lily_lxndr
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EARLY ACCESS: Everything Is Sludge: Art in the Post-Human Era
🕑 Added 2023-04-12 03:14:07 +0000 UTCMy new video is about content sludge, the surreal TikTok genre where several unrelated videos are played side-by-side.
"These videos have gained a reputation for being creatively bankrupt, incredibly overwhelming, and Almost impossible to look away from. Sludge videos flood people’s feeds and rack up millions of views, because as disdained as they are, they’re also incredibly easy to watch."
How did a genre that everyone hates take over the world?
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I learned a lot making this one. It's very visibly DIY for that reason – projection is complicated – but I hope that adds to the charm?
Let me know what you think <3 Wide release later this week.
Comments
Lily Alexandre
omg, a cool slam poet, that's so sweet! thanks for this comment – i'm glad it was cathartic and not *just* a huge bummer
Kennedyyy
As someone who makes slightly bad music, and whoms’t is already very conscious of my media diet, this video was like a cool slam poet being angry about capitalism, which was cathartic and comforting. Algorithms often make me feel like I can’t get anywhere if my art is not “digestible” But this video felt reassuring, thank you for being uplifting but please just never let me down, or run around…and desert me. <3
biquinary
I'm interested by "this kind of behaviour creeping into [one's] speech", it's not something I ever noticed. Are there a few examples you'd be willing to share?
Alice
Sorry to hear that, Lily. I’ve had it for 6 months and am still figuring out how best to cope with things. I’m glad I can work online and stay in touch with friends.
Lily Alexandre
Thanks Alejandro, I always love hearing what you think of my topics! That's a good point about the people sneaking in bad takes – I don't know how effective it'll be as a propaganda tool. I know personally, just being AROUND certain beliefs can sway me in ways I don't like, which makes me worry at least a little about the Manosphere sludge I've seen going around.
Lily Alexandre
Thank you, Alice :) I'm glad you bring up COVID's long-term effects, because I feel the same, actually. I first caught it about a year ago, and since then, I've been able to tolerate a lot less cognitive load (among a couple long-term effects). It's not much fun, but it *has* weirdly made it easier to detox from social media.
Alice
Great video, Lily! I used to always play Freecell while I watched videos, but I quit once I got long COVID. I have chronic fatigue, so cutting out all types of video games and focusing on doing one at a time feels like it takes less mental energy and helps me relax. I hope I can keep the habit once I get well.
Alejandro Hernandez
charming and cogent, as always <3 love how you deconstructed the sludge as formulaic. its so baffling that such empty content has flooded apps described as being for content creators but actually designed for whatever holds our attention. and the backlash feels slightly ironic considering its just centralizing attention-driven behavior that we do anyway (earlier today i was reading a book and playing music and petting my dog and i barely remember the message of what i read) i wonder then how worried we ought to be of people “sneaking” unsavory opinions into our feed in this format, like isn’t the point of content sludge that you never truly absorb the substance of any one piece? also, idk if anyone can relate but ive been noticing this kind of behavior creeping into my speech as well
