Marble Hornets

The Link From Gen Y Nostalgia to Gen Z Horror

Our recent post on analog horror brought out a lot of folks to comment. It was especially edifying to get more of the Millennial view on the genre. Related: Analog Horror: The Past as Nightmare, Not Nostalgia The most copious treatment of the subject comes from commenter Rudolph Harrier: This…
Analog Horror

Analog Horror: The Past as Nightmare, Not Nostalgia

In recent years, a fascinating trend has emerged within the horror genre that has captivated the imaginations of Generation Z: analog horror. Cribbing the aesthetics of VHS tapes, public access television, and other analog media, this subgenre is the opposite of retrowave. Becauuse instead of eliciting nostalgia for simpler times,…
Online Nostalgia

Millennial Online Nostalgia

Around here we've spent a great deal of time detailing generational tendencies. When it comes to nostalgia for their long-gone childhood years, Gen Y is notorious for living in the past, while Millennials are notorious for consigning anything from the before time to the memory hole. But recently, a new…
abused generation

Failed Generations Are Abused Generations

Adjacent to discussions of Cultural Ground Zero theory is speculation as to what went wrong. Generation X was passed over for any position of authority. Gen Y creatives can only churn out shallow pastiches of superior 80s and 90s entertainment. It's an open secret in the video game industry that…

Zoomer Uses 1980s Technology for a Week

Stop the press. The haywire internet algorithms' varioius malfuncitons aligned in such a way as to make a useful suggestion. This digital miracle occurred over the weekend, when YouTube recommended a video wherein a Zoomer uses 1980s technology for a week. For over fifteen minutes, I watched enrapt as YouTuber…
Progressives Conservatives short

The Best Propaganda

Statistician to the Stars William M. Briggs is known for pointing out that love of theory is the root of all evil. After all, theory is a hell of a drug, offering simple answers to complicated problems. The intrinsic appeal of simplicity goes a long way toward explaining why som…
Pizza Hut Lunch Buffet 2

In Surprise Move, Pizza Hut Brings Back Buffet

The phenomeonon of most Pizza Hut locations switching from dine-in to carryout only was viewed by many as a sign of terminal societal decline. But now, in a surprise move all the more unforeseen in the wake of Corona-chan, Gen Y's favorite pizza chain is bringing its legendary lunch buffet…
Akira Ground Zero Rubble

Diggers in the Rubble of Cultural Ground Zero

During my recent sojorun into small town America, a family member guided me on a whirlwind tour of the local game stores and arcades. Yes, they still have arcades, plural. As it turns out, small towns are not immune to Generation Y's nigh-religious attachment to pop culture relics of the …
Rock Faucet

Can’t Stop the Rock Faucet

We've spent a lot of time charting the crisis besetting the modern music industry. And one of the best professionals who's undertaken the project of plumbing the problem is Rick Beato. Now, the veteran producer and studio musician does a deep dive into why music has gotten worse since Cultural…
Clock - Safety Last

The Clock Is Ticking for Boomers

A series of comments on yesterday's post by neopatron Bayou Bomber struck a chord with multiple readers. In the interest of giving the people what they want, here are his insights on the successive deaths of hipsterism and nerdery, slightly rearranged for ease of reading. A couple of thoughts: 1)…