I have a theory…

A comment on my AMC distribution video said the obvious thing: independent films still have to be good. True, and also the exact problem. That’s a standard almost nobody applies to the mainstream.

Here’s my theory for why. People value being part of the conversation more than they value the quality of the thing itself. That’s why someone will consume something they openly call garbage, and why the same person will never give a smaller company the time of day. Engaging with the mainstream buys you entry into a conversation happening everywhere. Engaging with an alternative doesn’t, no matter how good it is.

It’s also why hate watching is still watching, and why “I pirated it so they got nothing from me” misses the point. You went out of your way, onto sketchy sites, to make sure you could be in that conversation.

Underneath all of it is people chasing a monoculture that can’t exist again, which ties directly to the last video about the 90s being the last distinctive decade. Breakthroughs happen. They’re outliers. And you should still build, as long as you’re honest about the standard you’ll be held to.