I admire Seth Godin’s work. His insights shared daily on his blog offer atypical introspection about the world, business & just being better as people. He recently shared a post that spoke about what I believe is one of the greatest paradoxes of our time: disproportionate accessibility. More specifically, with so many people around the world in need, living disparaging existences or in squalor, how is it that entertainment has been allowed to become a multi-billion industry? Some of the highest valued companies on the planet are media empires! Consider: A movie’s success is measured ultimately by it’s box office draw. Yet a film can generate millions with a 20% profit & potentially be considered a failure. the basic rules of economics says that’s madness.
What particularly struck me was Godin’s reference to the $400,000,000 budget Marvel Studios allocated to produce Avengers: Endgame simply because there was “a business model in place that made it a reasonable investment choice. I’m not sure there’s an intrinsic reason that watching a particular movie is more satisfying than solving an endemic problem. We’ve simply evolved our culture to be focused on the business of amusement instead of the journey toward better”.
I couldn’t agree more.
It’s a concept I’ve struggled to reason through myself more than a few times; The question is why do we prioritize things that don’t contribute to making anything better for anyone who doesn’t get to enjoy it directly? We’re talking about the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized & the ignored both in our society & around the globe. The system is flawed. I don’t know that there’s a sensible opposing argument that can validate the magnitude of wealth generated by this industry given the broader picture. It’s a conversation that should be had & would require us all to dive deep into who we are & what truly matters to us in life. A conversation about how we prioritize our existence & more specifically, our purpose.
This isn’t an attack on the business or it’s worth to humanity. I’m aware that I’m a part of this problem myself. Instead, it’s an evaluation of how we value that work & in turn how we use that value.
Yet…
Film & all other art forms hold a critical place in our existence. Art is a fundamental part of finding perspective in this experience called life. It can give context for where we’re from, what we fear, what we dream & what we can be. The fact that every known civilization has infused visual art, storytelling & music into the fabric of their existence affirms as much. Right down to its presence into our cities, our homes, our decor, our clothing, even on our bodies.
It teaches, it inspires, it makes us feel. Ponder that song, the novel, that painting or film that you love or hate… it affected you, whether you liked it or not.
Art matters. So much that many don’t realize it’s impact unless they are forced to become conscious of it.
Can you put a dollar value on something that makes you feel good? What if it can help pull you out of depression? How about when it keeps you going through that tough time in your life? Or when it challenges you to think about something differently than you ever did before?
Probably not. Yet millions have never even had that choice.
It’s not that art isn’t a worthwhile endeavor (for clarity, that wasn’t Godin’s point either). Nor is it that it shouldn’t be created with an eye on profit. It’s the current business model that leaves room for better things. So much better.
I am far away from having the answers to making the world a better place. But I will say a collective reevaluation of what matters most in our world would be a good place to start.