For a long time, our entertainment was built on friction. We watched judges verbally destroy teenagers on reality TV. We watched shows where the entire premise was backstabbing, humiliation, and survival of the fittest. We called it a guilty pleasure, but it was really just a reflection of the corporate machine we lived in: dominate or be destroyed.
Lately, I’ve noticed a quiet shift.
Look at the shows that have completely captured the culture over the last few years. Ted Lasso. Schitt’s Creek. Queer Eye.
There is almost zero cruelty in them. They aren't built on humiliation. They are built entirely on radical kindness, acceptance, and people just taking care of each other. Even the talent shows stopped being mean.
This isn't just a Hollywood trend. It’s a diagnosis of the collective nervous system.
We are exhausted. We are so tired of bracing against the world, fighting for status, and defending our egos all day at work that we don't even want to watch other people do it on TV anymore. We just want to sit on the couch and watch people be safe.
The culture is softening because it has to. You can only white-knuckle your way through life for so long before you just want to sit in a quiet room.