I was talking with a theater director about another theater having some financial issues. Major financial issues, if you must pry. This news was not received with any joy, nor should it be. “That means it is systemic.” Waning, or vanishing, support is not surprising. We’re in a period of real cultural shift, and this is what that looks like. Some things come back newer and stronger, others fade into the past. How people interact with these cultural pillars is changing.
Theaters aren’t the only places where financial pinches, due to low engagement, are happening. Traditional religious organizations, established charities, restaurants, and Hollywood itself are all feeling headwinds.
The good news is this won’t be forever, we’re moving through it, and will be better for it
Let’s take a look at the recent past, what has been going on. This is not an exhaustive list:
Thirty years of steady military action in the middle east and Afghanistan.
We have two generations of combat veterans.
Four years of a President who thrived on creating volatility every chance he got. He also challenged the veracity of ever
Not only was this indicative of the cultural change we’re going through, it provided a very rough winnowing of who we are, and where we want to go. If you’re asking me, once every hundred years is enough for me, thank you.
Two years of a global pandemic that paralyzed and then accelerated our communities and culture.
A land war in Europe.
Another war in the Middle East
A real time news cycle/internet based on algorithms designed to direct social traffic to shocking and disruptive content.
Clear indications of environmental changes and dire, fatalistic warnings that we have reached the point of no return. We are doomed.
So, what happened? Our faith in established things has ebbed. Assumed truths are dismissed with “alternative facts”, and the solid landscape turns into a wilderness of rabbit holes. It is a frightening place to be, and we’re standing still to catch our breath. We’re starting to move again, and we’re going to be okay.
I understand that statement is pretty bold in the light of everything going on right now, but stick with me for a second. First off, we’ve been here before. History can be a guide. The 19th and 20th century had their own watershed moments: Civil War, WWI & II, new forms of communication, deadly pandemic, new ways to connect, and we survived.
We all could use serious break right now. We want to laugh. What we’re looking for in this new connected world is a simple entertainment. This doesn’t make us shallow. Life is hard, it has been hard, so a movie about how hard life is probably won’t do as well as something to make us laugh. The recent summer blockbusters, Oppenheimer and Barbie, are perfect examples of our state of mind. Stories of total destruction and comfortable commercial icons of our collective childhood.
Right now,I’m listening to Spotify’s “80’s Mix” while I type. The music of my teenage years in Ohio is comforting. However, the 80’s had their own fears and tragedies: nuclear war, political famines, civil wars, and the AIDS epidemic. Looking back on my own life, I was pretty anxious too. Oh well.
Instead of leaning into the despair, I look to the examples of where we’re not giving up on ourselves. We still want to gather and share a laugh. When we were locked down, finding paths to connect with each other became paramount. During the pandemic, the whole scientific community joined together to create a vaccine. While the pandemic put into stark contrast the disparity between “haves” and “have-nots”, we’re doing something about that. For all our clear shortcomings as a species, we still work to love and comfort one another.
The world still needs our attention and energy to do to make it a more just, equitable place for everyone. I believe the current generation of young adults, Gen Z, I believe, who have never known a world that isn’t immediate and connected, are doing some amazing things.
Some examples:
Mental health is not a taboo subject.
Diversity of lifestyles and orientations are embraced.
They engage with established systems, but on their own terms.
Their healthy skepticism over what can and can’t be done is bolstered by immediate access to reliable information and community.
They aren’t fooled easily.
Avocado toast is pretty good.
Theater, churches, and charities are all coming back, but will look different. This recent filtering has lightened our load and focused our goals at the same time. How Gen Z engages with them will breathe new life into the organizations, and we’ll be amazed at what is different and what remains.
We have the world at our fingertips, and we’re just starting to reach out again. It is scary, but most things worth doing, are worth the fear.