Rapid stylistic succession defined 20th-century culture but halted after 2000

Evidence

Compare this to the explosion of cultural invention during the first twenty-five years of the twentieth century: Avant-garde movements such as fauvism, cubism, futurism, expressionism, Dada, de Stijl, and surrealism expanded the definition of art. Later in the century, stylistic change remained a core part of pop music: Punk supplanted prog rock, rap buried funk, and alternative conquered hair metal and synth pop. And all these radical forms possessed enough depth to still inspire us today. … Since the turn of the century, this rapid progression has slowed. Box office hits are almost exclusively reboots or sequels, from endless Star Wars retreads to countless incarnations of Spider-Man and Batman. The most notable music acts of 2006—and 2024—included Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Unlike previous decades, the 2000s produced few distinct styles. The decade even failed to take on a canonical name: It’s sometimes called the “aughts,” sometimes the “noughties.” The 2010s fared no better. In the words of philosopher Franco Berardi, there has been a “slow cancellation of the future.” — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 16

Categorization

• XREF: This four-period structure — twentieth-century succession versus post-2000 stagnation — is the backbone Marx builds his whole argument on, and the reader must trace it to rebut it. — connects to: Cultural output has exploded enormously since the mid-twentieth century. — David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity: An…, 1830; Sebald’s writing style deliberately erases 20th-century formal developments — Mark Fisher, Ghosts of My Life: Writings on…, 505