larger audience. In the long run, “the prisoners will not be released from the cultural bondage,” that is faced within media platforms, as it started a few decades ago and has only continued. In the “These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America” by Ashley Lutz, it contains an infographic created by Jason at Frugal Dad that represents how confined the media has become. On the infographic, there is a representation that notes how “The Big Six control 70% of your cable” and “3,762 businesses contribute 30%” (Lutz). With this being said, if multiple media platforms are owned by a total of six companies, what’s to say that this pattern of consolidation won’t continue. The real question to ask would be, will the Oscars still exist in a few decades because of these patterns? Or will this event just become one of many?

 

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Ratings for the Oscars

Awards Season Calendar 2024-25: Oscars, Tonys, Daytime Emmys & MoreOn Ted Gioia’s chart, it claimed “People binge on movies and TV shows, but… -> Ratings for the Oscars and other award shows have collapsed”. This is a very interesting observation. This is caused by multiple reasons. The first reason why these award shows are not getting the ratings they are looking for is because a lot of people think that they are extremely biased. This is a trend I have seen a lot recently where many people are claiming that these award shows are not giving the awards to the deserving movies, shows, or people. One big reason this year especially that they believe that the award shows are rigged was due to the fact that Margot Robbie did not receive an Oscar nomination for her phenomenal role in Barbie. This caused a lot of people to be upset and feel as if the award shows were rigged because her male co-star Ryan Gossling was nominated. This is just one example of why people are upset. They feel as if their movies or shows are not properly represented and that they are being “robbed” by the producers who seem to have an agenda. Another big reason for lower ratings is the younger generation. Generation Z is in the age of technology, this generation is has a extremely short attention span. This caused the generation to look for ways to find out information from a long program like award shows in different areas to stay up to speed but without having to watch the full show. An example of this is looking through tiktok or instagram for the outfits that certain celebrities are wearing, and who won. I am also guilty of doing this as well as only tuning in for certain people. During the Grammys I was only looking on tiktok and instagram to see what Taylor Swift was going to wear because I knew that it was going to be significant news. I also tuned into a live stream just to see her win her award since I had a feeling she may announce something (I definitely had what she announced wrong though). This is very common with our generation and big cause for the decline in ratings. The last reason that the ratings are declining is because since we are in the age of all of the streaming networks many people have left behind their regular TV services and have switched to only streaming services. These include Netflix and Hulu and so on. Since people are no longer keeping their regular TV networks they are no longer getting the channels required to watch these award shows. These trends are leading to a decline in award shows to possibly stop some of them completely. People are no longer wanting to watch these things, and it may be a good thing since most of the time it caused more drama than help.

-Kyra Thompson

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Blog Post 3: Option 1- Ally Efthemis

A musical performance that I am particularly moved by is Taylor Swift’s performance of her song “Dear John,” on her most recent and infamous tour, “The Era’s Tour” in Minneapolis, 2023. Swift introduces this very highly talked about song of hers in such a way that addresses her devoted fans’ anger towards her ex boyfriend, John Mayer, whom the song is written about. She pleads to those who support to not give anyone that the song may or may not be about hate, as she emphasizes she has grown immensely since she wrote the song at age 19 (now 33), and she is far removed from that person who was once in her life. The way that she sings this song in this particular performance is unlike any time she’s ever sung the piece, live. There is a sense of acceptance and pride for what she’s singing, which contradicts the utter heartache and pain that is weaved into the lyrics. She sings like she can almost look back on this time of pure naivety in her life and smile at how far she’s come since then. Swift wrote this song at 19 when she was going through a rather public breakup with singer/songwriter John Mayer, who was 32 when they dated. The song reflects on her lack of control in this relationship, due to her age, and in this live performance she sings with such confidence as she is now older than Mayer was when they dated. It is conveyed through the passion of this performance that although she still feels pain, in enduring this relationship, she has come out on the other side of it. I think it is very common for any of her fans and supporters to feel an emotional response to this performance, especially if aware of Swift’s past, and I particularly find this to be very moving. It is very inspiring to have grown up listening to an artist like Tayor Swift and to still be a devoted listener of her music when she is old enough to now encourage the younger generation that if going through similar things she wrote about when she was a teenager, time will eventually pass and acceptance will come. I especially resonate with the song “Dear John,” and this performance only furthered my love for the piece, as not only do the gut wrenching lyrics pose so much relatability, but there is hope instilled by the fact that she survived through the time these lyrics were written and is able to sing them to a crowd of thousands, with a smile on her face. Taylor Swift Defends John Mayer Against Fan Backlash Before Performing 'Dear John' at the Eras Tour | Glamour

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The Sound of the Woman That Loves You

A link to the performance of Silver Springs at the show The Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwi-8n054s&pp=ygUXc2lsdmVyIHNwcmluZyB0aGUgZGFuY2U%3D

A link to the original studio recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVE4aOUX2iM&pp=ygUNc2lsdmVyIHNwcmluZw%3D%3D

My favorite Fleetwood Mac album is “Tusk,” but even I can admit that their best album, their masterpiece, is “Rumors.” Whether the affairs, the sex, and the drama were contrived, exaggerated, or totally true– the publicity worked. At the time this album was recorded in 1977, I was 40 years away from hearing it for the first time and forming my own opinions. In actuality, there is no possible way for me to know if anything the members of Mac have said about each other is true, but there was something that created magic in that recording studio. I’ll be the first to say that there are some skip tracks there. For me, the album ends with “I Don’t Wanna Know,” since I listened to “Oh Daddy” exactly once before vowing to never hear it again. Instead, in my mind, the album begins with “I know there’s nothing to say, someone has taken my place” and ends with “Oh, I don’t wanna know.”

