Culture Wars Are Mostly Fake And Stupid. But The War Against Culture Is Very Real.

Arts and entertainment are under attack, and the stakes are higher than you might think. Here are five ways to fight back (and win) in 2025.

Tropic Thunder (2008), Paramount Pictures

When waging a culture war, as many do these days, few stop to ask: What is culture, anyway?

For me, the word conjures a murky stew of ballet dancers, football games, and yogurt, of course. Sometimes I imagine culture as a kind of cosmic marinade - zesting each human community with its own peculiar flavor, whether that’s mild, spicy, or disturbingly fishy.

Humans picked up cultural practices roughly 300,000 years ago, but the term itself did did not gain wide currency until 1934, when anthropologist Ruth Benedict published Patterns of Culture. Culture, she proclaimed, is way more than a marinade: It is the very bedrock of all civilizations… the fertile crescent from which all motives, emotions and values originate, where shared ideas and standards are institutionalized. And it finds its most vivid expression through art and storytelling.

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Fourteen years later and 8,000 miles away, while leading India toward independence alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru defined culture slightly differently: As a force for widening the mind and spirit.

Both interpretations - culture as a civilization’s DNA and as a tool for moral and spiritual growth - remain relevant today, and underscore its vital importance. But what happens to culture when the competing traits, beliefs, and attitudes vie for dominance over mind and spirit?

In 1991, sociologist James Davison Hunter coined the term “culture war” to describe the growing conflict between traditionalist and progressive values playing out across American politics, education, and religion. Since then, the war has spilled into increasingly surreal arenas, with vast online armies dueling over urgent issues like gas stoves and the gender of M&Ms spokescandies. Yet nowhere have these skirmishes raged more intensely or absurdly than in our aptly named “culture industries” - film and television.

The opposing factions in this iteration of the culture war are a progressive elite and an anti-woke counter-elite. While their performative virtue signaling and tiresome groyping dominate headlines and fuel the outrage economy, they are, in fact, little more than a distraction - the tip of a much larger iceberg. Beneath the surface is a much larger and more insidious threat - a war on culture itself.

Peporap

Not only does this bigger, meaner War On Culture threaten the future of movies, it has the potential of highjacking the 30,000-year-old tradition of narrative storytelling, and with it, the transmission of our 300,000-year-old cultural patterns, in ways we’ve never seen before. Consider Ted Gioia’s grim prediction from his viral article on the replacement of arts and entertainment with short-form “dopamine culture:”

Instead of movies, users get served up an endless sequence of 15-second videos. Instead of symphonies, listeners hear bite-sized melodies, usually accompanied by one of these tiny videos—just enough for a dopamine hit, and no more. This is the new culture. And its most striking feature is the absence of Culture (with a capital C) or even mindless entertainment—both get replaced by compulsive activity.

To further explain the stakes of this War On Culture, I’ve broken down five classic methods of warfare to reveal how powerful forces are reshaping moviegoing, and how we might fight back.

5. Scorched Earth

Since ancient times, armies have destroyed crops, infrastructure and anything that might be useful to the enemy while retreating or advancing. The Russians famously used this “scorched earth” tactic during Napoleon's invasion, depriving his forces of vital resources, which led to his catastrophic retreat.

As Wall Street-funded conglomerates acquired movie studios in the late 20th century, their focus shifted away from nurturing the broader ecosystem of filmmaking to maximizing quarterly profits through tentpole franchises, risk-averse blockbusters, and ancillary revenue streams. Thanks to deregulation and the gradual abandonment of the Paramount Accords, the Big Five majors (Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros., Walt Disney, and Sony) managed to gobble up smaller studios, eliminating competition. And with Trump back in the White House, they’re poised for even more unchecked consolidation in 2025.

Meanwhile, global streaming platforms (GSPs) have upended the industry by offering massive upfront fees to talent, replacing the traditional residual-based model. While lucrative for some, this practice disrupted a key funding mechanism for independent filmmakers: the foreign pre-sales market. For decades, pre-selling distribution rights in international territories had been a cornerstone of financing for indie films. Distributors in foreign markets would bet on the potential success of a film and provide funding upfront, allowing filmmakers to secure budgets and proceed with production. The loss of this has been a stunted cultural landscape, with less money and fewer opportunities for risk-taking and innovative creatives.

