An Analysis of All Visual Media I Experienced for the First Time in 2024

I think about the end of The Cable Guy a lot.

The Cable Guy is a 1996 dark comedy about an unstable cable installer played by Jim Carrey. As a kid, I didn’t think much of the movie. I felt claustrophobic watching it. Directed by Ben Stiller and produced by Judd Apatow, The Cable Guy showcases the psyche of a guy who refuses to respect his new friend’s personal space. It’s like What About Bob? (1991) with violence and a trip to Medieval Times. Or like Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity (2013) if you replaced the deadly emptiness of space with uncountable copies of your most annoying friend.

But it’s also more than that. The Cable Guy is an examination of our relationships with media. Like Community‘s Abed Nadir, Gilmore Girls‘s Lorelai Gilmore, and The Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper, the Cable Guy processes his world through the lens of visual storytelling—i.e. movies, television shows, and video games. Stories aren’t just stories. They’re a roadmap for interacting with others in real life.

At the film’s climactic moment, the Cable Guy holds his friend Steven’s girlfriend hostage at the top of a massive satellite dish. When Steven tries to intervene, the Cable Guy smiles and says, “This is a pretty cool place for an ending . . . It’s like that movie Goldeneye.”

Steven yells back, exasperated, “No, it’s not! It’s not ‘like’ anything! This isn’t a movie. This is reality. There’s a difference!”

Then, silhouetted by the bright lights of a police helicopter and standing at the edge of the multi-story satellite dish, the Cable Guy looks up and yells to the sky:

You were never there for me, were you mother? You expected Mike and Carol Brady to raise me! I’m the bastard son of Claire Huxtable! I am a lost Cunningham! I learned the facts of life from watching The Facts of Life! Oh, God!

Later, in an interview, Jim Carrey noted that The Cable Guy was one of his favorite films and expressed special fondness for the protagonist: “I love that character. That character is all of us: we were all raised by the TV.”

To be clear, none of us should scream about The Brady Bunch on the top of a satellite dish (unless that’s your thing). But there is something compelling about the story of a man who leaned a bit too far into his television-fueled fantasies. Because I think Jim Carrey was right, sort of. With the rise of streaming and the explosion of online content, The Cable Guy‘s message is more relevant now than it was in 1996. Parasocial relationships are common now, and several studies have revealed links between media consumption and perceptions of others. You may not actively think of film scenes when making moral decisions, but research shows that the films and media you watch impact skills like empathy and problem-solving.

I was reminded recently that there is no such thing as mindless scrolling or viewing. Our brains absorb everything we put in front of our eyes, even if it happens in ways we don’t comprehend. So it makes sense that we should analyze the types of media we experience. If the movies and shows I watch impact my perception of the world, I should examine which movies and shows I experience.

Below is an analysis of every movie, television show, video game, and feature-length YouTube video I experienced for the first time in 2024. The data is first, then an analysis, and then a comprehensive list of everything I experienced.

The Data

Of the films I watched for the first time in 2024:

  • 3% are musicals
  • 3% are Westerns
  • 7% are romance films
  • 9% are horror films
  • 9% are animated films
  • 15% are comedies
  • 16% are international (primarily non-US) films
  • 31% are action, thriller, or adventure films
  • 33% are science fiction or fantasy films
  • 33% are films that released in 2024
  • 34% are documentaries
  • 45% feature women protagonists and/or women-driven stories (though only 27% were directed by women)

Of the television show seasons I watched for the first time in 2024:

  • 12% are historical dramas or comedies
  • 16% are reality television shows
  • 27% are animated shows
  • 39% are comedies
  • 40% are science fiction or fantasy shows
  • 47% are dramas (not reality television)
  • 65% feature women protagonists

Analysis

Documentary Film Explosion: In 2019, only 12% of the films I watched were documentaries. In 2018, only 6% were documentaries. In 2024, an impressive 34% of the films I watched for the first time were documentaries. I am not entirely sure why documentary films clicked with me in 2024. Perhaps the increase is the result of a newly fueled desire to remain emotionally and intellectually tethered to the very real and very chaotic happenings on this planet. Perhaps my rate of documentary consumption mirrored my increased interest in podcasts about real-life topics. (I recommend Devil in the Dorm, The Retrievals, The King Road Killings, and White Devil.) Perhaps Brian Cox’s speech from Adaptation (2002) finally sunk in. Whatever the reason, I’m proud of the increased number of documentary films. Surely, there is value in exploring real-life stories. Of all the documentaries I watched this year, these seven stand out: Ballerina (2016), The Waiting Room (2012), The Truth vs. Alex Jones (2024), The Greatest Night in Pop (2024), Bad Faith (2024), Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024), and Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net (2022).

