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In an era of Netflix glut and endless Marvel spinoffs, there’s the question of how much quality still matters to studio heads or the viewing public

“The screen experience is so reductionist,” Casimiro said. “It just flattens the world, so that a Pulitzer Prize-winning story feels the same as spam. Some things deserve better.”

The vast interconnection enabled by digital platforms has ended up creating more of a sense of sameness than diversity. Users are subtly guided toward the same subsets of topics, urged on by recommendations that are designed not to serve their interests but to create profitable attention fodder to sell to advertisers. Instagram doesn’t care that yo... See more

Which is to say: the Internet and increasing access to entertainment means we hit the “too much stuff” problem by another name. And that name? The mid. The average. The uninteresting. The fine. That’s why “end of animated movie music” and “chicken alfredo boomerang music” and “retail store radio music” and “Reels music” have become shorthands for v... See more