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The way popular culture works is tricky. It’s not exactly a well-oiled machine, although parts of it certainly like to act like it is. Behind the pilot fish shoals of critics and the trailer reaction videos and the gossip magazines, the heart of pop culture is an echo chamber. Or a swarm building a nest in an echo chamber. A hive mind, with a migraine, that doesn’t always agree with itself. It’s a Portuguese Man o’ War, trapped forever in separation anxiety, singing and dancing backwards in high heels.
The basic rule seems to be if that something new or vital or different comes along, it will garner some attention if it’s lucky. If it gets enough people saying it’s original and clever, it will begin to inspire some further new content, which will proudly and happily follow its footsteps. At the same, in order to make more money, other people will be pushed by their agents and the people they signed a contract with into trying to copy the same formula and hop on the band wagon. Then, ideally, they’ll be able to take the band wagon over and cover it in advertising for their employer’s friend’s companies. They will also say words like ‘sequel’ and ‘series’ and ‘saga’, and if they’re very lucky they’ll do it all with a straight face.
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