Need for International Films and Non-Male Directors: Most years, my international film exposure plateaus at 15-20%, and 2024 was no exception. Additionally, only 27% of the films I watched were directed by women. Both pieces of data highlight areas of needed improvement. My 2024 movie-watching experience was primarily U.S.-centric and directed by men. Though my percentage of women-directed films (27%) is higher than some national trends—”women accounted for just 16% of directors working on the 250 highest-grossing domestic releases” in 2024, according to Variety—this is nonetheless a percentage that I aim to increase in the future. And I would love to break beyond 20% for international releases in 2025. The good news: according to Axios, “Americans are consuming more foreign content than ever.” I hope this trend continues.

Planting Seeds of Horror, History, and the West: Though horror (9%) and Western (3%) films did not dominate my 2024 movie-viewing experiences, I did watch more than previous years. (I watched notably fewer animated films—just 9%—than previous years. In 2019, animated films were at 16%.) And 12% of my new television show experiences were from the historical fiction genre. This is a mild departure from my usually tunnel-visioned focus on science fiction and fantasy. In 2019, 40% of the films I watched for the first time were science fiction, fantasy, or apocalyptic movies. In 2018, that number was 45%. In 2024, only 33% of the films I watched for the first time were science fiction or fantasy films. Science fiction and fantasy remain my favorite genres, but I find myself branching out more recently, which is exciting. The fact that I watched more documentary films (34%) than science fiction and/or fantasy films (33%) for the first time in 2024 is notably bonkers. I don’t imagine I will ever become a true horror aficionado, but it’s nice to know that my interests are still evolving. And the Western films I watched—particularly Unforgiven (1992), The Quick and the Dead (1995), and The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017)—were some of my favorite new experiences. Plus, I absolutely loved the historical television dramas Black Sails and Victoria.

Other Observations and Subjective Awards
Movies

Movies I finally watched after years of neglect: Mission: Impossible (1996), Lilo & Stitch (2002), Army of Darkness (1992), and Unforgiven (1992)

Favorite movies released in 2024: It’s What’s Inside, Dune: Part Two, Bad Faith, and Suncoast

Favorite pre-2024 films I watched: Bones and All (2022), John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), Theater Camp (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Molli and Max in the Future (2023), Ballerina (2016), The Waiting Room (2012), and Unforgiven (1992)

Film maudit (films “unfairly maligned” by critics): Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) and Trap (2024)

Movies I started with no expectations and found surprisingly good: Hellraiser (2022), Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024), Abigail (2024), and The Wheel (2021).

Movies I started with mid-to-high expectations and found notably disappointing: The Sunset Limited (2011), Queenpins (2021), and Wild Wild Space (2024).

Worst movies watched in 2024: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021), Gentlemen Broncos (2009), Fall (1997), They Called Him Mostly Harmless (2024), Borderlands (2024), and My Old School (2022).

Television Shows

Favorite shows and seasons: Twilight of the Gods (S1), Dune: Prophecy (S1), Black Sails (S1, S2, S3, S4), Hazbin Hotel (S1), Industry (S3), Peacemaker (S1), Fallout (S1), and Survivor (S26).

Seasons that were almost brilliant but not quite there: The Decameron (S1) and The Penguin (S1)

Not blown away but will probably continue watching: The Franchise and All of Us Are Dead.

Disappointing seasons: House of the Dragon (S2)

Video Games

Favorite games beat in 2024: Disco Elysium, Baldur’s Gate 3, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Quarry

Games with the best music: Disco Elysium and The Outer Worlds

Games with the best character-driven stories: Disco Elysium, Baldur’s Gate 3, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and Cyberpunk 2077

Most played genres for the first time in 2024: RPG, choices-matter, and action/adventure

YouTube

Most-watched creators in 2024: Willjum, Jake Doubleyoo, ReksMore Adventures, MARCUSK, and ambiguousamphibian

