Why Mainstream Sucks

[UserNameGoesHere]

Originally Posted by Syhto

wtf is mainstream

Mainstream is basically business marketability. The more marketable something is -- i.e. the broader or larger the target audience, the more mainstream it is. So you basically have mainstream as opposed to niche targets and a spectrum of what it means to be mainstream, which is why two people may differ on if a particular thing is mainstream or not.

Examples of things which are incredibly mainstream: Facebook, Windows, McDonalds, The Beatles

Examples of things which are pretty mainstream: MySpace, Macintosh, Hardees, Aerosmith

Examples of things which are borderline mainstream: Google+, Linux, Firehouse Subs, Marilyn Manson

Examples of things which aren't mainstream: <any private forum/BBS/etc>, <any experimental OS>, <any local niche eatery>, <any uncommonly heard-of artist/band>

[rushyrulz]

This is the most hipster thread..

[04im]

bad thread, really bad thread

[Xiz]

I think hipsters hating mainstream stuff is too mainstream so I like mainstream stuff to be ironic.

[Choofers]

Originally Posted by UserNameGoesHere

Mainstream is basically business marketability. The more marketable something is -- i.e. the broader or larger the target audience, the more mainstream it is. So you basically have mainstream as opposed to niche targets and a spectrum of what it means to be mainstream, which is why two people may differ on if a particular thing is mainstream or not.

Examples of things which are incredibly mainstream: Facebook, Windows, McDonalds, The Beatles

Examples of things which are pretty mainstream: MySpace, Macintosh, Hardees, Aerosmith

Examples of things which are borderline mainstream: Google+, Linux, Firehouse Subs, Marilyn Manson

Examples of things which aren't mainstream: <any private forum/BBS/etc>, <any experimental OS>, <any local niche eatery>, <any uncommonly heard-of artist/band>

this thread just got so much better

[Cavernio]

I don't think mainstream is always boring because it caters to everyone. Mainstream is boring because it's always 1 step behind what's actually interesting.

Whatever the next mainstream will be, it's currently a subculture. By the time that subculture reaches enough popularity, the people who first liked or created it are seeking something new. However, what ends up becoming popular is often not quite like the original subculture, in which case it usually brings in elements of the most recently mainstream ideas, which I suppose means it's trying to cater to as many people as possible.

There's also differences between things like mainstream music compared to mainstream movies or tv shows or fashion. Music changes mainstreamness much quicker than anything else it seems, probably because a song is only 5 minutes, and a focussed song writer can bang out a tune in a day. Fashion changes with clothing, and of course, as young people grow faster and as they begin to have autonomy with what they wear, fashion for teenagers changes much faster than fashion for 80 year olds, who, by and large, have been the same size and shape for a very long time.

Movies and tv shows, well, this sort of media I'm not sure follows the same general mainstream curve, mainly because it takes a huge amount of time, effort and money from a lot of people to create something. And a lot fewer people create movies and tv shows compared to writing a song and, well, everyone wears clothes even if they don't make their outfits entirely by themselves.

There's precedence for liking mainstream that lies in psychology. The more you are exposed to something, the more you like it. This has found to be true for so many different things, from music to art, etc. A follow up that I think makes a lot of sense, that at some point you'll start to dislike something due to overexposure to it, hasn't really been studied, at least as far as I know. I've only read a study or 2 about music regarding that.

[Snowcrafta]

You'll rebel to anything (as long as its not difficult)

Being mainstream is the shit

[04im]

i laughed when linux was on borderline mainstream

[AlexDest]

Originally Posted by UserNameGoesHere

Mainstream is basically business marketability. The more marketable something is -- i.e. the broader or larger the target audience, the more mainstream it is. So you basically have mainstream as opposed to niche targets and a spectrum of what it means to be mainstream, which is why two people may differ on if a particular thing is mainstream or not.