4. Divide and Conquer

Just as Caesar famously exploited divisions among the Gauls, GSPs have divided audiences by siloing them into algorithmically curated bubbles of niche “content.” While movies that suit more personal tastes may sound like an improvement, it destabilizes the longterm health of culture in alarming ways.

Movies are a mass media art form for one obvious reason: They cost a lot of money to produce. But there’s another, equally important reason: civilizations rely on shared, universally resonant stories to cohere. Even the silliest blockbusters can provide a cultural glue, reinforcing shared values and collective identity. When baseline values aren’t shared, the social fabric begins to fray.

This fragmentation has changed viewing habits, which has in turn dealt a severe blow to one of streaming platforms’ chief competitors: movie theaters. Theaters, which thrive on the communal experience, have struggled to compete in a landscape where many movies are consumed in isolation. GSPs have not only eroded a crucial cultural experience but also destabilized the economic foundations of the theatrical industry.

The “divide and conquer” strategy hasn’t just been used against audiences and competitors - it has also been used to target filmmakers. By diminishing the cultural impact and reach of their stories, GSPs have managed to drive down the rates they pay to the very people who make their movies. As writer Will Tavlin highlights in his must-read investigation of Netflix, some actors now earn up to 30 times less on streaming platforms than they would have on traditional network shows - and they receive no residuals. For creatives, this has meant diminished financial security and less incentive to take risks or innovate, further homogenizing culture.

3. Shock and Awe

“Shock and Awe” is a military strategy designed to overwhelm the enemy with sheer force or numbers - a dazzling display meant to intimidate and dominate. Popularized by Genghis Khan in the 13th century, today’s GSPs overwhelm smaller competitors with a deluge of content, while major studios flex with obscenely massive budgets.

This spectacle of scale dazzles audiences, investors, and the media alike. However, the industry’s obsession with big numbers as the sole measure of value has warped our perceptions to dismiss artistic merit and cultural resonance.

Yes, the movie business is a business, and profitability is always the bottom line. But the fixation on short-term profit is endangering the longterm viability of the industry. Smaller, bolder films often drive innovation, laying groundwork for the blockbusters of tomorrow. Without them, the industry stagnates. This “slash-and-burn” approach to filmmaking may yield profits in the near term, but it is ultimately unsustainable.

2. Feign Retreat

At the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror’s forces pretended to retreat as a way to lure their Anglo-Saxon enemies into a trap. In today’s film business, a comparable tactic is the propagation of myths like “original movies don’t succeed anymore” and “you couldn’t make a film like that these days” - defeatist psychological retreats meant to discourage filmmakers from pursuing riskier, more innovative projects, while convincing audiences that only pre-existing franchises or adaptations are worth their attention.

Sadly, it seems to be working. As the NY Times reported this week, nine of the top 10 box office hits this year were sequels, and the 10th was Wicked. As ticket prices rise, audiences have grown more risk averse, opting for safe bets over unknown originals. By framing original films as inherently risky or unprofitable, the industry reinforces a self-fulfilling prophecy, where fewer resources are allocated to fresh ideas.

1. Fifth Column

The “fifth column” strategy gained prominence during the Spanish Civil War. It refers to planting covert agents inside the enemy’s organization to weaken it from within.

In the film industry, studios and GSPs have occasionally co-opted media and entertainment trades using “fifth column” tactics. During the 2023 writers and actors strikes, for example, the trades would often “publish articles under the claim of reporting that numerous people viewed as AMPTP-fuelled propaganda,” as opposed to accurately representing the state of affairs. Popular film websites that once championed independent cinema increasingly focus on blockbuster box office numbers. By flooding these outlets with press materials, exclusive interviews, and ad dollars, major players ensure that their projects dominate the cultural conversation instead of smaller, more challenging films - especially those that don’t align with corporate interests.

When it comes to talent, big tech platforms and major studios have successfully redirected A-list actors - whose participation is mandatory for financing most serious, adult-focused filmmaking - into juvenile superhero franchises. Actors who might have starred in meaningful, culturally resonant dramas are instead locked into multi-film contracts for “content” designed to perpetuate familiar algorithmic trends, not break new ground.