Complete Lists of All Media Experienced in 2024 Are Below

LIST OF FILMS WATCHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2024

The Platform (2019) dir. Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
The First Purge (2018) dir. Gerard McMurray
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) dir. James Wan
Ted (2012) dir. Seth MacFarlane
Ted 2 (2015) dir. Seth MacFarlane
Wonka (2023) dir. Paul King
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) dir. Chad Stahelski
John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum (2019) dir. Chad Stahelski
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) dir. Chad Stahelski
The Lady Vanishes (1938) dir. Alfred Hitchcock
The Bleeding Edge (2018) dir. Kirby Dick
Crazy, Not Insane (2020) dir. Alex Gibney
The Marvels (2023) dir. Nia DaCosta
Mission: Impossible (1996) dir. Brian De Palma
Mission: Impossible II (2000) dir. John Woo
In the Shadow of the Moon (2019) dir. Jim Mickle
Life (2017) dir. Daniel Espinosa
Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food (2023) dir. Stephanie Soechtig
Coded Bias (2020) dir. Shalini Kantayya
Mister Organ (2022) dir. David Farrier
Boys State (2020) dir Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
Miller’s Girl (2024) dir. Jade Halley Bartlett
Hellraiser (2022) dir. David Bruckner
Spaceman (2024) dir. Johan Renck
Next Goal Wins (2023) dir. Taika Waititi
Last Knights (2015) dir. Kazuaki Kiriya
Hellraiser (1987) dir. Clive Barker
Dune: Part Two (2024) dir. Denis Villeneuve
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) dir. André Øvredal
Ballerina (2016) dir. Douglas Watkin
The Zone of Interest (2023) dir. Jonathan Glazer
Queenpins (2021) dir. Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly
The Secret Life of the Cruise (2018) dir. Ben Ryder
Nintendo Quest: The Most Unofficial and Unauthorized Nintendo Documentary Ever! (2015) dir. Rob McCallum
Hell of a Cruise (2022) dir. by Nick Quested
Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison (2016) dir. Kristi Jacobson
The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11 (2022) dir. Dan Krauss
The Waiting Room (2012) dir. Peter Nicks
The Last Tourist (2021) dir. Tyson Sadler
Pharma Bro (2021) dir. Brent Hodge
Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests (2021) dir. Tim Travers Hawkins
WeWork: Or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021) dir. Jed Rothstein
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion (2024) dir. Eva Orner
BS High (2023) dir. Travon Free, Martin Desmond Roe
15 Minutes of Shame (2021) dir. Max Joseph
American Pain (2022) dir. Darren Foster
The Truth vs. Alex Jones (2024) dir. Dan Reed
Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024) dir. Zack Snyder
The Cold Blue (2018) dir. Erik Nelson
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One (2024) dir. Jeff Wamester
God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty (2022) dir. Billy Corben
A Compassionate Spy (2022) dir. Steve James
Enemies of the State (2020) dir. Sonia Kennebeck
After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News (2020) dir. Andrew Rossi
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel (2022) dir. Francis Hanly
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) dir. Guillermo del Toro
Triangle of Sadness (2022) dir. Ruben Östlund
The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) dir. Bao Nguyen
The Final: Attack on Wembley (2024) dir. Robert Miller, Kwabena Oppong
What Jennifer Did (2024) dir. Jenny Popplewell
Challengers (2024) dir. Luca Guadagnino
My Old School (2022) dir. Jono McLeod
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) dir. George Miller
Butterfly in the Sky: The Story of Reading Rainbow (2022) dir. Bradford Thomason
MoviePass, MovieCrash (2024) dir. Muta’Ali
Theater Camp (2023) dir. Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman
Civil War (2024) dir. Alex Garland
Love Lies Bleeding (2024) dir. Rose Glass
Boy Kills World (2023) dir. Moritz Mohr
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (2024) dir. Page Hurwitz
Hate to Love: Nickelback (2023) dir. Leigh Brooks
They Called Him Mostly Harmless (2024) dir. Patricia E. Gillespie
The Croods (2013) dir. Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco
Lilo & Stitch (2002) dir. Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
Time Bomb Y2K (2023) dir. Marley McDonald, Brian Becker
The Croods: A New Age (2020) dir. Joel Crawford
Bad Faith (2024) dir. Stephen Ujlaki, Chris Jones
IF (2024) dir. John Krasinski
The Sunset Limited (2011) dir. Tommy Lee Jones
Wish (2023) dir. Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) dir. Guy Ritchie
Inside Out 2 (2024) dir. Kelsey Mann
Wild Wild Space (2024) dir. Ross Kauffman
Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024) dir. Jeff Zimbalist, Maria Bukhonina
Bones and All (2022) dir. Luca Guadagnino
Molli and Max in the Future (2023) dir. Michael Lukk Litwak
Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net (2022) dir. Dawn Porter
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) dir. Michael Sarnoski
Sorry/Not Sorry (2023) dir. Cara Mones, Caroline Suh
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) dir. Shawn Levy
Touch (2011) dir. Minh Duc Nguyen
Trap (2024) dir. M. Night Shyamalan
Fall (1997) dir. Eric Schaeffer
BookendS (2016) dir. Delavega
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two (2024) dir. Jeff Wamester
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three (2024) dir. Jeff Wamester
Solomon Kane (2009) dir. M.J. Bassett
Borderlands (2024) dir. Eli Roth
Suncoast (2024) dir. Laura Chinn
Coup! (2023) dir. Austin Stark, Joseph Schuman
Army of Darkness (1992) dir. Sam Raimi
Gentlemen Broncos (2009) dir. Jared Hess
Uprising (2024) dir. Kim Sang-man
Lux Æterna (2019) dir. Gaspar Noé
The Quick and the Dead (1995) dir. Sam Raimi
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) dir. Mike Mitchell
Sleep Call (2023) dir. Fajar Nugros
Girls State (2024) dir. Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021) dir. Jane Schoenbrun
It’s What’s Inside (2024) dir. Greg Jardin
Fat Girl (2001) dir. Catherine Breillat
Overlord (2018) dir. Julius Avery
Land of Bad (2024) dir. William Eubank
Attack the Block (2011) dir. Joe Cornish
Despicable Me 4 (2024) dir. Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage
Abigail (2024) dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Chris Brown: A History of Violence (2024) dir. Investigation Discovery
Unforgiven (1992) dir. Clint Eastwood
The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017) dir. Jared Moshe
3:10 to Yuma (2007) dir. James Mangold
Rumours (2024) dir. Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
Wicked (2024) dir. Jon M. Chu
Conclave (2024) dir. Edward Berger
Dream Scenario (2023) dir. Kristoffer Borgli
Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy (2024) dir. Nic Stacey
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) dir. Todd Phillips
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) dir. Steve Martino, Michael Thurmeier
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) dir. Justine Triet
Transformers One (2024) dir. Josh Cooley
Child Star (2024) dir. Demi Lovato, Nicola Marsh
Noelle (2019) dir. Marc Lawrence
Nomadland (2020) dir. Chloé Zhao
The Wheel (2021) dir. Steve Pink
Stars at Noon (2022) dir. Claire Denis
Carry-On (2024) dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
Prey (2022) dir. Dan Trachtenberg
Lou (2022) dir. Anna Foester

