{"id":2093702,"date":"2025-10-15T19:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T19:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2093702"},"modified":"2025-10-15T19:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T19:46:08","slug":"letter-to-the-editor-in-defense-of-live-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/letter-to-the-editor-in-defense-of-live-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter to the Editor: In defense of live entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><iframe title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" width=\"100%\" height=\"130px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"perfmatters-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_7PABni3JX1Q?ui_title_intro=Listen+Now%3A&amp;client=wp&amp;client_version=2.3.8\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_7PABni3JX1Q?ui_title_intro=Listen+Now%3A&amp;client=wp&amp;client_version=2.3.8\" width=\"100%\" height=\"130px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t to add commentary to an already overflowing conversation about the ethics of TikTok. This isn\u2019t to say that electronic media is evil, certainly not when I am using modern technology to write this all down.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t an admonishment of the \u201cbrain rot\u201d era that some say we live in.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t commentary on the persisting issue of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/ellamalmgren\/2025\/09\/09\/americas-richest-billionaires-keep-getting-richer-theyre-not-donating-much-more\/\">billionaires getting richer<\/a> while the workers starve; that Spotify\u2019s Chairman and former CEO Daniel Ek is worth 9.2 billion dollars while Spotify continues to pay between <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dittomusic.com\/en\/blog\/how-much-does-spotify-pay-per-stream\">$0.003 and $0.005 per stream<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t a revelation that Spotify continues to make the goal posts farther for musicians and creatives to earn money, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/spotify-has-now-officially-demonetised-all-songs-with-less-than-1000-streams-3614010\">now demonetizing songs under 1,000 streams<\/a> in an effort to continue paying musicians less and less money.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t an investigative piece into the new initiative from Netflix to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c9vr4rymlw9o\">use AI to help produce shows.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This IS to say, there is live entertainment out there in the world right now and it\u2019s waiting for us.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of COVID-19, the return to live entertainment has been slow and arduous, with many establishments shuttering their doors since 2020. The ones that remain have faced an uphill battle, needing to be consistent with their programming to build an audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The threat to live entertainment isn\u2019t just public health crises\u2019, it\u2019s the rapidly progressing world of online entertainment, that has become increasingly insular and antisocial.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The future that was once promised to humanity was vast and wide, now it has been shrunk down to be portable and wireless.<\/p>\n<p>Following the moon landing, NASA made a vow that humans would be on Mars by 1979. Of course, that hasn\u2019t occurred, and with that that promise habitually stalled, the goal of stretching out our spatial limits has been changed to bringing the excitement of the unknown to the palm of your hand.<\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Thus began the Album Era, which evolved from LP to Cassette to CD to MP3 to the streaming of today. Following suit was the Home Video era; Betamax and VHS to DVD to Blu-Ray to the streaming of today. The entertainment formats once built around community and shared experience have been diluted down in such a way that these experiences, while being touted as more \u201caccessible\u201d are inherently more isolating.<\/p>\n<p>Companies hide behind phrases such as \u201cMade for You\u201d and \u201cBased on Your Recent Viewing\u201d to make you feel singled out and noticed. Streaming services retroactively rename genres of music and movies to fit contemporary trends, be it <em>\u201csad girl indie<\/em>\u201d on Spotify or <em>\u201cSocial-Issues Dramas<\/em>\u201d on Netflix. The hope is to reclassify existing media under a new genre umbrella and use your personal data to inform the next \u201cgenre shift\u201d, ensuring that you remain tethered to their business. Your media intake exists to inform an algorithm that will predict and create the next content, made at exceedingly less costs with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/jul\/14\/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned\">less humans<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theweek.com\/culture-life\/tv-radio\/netflix-and-the-second-screen-phenomenon\">less care<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t want you to share new experiences in a mass setting, they want the individual to <em>consume <\/em>and keep consuming, all on their own. They tout initiatives like \u201c<em>Netflix Watch Party<\/em>\u201d and \u201c<em>Spotify Jams<\/em>\u201d as opportunities for individuals to connect with each other from long distances away, from the comfort of their own homes. This sounds enjoyable but consider what\u2019s it\u2019s actually asking of you: Do you want to socialize, or would you rather stay inside and be satiated by low quality content that is repeated and predictable?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The advancements of cell phones and streaming services have made it possible for an individual to listen to footage from the Beatle\u2019s play at the Star Club in Hamburg 1962, all from the comfort of their toilet seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, I ask:<\/p>\n<p><em>Would you have gotten off your couch to see The Beatle\u2019s at the Star Club?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Would you have put your shoes on and left the house to go to the Holy City Zoo in 1976 to see a bartender named Robin Williams do stand up for the first time?