The hottest Entertainment Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

The State of the Culture, 2024

The Honest Broker • 121016 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Arts Technology Social Issues Addiction
  1. The entertainment industry is facing challenges like Disney in crisis, Paramount laying off employees, and a decline in TV shows, showing a shift towards a post-entertainment culture.
  2. The culture is transitioning towards a focus on distraction and addiction, with tech platforms using stimuli to create addictive cycles, impacting people's brains and happiness levels.
  3. As our culture evolves into a dopamine-driven society, it becomes essential to be mindful of our consumption habits, unplug from technology at times, and appreciate the real world around us.

The Unraveling of a Royal Fairytale

Culture Study • 7347 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Royalty Celebrity Media Photography Entertainment
  1. The royal family's image control is rooted in their historical role as commodities, affecting how public perceive their every move.
  2. Princess Catherine's carefully crafted image contrasts with the destabilizing effect of Meghan Markle's outspokenness and mixed-race identity.
  3. The unraveling of the royal fairytale is symbolized by the mishandling of Princess Catherine's health crisis, exposing the monarchy's struggles to maintain control in a changing media landscape.

An EGOT for Elton

Steady • 17551 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🎶 Music Entertainment Music videos
  1. Elton John joined the elite group of EGOT winners with his recent Emmy win.
  2. Sir Elton's music has been bringing joy for decades, with hits like 'Tiny Dancer.'
  3. A stunning video was created for 'Tiny Dancer,' celebrating the 50-year friendship between Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

In 2024, the Tension Between Macroculture and Microculture Will Turn into War

The Honest Broker • 31517 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Media Social Dynamics Entertainment
  1. The tension between macroculture and microculture is escalating and will turn into a war in 2024.
  2. Despite the dominance of legacy media, alternative platforms in the microculture are growing rapidly and have a significant impact on the media landscape.
  3. The traditional institutions are reluctant to embrace the microculture, leading to a war where the microculture creators are pitted against the very platforms they rely on.

Empty Laughter

Where's Your Ed At • 16914 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Comedy Artificial Intelligence Plagiarism Entertainment Creativity
  1. Art should be unique and come from personal experiences, not generated by AI or copied from others.
  2. Creativity is limited by the individual, and the magic of art comes from the context and experiences of the artist.
  3. Plagiarism and reliance on generative AI for art creation show a lack of curiosity, entitlement, and a desire to imitate rather than create.
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Substack Reads: The double exposure effect, a mustard obsession, and the color of Neptune

read • 4894 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Design Coaching Science Memoir
  1. Nominees with great performances in multiple roles can lead to extra praise, known as the double exposure effect.
  2. Mustard packaging has a rich history dating back centuries, with brands like Grey Poupon and Maille showcasing timeless design.
  3. Neptune's true color is not actually blue as previously thought, but a milky, unmemorable interstellar cataract, challenging our perceptions.

Might I Suggest a Few Totally Normal Ways to React to Barbie’s Oscar Nominations

Hung Up • 6505 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Film Celebrities Entertainment Media Magazines
  1. Barbie received eight Oscar nominations, but some notable figures were snubbed in certain categories.
  2. The Oscars may not always reflect the full diversity and quality of films, so it's important to keep perspective.
  3. Reactions to awards nominations, while sometimes intense, should be taken with a dose of normalcy and humor.

Can a Writers Strike Save Hollywood from Monopoly?

BIG by Matt Stoller • 53286 implied HN points • 14 May 23
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Labor Media Economics Monopolies
  1. Hollywood is facing a crisis with streaming services struggling to profit while dominating the industry.
  2. Legal changes in the U.S. over the years have stripped independent producers of bargaining power, impacting the quality of content.
  3. The ongoing writers' strike highlights the need to address the structural issues in the industry caused by consolidation and lack of market signals.

Selena Gomez’s 18 Hour Social Media Break

Hung Up • 5444 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Celebrity Culture Social media Entertainment Fashion Pop culture
  1. Selena Gomez announced a social media break but only lasted 18 hours, showing that celebrities can be just like us in not sticking to resolutions.
  2. Julia Roberts' recent British Vogue cover shoot captures her glamour and self-assuredness, reminiscent of '90s icons.
  3. Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) commented on Drake's music being suitable for malls, sparking thoughts on how certain artists and genres naturally align with specific environments.

Sometimes People Are Just Stupid

Holly’s Newsletter • 3125 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Opinion Social Issues Media Politics Entertainment
  1. There are conservative influencers targeting an artist and her relationship, sparking debates and theories about the implications of her endorsements and impact on voting demographics.
  2. The artist in question has messages of traditional love and relationships in her work, facing criticism and scrutiny from various political perspectives.
  3. The discussions around this artist's personal life and potential endorsements highlight broader cultural tensions and divisions, reflecting the complexity of celebrity influence and political narratives.

Four unpersuasive arguments against TikTok

Read Max • 973 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Social media Media Analysis Entertainment Books Content creation
  1. There are four unpersuasive arguments for banning TikTok, including concerns about Chinese manipulation, user data security, trade war retaliation, and societal impact not related to China.
  2. MrBeast's transparency with his audience about YouTube business models and growth strategies sets a new standard for authenticity in online content creation.
  3. The future of YouTube and media content creation may shift towards authenticity and relatability, reminiscent of TikTok's success, moving away from the professionalized approach of current YouTube stars like MrBeast.

