• MoonMelon@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    It’s an interesting article, I couldn’t help but think of how “Pirate Speak” really comes from Robert Newton’s acting in a famous Disney movie. So while it predates big tech’s debasement of culture it’s still a “top down” artifact, in a way. I guess you could say it came from a creative decision of an artist (Newton adapting his native accent) and initially caught on for good fun rather than for profit. So far less cynical than the radioactive shit getting pumped out now, if for no other reason than in the 1950s Disney hadn’t figured that shit out yet.

    • Newton’s Long John Silver was a solid enough performance to warrant a sequel / spin-off, so TTAPD would be like a day to honor Bela Lugosi’s Dracula or even James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader.

      These people have absolutely made their mark on American culture.

      Black Friday, the shopping day is a gimmick taking advantage of an already popular shopping day. Not necessarily the most popular or most profitable or even the worst day for shopper shennanigans and violence. But then, it’s difficult for capitalist phenomena to not be turned into gimmicks used to market more sales.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        Black Friday, the shopping day is a gimmick

        And one that’s been exported to other countries who don’t even have the same national holiday adjacent to that friday giving people the excuse to shop more on that particular day.

        Here it’s nothing but a cynical corporate cash grab.