1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 On June 12th, 2019 Beauty YouTube Jacqueline Hill 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,160 published a video titled My Lipsticks. 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,320 Sitting in her bedroom, Jacqueline was fresh faced with 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,920 her hair down and wearing the signature grey hoodie that all 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,120 2010's Youtubers wore when they made an apology video. 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,320 Jacqueline was here to address the claims that her new brand, 7 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,920 Jacqueline Cosmetics, had launched with a range of 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:26,360 lipsticks that were contaminated with mold shards of plastic, 9 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:31,560 and, as per the official name, White Fuzzies, I have never 10 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,200 clicked on a video so fast. Over the following weeks, I 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,080 consumed hours of commentary content about Jaclyn Hill's 12 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,280 hairy lipsticks. I read all the thing pieces, I 13 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:46,040 listened to all the podcasts, and I watched all the Drama 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,400 Channel videos about this saga. But as a longtime follower of 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,240 the YouTube beauty community, there was something about the 16 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,720 coverage of Jaclyn Hill's hairy lipsticks that I just couldn't 17 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:57,640 get past. Much of it lacked a deep 18 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,400 understanding of the Jaclyn Hill lore. 19 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,960 There was misinformation being spread about her life, career 20 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,440 and history all over the Internet and missing context 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,640 that I felt was required to have an informed opinion on the 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,040 situation. So I couldn't help but wonder, 23 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,000 should I be the one commenting on Jaclyn Hill's hairy 24 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,120 lipsticks? A writer by profession, I got to 25 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,400 work and I launched a website calledcentennialbeauty.com that 26 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,680 would report on the news, trends and creators of the YouTube 27 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,720 beauty community. At the time, TikTok was new and 28 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,080 I decided to experiment with putting our articles on the 29 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,320 platform. On January 12th, 2020, I 30 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:40,480 uploaded a video revealing that Jeffrey Star had split from his 31 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,240 longtime boyfriend Nathan Schwanz. 32 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,840 Within hours, it had over 300,000 views. 33 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,600 Two days later, I uploaded a video explaining that Nikki 34 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:54,480 Tutorials had come out as transgender over 540,000 views. 35 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,760 Three days after that, Kat Von D was leaving her makeup brand 36 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,080 343,000 views. The proof was in the numbers. 37 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,240 There was a very solid place for pop culture analysis and news on 38 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,440 TikTok. But as the years have gone on 39 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,640 and Centennial Beauty evolved past, covering just the YouTube 40 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:17,200 beauty community, now it feels like audiences are evolving too. 41 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,840 What was once one of the most powerful niches on TikTok is now 42 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,040 over. Saturated with creators and 43 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,480 overrun by fake news and unverified claims, audiences 44 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,400 feel tired of thinking and even more tired of having to question 45 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,240 who they're getting this information from. 46 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,400 Almost five years after I first consumed every piece of 47 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,080 commentary content that I could about Jaclyn Hill's hairy 48 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,560 lipsticks, I can't help but wonder, is this the beginning of 49 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,240 the end? For commentary content from 50 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,640 Centennial World, I'm Lauren Meisner and This is Infinite 51 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:54,680 Scroll, a podcast about Internet culture, the creator economy, 52 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:56,800 and how social media is shaping Gen. 53 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,600 Zed. OK, welcome back to Infinite 54 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,280 Scroll, everyone. I had so much fun writing that 55 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,960 intro. I really felt like we needed a 56 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:10,000 really light hearted, fun vibe this week after last week's 57 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,440 episode. I so appreciate all of your 58 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,480 support for last week's episode. I know it was a hard one to 59 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,360 listen to. It was a hard one to research. 60 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,720 So I am glad that I am back with something a little bit more 61 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,280 light for you guys and you all have been so sweet about the 62 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,400 announcement of Mini Scroll. So yes, if you guys didn't hear 63 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,640 last week on April 2nd, I am launching a daily podcast Monday 64 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:33,880 to Thursday. It'll be like 10 to 15 minutes 65 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,200 long and it will be the news from the day before. 66 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,760 And it will be more personality based, more fun, less serious, 67 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,120 less scripted, more chatty, you know, so you guys can get all of 68 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:45,600 that from me. And then Fridays, of course, 69 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,880 will be Infinite Scroll, so you'll get the best of both 70 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,040 worlds. So as always, Please remember to 71 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,280 rate, review and subscribe. It means so much and it helps my 72 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,400 channel grow. It helps my podcast grow. 73 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,120 It is so meaningful. Please sign up to our 74 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,320 newsletter, also called Infinite Scroll. 75 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,040 On Wednesdays we send out a commentary article about a 76 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,840 trend, creator, drama or news. And on Friday we round up the 77 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,000 five biggest thing pieces on the Internet that week and join our 78 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Geneva group, which is also called Infinite Scroll, where 79 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,120 you can chat with other people who are obsessed with Internet 80 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,000 culture, creator, drama and tea. And you can talk with me. 81 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,839 I am recording this episode quite early, so if you guys left 82 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,080 me a review this week and I don't read it, I will read it 83 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,400 next week because I probably just haven't gotten it yet, but 84 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,640 I will read some comments from YouTube on last week's episode. 