LIST OF TV SHOW SEASONS WATCHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2024

Peacemaker, S1
Survivor, S25, S26, S29, S36, S38, S39, S45, S47
Miracle Workers, S3, S4
Industry, S2, S3
Archer, S14
Hazbin Hotel, S1
Rick and Morty, S7
South Side, S2
Abbott Elementary, S2
Invincible, S2
Gary and His Demons, S1, S2
Bob’s Burgers, S13
Fallout, S1
Star Trek: Discovery, S5
Blood of Zeus, S2
Black Sails, S1, S2, S3, S4
Tires, S1
The Boys, S4
House of the Dragon, S2
Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, S1
The Decameron, S1
Angie Tribeca, S1
Victoria, S1
ER, S10, S11
Solar Opposites, S5
All of Us Are Dead, S1
Very Important People, S1
Boldly Going Nowhere, Unaired Pilot
The Penguin, S1
Twilight of the Gods, S1
The Legend of Vox Machina, S3
The Franchise, S1
Arcane, S2
Dune: Prophecy, S1
Secret Level, S1

LIST OF VIDEO GAMES BEAT IN 2024

Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch) – beat
Disco Elysium (Nintendo Switch) – beat: Sorry Cop; Recruit Detective Kim Kitsuragi
Rust (Xbox) – “beat” i.e. defended medium solo base against multi-player rocket raid
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (Nintendo Switch) – beat
Far Cry 5 (Xbox) – beat
Fallout: New Vegas (Xbox) – beat: Yes Man independent New Vegas ending
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (Nintendo Switch) – beat
Fallout 3 (Xbox) – beat: good karma; Fawkes hero ending
Slay the Princess (PC) – beat: “Through Conflict” and “There are no endings” ending
The Coffin of Andy and Leyley (PC) – beat: ep. 1, 2
Skyrim (Xbox) – beat: Alduin and Stormcloak questlines
The Quarry (Xbox) – beat: RIP Laura, Ryan, Jacob; (Kaitlyn survived, which was literally all I cared about)
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (Xbox) – beat: everybody survived
West of Loathing (Nintendo Switch) – beat
Gears 5 (Xbox) – beat
Borderlands (Xbox) – beat
Far Cry Primal (Xbox) – beat
Baldur’s Gate 3 (PC) – beat: Shadowheart left Shar; killed Raphael; freed Orpheus; Ceremorphosis; destroyed the Netherbrain; went to Avernus with Karlach to save her life; go-to team Lae’zel, Wyll, Gale
Borderlands 2 (Xbox) – beat
The Outer Worlds (Xbox) – beat: Welles ending; Adelaide McDevitt replaced Reed Tobson; sided with Halcyon Helen; established peace; saved Phineas; became leader
Cyberpunk 2077 (Xbox) – beat: left Night City with the Aldecaldos

