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Anti-Intellectualism & The Downfall of Commentary Creators

Mar 28, 2024

Delve into the rise and fall of commentary content, from its origins to TikTok's influence. Explore the allure of internet culture commentary and how anti-intellectualism and media literacy issues impact it. Unpack the challenges of maintaining quality in the age of viral content and the decline of authority in online commentary.

35:28

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Quick takeaways

The rise of anti-intellectualism, decline in media literacy, and death of the monoculture, fueled by TikTok, will likely lead to the downfall of commentary content.

Creators in the commentary genre have shifted focus from mainstream to internet culture analysis, leading to a surge in popularity and adaptation to new platforms like TikTok.

Deep dives

Transformation of Commentary Content on Social Media

Commentary content, once popular on platforms like YouTube, has seen a significant rise in prominence on TikTok, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. With shorter videos on TikTok, creators have adapted video essay styles to provide analysis and critique on various topics, activating a new genre on the platform.

Introduction

2min

The Evolution of Commentary Content on TikTok

12min

Exploring Internet Culture Commentary

6min

The Impact of COVID on Culture and the Rise of Anti-Intellectualism

2min

Exploring the Effects of Anti-Intellectualism and Media Literacy Issues

3min

The Rise of Commentary Content and Its Impact on Online Audiences

10min

In this week's episode, I explore the rise and (inevitable) fall of the commentary genre. I cover the origins of this content, the rise of this genre on YouTube, and why I believe we're about to see its downfall. I look at how the rise of anti-intellectualism, a decline in media literacy, and the death of the monoculture— all amplified by the introduction of TikTok— will likely be the main reasons for the downfall of commentary content.

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Timestamps:

5:31 Commentary content + its origins

10:50 The rise of commentary on TikTok

14:55 Why is internet culture commentary so popular?

20:08 Anti-intellecutalism + the decline in media literacy

25:50 Quality of content has declined

30:19 Death of the monoculture