On media fragmentation

You know how you have a thousand channels on your television? And a thousand stations on your satellite radio?  And an infinite number of media options on the internet?  That’s sweet, right?  I’d argue that, in reality, it sucks (kind of).  This sort of fragmentation of both media and audience means that there will never (ever) be another cultural phenomenon like, say, The Beatles.  Something ridiculous like half of the population saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan.  Are The Beatles inherently “better” than, say, Radiohead?  Of course not.  But, more people paid attention to The Beatles, because there were way less things to pay attention to.  In a Sophie’s choice situation, I’d take OK Computer over Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but there is absolutely no way that I’m in the majority there, at least partially because there isn’t a single person on the planet who can’t sing “With a Little Help From My Friends,” but there are millions upon millions who can’t sing “Paranoid Android.”  This has nothing to do with the material itself, but with its level of dissemination.

When is media fragmentation a good thing?  When it allows for the expression of artistic impulses that would be squelched in less media rich environments.  Do you get South Park if there are only three television channels?  No.  Do you get David Foster Wallace if there are less book publishers?  (Or, more pointedly, Valis?) No.  You also don’t get crazy shit like railcars.  I can’t possibly do better than the press release, so I’m going to quote it: “In this record, LA-based multiple-instrumentalist Aria Jalali recounts the life of Edmund the Martyr, a 9th century king of East Anglia with songs about his life and succession to the throne as a young boy, his conquests, his suffering at the hands of vikings and death by their arrows.”  Yes!  Regardless of its quality, does that record get made without media fragmentation?  Absolutely not.  Long live people paying attention to far too many things.  And, more critically, long live railcars!

railcars – cathedral with no eyes