many of the best movies ever made were reviled or panned on their release. some took decades to find their audience. this reality is antithetical to the dominant conception of media-as-product, a good to be consumed, unquestioningly praised, then discarded for the next toy off the assembly line

the tendency of media outlets to declare a movie "good" or "a flop" based on opening weekend box office, a figure that depends on marketing and nothing else, is infuriating, and seeing normal people repeat these judgements like they're universal truths makes me want to pull hair and bite shins