Mono - d'oh!

Becoming a big fan of mono-things. Monotasking. Monoculture. Monorails. Monobrows. Monologues. Monocles. You know.

Monoculture is an agricultural term about growing stuff. Specifically, about the process of growing the same things in the same spot over several years. But monoculture in the pop culture sense refers to everyone watching and experiencing the same things. Back in the days of terrestrial television, we literally had no choice but to sit down in our droves to watch Blind Date. What else are we going to do, talk to each other?

I'd say the closest thing we've had of late is probably the Stranger Things finale. 31.3 million views for that last episode. Chances are, more than one person you know would have watched it within a few days of each other.

But that's small potatoes compared to true monoculture. For example, the series finale of Friends drew 52.5 million viewers on the day it first aired; reaching further back in time, the series finale of M*A* S*H drew a frankly ridiculous 106 million viewers. 106 million! That is almost twice the current population of the United Kingdom. (I know we're a small country but I'm just trying to put it in a context I can visualise. Frankly, visiting London on a regular day makes me feel like I'm surrounded by 106 million people, but then again I'm not very good with crowds.)

This has plunged me face-first into a stupid British television rabbit hole. How many people watched Blind Date, on average? 18.2 million, in it's prime. What about Noel's House Party? 18 million. Imagine that many people all gathering to watch this:

Anyway. Monotasking is another thing I've been thinking about. I'm not very good at focusing on one thing. I like gaming while I'm listening to a podcast or watching a video. I like listening to audio books while I potter around the house. I find it harder to sit still and concentrate on one thing at a time, uninterrupted. I don't think this is a good thing.

I've been trying to fix it. I'm fighting against technology that is designed specifically to distract us. Sometimes I long to go to a silent retreat with no technology, just to see if I could hack it. When I'm at home, the temptation to bombard myself with distractions is always present.

February is over and much of it has been spent in pain. But the days are slowly lengthening. I can feel a little kindling of hope flickering away in me.

A few things I've enjoyed this month:

• I discovered Florence & The Machine's Everybody Scream. It totally overwhelmed me emotionally in the best way. Highlights include: Sympathy Magic, Buckle, Kraken
• I gave Djo a go. (A pleasant little rhyme.) Quite like Lonesome is a State of Mind.
• Do you like mildly unhinged revenge songs about power and status? I do. Mantra by Lauren Mayberry is a little bit delicious.
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage hit me hard. More on that soon!
• But while I'm on the subject, the soundtrack is fantastic. I wish to own it on CD. I might have to burn my own CD instead. Which does feel appropriate.
• We finished the remake of Silent Hill 2. It was excellently done. Dragged a little in parts, but the last third of the game was so good. (And we didn't get the bad ending.)
• Been rewatching Schitt's Creek in honour of Catherine O'Hara. It's just as good the third time around.

I read some really good books. But I still plan on filming a video. I got a new microphone and everything. It is definitely going to happen.

Anyway. It's officially March. The birds are singing. The daffodils are sprouting. I am slowly awakening from hibernation. See you next week <3

The Ghost of Newsletters Past

This Time in 2025: I talk about Stephen King and imagination in Magic vs. Brainrot

This Time in 2024: I talk about photography and the body in Creatures

This Time in 2023: I talk about the existential dread of prolonged eye contact in Eyes Open