85 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,520 Fizz Bish said amazing episode, really informative and you 86 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,320 really highlighted the need for additional protection for having 87 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,600 kiddos. Impeccable timing with Quiet on 88 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,160 Set having just been released, which I totally hope you cover. 89 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,720 Looking forward to mini scroll. Much love the girlies are 90 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,760 killing it. Thank you, love it. 91 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,920 And then yeah, everybody else is just like daily podcast exciting 92 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,280 big boy, Becky says. Wow, mini scroll sounds very 93 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:57,520 ideal for someone who loves Daily News but has a short 94 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:58,960 attention span. Best of luck. 95 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,160 I'm very excited for it. So sweet. 96 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,880 Yeah, Quiet on Set came out. That is the docu series, 97 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,760 documentary docu series about Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon 98 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,880 and basically what happened to child stars. 99 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,280 The problem is that it's not released in Australia yet, so I 100 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:18,680 haven't been able to watch it. So once I do, there is 101 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,520 definitely a possibility that I will cover it. 102 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,360 But yeah, Wild timing honestly didn't line that up, but the 103 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,360 conversation is just exploding right now about it in general. 104 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,080 But yes, once we get it in Australia, I will watch it and I 105 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,800 possibly will cover it. For those unfamiliar with 106 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,080 commentary videos, this type of content deep dives into a 107 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,960 specific topic. Kind of like this podcast, this 108 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,760 content provides analysis, critique, or opinion on a 109 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,240 particular situation or issue. A creator might use other 110 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,840 content as a jumping off point, or they might simply cover a 111 00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:51,400 topic that they are interested in. 112 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,080 Commentary creators operate across different social media 113 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,640 platforms, but they are most popular on TikTok, and YouTube. 114 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,200 On YouTube, commentary content is typically presented in a 115 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,480 video essay style. You will see a creator sitting 116 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,640 in front of the camera rattling off information about the topic. 117 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,960 They are usually well researched and well edited, with graphics 118 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,400 and text popping up on screen as they speak. 119 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,480 On TikTok, where videos are significantly shorter, creators 120 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,680 will emulate the structure of a video essay, often using the 121 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,120 green screen effect while explaining different topics. 122 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:27,320 Terry Nguyen explains TikTok commentary for Vox Writing Quote 123 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,440 They are a fraction of the length of YouTube video essays, 124 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,760 but constructed with a similar critical and intellectual bent. 125 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,240 These ideas are not always groundbreaking or original, but 126 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,200 the quippy and digestible presentation style is uniquely 127 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,960 suitable for an audience with a limited attention span. 128 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,840 These commentary videos are a far cry from the type of videos 129 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,960 that TikTok became known for, like dance and lip sync. 130 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:54,400 Content Quote analysis creators are a marked departure from the 131 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,800 earliest days of the app, when content was short, simple, and 132 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,760 straightforward, Nguyen continues. 133 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,640 Although this type of content isn't native to TikTok, 134 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,920 commentary isn't a new genre for social media, and there are a 135 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,320 couple of categories that have paved the way for this type of 136 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,320 content to flourish. First and foremost, there have 137 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,200 long been people who analyze different types of content that 138 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,880 we consume. Before we talked about Internet 139 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,760 culture, it was mainstream pop culture, specifically TV and 140 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,240 movies. Pop culture analysis through 141 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,000 video format really started with TV and film reviews on different 142 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,320 websites and on YouTube. The YouTube channel Watch Mojo 143 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,320 is one of the earliest examples of this. 144 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:40,120 In 2007, they uploaded a video reviewing the Rent musical DVD. 145 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,360 16 years later, they have over 25,000,000 subscribers and 146 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,800 exclusively post pop culture analysis in videolistical 147 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,200 format. But as the years have gone on 148 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,680 and mainstream culture blends with Internet culture, the move 149 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,600 towards Internet culture as the main topic of commentary 150 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,840 analysis videos seems like a natural fit. 151 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,200 Second, the rise of true crime content has made way for more 152 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:09,120 analytical content online. Over the past few years, the 153 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,800 true crime niche has gone completely viral. 154 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,000 From podcasts to YouTube videos, creators are embracing their 155 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,840 inner armchair detective and breaking down some of the 156 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:23,040 world's most complicated cases. Often, these creators will also 157 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,680 share their own opinion on what happened, veering into 158 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,240 conspiracy territory. While the true crime genre 159 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:34,559 definitely has its problems, for example, fictionalizing these 160 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,840 cases can compromise ongoing investigations and hurt the 161 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,960 victims families. This type of content has LED 162 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,960 viewers to expect analysis when exploring topics, and when you 163 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,920 look at them side by side. True crime and commentary 164 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,360 analysis have very similar formats. 