Is Youth Culture Threatening the Movie Industry? - An Insight for Out-of-Touch Adults
Teenagers were once the mainstay of the movie industry, but not anymore, as the recent disastrous box office returns on Memorial Day weekend indicate. While they may not care about the big-budget releases (Furiosa and Garfield), they love long, passionate YouTube videos, tear-jerking love stories, and learning how to get extremely high.
The Failure of Memorial Day Weekend at the Box Office
This past Memorial Day weekend was disastrous for the movie industry, with the lowest box office earnings since the 1990s due to COVID considerations. Not one of the two premier films (Furiosa and Garfield) was able to top $30 million in ticket sales. Younger audiences just don't seem to enjoy movies as they used to.
There are several reasons for this failure, such as ticket prices being too high, residual effects from the actor's strike, or simply movie fatigue, but my guess is that there's a generational shift away from movies in general.
The largest group of moviegoers in 2019 was the 18 to 24-year-olds, and the movie industry missed the mark with them this weekend. While Furiosa featured a teenage protagonist played by Chris Hemsworth, it's also based on a series that started in the 1970s. A younger demographic, which would be more likely to take their parents to the theater, seemed disinterested in Garfield based on an age-old comic.
The cultural shift away from movies is partly the industry's fault and partly due to a new source of peer feedback - the internet. Movies don't seem to provide the same reinforcement or excitement to younger people as they used to. Instead, they prefer to get this type of feedback from their peers online, which is faster and more relatable. The number of moviegoers in the United States has declined significantly, and the convenience and affordability of watching movies at home just doesn't compare to the hassle and expense of going to a movie theater.
What is an 'Egg Blinker'?
A new trending term on TikTok, "egg blinking," refers to a specific way of smoking weed from a vape pen. "Blinking" refers to inhaling for a prolonged period, causing the vape pen to start blinking, indicating a stronger than expected inhalation. "Egg blinking" is a method devised by TikToker 448smokes that involves inhaling for five seconds, then taking a break, then another four seconds, then a break, and repeating this process until the user holds the breath for eight seconds. This method is said to produce the feeling of an egg in the throat, and presumably, gets one very high.
TikTok's #lostmymind trend: Cringeworthy Memories of Crushes
TikTok's young lovebirds are freely sharing the eye-roll-inducing, humiliating things they've done to win over their crushes. This trend, called "lostmymind," includes casting spells on their significant others, hiring paparazzi-style photographers, attempting to slam dunk at beer pong, feigning an interest in anime, or dancing to Bruno Mars. These videos showcase the courage it takes to display these cringeworthy moments, but they're also heartwarming. If you want to witness the full extent of these cringeworthy confessions, just check out the videos using this clip.
Google's AI Misfires with Misinformation
Google introduced a new AI-assisted search feature this month. The AI-recommended results often differed from the anticipated link-focused ones. The AI provided some bizarre answers, such as suggesting gluing cheese onto pizza, eating rocks daily, claiming dogs play professional sports, and that depression can be cured by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Google withdrew these questionable answers and are attempting to have AI play a lesser role in search results. Since asking "Did Google turn off its AI search results?" returns no response, it's unclear how successful this will be.
Viral Video of the Week: Star Wars Hotel Disaster
A video of Spectacular Failure at the Star Wars-themed hotel has gone viral. The clip showcases several features of the hotel, from a sinking window, malfunctioning robes to flooded rooms, and more. This disappointing display of Star Wars-themed fan service is a reminder that not all dream projects turn out as expected.
This week's viral video showcases the influence fans have over big corporations. YouTuber Jenny Nicholson shared her encounter at Disney's Star Wars hotel, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which lasted over four hours. In this video, she describes in detail her experience of every aspect of the event and claims that it was less than satisfactory, with the hefty price tag of around $6,000 for a weekend being too much. (This is in line with Aussiedlerbote's review.)
Despite my personal disinterest in staying at a Star Wars-themed hotel, Jenny has a different perspective: she's a dedicated fan of the franchise. Jenny paid a hefty sum to enjoy a fully immersive Star Wars weekend, but instead of a magical experience, she states that throughout the trip, guests were constantly charged for extra features. She concludes that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser failed to deliver on its promise of a remarkable experience.
Jenny's discontent is based on factual evidence and is thus, understandable. This video has been viewed by millions of people and has also gained attention from CNN, NPR, and other news outlets. Although the Star Wars hotel has since closed, it's crucial that corporations like Disney take note of the consequences when they fall short of providing a satisfactory experience for fans.
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Despite the lackluster performance of Furiosa and Garfield at the box office, some might find entertainment in the furious discussion surrounding the former's plot and the enduring charm of the latter's comic strip heritage in online forums.
Moreover, the film industry could learn from the trends shaping youth culture, such as the popularity of YouTube videos, personalized storytelling, and the instant gratification provided by the internet, to create more engaging and relatable movies to entice younger audiences.
