Almost everyone reading this grew up under a largely monolithic American pop culture. Whether it’s Baby Boomers’ love of the Beatles or the multigenerational Star Wars fandom that originated with Gen X, anyone who came of age in the past several decades could easily navigate the pop landscape by several universally accessible landmarks.
All cultural institutions have now been seized by fanatics who hate the heritage American people from whom pop culture sprang. Instead of curating the touchstones they’ve usurped, the cultists are using them to mercilessly pelt their audience.
Members of the various fandoms long refused to acknowledge the enmity hurled at them by their favorite brands’ new owners. A look at the entertainment scene reveals encouraging signs that the more self-respecting Pop Cultists are wising up. Author David V. Stewart reports on the uproar over Wizards of the Coast’s latest middle finger to its customers.
Meanwhile, on the international stage, America’s cultural hegemony teeters on the brink of collapse. The global market once relied on Hollywood for entertainment. That’s becoming less and less the case, particularly in China. Lots of foreign countries now boast film industries to rival America’s, and what’s more, many of them are run by nationalist regimes that don’t appreciate Hollywood’s Death Cult agitprop. As a result, Chinese movies made for Chinese audiences are beating Hollywood imports at the Chinese box office.
One consequence of replacing the original American population has been the fracturing of American-imposed pop culture. The Cultists who invade ordinary people’s hobbies are quick to tell the original enthusiasts they’re no longer welcome, and the OGs are increasingly taking their business elsewhere.
Take comic books for example. People forget that reading comics stopped being a mainstream pastime thirty years ago. If not for Hollywood’s bloated cape flicks, the comics industry would’ve been relegated to a tiny niche market years ago. Now, even Marvel’s bombastic tentpoles are losing their luster.
What the future of entertainment probably holds is a post-Pop Cult age wherein no one player enjoys worldwide market dominance. I recently joined best selling comics creator Jon Del Arroz to discuss these and other pop culture matters. Watch the show here:
Do your part to help hasten the Pop Cult’s demise. Stop giving money to people who hate you. Support creators who want to entertain you.
