The Movies Have ALWAYS Been This Way

There is a line I quote often from a "Mr. Show" sketch. Go with me on this. David Cross owns and operates Gibbons, a family grocery store. But Fairsley, the supermarket chain, starts making outlandish claims against Gibbons, like saying “our stores are not CONSTANTLY on fire!” That’s the Fairsley difference, they say!

At one point, Fairsley says unlike some places, you’ll always find apples. Playing a losing game, Gibbons retaliates with an ad ...  “We have apples. We’ve always had apples!” Gibbons cries out in protest.

What am I getting at, exactly? Well, this is how the movies have always been. We’ve always had apples. Let me explain this confusing metaphor some more.

In the early days of cinema, talkies threatened to make everything go extinct. During the Golden Age, contracts with studios were de riguer, but that shifted in the 1960s and 70s with the advent of New Hollywood and the dissolution of the studio system. Blockbusters took over, and the rise of independent cinema created a space for films outside the mold.

By the dawn of the new millennium, the “Big Five” studios were churning out hits and flops alike, while The Blair Witch Project grossed $248 million off a $35,000 budget. Then came franchise filmmaking, streaming services, prestige TV, and much more. The industry ballooned, then contracted sharply. Now no one’s getting work made, and even if someone is actually working, no one’s getting paid on time.

It’s the “death of the industry.” “No one sees movies anymore.” But we’ve always had apples.

So, what’s the big difference between the last century and now? Why is it that “going to the movies” has become such a massive hurdle that seems to confound and perplex everyone? We’ve always had stinkers and sequels. We’ve always had musicals, comedies, dramas, IP adaptations, low-budget productions, big-budget wonders, horror films, and more.

The “Fairsley difference” is that now we have more ways than ever to entertain ourselves. YouTube reigns king among viewers, but Nebula hosts over dozens of creators who collectively have more than 120 million YouTube subscribers. Dropout just passed one million subscribers. Not to mention AAA titles, mobile games, podcasts, and good ol’ fashioned music and books.

PLENTY of people are still watching movies and TV, but often in the comfort of their home. When movie tickets cost $20 a pop and people are constantly on their phones, it makes perfect sense why so many might opt out of the moviegoing experience. But that doesn’t mean they’re not watching!

The Noise is Fairsley. The Industry is Gibbons. And WE’VE ALWAYS HAD APPLES!!

Here’s the thing: by the end of the sketch, Gibbons is forced to close up for good. We can’t let Fairsley—whether you think that’s leeches from A.I., needless mergers decided by billionaires, or devaluing human creativity forcing us to close up the shop.

Because we’ve always had apples. We’ll still have apples long after the so-called Fairsley difference is uncovered as a sham, lie, and/or fraud. The system has already been disrupted multiple times over, and it’s still going. And there will always be people who want to make beautiful, complicated, disturbing, haunting, gorgeous pieces of art (particularly using the medium of cinema!) that force us as humans to question our existence, our meaning, and our values. That’s not going away. whether you watch a movie on your laptop or at the cineplex.

So, yes, the apples are here, and we have them. Eat up and grow your own orchard. Because remember—the Fairsley difference only affects Gibbons, not the entire grocery store industry.  

*Feature image: "Mr. Show" (HBO)