M42

Monomorphism observed.

July 19 2025

There are so many streaming services to choose from. It becomes a sea of mediocrity amid a race to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Do these platforms even know why they existed in the first place? Didn’t they come here with grand ideas, unique propositions and content that made us sit up and smile with wonder? Content that these days would appear too avant garde for the establishments approval. Fear of reprisal, ostracism or cancellation. They did, but they all fell in line with the peak of the bell curve and took the safe option. Leaving risk well and truly to exist in the shadows. Only to be found by those brave enough to ask, accepting the recriminations of harsh judgement. Today’s choice has less value - like the real worth of a dollar over a 20 year period. We switch on, look through the various names and see there’s very little to distinguish one from another. Apathy becomes acceptable on a daily basis and creates a warped sense of comfort. All said and done though, I think some profiles hit the mark.

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touchbase

10 months ago

Yeah Netflix sucks

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nightingale8

10 months ago

You need to go to more film festivals. They’re not as easy access as a streaming service delivered straight to your couch but I’ve found the curation and purposeful setting really makes a difference, and tend to be those films I remember many years later. Agreed, the Netflix etc trawl is pretty flattening and a poor use of my precious night time. I don’t tend to watch tv alone I’d disagree with you on the comparison to profiles. They’re not entertainment or there for your soulful introspection, even though that’s something you can come away with. If it helps those few you connect with seem even more special, that doesn’t sound like a bad thing 🙂 but no need to cast your experience of apathy as something that exists in others. What’s a monomorphism?

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RHP User

10 months ago

I agree streaming isn’t the perfect world people hoped for, but I think a lot of that is just personal feeling and maybe some nostalgia. These days, it’s actually easier than ever to find niche shows and movies. Audiences are more split up, but that doesn’t mean everything is “average.” Most shows aren’t made for everyone—they’re made for specific groups of people. You might scroll past a bunch of things you don’t like, but someone else might love those shows. That’s not apathy, it’s just more personal choice. We also didn’t use to have easy access to things like k-dramas, cult horror, or shows like Squid Game. Those wouldn’t have made it to TV in the past. Back then, unusual or creative shows weren’t blocked by “cancel culture”—they just weren’t picked by TV bosses who wanted things they could easily sell to advertisers. Now, you can make a show and find your audience, even if it’s a small one. The real problem for risky, creative shows isn’t people getting offended—it’s just finding money to make them, especially when there are so many options out there. Big platforms will always need safe, popular shows to pay for the more unusual ones. That’s never going to change - that's "mainstream" for you If people feel bored or “apathetic,” maybe it’s just because there are so many choices now—not because the platforms are bad. Old TV never even tried to offer so much.

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NeoAndTrin

10 months ago

I'm loving Apple TV+. I believe it actually operates at a loss overall but the amount of quality intelligent sci fi on there is absolutely breath taking. There's a lot of interesting docos on all platforms from what I've seen too so if you want that kind of depth it's there, you just have to exercise some patience.

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NeoAndTrin

10 months ago

You could throw a dart at the library and hit a winner. Foundation is my favorite. Also love Severance, Silo, For All Mankind and Murderbot. And soon they will be doing Nueromancer which is the father of the cyberpunk genre. Looking forward to that one especially.

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Monomorphism observed.

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