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Now let\u2019s try this:<\/p>\n<p><em>Would you see a comedian or a band or a play in your own town this weekend?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The same money that goes to Daniel Ek and Spotify\u2019s shareholders, the same money that goes to Netflix CEO\u2019s Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters and their AI department, the money that funds their research into producing <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/tv-and-radio\/2025\/jan\/17\/not-second-screen-enough-is-netflix-deliberately-dumbing-down-tv-so-people-can-watch-while-scrolling\">lower quality shows<\/a> that hope <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/tvs-top-5-podcast-justine-bateman-ai-dangers-hollywood-1235540858\/\">you\u2019re not paying attention<\/a>. The money spent on any one of over <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/entertainment\/article\/best-streaming-services\/\">200 streaming services<\/a> could be spent supporting real people that care about you. The comfort and ease that music and media streaming services offer is undeniable, but they hate you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Spotify, Apple, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+; they hate you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These performers and theaters in your community are run by real people who view you as a person. They are happy to see you and happy to share their talent with you. You are a name, a face, and a personality that matters. When you support them financially, you are supporting an individual with bills, just like you. You are sharing a special moment with them by being present for something that is happening in real time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They have practiced and prepared in hopes that you come, so that they may share with you a joy and talent they have.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a spark and dangerous charm to live entertainment. It\u2019s real. The possibility that something could go wrong, the fear that it will be bad, but especially the excitement when it\u2019s amazing. We live in a time consumed by <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/retromaniapopcul0000reyn\">Retromania<\/a>, constantly consumed with a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/english.elpais.com\/lifestyle\/2023-10-14\/modern-nostalgia-why-do-young-people-ache-for-a-past-they-never-lived.html\">not so distant past<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Instead of waxing poetic about the way \u201cthings used to be\u201d or bemoaning your screen time reports, take initiative and see what live events you have in your neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p><em>Deven Mello <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Devon has been a member of The Bit Players since 2010, joining when he was 15 years old and currently serves as the Musical and Artistic Director of The Firehouse Theater.<\/em><\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<section id=\"block-781\" class=\"below-content widget widget_block\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-692a8c2d59ad7dbc1fcca9d6334f8393\">More from What&#8217;sUpNewp<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-740\" class=\"below-content widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles is-style-borders wpnbha show-image image-alignleft ts-3 is-2 is-landscape is-style-borders has-text-align-left has-more-button\" style=\"\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"wp-block-button__link\" data-next=\"https:\/\/whatsupnewp.com\/wp-json\/newspack-blocks\/v1\/articles?className=is-style-borders&amp;showExcerpt=0&amp;readMoreLabel=Read%20More&amp;moreButton=1&amp;showAvatar=0&amp;columns=2&amp;colGap=1&amp;postsToShow=5&amp;mediaPosition=left&amp;categoryExclusions%5B0%5D=1503&amp;typeScale=3&amp;imageScale=2&amp;showSubtitle=1&amp;showFullContent=0&amp;excerptLength=55&amp;showReadMore=0&amp;infiniteScroll=0&amp;showDate=1&amp;showImage=1&amp;showCaption=0&amp;showCredit=0&amp;disableImageLazyLoad=0&amp;fetchPriority&amp;imageShape=landscape&amp;minHeight=0&amp;moreButtonText&amp;showAuthor=1&amp;showCategory=0&amp;postLayout=list&amp;&amp;&amp;categoryJoinType=or&amp;includeSubcategories=1&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;mobileStack=0&amp;sectionHeader&amp;specificMode=0&amp;textColor&amp;customTextColor&amp;singleMode=0&amp;postType%5B0%5D=post&amp;textAlign=left&amp;includedPostStatuses%5B0%5D=publish&amp;deduplicate=1&amp;page=2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"label\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tLoad more posts\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"loading\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"error\">\n\t\t\t\tSomething went wrong. Please refresh the page and\/or try again.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source whatsupnewp.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This isn\u2019t to add commentary to an already overflowing conversation about the ethics of TikTok. This isn\u2019t to say that electronic media is evil, certainly not when I am using modern technology to write this all down.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t an admonishment of the \u201cbrain rot\u201d era that some say we live in. This isn\u2019t commentary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2093703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2093702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Letter-to-the-Editor-In-defense-of-live-entertainment.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2093702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2093702"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2093702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2093704,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2093702\/revisions\/2093704"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2093703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2093702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2093702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2093702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}