Same dataset too...I looked at the top 5 actors rather than just top 2...glad we got the same result!
The main explanation in my book that you don't discuss as much is that *the audiences are getting older too*. This fact explains why both movie stars AND politicians are getting older -- these are both fundamentally driven by audience/voter preferences.
This leads me to the conclusion that movie stardom simply equates to branding. Brands also develop over time and their huge momentum over the years keeps them strong in the face of newer younger competition. Harrison Ford = McDonald's (iconic back in the day, but a bit nauseating today). Timothée Chalamet = sweetgreen, healthy and beautiful, but not as well-known. An up and comer!
In the comic industry there was a concerted effort by publishers to devalue the work of artists so they would no longer have bargaining power against them in the way Image did. They spent millions building them up so they could leave.
I have nothing to back it up, but it sure feels like the same companies ran a similar playbook bc cgi apes have no bargaining power .
It's so funny nowadays to be talking at work and mention something you're into that seems niche because you don't see much about it but the co-worker is also a fan. It feels both like there are way too many things everyone is consuming and there is no overlap and also that finding someone else who enjoys your niche happens to be right next to you. Like Dropout - a media content platform I love but don't usually expect anyone else to know about but talking to an acquaintance I rarely see and they tangentially mention it and boom I know they are also able to name some comedians who are regulars but if I name-dropped elsewhere no one would recognize compared to Tom Cruise. Thanks for the thorough examination, especially wrapping up with, do we care.
“When we chart a rolling count of movie stars over time, we see a distinct peak in stardom in the mid-2000s, with over 150 actors qualifying as "stars" during this period. Since 2005, the number of marque film actors has declined, even after adjusting our methodology to account for the pandemic slowdown.” - I’m surprised by this. I would have expected that with the huge surge in sequels that this would’ve gone up since stars are practically guaranteed to be in subsequent movies
Hey Daniel, great read. The need for idiolization has always been a constant. But I was wondering if the data could be further sliced according to generations or age groups... Because the millennials and the generation after, clearly prefer zendaya over Meryl Streep. So could this be a factor to consider too??
Also, by gender. Options for older actresses seem to have increased significantly in more recent years - it'd be good to know if the data support this.
! I made the same graph of movie star age in my book:
https://cup.columbia.edu/book/generation-gap/9780231553810
Same dataset too...I looked at the top 5 actors rather than just top 2...glad we got the same result!
The main explanation in my book that you don't discuss as much is that *the audiences are getting older too*. This fact explains why both movie stars AND politicians are getting older -- these are both fundamentally driven by audience/voter preferences.
And it's true for christmas carols too lol https://xkcd.com/988/
Lovely read - it’s a subject covered by many journalists, but your data-driven approach gives the topic a deeper, more interesting explanation.
This leads me to the conclusion that movie stardom simply equates to branding. Brands also develop over time and their huge momentum over the years keeps them strong in the face of newer younger competition. Harrison Ford = McDonald's (iconic back in the day, but a bit nauseating today). Timothée Chalamet = sweetgreen, healthy and beautiful, but not as well-known. An up and comer!
In the comic industry there was a concerted effort by publishers to devalue the work of artists so they would no longer have bargaining power against them in the way Image did. They spent millions building them up so they could leave.
I have nothing to back it up, but it sure feels like the same companies ran a similar playbook bc cgi apes have no bargaining power .
It's so funny nowadays to be talking at work and mention something you're into that seems niche because you don't see much about it but the co-worker is also a fan. It feels both like there are way too many things everyone is consuming and there is no overlap and also that finding someone else who enjoys your niche happens to be right next to you. Like Dropout - a media content platform I love but don't usually expect anyone else to know about but talking to an acquaintance I rarely see and they tangentially mention it and boom I know they are also able to name some comedians who are regulars but if I name-dropped elsewhere no one would recognize compared to Tom Cruise. Thanks for the thorough examination, especially wrapping up with, do we care.
“When we chart a rolling count of movie stars over time, we see a distinct peak in stardom in the mid-2000s, with over 150 actors qualifying as "stars" during this period. Since 2005, the number of marque film actors has declined, even after adjusting our methodology to account for the pandemic slowdown.” - I’m surprised by this. I would have expected that with the huge surge in sequels that this would’ve gone up since stars are practically guaranteed to be in subsequent movies
Franchises and IP have the luxury of anointing stars (like Chris Hemsworth) as opposed to relying on well-known actors.
Hey Daniel, great read. The need for idiolization has always been a constant. But I was wondering if the data could be further sliced according to generations or age groups... Because the millennials and the generation after, clearly prefer zendaya over Meryl Streep. So could this be a factor to consider too??
Also, by gender. Options for older actresses seem to have increased significantly in more recent years - it'd be good to know if the data support this.
电影明星衰落的同时，是偶像工业的繁荣。
True