165 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,720 In both genres, creators typically speak directly to the 166 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,000 audience, draw conclusions, and analyze the situation, often 167 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,120 from multiple perspectives. They both also have a narrative 168 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,760 elements. True crime content tends to 169 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,360 communicate every detail and event to the viewer 170 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,880 chronologically and predictably, building a sense of familiarity 171 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,560 and consistency. Commentary creators do a similar 172 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:16,400 thing, opening up with a specific concept or theme before 173 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,360 dissecting the whole topic in detail. 174 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:22,640 Third drama channels have also helped commentary creators and 175 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,760 content go increasingly mainstream. 176 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,080 We have discussed the origins of drama channels at length on this 177 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,800 podcast. For an in depth analysis of how 178 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,560 drama channels operate and their role in the creator sphere, 179 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:37,200 check out our episode with Spill Sash from last season. 180 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,720 But for those unfamiliar with drama channels, they are 181 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,840 dedicated to covering drama and news in various communities 182 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:45,760 online. When they first arrived on the 183 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,080 scene, they had a specific focus on the beauty community. 184 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,040 The rise of drama channels helped shift the focus away from 185 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,240 mainstream topics to increasingly niche conversations 186 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,360 with a specific focus on Internet culture. 187 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,160 As viewers became increasingly invested in their favorite 188 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:05,200 creators and the ongoing drama, many started seeking context and 189 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,760 analysis on the situations rather than just a recount. 190 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,920 This helped pave the way for longer form analytical content 191 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,440 in the form of a video essay from a personal perspective. 192 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:21,800 Background 2017 to 2019, I was obsessed with drama channels. 193 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,240 I would choose to watch drama channels quite literally over 194 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:30,680 anything else, including TV, because I just loved the topics 195 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:33,400 that they covered. It was like a fresh perspective 196 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,440 on what I was interested in, but nobody else was covering them. 197 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,400 At the time I was completely new to analytical content and I 198 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,960 became so into it that as I mentioned in the intro, I quite 199 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,640 literally launched Centennial because of my interest and 200 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,480 obsession with drama channels. Now we know that analysis 201 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,040 content has been popular on YouTube for years, but recently 202 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,760 it feels like the genre has absolutely taken over TikTok. 203 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,160 Commentary creators on TikTok have become increasingly popular 204 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,480 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is partly the result of 205 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,560 lockdown. We had more time than ever to 206 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:10,160 consume long form videos, but also with everything slowing 207 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,560 down, many of us had more quote UN quote brainpower to consume 208 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:17,760 analytical content. Video essayist and commentary 209 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:19,600 creators started to fill this gap. 210 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,520 As Trish Rooney writes for Inside Hook quote. 211 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,560 When the pandemic began in March 2020, the demand for content to 212 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:30,160 consume skyrocketed. Streaming services saw an uptick 213 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,320 in usage. Subscriptions on streaming 214 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,000 platforms passed a billion in 2020. 215 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,440 It makes sense that the same would be asked of content 216 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,600 creators during this period. We also saw the lines blur 217 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,960 between entertainment and information like never before. 218 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,560 Young people were turning to TikTok for updates on COVID-19. 219 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,960 Though TikTok is an entertainment platform, it 220 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,480 became the go to place for Crowdsource information on how 221 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,640 to stay safe. The crossover between 222 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,520 entertainment and information intensified during the Black 223 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,760 Lives Matter protests in the United States, where TikTok 224 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:04,880 became a hub for this sort of activism. 225 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,600 Back in 2020, the For You page was flooded with all kinds of 226 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,360 different posts, some focusing on how to be good allies and 227 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,760 others sharing information on how to get involved in the 228 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,280 ongoing protests. As Zoe Williams writes for the 229 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,240 Guardian quote, for the first two days of the BLM riots, the 230 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,120 Twelves and Unders had much more precise understanding of the 231 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,600 whole thing. Not just the details of George 232 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,800 Floyd's death, but the searing rage around it and the likely 233 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,000 scale of the protests. Many mainstream publications 234 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,240 were covering this shift. Some headlines from this time 235 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,040 included Quote TikTok pivots from Dance moves to racial 236 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:45,280 justice movement from NPR quote the TikTok generation of my kids 237 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,720 is not only better informed but more politicized from the 238 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:53,120 Guardian and quote TikTok serves as a hub for hashtag Black Lives 239 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,080 Matter activism from CNN. As political content became more 240 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:01,080 popular on TikTok, expectations from audiences shifted. 241 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,880 Users began seeking in depth analysis and contextual 242 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,520 understanding for conversations on the platform, broadening the 243 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,120 scope of entertainment and pop culture discourse. 244 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:15,520 As Nguyen continues quote, social norms have also shifted. 