Evan's Gate

The gate has been reviewing records for several weeks now.

Starting today on this lucky Friday the 13th my blog will comment on the changed media landscape.

A bit of a rant in my opener…

Nobody alive today in America needs cable television. Internet service provides thousands of streams making broadcast/cable networks obsolete.

I strongly believe without a cable bill arriving each month I would still have my media diet satisfied.

This is my opening salvo against a cruel media culture that has consolidated its power. A small group of companies are damaging our ability to be a participatory Democracy.

Labeling people to reduce their voice is what we are doing. Liberal/ Conservative. Most of the citizenry live in the middle.

The recent surge of victories for former V.P. Biden shows how much of the democratic base wants the country to move back towards the middle ground.

Cable outlets are polarizing. Full of editorializing they just keep people apart.

I joined Amazon Prime when it started. They recently added a channel with metal concerts for a small fee. Still less costly than cable.

The media giants are advertising like crazy to convince you to stay.

So what if there is some hip series everyone says you need to watch. No, you don’t need to see it.

Netflix has great comedy specials, series, and films.

Likewise, Amazon Prime has series and films. You can rent first run movies too.

Blu-rays, 4K HD, and dvd are obsolete. If you are a city household you do not have a lot of space. Why clutter your place with movies you won’t watch.

All of the dollars saved can be put towards the move to a better space.

You are paying a monthly fee for their advertising. Cable channels are loaded with drug ads, political ads, and ads in general to make you feel bad about yourself. Who needs them? Nobody.

Think of all the propaganda created by mass media. An ideal version of life no one can live up to in sitcom land. When ratings fall have a wedding or a funeral.

24 hours “news” organizations are by their very design propaganda machines. Every 4 years they decide who is on each party’s ticket.

They even created a climate in which the general population agreed there were too many candidates.

The real conflict for democracy is our news programs are a branch of a corporate takeover of the public commons. Requiring them to turn a profit has placed all of the emphasis on tabloid stories.

If it bleeds it leads. Until the latest crisis arrived our local news was filled with violent crimes happening in far away neighborhoods.

Throughout its history TV was designed to deliver viewers to advertisers.

Streaming upended the business model of media. This is a good thing. We may break free of commercial messages.

Censorship lessens through streamed content. More stories are told. Diversity is not just tokenism. There are no announcements of a ‘special’ episode. You are not told you must see it.

Less regulation of the alleged public airwaves has enabled big pharma to send its message: you must sample the pill for this or for that condition you surely must have to battle each day.

Perhaps TV is why the US is one of the unhappiest countries on Earth.

You are bombarded with moronic personalities on talk shows and game shows which are cheap to produce.

You are told the only way to be happy is to get lots of stuff. Cars are still the most popular prize on game shows. Do they come with a parking space and free gas?

Right now I live in a small studio apartment with my husband.

When we eventually move into a one bedroom apartment I want nothing more than to strip down our material stuff.

I treasure records. No commercials.

Evan’s Gate will be here to comment on the culture at large. For now there are plenty of reviews out there.

When I talk with people they seem to not get why this shift of power in the public square is important.

Should Disney own everything you read, watch, listen to, or think about? They are dominant now. Are we becoming a Mickey Mouse dictatorship?

Trust me, this is not a good thing for a Democracy.

I will never accept conspiracy theories regarding our current affairs.

This blog will cover pop culture at large. This is a broad canvas with lots of interesting angles.

Just take notice how the crises of a virus has pushed away everything else. What happened to mass shootings and the rising level of anti-Semitism in America?

Have a lucky Friday the 13th.