Quote:
Originally Posted by DNSB
I repeat Sturgeon's Revelation, which was wrung out of me after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction against attacks of people who used the worst examples of the field for ammunition, and whose conclusion was that ninety percent of SF is crud. Using the same standards that categorize 90% of science fiction as trash, crud, or crap, it can be argued that 90% of film, literature, consumer goods, etc. is crap. In other words, the claim (or fact) that 90% of science fiction is crap is ultimately uninformative, because science fiction conforms to the same trends of quality as all other artforms. —Theodore Sturgeon
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I prefer the common rendering of "Sturgeon's Law": "90% of everything is crap". It fits in as a corollary of Murphy's Law.
Once you accept the universality of mediocrity nothing will disappoint you and you can focus on finding whatever fits your tastes. Because not everybody shares the same definition of what consitutes "crap" despite the many who think their tastes universal.
The great thing of the internet-enabled content world is there is so much available the producers and distributors can give up tbe delusion of being able to please everybody and instead can focus on whatever niche they *can* please, be it kids, literati, or soap opera adicts.
Some people do enjoy tired old tropes, in mystery or anything else. Some love reality TV or old Danny Kaye movies. Or 19th century penny dreadfuls. It no longer impacts the rest of us.
As long as one can find amusing entertainment it no longer matters what the "faceless masses" consume. "Live and let die" applies.