GSPs have further infiltrated the creative process by using data-driven algorithms to determine what gets green-lit. Instead of relying on human intuition or artistic vision, they prioritize projects that their algorithm predicts to perform well. This approach may be efficient and lucrative, but it has led to staleness and homogenization.

Five Ways To Fight Back

1. Support Regulation To Stop Anti-Competitive Practices

   In 1948, the Supreme Court ended the monopolization of the studio system with a ruling in United States v Paramount Pictures, Inc, commonly known as the “Paramount Accords.” Then in August 2020, the federal district court for the southern district of New York started a gradual repeal. Though there was an encouraging uptick in antitrust regulation under the Biden administration, it is unlikely to continue under Trump - who has cozied up to tech and media billionaires. Breaking up massive studios and tech companies is the most impactful thing we can do if we want fair, competitive and vibrant culture industries in the future.

2. Rediscover The Theater Experience
   I know, I know - your couch is comfortable, your TV is massive, tickets are expensive, theatergoers are sometimes rude - but moviegoing is worth fighting for. It’s a rare experience to turn off your phone, step away from your own life, and surrender yourself fully to something. Subscription services like AMC A-List and Moviepass can help you overcome the prohibitive cost barriers, and encourage risk-taking. More on this in future editions.

3. Escape The Algorithm
   There is so much beauty to discover, and only so much time on this earth… why waste yours playing it safe? Seek out films that might expand your comfort zone rather than re-enforce it. Foreign films allow you to travel the world, while older black-and-white films whisk you back in time. Be bold. You will be rewarded.

4. Embrace Physical Media and Collectibles
   Streaming services have shifted the focus to disposable content. To counteract this, begin or expand your collection of physical media (DVDs and Blu-rays). Physical media often includes bonus content, commentary tracks, and special editions that offer deeper engagement. More importantly, physical collections remain outside the control of streaming platforms, ensuring that even if a film is pulled from a digital library, you maintain access.

5. Spread Awareness and Engage Critically
   Great movies continue to get made, but most people would never know it, because nobody is talking about them. Movies have largely fallen out of the cultural conversation, which is a shame. Smaller movies worthy of discussion don’t have the marketing budgets to spread awareness. So if you see a great movie, tell people about it. And when consuming entertainment media, avoid falling into the trap of press releases and clickbait; instead, seek out critical analysis that questions trends and exposes the impact of corporate control on culture. Subscribe to Substacks like Ted Hope’s Hope For Film, Ted Gioia’s Honest Broker, and heck, maybe even Underexposed, if you haven’t already. Your engagement and support help keep these essential conversations alive, so if you’re enjoying my work, give this button a click -

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And now, this week’s Underexposed Movie Pick:

The Lives of Others (2006)

My dad says The Lives of Others is his favorite movie. Rewatching it with my family over the holidays, it’s easy to see why.

The idea for the film came to director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck while listening to Beethoven. He suddenly remembered something Lenin had said about Beethoven - that he couldn’t bear to listen to his music anymore, because if he did, he would never finish the revolution. The music made him want to “tell people sweet stupid things and caress their heads” instead of “smash in those heads mercilessly.”

The Lives of Others, a gripping German drama set in 1984 East Berlin, illuminates the shadowy surveillance state of the German Democratic Republic. The film follows Gerd Wiesler, a devoted Stasi officer tasked with monitoring playwright Georg Dreyman and his partner, actress Christa-Maria Sieland. But as Wiesler becomes entangled in their lives, his loyalty to the regime begins to falter. Quiet and powerful, von Donnersmarck masterfully balances taut suspense with deftly restrained performances. Winner of the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Where To Watch The Lives of Others

• Currently available to stream on the Criterion Channel.

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News Reel

• This edition of Underexposed was a bit of a downer, so here is Daniel Parris with 6 Reasons to Be (Cautiously) Optimistic About Movies in 2025.

• Sad to hear about the passing of Josh Welsh, president of Film Independent. RIP.

… This one went long. I’ll shut up now. Thank you for reading Underexposed. See you next Friday - and happy new year!

Alex