245 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,680 Compulsive self entitled posting sprees are now more widely 246 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:22,360 frowned upon. Even as a coping mechanism to 247 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:26,040 global disaster and tragedy. Audiences seem to expect a value 248 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:29,440 add to what they consume, content that doesn't singularly 249 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,040 revolve around the creator, but engages with and elucidates the 250 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,960 world writ large. And though it was first known as 251 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,920 a music and dance app, TikTok as a platform has many built in 252 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,720 features that really complement the commentary genre, like 253 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,040 Stitch Duet and replying to comments via video. 254 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,800 So TikTok really democratized this genre. 255 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:53,880 Before, with YouTube for example, there were many more 256 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,600 barriers to entry. The level of research and 257 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,680 analysis has to be much more significant to fill a YouTube 258 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:04,080 video than to fill a 62nd TikTok, for example. 259 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:07,440 And the quality of content on YouTube from a production 260 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,760 standpoint is less user friendly. 261 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:14,200 With TikTok, someone can pick up their phone, film a 30 second 262 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,600 opinion on something, and that is considered commentary or 263 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,160 analysis. Now, just because someone 264 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,360 creates commentary content doesn't mean it's good 265 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,800 commentary content. In my opinion, what makes good 266 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,480 commentary content is that it delivers accurate information 267 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,760 with an original opinion or perspective. 268 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,200 There also needs to be an element of entertainment to the 269 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,640 content. However, this entertainment 270 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,720 factor seems to be where many creators end up veering into 271 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,120 dangerous territory trying to make their content too 272 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:51,120 sensational in an attempt to go viral, and this can sometimes 273 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,120 lead to the spread of misinformation and conspiracy 274 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,800 theories. So what is it about Internet 275 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,000 culture commentary that makes it so interesting to us? 276 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,320 Well, perhaps the most obvious reason is that Internet 277 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:07,560 commentary is very meta. Creators make content analyzing 278 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,120 the environment in which they operate, while the viewers watch 279 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,680 from that same space. As a result, most users will 280 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,960 have enough context to engage with their videos, at least on a 281 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:20,880 surface level. And the content that these 282 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,520 creators make legitimizes interests and conversations that 283 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,360 are usually considered frivolous or guilty pleasures. 284 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:31,320 Pop culture, which is often relegated to the world of girl 285 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,920 Internet, is frequently belittled. 286 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,280 Discussions about cultural topics, both mainstream and 287 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:41,000 Internet culture, are often trivialized and seen as catering 288 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,640 exclusively to teenage girls. As Catherine McLaughlin points 289 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,120 out in Study Breaks magazine Quote, Once teenage girls find 290 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,160 something they love, you can predict that it will be just as 291 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,400 quickly dismissed in the eyes of most everyone else. 292 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:58,840 This is extremely ironic because stereotypically women focused 293 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,720 interests are very lucrative and they are exploited by many 294 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,480 industries. Many companies capitalize on the 295 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,800 celebrity and Stan culture to make money, operating under the 296 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,240 assumption that by catering to teenage girls, they can, quote 297 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,640 hook them as they grow into independent adults with even 298 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,520 greater spending power. As Samantha Grindle writes for 299 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,320 Insider, Overall, it isn't surprising that Gen. 300 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,880 Z users enjoy Internet commentary creators. 301 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,400 They intellectualize and validate cultural conversations 302 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,920 that are often overlooked. As Nguyen writes, quote These 303 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,760 topics have long been disregarded as frivolous and 304 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,440 feminized, and assumed to have less direct bearing on people's 305 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,200 lives than, say, politics or personal finance. 306 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,800 To that end, the application of academic language and highbrow 307 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,600 concepts helps elevate the pop culture discourse, imbuing it 308 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,440 with similarly greater significance. 309 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,040 If you listen to this podcast, I probably don't need to convince 310 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,920 you. But these topics are important. 311 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,200 They can tell us a lot about our society at this moment in time, 312 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,760 making them an important tool for analyzing and reflecting on 313 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,920 the events happening around us. In a similar vein, people just 314 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,160 love to know and discuss the tea. 315 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,599 This is exactly what commentary content does, while often 316 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:16,680 elevating stories by providing comprehensive analysis and 317 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,560 context. Nuyen notes quote analysis 318 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,800 videos satisfy an itch on an intellectual and potentially 319 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,920 neurological level. Humans brains, some more so than 320 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,080 others, have a tendency to derive meaning or see 321 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,960 connections and patterns. In events where there may be 322 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,280 none, many critics of Internet culture commentators claim that 323 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,200 their content is simply gossip. While this is an attempt to 324 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,320 trivialize this genre of content, gossip can be an 325 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,360 important part of cultural learning and social development. 326 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,240 A number of studies have explored what exactly 327 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,680 constitutes gossiping and the role it plays in our lives. 