But this obviously contributed to a feeling of decline in the long-run, because mass culture continued to do the thing it always does: avoid artistic innovation in order to maximize profit. But once poptimism established that only the mainstream "mattered," it set up audiences to judge the health of culture on its least artistic output. If we have... See more

New pod: The rise of "dopamine culture" and the decline of pop culture in America First, I discuss the Ted Gioa's argument that pop culture is being turned into a virtual casino of the mind that is better at producing reward-seeking behavior than quality art. Then, I talk to @skornhaber... See more