YOUTUBE VIDEOS (VIDEOS & VIDEO ESSAYS OVER 45 MINUTES AND/OR OF NOTABLE QUALITY) WATCHED IN 2024

Rust’s most DANGEROUS Motel: The Last Stop” by ReksMore Adventures
The Complete Existential Adventures of Gerald Williams” by ambiguousamphibian
1000 Players Simulate Civilization on Survival Islands” by MARCUSK
100 Players Rebuild Civilization in a Nuclear Winter” by MARCUSK
Netflix’s Resident Evil Was a Disaster” by John Wolfe
The Second Punic War – Oversimplified (Part 1)” by Oversimplified
The Second Punic War – Oversimplified (Part 2)” by Oversimplified
The Worst King in English History?” by Drawn of History
Greek Mythology Explained (COMPILATION #1)” by Jake Doubleyoo
Norse Mythology Explained (COMPILATION #1)” by Jake Doubleyoo
Greek Mythology Explained (COMPILATION #2)” by Jake Doubleyoo
I made a NOT SO SafeZone In Rust” by ReksMore Adventures
The Absolute Chaos of Halo Infinite” by big boss
How an 18th Century Sailing Battleship Works” by Animagraffs
Games you can never play again.” by The Cursed Judge
I built a Sky base in Vanilla Rust…” by Willjum
Two Solos Build a hidden underground bunker in Official Rust…” by Willjum
I Lived on a Survival Island for 24 Hours in Rust…” by Willjum
I Built the smallest Solo Factory in Rust…” by Willjum
1000 Players, 1 Server: How a Solo PRO Survives on Official Rust” by Willjum
I hired the worlds best solo to play Rust.. (1 million sub special)” by Willjum
I Built a base under the biggest clan in Rust.. (Ft. Aloneintokyo)” by Willjum
When 2 Pros Vs an Army in Rust..” by Willjum
The Decline of Tim Burton” by Broey Deschanel
Entertainment Made By Cults” by Paper Will
The Ugly Side of Kids TV” by Paper Will
I Built the most high IQ duo base in Official Rust..” by Willjum
I rebuilt my Overpowered Fortress in 100 Hours of Rust…” by Willjum
I Built the ONLY Starter Base you’ll ever need in Rust…” by Willjum
I Lost Everything in Rust …” by Willjum
I played a solo only rust server for a week and this is what happened” by spoonkid2
I Built an Unraidable Cave base in Vanilla Rust..” by Willjum
I Unleashed a Swarm of Huntsman Spiders Into My Giant Rainforest Vivarium” by AntsCanada
I Built an Automatic Base that Defends ITSELF in Rust” by Willjum
We Built a mountain fortress in the Sky on Official Rust..” by Willjum
A Mantis Mating Disaster & Crisis in My Giant Rainforest Vivarium” by AntsCanada
I Played 100 Hours of Rust against the 3 Greatest Solos…” by Willjum
I Built the Greatest Rust Fortress against 3 Solo PROS” by Willjum
I created a village in Rust” by ReksMore Adventures
The Biggest War in Rust History” by Yexom
We Built on the LARGEST Official Server In Rust – ft Blooprint” by Willjum
We Built the GREATEST rock base in Official Rust.. Ft Blooprint” by Willjum
How the Most OP squad plays Rust – Ft. Stevie, Snuffy & Sinks” by Willjum
The BEST Rust experience in my 8000 hours..” by Willjum
Games with empty worlds.” by The Cursed Judge
Games that hate the player.” by The Cursed Judge
Pokémon sent me to Japan!” by JaidenAnimations
FOR THE EMPIRE: SEASON ONE – A Star Wars parody created with Unreal Engine 5” by AFK
FOR THE EMPIRE: SEASON TWO – A Star Wars parody created with Unreal Engine 5” by AFK
NEVER Go To The Unknown Regions – Star Wars Lore Video Compilation” by The Stupendous Wave
Max Payne… 16 Years Later” by Raycevick
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne… 14 Years Later” by Raycevick
Every Witcher KILLED by Geralt of Rivia │ Witcher Explained” by Neon Knight
Rimworld, The Complete Desert Survival Run (Condensed Series)” by ambiguousamphibian
Black Adam: How the Rock Tried to Take Over DC” by Edward Rigby
I Trapped 100 Players in the Project Zomboid Mall” by Harvest
How a 16th Century Explorer’s Sailing Ship Works” by Animagraffs
1000 Players Simulate Civilization in Rust” by FancyOrb
I Turned My Bar Into a Trap Base During the End of Civilization” by ReksMore Adventures
We don’t talk about Fight Club: Rust Edition” by ReksMore Adventures
We built a Ninja Dojo on Official Rust” by ReksMore Adventures
Why does Madame Web’s dialogue sound so weird?” by Nando v Movies
Edward Norton: the most Complicated Actor of his Generation” by Hollywood Lore
BORDERLANDS DIED TWICE” by Frogwater
I Built a solo stronghold hidden in the clouds…” by Willjum
I built an impossible solo base in vanilla rust…” by Willjum
How a Solo with 11,362 Hours plays Vanilla Rust…” by Willjum
I Played Official Rust against the 4 Greatest Solos in the world…” by Willjum
A Solo Farmer Vs 4 Rust Pros… Who will survive?” by Willjum
The Fall of the 5 Solo… Rust Movie” by Willjum
1000 Players Simulate Civilization Across Dimensions” by MARCUSK
We lived in a cube ft. Spoonkid” by ZChum Extra
I Built an unraidable Sky fortress in Vanilla Rust…” by Willjum
How The Olympics Almost Banned This Shoe” by Cleo Abram