328 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,640 One important point of research is that gossip doesn't have to 329 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,880 be negative or positive. Quote, UN quote neutral gossip 330 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,200 as it can be referred to, is helpful in learning about what 331 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,560 is going on around us. Quote gossip is a way of 332 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,280 understanding the cartography of the community you're in. 333 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,360 It's a means of understanding the structure of that community, 334 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,600 and we're all part of multiple communities. 335 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,880 Some people call gossip the chewing gum of the mind, Gary A. 336 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,920 Fine, a sociologist at Northwestern University, tells 337 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,400 The Daily Beast. The journalist also notes that 338 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,680 gossiping can be used as a part of a whisper network to Quote 339 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,080 help people protect each other against those in power who are 340 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,840 prone to abuse. This type of gossip aligns with 341 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:32,440 the objectives of cancel culture. 342 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,680 Cancel culture aims to hold offenders accountable by 343 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,800 stripping them of their status and power, and information 344 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,840 sharing networks play a crucial role in achieving this goal. 345 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,560 Therefore, gossip and commentary serve as important steps toward 346 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,360 this objective. Lastly, people enjoy consuming 347 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:51,840 commentary content because it feeds their ego quote. 348 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,320 The ideological crux of such content is logic, or the guise 349 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,280 of it at least, and evidence based observation rather than 350 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,520 unfiltered hot takes. Depending on the topic at hand, 351 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,560 Creators also don't have to divulge much detail about their 352 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,400 personal lives or moral beliefs. It instead becomes an Ave. to 353 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,120 demonstrate one's intellectual authenticity or observational 354 00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,920 authority. It is an unofficial pipeline to 355 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,880 thought influencing, Nuyen continues for Vox. 356 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,040 This thought influencing extends beyond the creators, however, as 357 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:26,120 audiences are highly engaged in this type of content. 358 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,000 People love to share their own opinions and comment sections, 359 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,480 challenging the creator or bandwagoning on their ideas to 360 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,040 also feel like they have contributed something meaningful 361 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,120 to the conversation. Because of that, commentary 362 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,520 content allows us to center ourselves in someone else's 363 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,240 content, which is pretty unique to the genre. 364 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,600 It makes us as the audience feel smart, valued, and validated. 365 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,960 However, if people are engaging with commentary creators to feed 366 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:58,440 their own egos rather than to genuinely learn, this mindset 367 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,600 can leave users reluctant to listen and to consider 368 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,400 alternative perspectives. And this reluctance, I predict, 369 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,920 will be the downfall of this genre. 370 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,800 Now, before I explore this further, I do want to note that 371 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,160 commentary and analysis content really is the backbone of 372 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,560 journalism and the media industry as a whole. 373 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,000 Publications have been writing this type of content for years, 374 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,320 whether in print or digital, but this episode in particular 375 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:27,480 specifically refers. To social media creators, not to 376 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,520 media and journalists. Over the past six months or so, 377 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,760 it seems like audiences have a bit of commentary fatigue. 378 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,240 My first indication of this shift was the Barbie movie, 379 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:41,400 where people seemed really against hearing any deeper 380 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,120 analysis of the film and any criticism was brushed off as if 381 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:47,800 the person criticizing the film, it just didn't understand the 382 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:49,360 movie. We talked about this a little 383 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:52,880 bit in the Taylor Swift episode from a few weeks ago, but I 384 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,600 myself absolutely contributed to this with the Barbie movie. 385 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,720 COVID played a big role in this wild dichotomy that we now see 386 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,920 in culture, where it gave us this appetite for deeper 387 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,960 conversation and knowledge while also making us incredibly 388 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:13,200 skeptical of authority figures. We became obsessed with over 389 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,240 analyzing everything we read, watched and saw. 390 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:20,760 We therapized and labeled all of our reactions and started using 391 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,400 therapy speak in regular life to describe how and why we do 392 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,200 things. It really pushed us to find a 393 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,040 reason for everything because we needed to make sense of the 394 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,800 reality that we were living in. So commentary creators were 395 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,840 obviously going to thrive in that environment. 396 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,760 But the flip side is that now we're exhausted. 397 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,320 The answers we were seeking were not answered, and we felt gas 398 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,040 lit and lied to by the authority figures who were supposed to 399 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,880 protect us, whether that be the media, government officials or 400 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,840 doctors and experts. And both sides of the political 401 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,200 spectrum feel this. Those on the far right feel like 402 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,960 COVID was this conspiracy and authority figures were lying to 403 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,960 us about the virus, where the left feel like authority 404 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,200 downplayed the severity of the virus and its impact on human 405 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,280 health. And if you Chuck in the rise of 406 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:09,760 AI, where the long standing belief that seeing is believing 407 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:14,080 no longer holds up, these past few years have been the perfect 408 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,480 breeding ground for anti intellectualism. 