Attention competition by the late 1950s rivaled the penny-press frenzy of the 1830s
Evidence
The quiz show war typifies what had become of attention industries by the late 1950s: competition had taken on an intensity and anxiousness not seen since the penny papers of the 1830s. It must have made one yearn for the relative gentleness of the old radio days, with their mushy ratings, limited advertising, and smaller revenues for broadcasters and advertising firms. A show did not need to prove itself definitively so much as contribute generally to the network’s lineup and make the affiliates happy. It was a lower-pressure environment, like a school where every child is average. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 487
Categorization
- XREF: Directly echoes the penny press escalation covered earlier in the book (chapters on 1830s penny papers), making this a natural callback. — connects to: Blogging competition reproduced 1830s penny-press dynamics favoring lurid content — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 968; Competition among attention merchants drives content to ever more lurid extremes. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 49; The 1830s penny press sensationalized connections between crime, Blackness, and poverty — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The…, 451 (+1 more)
- QUESTION: What exactly made 1830s penny-paper competition the same genus as 1950s quiz wars? What structural features did the two share beyond intensity?
Broader Connections
- Blogging competition reproduced 1830s penny-press dynamics favoring lurid content
#corroborates(0.85) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 968 - The 1830s penny press sensationalized connections between crime, Blackness, and poverty
#expands(0.85) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 451 - Competition among attention merchants drives content to ever more lurid extremes.
#complicates(0.75) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 49 - The attention economy predates digital technology by 150 years
#qualifies(0.75) — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 62