Algorithms and Nostalgia Take Us Back

After a segment of netizens (a neologism for internet users) expressed doubt that the romantic relationship between Hollywood favorites of the older generation Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson is merely a marketing trick to boost ticket sales for the reboot of the popular comedy ‘Naked Gun’ in which the duo stars, the promotion for yet another new/old comedy ‘Rose’s War’ began. Although, and we can bet on this, the new British version of the 1989 box office hit featuring Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead roles will not be spiced up with gossip from the actors’ private lives as is the case with ‘Gun’, it will capture the same nostalgic audience eager for classic comedy, familiar characters, and a proven story.

But that’s not all. For those who find these two summer titles insufficient, they will also be able to watch ‘Freaky Friday’, the second part of the comedy from the early millennium in which the incomparable Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan play mother and daughter. These three titles released in just a few months are recent evidence that the film industry has been tirelessly reaching into its own archive lately. However, recycling is not reserved solely for Hollywood – the same logic drives other creative industries (including the Ustaše-Communist narrative in the domestic ether, but that is not the topic now). Musicians ‘sample’ old hits and sell their albums on vinyl, a medium that achieves record sales; in fashion, premium and mainstream brands (let’s just remember the collaboration between Miu Miu and New Balance) are revitalizing retro models, and in the world of marketing, brands are rediscovering the power of nostalgia, returning to old logos, packaging design, and storytelling, as evidenced by the ‘scandalous’ advertisement for jeans featuring Sydney Sweeney that evokes the aesthetics of famous Calvin Klein campaigns with Brooke Shields.

Those who think this is a form of cognitive laziness will be right, but things should not be viewed so unilaterally because this modern recycling has nuances or, better said, laziness is just one of the causes. The same patterns that repeat in film, music, literature, video games, wardrobes, and many other forms of human activity are the result of market logic, algorithms, and audience psychology.

The Tentpole Phenomenon

The best illustration of market logic is the film industry. Huge American studios, money factories, have recently played more aggressively on the tentpole film card, which, like a tent, gathers the widest audience (young, old, women, men) and earns enormous sums of money with which these studios can finance less commercial projects; they become their pole. Since millions are at stake, it is in the studios’ interest to minimize risk and revenue fluctuation. This is where tried-and-true formulas come into play, namely brands, characters, franchises, and stories that people already know and love, such as the team from Marvel hits, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Harry Potter’, or beloved comedies, from, say, ‘The Hangover’ to comedies from the beginning of the story. Streaming services, primarily the giant Netflix, have also joined this story of recycling (film and television) content, which has accepted both tentpole logic and algorithmic logic. It is well known that services like it have a vast database of viewers, so it is not surprising that they do not use it in the most lucrative ways possible for themselves. In addition to a hyper-personalized interface and services they offer users, they create content using algorithms. The Guardian recently wrote about this transformation of streaming services, specifically Netflix, where screenwriters create content, but artificial intelligence partially suggests what it will be.

Algorithm is King

Screenwriters working with Netflix revealed to the Nplusonemag (n+1) portal that they often receive the instruction: ‘Let this character explain what they are doing so that viewers who have the content running in the background can follow along.’ In other words, films and series based on algorithms (and AI data) often rely on a clear story to attract the attention of viewers who watch them with distractions or occasionally. The dialogue is full of exposition, and this is no longer a screenwriting misfire; the plot may be tense, but it is understandable. Services prioritize retaining subscribers over artistic quality. Netflix, specifically, thus encourages what they call casual viewing, superficial watching that results in generic, forgettable films and series created for a broad audience. In addition to helping create content, platforms like Netflix, as well as Spotify and YouTube, push content that has the highest chances of being clicked on and watched. Research such as A/B testing, which content producers (film, music, digital, etc.) also use, has shown that what is familiar attracts more clicks, whether it is a favorite actor, a well-known franchise, or a song from childhood. Therefore, an equality sign is placed between familiarity and lower risk, which again supports the market logic of the culture of recycling, the flood of remakes of every kind.

The Power of Nostalgia

To the question of why people click on the familiar, the answer must be sought in human psychology. Namely, because of things that are familiar and, even better, that evoke a sense of nostalgia, consumers are less anxious, more socially connected, and more inclined to optimism. Nostalgia, as an emotional state of recalling past moments, usually carries with it a feeling of warmth, security, even when tinged with a slightly melancholic longing for the past (often seen as a more beautiful and simpler time from today’s perspective). Additionally, research has shown that it activates the comfort zone, feelings of safety and comfort, and it is precisely at these times that consumers are more willing to purchase a particular product or content. Besides benefiting the sellers of that content or product, it also suits buyers, especially in uncertain times when nostalgia can dispel dark, anxious thoughts. This psychological factor, therefore, along with the aforementioned economic logic of maximizing profit with minimal risk and algorithms (and a grain of laziness) drives recycling in many industries. The film logic of tentpoles can thus easily explain recycling in, for example, the fashion industry, where little risk is taken, and more is recycled, launching familiar items that consumers expect from the brand. In the music industry, this is reflected in the vinyl boom, but also in the omnipresence of old samples in new hits, reunion tours (Oasis, and even Thompson) and album reissues. In literature, it has also become popular in recent years to publish titles in multiple installments or retell (familiar) stories and myths. The marketing industry, of course, has its horses in this race as well, so besides ‘hooking’ onto pop culture hits and franchises, it offers the familiar through campaigns, products, and visuals, like Pepsi, which two years ago returned a visual identity inspired by the 90s. In this age of recycling, we can only hope that through this noise, originals will break through, as this will not only confirm creative fervor, passion, and innovation but also indicate that we do not need nostalgia, so to speak; we feel secure and comfortable enough, and with enough optimism looking forward that returning to the old simply – is not necessary.