409 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:22,280 A paper by Studio ATIO defines anti intellectualism as quote, a 410 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,840 social attitude that systematically undermines 411 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,200 science, based facts, academic and institutional authorities, 412 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,360 and the pursuit of theory and knowledge. 413 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:35,000 It is not so much a school of thought as it is a set of 414 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,680 related strategies to uphold certain systems put in place by 415 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:40,920 those in power. Anti intellectualism 416 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,560 differentiates between intelligence and intellect, 417 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,120 favoring the former because it is more about using ideas in a 418 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,520 practical way, whereas intellect is more about gathering 419 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,240 knowledge and challenging existing systems. 420 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,120 Quote Because the continued pursuit of intellectual 421 00:22:56,120 --> 00:23:00,520 knowledge necessitates a certain discontent with dogmas, it often 422 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,040 conflicts with and challenges widely accepted philosophies, 423 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:07,000 societal structure, and the power dynamics of its time. 424 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,800 As a result, anti intellectualism is evoked as a 425 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,680 way to halt the acquisition of new knowledge that would 426 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,960 undermine groups with power and privilege, and does so by 427 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:20,000 painting these new ideas as a relevant to daily life or simply 428 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,560 false. The rise in anti intellectualism 429 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:25,880 has contributed to immediate literacy problem among all 430 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,200 generations. A2020 analysis by Pew Research 431 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,120 Center found that US adults who get their political news 432 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:36,440 primarily from social media were a less knowledgeable about a 433 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,840 wide range of political topics and B more likely to hear about 434 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:44,920 a number of false or unproven claims when it comes to teens 435 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,440 scrolling social media, Peter Adams for the News Literacy 436 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,040 Project told Mashable. Quote, teens are really 437 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,560 vulnerable to a kind of anti institutionalism and a kind of 438 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:57,680 nihilism when it comes to the sources of information. 439 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:01,440 A lot of them embrace this idea that all sources of information 440 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,800 are out to manipulate them in some way, that all sources of 441 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,040 information have secret motives. They have these opinions about 442 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:11,840 mainstream organizations in ways that make them really vulnerable 443 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,320 to manipulation by bad actors and conspiracy theorists. 444 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:20,160 Journalists Chase D Benedetto and Elena Cavender suggests that 445 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,640 a huge issue with media literacy today stems from the lack of 446 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,440 primary source linking. On TikTok Quote. 447 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,760 On Twitter, which has live links, a more usable search 448 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,240 function, and both misinformation, pre bunks and 449 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,920 timeline flags for misleading content, users can usually find 450 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:38,960 the root source of a viral conversation. 451 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,960 TikTok on the other hand is more like a dark tunnel where you 452 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,960 rely solely on your For You page to bring light to whatever is 453 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,640 going on. They also specifically point to 454 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,200 TikTok commentary creators as a factor in the decline of media 455 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,440 literacy. Quote creators whose brand 456 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,760 involves discussing news or popular culture and there are a 457 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,680 lot of them. Opt to screenshot headlines, 458 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,200 summarize articles and offer their takes. 459 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,200 But it's impossible to know whether the creator even read 460 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,320 the article or if they're just offering a summary of the online 461 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,040 discourse. Even worse are the accounts that 462 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,880 spread false headlines, whether they know it or not. 463 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,040 Without live links, all these possible situations are 464 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,240 presented to you in the exact same way, with a familiar face 465 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,640 on your for you page speaking authoritatively. 466 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,400 So despite the fact that there is this very prevalent disdain 467 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,160 for media and journalism right now, people still seem to want 468 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,200 someone who feels like an authority figure delivering them 469 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,240 the news and analysis. But I would argue that now, in 470 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:41,680 2024, people are starting to question who that authority is. 471 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,560 And when it comes to commentary content posted by random 472 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,280 creators online, including myself, we have reason to be 473 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:50,800 skeptical. As noted before, commentary 474 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,000 content has gained increased popularity in recent years, and 475 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,800 many TikTok users have jumped on that bandwagon. 476 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,720 As a result, the quality of commentary content on the app 477 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,760 has arguably worsened. Part of this is because of the 478 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:06,080 changing nature of virality. With the digital sphere more 479 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,880 saturated than ever, commentary creators are having to 480 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,960 capitalize on what they know will go consistently viral 481 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,520 criticism and hateful content. As for why negative content goes 482 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:20,520 viral, a big part of it is because us as audiences enjoy 483 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,200 feeling a sense of superiority. Quote hate, love and enjoyment 484 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,800 are strong emotional responses. And sometimes when we find 485 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,920 ourselves experiencing strong emotional responses even in the 486 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,800 absence of an actual threat, neurotransmitters like 487 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,160 serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, for example, are being 488 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,840 secreted by our brain, Jr. Iligan, A clinical psychologist, 489 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:43,160 explain. This device now using hate for 490 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,000 views is a not a new phenomenon by any means. 