My dad plays bass in a yacht rock band, Thurston Howell, so I’ve heard “You Make Lovin’ Fun” more times than most. Quite frankly, it’s a fun song. Watching a sea (pun intended) of people sing the lyrics at each other and dance with their drinks and captain’s hats is magical, as long as you don’t think too hard about watching Christine McVie sing this song about her affair with the band’s lighting director in front of her then-husband and bassist in the band. But that’s part of the fun of this album– the songs are great, but what makes them so lasting and iconic are the performances. This band has lore, and it would never have been believed without the emotion in the recordings. “Dreams” is iconic, “The Chain” is brilliant, but “Silver Spring” is heartbreaking. The song that never made it to the first release of this album is, to me, the only proof I need that Rumors was real.

“Silver Springs” is more than the band’s troubles, it is the raw wound of every unresolved heartbreak. The performance of this song in Mac’s reunion show “The Dance” is an outpouring of emotion in only the way music can be. Nicks turns to Buckingham, her long time partner but now ex, he plays guitar and sings back up on her storm of emotion, and the lyrics have never been truer: “You will never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you.” Her voice is soft with the piano and high hat, questioning, ethereal as is expected from her vocals. She questions him, did you say that she’s pretty, that she loves you? You can almost hear her movements– there’s a choreography here.  She doesn’t love him now, and he never loved her, but she keeps coming back. The song builds, and so does her voice, and there is suddenly nothing about this track that matters more than her.  It is the fantasy of a messy break-up, and it is pure catharsis– to quote myself quoting Roger Ebert: “art is an empathy machine,” and Nicks makes you feel every note.

Time cast a spell on you, but you won’t forget me. There is no longer denial, there is anger and there is pain, she is begging and shouting in the way that you can only feel toward someone you loved.  I might be projecting my own past break ups onto this (isn’t that rather the point?), but her anger is righteous.  The drums are heavy, and Nick’s ex-lover continues to strum along in the back. He wouldn’t let her love him, but he could have been her Silver Spring, that idyllic fantasy that no couple in Mac was ever capable of.  There is a break, Buckingham’s guitar is there, but her vocals return and the anger hasn’t faded. She casts a promise and a curse, he can’t possibly forget her, her voice, so tied to his career, will always follow him– the sound of the woman that loved him. She screams it now. She asks for a chance, and she promises that he will never forget her voice, forget her, and we all hope to god that he can’t right along with her.

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A Step By Step Guide Through Queen’s Triumphant Performance at LiveAid (Hannah Martinson)

The performance lasts 22 minutes and 37 seconds, marking an unforgettable moment in music history. Queen’s performance at LiveAid on a magical day in 1985 is nothing short of astonishing. Queen took the stage among the bustling energy at Wembley Stadium. The anticipation was palpable. Even watching through a YouTube video nearly 40 years later, I felt the same anticipation as the excited crowd. As Freddie Mercury strides onto the stage in a simple white tank top and jeans with a studded band around his arm, a charged energy is seemingly released into the air. The crowd’s anticipation is truly electric. His presence alone commands attention as he moves to the piano and begins playing unharmoniously with the keys. And then, it begins: Freddie Mercury suddenly launches into the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The crowd erupts with pure joy and sings along from beginning to end. This is not a performance. It is a collective experience. The voices from the crowd blend seamlessly with Freddie’s. Between the chorus and second verse, Freddie blows a kiss to someone out of view. I wondered, who was on the other end of this intimate moment? Who was meant to catch his gesture?

Transitioning seamlessly, he abandons the piano and seizes the microphone, presenting it as if it were a guitar. He begins and call and response with the audience. The chants of “AY OH” echo like a heartbeat. Everything he says the crowd mirrors. As I watch this, I realize I am in a trance and cannot take my eyes from his presence.  “Radio Ga Ga” then electrifies the stadium. Freddie gestures command a wave of claps and cheers from the sea of millions of fans.

As he moves into his next song, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” he sternly declares, “This song is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight.” This ignites something new into the audience. Pure and raw intensity. They go insane. Beads of sweat glisten from Freddie’s face under the lights. You can see the energy pulsating from him. As the song comes to a close, he swings the guitar over his head and sends the crowd into a frenzy. And then, the familiar stomp stomp clap of “We Will Rock You” vibrates through the stadium. This is not just a song, but an anthem of unity. The audience becomes an extension of the music as their communal stomp stomp clap blends in with the song’s melodies.

Freddie’s presence is nothing short of transcendent. It is a whirlwind of emotion and spectacle that leaves a mark on the soul. As you watch him on stage, in his element, you are transported to an existence in which music transcends boundaries, and a simple melody become a shared experience of joy and exhilaration. When he takes center stage, you are swept up in the moment’s magic. You see a fleeting glimpse into the essence of a performer whose talent transcends space and time.

 

 

 

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