The Ensh*ttification of Everything
Welcome to Wednesday, Futurists!
Sightline⢠is exactly the type of brand marketing genius name that youâd expect from the late capitalist who invented âline-of-sight-based pricing.â That sounds like a fancy way of saying âpoor people shouldnât be able to see good.â Or, at least thatâs what youâd take away from this weekâs announcement by AMC theaters, who will begin charging more for seats that are off-center from the screen in select theaters around the country.
A blurry-eyed announcement considering Cory Doctorowâs recent piece in Wired, âThe âEnshittificationâ of Tiktok,â where he laid out the lifecycle of a platform that delights users, only later to abuse them. âThatâs capitalism baby!â (to be read in a Midatlantic accent).
From the article:Â
This is enshittification: Surpluses are first directed to users; then, once theyâre locked in, surpluses go to suppliers; then once theyâre locked in, the surplus is handed to shareholders and the platform becomes a useless pile of shit. From mobile app stores to Steam, from Facebook to Twitter, this is the enshittification lifecycle.
Is this because AMC is greedy? Perhaps. But it may also be that consumers (and shareholders) have wild, unrealistic, entitled expectations that are creating undue pressure on businesses. âWhy shouldnât I be able to pay more to get a better seat?âÂ
The real issue is that weâve commercialized a just-in-time culture. Rather than planning ahead and buying whatever seat you want for a fair price, we are mired in angst that the âgood seatsâ were already taken.Â
On the other hand, creating a lower price point may actually lift movie theaters out of turmoil, and provide greater access in a time where the rest of the economy is only getting more expensive. The global annual âfree comic book dayâ event helped to revive comics, and last year we saw theaters pilot a similar model, National Cinema Day, where tickets were a mere $3. It was a rousing success.
Whatâs happening to movie theaters is already commonplace elsewhere. From sporting events to concerts, we know that âthe good seatsâ cost money; and those seats are only available on the secondary market. Our prediction: should Sightline⢠become a mainstay at AMC, itâs a matter of time before weâre battling the bots to get a seat at Avatar 5.
Sorry, Nicole Kidman, âan astigmatism feels good in a place like thisâ doesnât have quite the same ring. Itâs actually pretty sh*tty.
â Phillip
P.S. If you need a respite from the sh*ittiness of the world, take heart. We didnât crap our Shorts⌠our Youtube Shorts that is. Our Future Commerce channel on Youtube has been growing, and we could use your help to get to 800+ subscribers. Take the pledge! (a.k.a. subscribe to us on Youtube)
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Cover Photo by Felix Mooneeram on Unsplash
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