Understanding culture. Exploring change. Evolving together.
Screen culture, public personas, and the creative industries.
Amazon MGM's Verity, released 2 October, debuted at No. 1 with $62.6 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, crossed $114.4 million in two weekends — and dropped 62.5% domestically in its second frame. Critics gave it 34%. Audiences came anyway.
Paramount Street Fighter opened at No. 1 with 31 million dollars in North America and 51.1 million worldwide - a franchise record that still trails Mortal Kombat II and leaves an 82 million dollar budget to earn back.
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's You Can See Everything, a 174-minute documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, opened to 15 million dollars from just 855 theaters — the second-biggest documentary debut in box office history, behind only Fahrenheit 9/11.
On 21 March 2006, Bravo premiered a docu-series about five women — Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Lauri Waring — living behind the gates of Coto de Caza, California. The whole season ran eight episodes; the premiere drew 430,000 viewers. Nothing about it suggested a franchise.
Here's the plan. Evolving Humanities is starting a review series on reality television: the shows, past to present, taken one episode at a time. First up is The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, every episode from the 2020 premiere onward, with the details attached — air dates, casts, how each episode came to be, what audiences made of it, and what the people on screen are actually doing to each other.
Whitney confides in Heather, Bronwyn introduces Brandon, and Lisa and Meredith perform a diss track at her own party. RHOSLC Season 7, Episode 5.
Britani digs into Bronwyn's property records, Angie confides in Heather about her marriage, and the talking stick is not a stick. RHOSLC Season 7, Episode 4.
A private story about a toothbrush becomes dinner entertainment in San Francisco, and Ashley learns what her oldest friendship is worth. RHOSLC Season 7, Episode 3.
A camera can record a real response inside a situation built for an audience.
A famous person’s account can illuminate a life while leaving other participants outside the frame.
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