There seems to be a surprising lack of wholesome media today. Shows and movies hyper-fixate and shift their entire focus to highlighting drama or violence. Not even the expected more light-hearted entertainment, with many comedies having dark humor or shock value more than other forms of comedy. There seem to be more mature shows and films being made leaving less mature or “wholesome” media to be buried. With the increasing rarity of wholesome media being created, it’s worth exploring the “why” behind this shift in media tones over the years.

Dark means Mature

How we separate/categorize entertainment is not only by genre but by age groups. As audiences grow in age, it only makes sense that media should grow with them. However, a vast majority of audiences have a mindset of dark, mature, and older viewers. This results in many shows and movies that are marketed to adults being dark and gritty or very crude. It seems at a certain point in time, the entertainment began gearing toward specific age groups, particularly their older audiences and veered away from making all-age-friendly media. The uptick in heavy themes is prevalent.

Reflecting Reality

A possible reason for more shows and films becoming less light and turning heavier is because of the current times. For years now, it’s felt as if we’re living in a more pessimistic time, and our entertainment reflects this. It’s normal to see something less than “happy” occur regularly with the new wave of true crime obsessions and constant devastating news thrown in our faces through our screens. As typically all forms of entertainment are created within the social and political landscape that we live in. Shows and movies must bring a sense of reality into their work if they don’t want to be seen as too detached. Wholesome or “good” moments exist in small pockets within entertainment. As a result, even when the media does show more optimism – it pales in comparison to its negative counterpart which gains more viewership. The collective mindset the world is a cruel place that bleeds into our entertainment.

Closing thoughts

Reflecting on this not-so-subtle shift in tone in our mainstream media and entertainment, I do find it somewhat sad to see how a decent portion of entertainment leans towards the darker side of things. Although we may experience a lot of bleakness and cynicism, typically a result of our social climate, that shouldn’t stop you from digging for brighter media. We can encourage others whether it be studios or independent creators there’s an untapped demand for bright and optimistic shows. Many people want to believe in the goodness in the world, so let’s see it on screens and pages. The world is only as cruel as you make it, and as we live in a time where the media we consume is so entangled in our day-to-day, lighter, optimistic entertainment should reflect the world we want to live in.

Work Cited

https://theableshow.com/rarity-of-wholesome-media

“Why are more TV shows dark and cynical these days? : r/television.” Reddit, 11 March 2024, https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1bbsx05/why_are_more_tv_shows_dark_and_cynical_these_days/. Accessed 23 September 2024.

Read More From The Able Show Contributors