Ben Boruff is a co-founder of Big B and Mo’ Money. Read more at BenBoruff.com.

My Complicated Obsession with Shark Tank

Don Delillo’s Cosmopolis is a vexingly slow-paced and pedantic critique of capitalism told from the perspective of a 28-year-old multi-billionaire as he rides in his high-tech limousine through downtown Manhattan to get a haircut. The protagonist’s journey is peppered with visits from business associates and high-level employees, including his “chief of theory” Vija Kinski.

In one scene, Kinski offers the multi-billionaire some advice on the nature of wealth:

The concept of property is changing by the day, by the hour. The enormous expenditures that people make for land and houses and boats and planes. This has nothing to do with traditional self-assurances, okay. Property is no longer about power, personality and command. It’s not about vulgar display or tasteful display. Because it no longer has weight or shape. The only thing that matters is the price you pay. Yourself, Eric, think. What did you buy for your one hundred and four million dollars? Not dozens of rooms, incomparable views, private elevators. Not the rotating bedroom and computerized bed. Not the swimming pool or the shark. Was it air rights? The regulating sensors and software? Not the mirrors that tell you how you feel when you look at yourself in the morning. You paid the money for the number itself. One hundred and four million. This is what you bought. And it’s worth it. The number justifies itself.

For the super-rich, the value of wealth eventually transcends money. $20 billion. $50 billion. $100 billion. $5 quintillion. What does it matter? Because at some point, everything becomes accessible, so the act of acquiring feels less like a purchase and more like a gesture—a reminder of the fact that you can. A symbol of one’s transcendence from practical consumption to something else entirely.

Consider Chef Raffaele Ronca’s $5,000 cheesecake.

When I mention this dessert—which contains freshly imported vanilla beans and three shots of a 200-year-old cognac that costs $2,500 a bottle—to my high school students, they respond with understandable questions: Does it even taste good? Is it better than the Cheesecake Factory? Is it worth $5,000?

But those questions miss the point, right?

No cheesecake is worth $5,000. But the taste of the cheesecake is not the point. Even if the cheesecake tastes wildly better than its affordable counterparts, the taste of the cheesecake is still not the point. The exclusivity is the point. Chef Raffaele Ronca is not creating a culinary experience: he’s creating a conditional experience—and the condition is that you have $5,000 to casually spend on dessert one evening. And if you do have $5,000 to spend on a fairly small, one-time experience, then “spending” isn’t really the right word. It’s not a purchase in the same way that a family purchases a car or a student purchases pencils or a mother purchases baby clothes. If the cheesecake had a price tag of $10,000 or $20,000 or $100,000, some wealthy foodies would still buy it. Because it’s not about the taste or the ingredients. Because the act of acquiring the cheesecake is the victory. Because, as Vija Kinski says, “The number justifies itself.”

And this dynamic—the gap between extreme wealth and the rest of us—is part of my problem with Shark Tank.

An official ABC description of Shark Tank describes it as a “business-themed unscripted series that celebrates entrepreneurship in America.” Shark Tank is labelled as a “culturally defining series” that gives “people from all walks of life the chance to chase the American dream and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires.” And the producers promise radical change for individual entrepreneurs: “Whichever way the wheeling and dealing may go, many people’s lives will be better off – because they dared to enter the unpredictable waters of the Shark Tank.”

But Shark Tank is, ultimately, just a televised ode to capitalism and wealth disparity. Shark Tank is to American capitalism what the Hunger Games are to Panem’s violent social hierarchy.

Consider the basic premise of Shark Tank: a group of wealthy investors—Mark Cuban ($6.86 billion net worth in 2024), Kevin O’Leary ($400 million), Daymond John ($350 Million), Robert Herjavec ($300 million), Lori Grenier ($150 million), and Barbara Corcoran ($100 million)—hear pitches from entrepreneurs and decide in real time whether or not to invest. Shark Tank viewers are reminded every episode that the investors use their own money to make deals with entrepreneurs, meaning that the handshake deals made on the show presumably lead to legally binding contracts (at least some of the time) in which one or more multi-millionaires join the companies as stakeholders.

