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Big Media as Feudal Knights
Posted by Ernest Miller on Wednesday, December 11 @ 11:21:07 EST Governance
Glenn Harlan Reynolds, of Instapundit fame, has a short, insightful article on Tech Central Station comparing big media to the feudalism of old (Media Feudalism Under Siege):
Like the armored knights of the Middle Ages, their [big-media's] position has been a function not of their own inherent virtues, but of a particular economic and technological confluence that is now passing away. And I believe that much of what's being marketed as "digital rights management" to prevent "stealing" of big-media works is in fact intended to serve as "digital restrictions management" to protect big-media operations from competition by making life harder on potential competitors.
This is a good analogy, however, I see another twist in viewing our current big-media ecology to be feudalism itself, and the knights as celebrities. Big-media is going to change, but what does this mean for celebrity culture? It will be lessened, I think, and talent will become more important that fame for fame's sake, but I'm not really sure what the future holds for celebrity-dom.
 
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Re: Big Media as Feudal Knights (Score: 2, Informative)
by dmoynihan on Wednesday, December 11 @ 21:40:58 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.blackmask.com
I'm reminded of a great Veblen line:

[something to the effect of]

You cannot have economic growth in a feudal state past a single generation.

Not that there's anything going wrong with the blockbuster mentality, but Veblen's point was feudal economies would grow quickly for a time, then hit a sort of wall. After they hit that wall (he was referring to WWI Germany + Japan), there'd be stagnation, nationalism and belligerence.

Won't be getting much in the way of nationalism from big content, but I do see a future of stagnation and belligerence.


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Re: Big Media as Feudal Knights (Score: 2, Informative)
by tompoe on Thursday, December 12 @ 00:04:01 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.studioforrecording.org/
May I offer a sample of what's beginning to emerge in the dawning of celebrity culture in the Digital Age? These folks are reportedly on their own label, and doing their own thing.
http://www.maktub.com/index.php

Thanks,
Tom Poe
Open Studios
Reno, NV
http://www.studioforrecording.org/


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