This is the moment when things start to feel a little the same everywhere you look.
Every week in the entertainment world, an announcement is made that a popular TV show or movie will be remade. In addition to live-action Disney movies, reboots of “The US Office” and “Fawlty Towers” are also planned. and the 2024 movie “Mean Girls.”
There’s no denying that new ideas are emerging, but I can’t help but feel like Hollywood is stuck in an originality impasse. Instead, they focus on rehashing old ideas rather than giving more time (and money) to new ideas.
The “creative renaissance” predicted after the pandemic has yet to materialize.
However, this lack of originality is also noticeable in familiar places.
If you simply scroll through TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see the same formats pop up over and over again. From TikTok dances and pranks to our obsession with road test “theory” (we’re looking at you, Orange Peel), the content we’re presented with is often the same as what we’ve seen before. It’s a duplicate of an idea I’ve seen before.
If you go back 10-15 years, there was one creative video that stood out on Vine. of A cultural moment – people quote it, but they don’t recreate it. However, now a different landscape is unfolding. The goal is not to have original content ideas, but simply to copy the format and piggyback on someone else’s creativity.
In fact, most platforms reward you for doing this.
So what is causing this stagnation of cultural originality?
Behavioral experts say this proliferation of remakes and repetitive content is due to two factors: technology and psychology.
“Technology, especially around algorithms, is shaping cultural consumption,” Stephen Kelly, senior behavioral analyst at market research group Canvas8, told Metro.
“These systems are designed to optimize engagement, often prioritizing content that is already popular or proven to be successful.
“Put another way, when you use technology to quantify something, what that technology optimizes tends to become what most people perceive. TikTok now has less original content. Like why people think there is.
“This has created a feedback loop where creators and studios are more likely to create content that aligns with these proven formulas based on data, leading to a surge in remakes and adaptations.”
Stephen also points out that another major reason for this is that the primary audience for these platforms doesn’t really know the difference.
He continues: “Younger generations have grown up using more algorithmic technology. Gen Z, for example, doesn’t seem to have any personality differences that would accentuate this. It’s just something they know.
“People in general gravitate toward what they know, especially when they have an infinite number of options. For example, Spotify has every song in the world, so it’s strange to know what they know. It’s harder to discover new things than it was when you were deciding what you were listening to on the radio. We just now have the technology to deliver it in a different way.”
But in the end, it’s not just about age.
Dr Richard Courtney, specialist in cultural identity and behavior at UEL, points out that repetition isn’t going away anytime soon.
He explains: “After all, repetition brings meaning to many people, and constant invention, difference, and originality are seen as tedious and more labor-intensive than mere light relief or entertainment.
“Our psychological makeup may favor repetition to increase our sense of security.”
Dr. Richard compares this to why we listen to the same songs or albums over and over again.
We don’t always need new ideas. Often we find ourselves craving something familiar.
He added: “People no longer want novels and originals, but seek solace in reliving the past to create a sense of familiarity in a rapidly changing world.”
Meanwhile, Dr James Walters from the University of Birmingham explains that repetition has always been a way for cultures to share works of art and experiences with each other.
He told Metro: “Fairy tales are repetitions that have evolved over time, and are still parents telling their children stories they heard as children.”
“More broadly, I think it has to do with generational change. As kids grow up and have children of their own, they go back to the nostalgic products of their youth. There’s probably a folk tradition of remakes and retellings that bring people together, but now companies are exploiting it too.”
Dr. Richard also points out that there’s no need to think of it as a bad thing.
“Originality in culture is probably a myth,” he suggests. “Innovation probably goes hand in hand with repetition.”
Our TikTok and Instagram FYPs may feel a little like Groundhog Day, but we’ve spent decades revisiting Shakespeare and Mozart, reviving Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland, and more. We must not forget what we have done.
It’s clear that there is a cultural desire for repetition and familiarity across all age groups, but why aren’t we fulfilling it?
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