Taylor Lorenz’s Power User [BONUS] Why Everything Feels Life or Death Now
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Dec 29, 2025 Teddy Brown, a freelance writer for The New Yorker, delves into society's obsession with deadly game shows and the disturbing trends in entertainment. He discusses the evolution from wholesome formats to increasingly risky endurance competitions, attributing this shift to societal anxieties post-2008. Teddy critiques how the rise of internet virality has fostered zero-sum competition and dangerous content, while linking realities of modern life to shows like Squid Game. Their conversation touches on the normalization of death and the dangerous allure of gamifying existence in today's creator economy.
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Wholesome Origins Of Game Shows
- Classic game shows gamified everyday life and consumerism rather than bodily risk or humiliation.
- Early TV contests emphasized charm, knowledge, and aspiration rather than life-or-death stakes.
Price Is Right After School Rituals
- Teddy Brown remembers watching The Price Is Right with his grandmother after school and bonding despite language barriers.
- The show taught them shared rituals and formed affectionate, everyday memories.
Reality TV Raised The Stakes
- Reality TV and shows like Survivor introduced endurance and bodily risk into mainstream entertainment.
- That shift set the stage for later life-or-death narratives like The Hunger Games and Battle Royale.