Media Saturation & Having Media Speak For Us

The article argues that in an age of abundant media, popular works succeed less on distribution or quality alone and more on whether they let people express a feeling or identity to others. It contends that media increasingly "speaks for us," citing Fred Again's sold-out LA show, the BookTok push for Fourth Wing, and the film Challengers over Furiosa as examples. Steven Hyden attributes memory-holed albums partly to a numbing familiarity in 2024 pop music, while Constance Grady describes TV's strongest work as happening in small, passionately loved niches like Mrs. Davis.