The Bubble Bursts: The Golden Age of Culture in Response to Ukraine

Note: the following article regards Western culture and media in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  But in no way should it be taken as a means of focusing attention beyond the mortal situation on the ground.  What’s happening in Ukraine today is real, and should remain the focus.  Take the following, as with everything on this blog, as spurious to real-world concerns.

 

For the past several years, the question has often crossed my mind: when will the bubble of culture the West is currently experiencing, burst?  When will the tidal wave of films, books, restaurants and fusion foods, tv series, foreign products, video games, travel and vacation, comics, board games begin to fade?  I now have my answer: when Russia attacks the West.

For those not paying attention, the past 15-20 years will be looked back upon as a Golden Age of Western culture, and to some degree global culture.  With the world at relative peace, the ways in which Westerners spent their excess time and money exploded with options.  Where it was possible 40-50 years ago to read almost all science fiction books released in one year, in 2022 it’s no longer possible, not even close.  A person would need to devote their existence to its consumption, and still not get to the dozens and dozens of other books released.  And that is only science fiction.  All other genres have also exploded, as well as the myriad means of combining and synergizing them.  And this trend only scales larger when looking at all the other ways in which people experience culture and entertainment—tv series, video games, board games, etc.  The quantity of choice overwhelming, and the quality of choice filling the spectrum, it’s indeed a Golden Age. 

Or at least was.  This life of luxury has likewise rendered the West blind to threats.  As rationalists, we moved forward believing the Cold War was over and that Putin represented a more rationale Russian leader.  Why would he destroy the success? Doesn’t he like Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and all the other ways we spend our time and money—and the profits and cash flow to his accounts and business stakeholders it represents?  We live in the 21st century, we’re all interconnected in a western world trying to maintain peace and prosperity, right?   WRONG.  Under our noses a devil worked towards fulfilling a nationalist vision at the expense of, firstly, innocent people’s lives and potentially a sovereign democracy, and secondly the “good life” in the West.

Looking forward over the next several years, the West can expect an economic downturn at a minimum.  Inflation combined with the global economic effects of sanctions imposed on Russia, it’s likely that ordinary people will not have as much cash floating in their pockets to spend on cultural luxuries, just as companies will not have as much cash floating around to invest nor risk investing in said luxuries.  The core function of the auto will remain, but the choice of sizes, colors, accessories, shapes, etc. will diminish. The world is a different place after Russia’s attack.  The bubble has burst. 

We likely will not feel the bubble’s burst immediately.  Like a real soap bubble, it’s silent.  The tangible effects will take time.  In other words, I do not believe we can expect the volume of culture available today to be the same in a year or two—after the projects currently in production have run their course and reduced investment made evident.  People will likely have more basic concerns, focusing their capital accordingly.

There is a much broader discussion to be had on the advantages and disadvantages of a more frugal spending environment, but for now I’d like to look at the potential consequences in terms of the cultural explosion discussed above, for example, not having hundreds of science fiction reading options.  There may come to be a greater focus on quality over quantity.  But there may also come a situation where only established, renowned authors/creators get to the market, regardless of quality, leading to stagnation.  There may also come a situation where people who can afford self-publishing/production retain strong market presence, in turn putting quality in question.

Looking at the social situation, a lot of the issues pertinent to the “culture wars” may also fade away.  After all, which issue burns hotter for Western consumers: social justice, or the principles of democracy and freedom?  While big chunks of the Republican party in the US have recently made me afraid of losing said freedom, I believe Ukraine has been a wake up call to the West—at least I hope that it is.  As such, it’s possible consumers’ mindsets will shift away from ambiguous social concerns to more impactful issues like basic western values, freedom, democracy, sovereign rights, etc.  And if that happens, cultural content should reflect that.  For example, fewer people would be interested in consuming gender rhetoric and more interested in discussion around security, well-being, support communities, etc.   In turn, this could leave people who get on a soapbox and shout ‘cultural appropriation’ (for example when reading a story set in France written by a German author) without a soapbox, or at least fewer soapboxes.  (After all, I have seen some sleepy people try to identify racism among refugees on the Ukrainian border.  Wake up, what is more important: able-bodied, non-Ukrainian men waiting an extra day or two for their turn while women and children escape, or the existential threat to all of Western life?)

In summary, Western life has made an extreme pivot since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  We are all aware that life in the West has its problems and concerns, one of which may in fact be too much focus on cultural luxuries, and the inherent rottenness of “culture wars” it bred.  But it seems the majority still believe it’s better than what Russia is offering.  Because of the pivot we will all be tightening our belts in the coming years and possibly decades.  One of the obvious effects will be a reduction in the overwhelming abundance of culture we had the option of experiencing the past couple of decades.  I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.  Let’s see what’s next.