These deals lead to real money, and the investors benefit. In its first ten seasons, Shark Tank had “222 episodes, 895 pitches, 499 deals, $143.8m worth of invested capital, and nearly $1B in company valuations.” And as of 2023, the top eight successful products that received deals from Shark Tank investors earned a combined $1.2 billion in sales. The seven products that received deals during their episodes—Robert Herjavec invested in the Bouqs three years after the company appeared on Shark Tankwere offered an average of a $157,000 investment in exchange for an average stake of 18.9% in the company. (Not to mentioned that each Shark is paid approximately $50,000 per episode.)

The only individuals to consistently benefit from the show are the Sharks, so Shark Tank is really about rich folks getting richer. The Sharks undoubtedly profit off of their investments, and they do so while helping only a small handful of entrepreneurs with their businesses. A Forbes analysis of Shark Tank highlighted the frequency of deals dying after the credits roll: “. . . an analysis of 112 businesses offered deals on seasons 8 through 13 of the show reveals that roughly half those deals never close and another 15% end up with different terms once the cameras are turned off.” Here, the mirage of a good-natured show where “many people’s lives will be better off” begins to fade.

Shark Tank is a spectacle in which the wealthy profit off of the ideas of the non-wealthy, and the rich investors are portrayed as heroes for bothering to show up.

The show bottles capitalism in its most unregulated form—get money however and whenever possible—and sells it raw. “Ambition,” “power,” and “social mobility” in big letters on the package.

That’s the appeal.

Shark Tank is entertaining as hell because of its unapologetically glossy portrayal of American ambition and greed. It’s The Kardashians with investment portfolios. It’s Bling Empire with equity negotiations. It’s Billions without Paul Giamatti. Shark Tank is about the Sharks, not the entrepreneurs, because many middle-class Americans watch shows about wealthy Americans for some of the same reasons we watch documentaries about serial killers: we want to stare at the “other,” the person who is distinctly not us—but who, with a couple fantastical twists of fate, could be us. We are morbidly fascinated by the person for whom property “no longer has weight or shape” due to their extravagant wealth.

The Sharks, like the customers of Chef Raffaele Ronca, are playing a different game than the show presents. This is not a show of veteran entrepreneurs helping new entrepreneurs; no, Shark Tank is a show about the super-rich playing with the lives of non-rich individuals. For most of the guests who pitch their ideas, receiving $50,000 to $500,000 would be world-changing. For most of the Sharks, that money is nothing. It’s a number that yields a result. It has little practical value beyond the impact it has on the narrative of the episode, which is both the appeal and the problem of the show.

Shark Tank is troublesome because the show’s editing and advertising paint a picture of gallant investors who have agreed to bless normal folks with their advice, but the show is just a machine designed to benefit the rich judges—both financially and reputationally. American Idol has a similar gimmick, but American Idol is less problematic because 1) an American Idol judge’s personal wealth is not a fundamental element of the show and 2) American Idol has not made a spectacle of a weighty and often closed-door financial proposition. Singing competitions are inherently spectacular; data-oriented investment pitches are not.

Imagine a reality show in which cameras followed families as they applied for personal loans. We’d hear their stories, and we listen to the suit-and-tie bankers as they weighed the potential risk of approving loans for certain families. Sometimes, the banker would discover a flaw in the family’s application—unstable income or a wavering credit score due to medical debt—and the well-dressed banker would admonish the family for their sloppiness before stamping “DENIED” on their paper. I imagine the show would be called something simple and alliterative like Bank or Bust.

Shark Tank is more Bank or Bust than it is American Idol.

For the super-rich, the value of wealth eventually transcends money. So watching Kevin O’Leary mock a low-budget entrepreneur from Ohio feels icky. It’s punching down in its worst form. It’s the opposite of eating the rich: Shark Tank—as its name implies—is about the rich eating you.

It’s human nature, I suppose, to be intrigued by shark attacks. What’s weird is when we start rooting for the sharks.


Ben Boruff is a co-founder of Big B and Mo’ Money. Read more at BenBoruff.com.

Why DC Universe’s Harley Quinn Is the Perfect Quarantine Show for You

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The pilot episode of the Justice League television show—the seminal two-season animated show from the early 2000s—allows tension to build, slow and steady. The opening, pre-title scenes tease the enigmatic demise of a couple unsuspecting astronauts. After the theme song plays (and as our goosebumps of admiration slowly begin to subside), we see Batman. He moves in the shadows, stalking a few questionable scientists who are tinkering with unknown technology. More than five minutes into the first episode, Batman—equipped with Kevin Conroy’s stoic, limestone voice—says the Justice League’s first line: “I doubt that modification’s legal.” Thus begins a show about honor and justice.