491 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,920 This is largely how tabloids have operated for years and it 492 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,520 has since seeped into the digital space, especially on 493 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,240 TikTok which has many problems moderating hateful discourse. 494 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,920 Consuming content that is negative also feeds anti 495 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:02,920 intellectualism, which is another reason why we like it. 496 00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:06,440 This content allows us to generalize complicated 497 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,720 situations or subjects with catch all beliefs which make 498 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,120 them easier for us to understand or digest And commentary 499 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:16,000 creators use a couple of techniques, whether intentional 500 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,800 or not, to capitalize on our penchant for criticism. 501 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,840 At this moment, you will see many commentary creators talk 502 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,120 about the successes or failures of certain influencers. 503 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,840 While this may be a way to offer constructive criticism, other 504 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,680 times it feels more like a strategy to go viral. 505 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,840 The creator behind Be Better Company is a recent example of 506 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:37,800 this. After posting content related to 507 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,520 his family's honey making business that wasn't getting a 508 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,560 lot of views, he started a series where he discusses the 509 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:45,920 downfall of different celebrities. 510 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:51,680 His videos now go absolutely viral, even if he is not really 511 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,480 saying anything new or groundbreaking about the 512 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:56,640 celebrity. This seems to be because people 513 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,920 are excited to hear bad news about someone they deem more 514 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:02,840 successful than them. It makes us feel better about 515 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:05,960 ourselves to hear that the Demilios, for example, are 516 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,440 allegedly flopping. It also confirms our negative 517 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:12,520 bias about influencers that they have no real talent and don't 518 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,920 deserve their fame. Other creators will even be 519 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,440 critical of their audiences. In a recent article by Fast 520 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,240 Company, Steffi KO noted how some creators criticize their 521 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,280 viewers for virality, A technique she labels as nagging. 522 00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:29,680 She mentions a video by YouTube, Stephanie Lang, with the title 523 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:31,760 Congrats, You've Ruined Your Face. 524 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,160 In the video, Stephanie explores the popularity of plastic 525 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:39,200 surgery among celebrities. Asking When does plastic surgery 526 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,320 start becoming self mutilation? While Stephanie's video touches 527 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,760 on an important topic, KO says the title encourages clicks by 528 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:47,680 taking a dig at the viewers quote. 529 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,040 The frames of these videos are simple yet effective, targeting 530 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,240 viewers in our most insecurities, urging them to 531 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,120 click. The video titles alone confront 532 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:59,400 viewers with the notion that they are lazy or insecure or 533 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,760 hung up on a guy who doesn't care about them. 534 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,720 Given the amount of content flooding the YouTube recommended 535 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,600 page, KO admits that punchy titles are 1 surefire way to get 536 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:12,960 engagement, but this approach can easily come across as mean 537 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,280 and sinister. Despite this, the content 538 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:19,040 ultimately relies on a reverse bait and switch strategy, hoping 539 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,560 to leave the viewers feeling better than they did at the 540 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,520 video's outset. Now this example is interesting 541 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,280 because Stephanie Lang started as a beauty YouTube. 542 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,600 She was in that class of OG Aussie Youtubers with Chloe 543 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,960 Morello and Lauren Curtis. But as beauty content stopped 544 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,280 getting views, she pivoted to commentary and her channel is 545 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,600 growing again. And this really drives home the 546 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,280 point. Commentary has been this trendy 547 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,320 type of content for a few years now. 548 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:49,000 With that, the genre has become over saturated and increasingly 549 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,440 negative because clickbait, negativity and sensational 550 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,280 perspectives will cut through that saturation. 551 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,280 And this has led to the decline in the quality of content that 552 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,440 we now get from this genre, where much of it now appeals to 553 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,440 anti intellectuals who seek to confirm their biases rather than 554 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:07,960 open their minds. To be clear, I am not 555 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,360 specifically speaking about Stephanie's content here, I 556 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,800 actually watch almost all of her videos and I appreciate what she 557 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:16,080 is now trying to do with her channel. 558 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,760 Another interesting way to look at the possible downfall of 559 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:21,960 commentary creators is through the lens of the death of the 560 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,120 monoculture. Pop culture used to be a 561 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,960 monoculture. It was dictated by top 50 562 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,480 charts, award shows, TV guides, and magazines. 563 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,520 In other words, everyone was experiencing a similar cultural 564 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,520 zeitgeist, Kyle Chaca writes for Vox Quote. 565 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:41,040 Today, the word monoculture is used to describe a monolithic 566 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,960 culture, the range of artifacts, characters, voices, and stories 567 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,240 that a specific demographic Americans, for example, find 568 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,400 recognizable and relatable. The early days of the Internet 569 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:55,600 pre algorithm were similar. Everyone online in the early 20 570 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:58,760 tens would be familiar with specific viral moments like 571 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,360 Friday by Rebecca Black, Grumpy Cat. 572 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,600 The white and gold are blue and black dress. 