YouTube; Blogs Kill Culture

Andrew Keen seems to think that the internet, in all it's wonders is killing American Culture. He has written a book entitled "The Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture," in hopes in drawing awareness that Hollywood is losing money, market share, and most importantly their influence on American pop culture.

Keen, a former dot-com entrepreneur, argues that the phenomenon of user-generated content, particularly blogs and YouTube videos, is overpowering established media players. Consequently, he believes the notion of quality content will be eradicated as the playing field tilts in favor of consumers churning out substandard and erroneous content.

"The monkeys take over," Keen says. "Say good-bye to today's experts and cultural gatekeepers -- our reporters, news anchors, editors, music companies and Hollywood movie studios." -- Reuters

It's like he's giving a eulogy to the big, bad media conglomerate, whom for nearly one hundred years has reaped unthinkable profits from American Teenagers, all the while producing -- by their definition -- what is to be considered "quality entertainment". It's like he is saying that Hollywood in itself, defines American Culture.

Hollywood doesn't define American culture; it shoves it down the throats of anyone willing to pay attention to them. American culture is Davey Crockett, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Paul Bunyan, and Martin Luther King Jr., just to name a few.

American culture is not Mickey Mouse, or American Idol. American culture is not defined by Hollywood actors, especially those who are accused of uttering threats, antisemitism, or racial slurs (and I need not name names). America is not the latest flavor of the month or A-Team reruns on satellite television. American culture is not defined by CNN, MTV, ABC, NBC, FOX, or HBO. It is not defined by Sony, AOL Time Warner, EMI, Universal, or BMG, and it is most certainly not defined by Paramount, Disney, or any other major motion picture distributor.

We bloggers and "amateur" film producers did not kill American Culture; we took it back. Not bad, considering Keen regards us as "a bunch of monkeys".