It’s the 349th Day of January

Hung Up • 2908 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Film Entertainment
  1. The post is about January 2024 and the author's movie watching experience.
  2. The author watched the movie "Postcards from the Edge" as the first movie of the year and loves it.
  3. Readers can access more content with a 7-day free trial subscription.

Panic Among the Streamers

The Honest Broker • 22673 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
💼 Business Technology Entertainment Finance Economy Industry
  1. Spotify's CEO sold $100 million in stock amidst the company's increasing losses, causing concern among investors.
  2. Streaming companies like Netflix and Disney are heavily investing in AI technology, potentially replacing human creativity with bots.
  3. Music streaming platforms like Spotify prioritize profit over user experience, creating a bland and generic listening environment.

The Wisdom of Brown M&M's and Leaky Fire Hydrants

The Garden of Forking Paths • 2279 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Music Politics Society Entertainment Art
  1. Van Halen's use of brown M&M's as a test exposed the importance of thorough event staff attention to safety details.
  2. Testing systems, like airport security, with red teams reveals vulnerabilities and promotes resilience.
  3. The concept of leaky fire hydrants highlights the need for addressing individual problems within systems to spark wider reform.

🎦🌌 Dystopian Hollywood vs. a tech-optimist, Up Wing future

Faster, Please! • 731 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Film Technology Society Future Entertainment
  1. Popular sci-fi often portrays new technology harming humanity instead of helping, reflecting societal concerns and fears.
  2. Science fiction has shifted from optimistic visions of the future to dystopian and pessimistic outlooks, impacting our ability to strive for a better future.
  3. Movies and entertainment choices can reflect our core values and beliefs, influencing the success of different types of films in varying markets.

barbie didn't direct itself

Airplane Mode with Liz Plank • 2535 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Film Gender Awards Diversity Entertainment
  1. The lack of Oscars nominations for the Barbie movie highlights gender bias in the film industry
  2. Only eight female directors have ever been nominated in the 95-year history of the Academy Awards, showing a significant gender disparity
  3. The success of the Barbie movie, despite lack of recognition, shows the industry's need for change and the importance of celebrating female creators

It’s Over, and It’s Trump

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2364 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Government Media Justice Entertainment
  1. Nikki Haley's campaign faces challenges after falling short in New Hampshire, signaling potential struggles ahead.
  2. Trump's resurgence in popularity and the GOP's lack of understanding contribute to his strong position for the 2024 presidential race.
  3. New poll data shows immigration as a top voter concern, impacting President Biden's favorability ratings.

Are The Publicists On Strike Too

Hung Up • 7763 implied HN points • 15 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Celebrity Lifestyle Media Arts
  1. The entertainment industry has been affected by strikes of writers and actors, leading to a standstill in major studios and streamers.
  2. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis faced backlash for supporting a friend accused of sexual assault, handling the situation poorly.
  3. Drew Barrymore is navigating the return of her talk show amidst industry strikes, choosing to go without a publicist and potentially risking controversy.

The Woke Rails of Google Gemini are Literally Just Eric Cartman

Handwaving Freakoutery • 769 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Art Entertainment Tech TV Satire
  1. Google Gemini's AI image generation software is adding 'diversity' into images where it doesn't belong, like popes and knights.
  2. Google Gemini uses a simple hack to generate 'woke' images by altering prompts before running image generation AI.
  3. South Park predicted Google's approach by parodying inserting diversity into images through prompts, comparable to what Google is doing with its AI.

Barbie Answers Oppenheimer

Culture Study • 9014 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Film Gender Society Entertainment Art
  1. Oppenheimer is a classic Christopher Nolan film with a focus on the masculine world and a lack of interest in women's narratives.
  2. Hollywood often caters to a male-centric audience, but Barbie challenges this norm by offering a matriarchal world where women hold power.
  3. Barbie's success signals a hunger for diverse perspectives in cinema, contrasting with the typical white male-centered narratives in Hollywood.

Q&A: What Would You Do with $43 Million to Fight Racism?

Glenn Loury • 1827 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Film History Racism Entertainment Social Issues
  1. The Center for Antiracist Research raised $43 million with little to show for it in terms of research on racism.
  2. One approach suggested to fight racism with $43 million was to start a center for the rigorous study of race in America with elite scholars and promising grad students.
  3. Another proposed idea was to use the money to fund a movie dramatizing the shift in black political thought in 1966, which would showcase how certain ideas contributed to present-day racial divisions.

Oscar, Actors and the Double Exposure Effect

The Ankler • 923 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Film Actors TV shows Performance Entertainment
  1. Actors can benefit from the Double Exposure Effect when they have multiple great performances out at the same time, boosting their chances in award competitions.
  2. Timing is crucial in the entertainment industry; a well-timed release can elevate an actor's Oscar campaign, while an ill-timed one can damage it.
  3. The overall career and public perception of an actor can also influence their chances in award shows like the Oscars, showcasing the importance of a strong body of work.

'Moonstruck' Creator Dies

Daily Dreher • 1061 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Film Art
  1. The creator of 'Moonstruck,' filmmaker Norman Jewison, has passed away.
  2. The article discusses various topics including Feds defending invasion and Black Magic's Reality.
  3. Read more by subscribing to Rod Dreher's Diary for a 7-day free trial.