573 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,760 While there are still some viral moments and universal reference 574 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:10,400 points like the Barbie movie, it is becoming increasingly 575 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,080 difficult to find someone who is on the exact same side of the 576 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,400 Internet as you. That's because culture has 577 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,720 become personalized. Today, algorithms dictate our 578 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,160 feeds and are curated specifically to our interests. 579 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,240 Quote digital platforms have made entertainment and culture 580 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,760 very personalized, driven by algorithms that know you better 581 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:33,080 than you know yourself. Spotify makes playlists curated 582 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,000 to not only your specific tastes, but cater down to your 583 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:39,000 listening preferences on the time of day and day of week. 584 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,720 Social media has become entertainment where you can 585 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,000 watch the daily insurance and outs of a girl on the other side 586 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,560 of the world like a tiny reality show that only you and 4000 587 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,520 others know about, writes Crystal Andrews for Z Feed. 588 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,760 As a result of this, creators and businesses have had to learn 589 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,960 how to manufacture virality. One example of this is the 590 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,120 Athenos Feta saga of last year. Rachel Carton, a social media 591 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:05,320 consultant and author of the Lincoln Bio Newsletter, claimed 592 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,540 that Athenos Feta commissioned influencers to make the quote UN 593 00:32:08,540 --> 00:32:14,040 quote viral Hashtag roasted feta soup seem like a thing, even 594 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,800 though it very clearly wasn't. When Carton reported on the 595 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:21,240 hashtag roasted feta soup, it only had 19 posts on Instagram 596 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,720 and 14 posts on TikTok, with some of these posts from 597 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,440 influencers who had partnered with Athenos Feta. 598 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:32,240 The roasted feta soup saga is just one example of how virality 599 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,440 has shifted in the past decade. As Taylor Lorenz writes for the 600 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,080 Washington Post Quote, the Internet has fractured into 601 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:41,160 uncounted, disparate algorithms, platforms, and niche 602 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,720 communities. The volume of content being 603 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:47,200 churned out every day has skyrocketed, the life cycle of 604 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,760 each piece of media has grown shorter, and social media 605 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,160 platforms continue to inflate public metrics, devaluing 606 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,160 previously impressive online stats. 607 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,560 So as it becomes increasingly challenging to distinguish 608 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,400 authentic virality from manufactured virality, 609 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:04,800 commentary creators face difficulties in deciding what to 610 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,120 cover. And as monoculture continues to 611 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,520 decline, engaging in critical discussion about online trends 612 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,560 becomes more challenging Because individuals are entrenched 613 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:16,240 within their own digital bubbles, commentary creators 614 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,080 are, of course also influenced by the algorithm, making it 615 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:21,600 increasingly difficult to grasp the complete picture of a 616 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,840 situation online. However, being so siloed also 617 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:30,200 opens the door to the spread of disinformation, misinformation, 618 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,240 and conspiracy theories in the pursuit of virality. 619 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:36,840 It's easier for a TikTok, or YouTube creator to state an 620 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:41,120 opinion as fact, for example, if most of their audience is not on 621 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,040 that side of the Internet to check them. 622 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,760 That being said, it is worth noting that the death of 623 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,320 monoculture may foster deeper conversations with these 624 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,680 specific niches, just as a personal anecdote. 625 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,160 Some of our most niche coverage, like our Gwen Guiz episode for 626 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:59,920 example, has been our most successful because no one else 627 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:02,640 out there is covering it. Nonetheless, the death of the 628 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,800 monoculture complicates reaching new audiences and ensuring 629 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:07,720 diversity and viewership and opinion. 630 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,880 What all of this really leads back to is that commentary 631 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,760 creators are often not authorities on the topics they 632 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,480 cover, and even if they are, it's almost impossible for us to 633 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:19,600 verify that while scrolling the For You page. 634 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,239 Well, expertise isn't always necessary to have strong 635 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:25,440 opinions on a topic. Audiences are more skeptical 636 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,920 than ever of what we see online. The decline in media literacy 637 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,000 and the rise in anti intellectualism are contributing 638 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,159 to a volatile environment for anyone in this commentary and 639 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:39,040 analysis space, even those of us who are qualified. 640 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,360 Commentary content might not be dead, but it's clear that over 641 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,719 the years it's become increasingly sensationalized and 642 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,480 its creators are becoming increasingly less credible. 643 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:51,719 We don't need to delete TikTok, but the answer to this issue 644 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,400 lands with us. The audience use the algorithm 645 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,480 for good, says Peter Adams. Teach the algorithm that you're 646 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,400 interested in credible information and have it sort of 647 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,320 prioritize that for you. It's not a replacement for 648 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,120 deliberate consumption of news and a deliberate sort of media 649 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:12,360 diet, but it helps. Infinite Scroll is a podcast 650 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,800 written, produced and presented by me, Lauren Meisner for 651 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,120 Centennial World. Additional research and 652 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,040 reporting is by Annabelle and David. 653 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:22,240 Thank you guys so much for listening. 654 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:24,920 I love you guys so much and I will talk to you next week. 655 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:25,680 Bye.