Examples of things which are incredibly mainstream: Facebook, Windows, McDonalds, The Beatles

Examples of things which are pretty mainstream: MySpace, Macintosh, Hardees, Aerosmith

Examples of things which are borderline mainstream: Google+, Linux, Firehouse Subs, Marilyn Manson

Examples of things which aren't mainstream: <any private forum/BBS/etc>, <any experimental OS>, <any local niche eatery>, <any uncommonly heard-of artist/band>

way to go dude A+

[Zageron]

What's with all the assholery?

[FFR4EVA_00]

to that one chick at an who was confused about me not going on chit chat:
this is why

[Pseudo Enigma]

being hipster is so mainstream.

[Spenner]

So you say more successful business/advertising models = mainstream to a point?

Also I'm wondering if you abide by the rule of not partaking in that which is mainstream. Do you consistently avoid it for the fact that there is a stigma of it being liked blindly/mindlessly that stops you from enjoying it?

I try to make every decision about every business/material object/activity based on my own observations and I don't rely on what the societal view of it is to shape my own. I like some things which happen to be mainstream, some things which happen to be "hipster", so what? As long as I'm rationally deciding on my own it doesn't really matter. If I'm mindlessly indulging in something that I know is hipster just because I want to be niche then that's dumb. If I want to indulge in something just because I know it's popular/other people like it, that's also dumb.

Don't blindly fight the flow of the mainstream, or float down it aimlessly, but paddle your own boat the way you see fit.

[Ohaider]

It's funny cause a majority of hipsters don't adapt to the characteristics that make up a hipster on their own. They do it when and because they see their friends doing it

[04im]

UserNameGoesHere u have my little pony as ur avatar

wat do u have to say in defense of your mainstream cartoon avatar

[Charu]

Mainstream is too mainstream for me.

Snivy forever bitches.

But really, mainstream is just a word people throw out when they feel something has gotten too popular because of the mass amounts of people liking one particular thing. I guess you can say mainstream sucks because the very word and meaning of it is ridiculed by thousands.

Lets use video games as an example of mainstream. Halo, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect. All names I'm sure many know very well because of the mass popularity of them thanks to marketing and advertisements everywhere. Every single one of those names is classified by many as "mainstream". What does this mean? Could mean a lot of things according to how people view mainstream products.

Yet here's the kicker. Each one of those names have an audience that hate the other names. These are the people I guess is what you would described as "sub-culture". They don't like what those other names have to offer, even if they have no given it a chance.

...

Why am I rambling about this? Dohoho...

[Mike Weedmark]

Every single one of those names is classified by many as "mainstream". What does this mean?

It means they appeal to the lowest common denominator gamer to reel in the number of sales they need to make the massive production and marketing cost economical. They're not necessarily bad, but they're generic, and most people consider things "better" that are more tailor made for them.

[Spenner]

Because it's the thread to ramble about this in.

The names of the games have been built up and branded to a point where, they are not going to try anything too drastic anymore. They want to build revenue now, but also deliver what people know as the "halo experience" with improvements/additions that don't risk hurting their demographic and sales numbers. They have to be more careful and deliver pretty well the same thing over and over again to satisfy their market. I suppose I wouldn't blame them entirely, if it's making them lots of money. That's why most studios will start smaller projects on the side to test out what they really would want in a game that isn't really risking them losing a lot.

Valve on the other hand has done the opposite and built up a fanbase and subsequent revenue based on the intense changes in direction and improvements that are not all of the same flavour. Dey good.

I usually love indie games not because they're niche and less mainstream but because they try interesting things that most people wouldn't want to commit to if they were in a bigger studio. It's nice to see some new concepts brewed that aren't generic shooters.

[iironiic]

I don't really understand the point of this thread in all honesty, but with the points that you have mentioned about mainstream, I agree that one should like something for their own personal reasons (and similarly hate something for the same reasons), regardless if that something is considered mainstream or not.

However, you can't force this viewpoint on others. There will always be someone who likes "mainstream" mainly because of the pressure exhibited in many forms (media, social, peer, etc.) It is their choice to identify what they like for whatever reason. If someone likes Lady Gaga or PSY, just because they are mainstream, then so be it.

[xVaLoRx]

breathing is too mainstream