In her DC Universe animated show, what is Harley Quinn’s first line? Continue reading

Review: Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why

13 Reasons WhyIt’s fairly early in the year, but I think I’ve already found a show that will end up making my top shows when December comes. 13 Reasons Why is a Netflix original show created by Brian Yorkey and starring Katherine Langford and Dylan Minnette, and it’s a doozy that’s definitely not for everyone. There is a controversy around this show that I will discuss after my general evaluation in an afterword, but I really don’t want that to get in the way of the merits of the show itself. This is the story about teen suicide and bullying. It’s the story of a high school girl who, through a number of circumstances, decides to commit suicide. The twist to this comes when it’s revealed that she has recorded tapes naming twelve people responsible for her decision and sends them around through a mutual friend to these people, forcing them to hear her story. Continue reading

Review: Iron Fist, Season 1

Marvel's Iron Fist

Iron Fist, the final Defenders-related show before the big team-up event in Marvel’s Netflix universe, has arrived. I’ve loved most things about the Marvel Netflix universe since its premiere with Daredevil, but they can’t all be winners. I was excited to crack open Iron Fist with a buddy of mine, but it falls short of the bar set by previous Marvel Netflix shows and even further still below the bar for a cohesive show in general. I’m not sure what went wrong, but Iron Fist is a failure of writing, acting, special effects and, probably the worst offense for a martial arts hero, choreography. I just don’t know how they made such a huge mistake here. Continue reading

Top TV Shows of 2016: Jeremiah’s Picks

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I’ve spouted off about my favorite movies of 2016, but I also watch a lot of TV, streaming and otherwise. And I’d love to throw my endorsements out for those shows as well. Hopefully, this means my favorites of 2016 get the attention they deserve. Again, I’ll make a point that I haven’t seen all the hype shows of 2016, Westworld and Atlanta being two that spring to mind as I write this list, but these picks were awesome this year and worthy of your attention. Continue reading

Review: House of Cards, Seasons 1-2

hocThis is a big show. I’ve heard about it from many sources before I started, and I must admit that the hype did not prepare me in the slightest. I believe this is one of the most amazing political shows since The West Wing, though I wouldn’t say it shares the tone or optimism of Aaron Sorkin’s classic. Quite the contrary, this is a bleak look at American politics that takes your idea of what politics and personal morality is an twists it into a system where only perception matters. However, no matter how absurd the plots and politics get I can’t deny the genuine portrayal of corruption in both what a character could be and what a person could be made to be comfortable with. This is a show which allows you the chance to truly relate with devils, and I can’t praise the acting and the writers enough. Continue reading

Review: Supergirl, Season 1

SupergirlAs a fan of all things superhero, it’s no surprise I picked up Supergirl when it came time for her TV debut. The show has some things going for it. It’s cute and the characters are enjoyable, but it isn’t thick on deeper content and struggles on a more meaningful level. I think the show takes its family friendly vibe a bit too seriously and could stand to pull a few of the cliched flowers out of its climactic dialogue.

When I started this show, I immediately fell in love with Kara. She does cute and awkward as good as the best of them and I immediately related to her want to be something more than her adorable but mild-mannered life. But that is the only character I can say I have real feelings for, all the character work done in Supergirl gives you real attachment to the characters. Even though there are many cliche’s interwoven into the dialogue, I find myself smiling through the cringe even in these moments and really rooting for a top quality cast. Continue reading

Review: Daredevil, Season 2

Daredevil Season 2This one didn’t quite make it there. I’ve seen only good reviews coming off this product, but, even when they do look at some negatives, I just don’t know if people know what makes a superhero story great anymore. Now I don’t want you to get the wrong idea: this season had some great moments. However, it suffers from following two disjointed plotlines and fails to deliver some of the integral parts of a good hero story, namely, a compelling villain.

This season focuses on two major plotlines, as we already knew from the previews. The Punisher headlines the first story with his bloody rampage across the gangs of New York, and Electra is the star of the second major plot of the season involving the overly-menacing and unnecessarily faceless organization, The Hand. For the first five episodes or so, the Punisher has his day in the spotlight, and I believe this to be the definitive live-action version of the character. I loved his visceral fighting style, and his relationship with Daredevil as it conflicts especially with the Catholic backing of Daredevil’s convictions was especially interesting. They manage to make a three-dimensional and likeable character out of John Bernthal while at the same time demonizing the gruesome murder that he leaves in his wake. This balance made it so that I didn’t want this conflict in the show to end. Sadly that wasn’t the case. Continue reading