How do you transcend?
In many creative fields there are one or two people who are so successful that they look as if they’re playing an entirely different game to everyone else.
For example, in the world of movies James Cameron is the only person who has produced (and written/directed) a film that has grossed over two billion dollars. But he’s done it twice. Over the recent history of film so many very smart people have spent so much money trying to create blockbuster movies that you’d almost expect someone else to have joined him on this list. How come the combined creativity and marketing muscle of Disney/Marvel/Joss Whedon couldn’t get Avengers up there? What about the Lord Of The Rings movies? Or Jurassic World? (by the way, I’m not talking about subjective measures of quality here; just the objective measures of popularity). No one comes close to Cameron, yet so many try.
In the world of pop music Taylor Swift somehow manages to be the only person who produces over a million sales in the first week of her albums’ releases. No one else does it at all – not Beyonce, Drake or Ed Sheeran – and yet she does it over and over again. There are lots of popular artists, why is her success so much greater, so consistently, than all those other smart, talented people?
In the world of books we have J.K. Rowling and E.L. James miles out in front of everyone else.
In U.S. radio, there’s Howard Stern and some other people I’ve never heard of.
In the tech world, there’s Apple, a very large gap, then everyone else.
So how do these people (and Apple) go so far beyond the top of their field?
Is James Cameron such a great reader of the zeitgeist, or human emotions, that he can tap into parts of us the rest cannot? Are Harry Potter and 50 Shades of Grey such amazing stories that they clearly go beyond all the other books in the marketplace? What about Taylor Swift? Is her music so much better than everyone else’s?
I’d argue that this has something to do with perceived quality: Swift’s music is really catchy pop; the technological craft behind Titanic and Avatar was (for its time) incredible; Howard Stern’s interviews are consistently more incisive, perceptive and entertaining than anyone else’s; Apple’s products work better and more reliably than those of its competitors.
But why so far ahead?
Sorry. I think you might be expecting me to answer that question.
I have no idea.
If you do, don’t be shy; that’s what the comments section is for.
Great question. As a fellow Howard Stern fan I can attest to the fact that it was sheer force of personality in his case. I remember him going through excruciating battles with his bosses on terrestrial radio before he found the nirvana of satellite radio. he just would not give up. he had a vision. his 1995 biopic movie was arguably very unwarranted yet it was a huge smash.
Obviously timing and demographics play a part in any phenomenal success.
I can tell you (based on my daughters) that T-Swift is a bit special because unlike her fellow popsters she goes a bit farther to create an inclusive cult around herself. She does a lot of little things that oldsters might not notice. From the special guest stars at all her concerts to the ‘magic bangles’ everyone gets on the way in to her gigs. She’s thinking it through. Like Howard did.
Both were very sensitive to their audiences.
That makes sense.
I feel that Howard just does his thing, and fuck anyone who gets in his way. But it taps into such diverse demographics of the US population. Amazing.
But how do we explain James Cameron and EL James? Is it the name James?
I think there’s only room for one top dog.
Taking into account the massive numbers of people we’re talking about, I think there’s a tendency to think “if I’m only going to see one film / read one book / buy one album, then I’m going to see the biggest blockbuster / read the best seller, buy the triple platinum”
Look at Coke and Pepsi. Basically the same, but Coke is miles in front with around 70% market share to Pepsi’s 25%. It’s the same thinking, if I’m only going to buy one drink, it’s going to be a Coke.
That’s a good point.
I haven’t actually bothered to find out about any other radio hosts in the States. Howard Stern’s position helps him to become even bigger, so perhaps that’s a good example of the effect you mean.
Applying to be the other radio host you know besides Howard Stern.
http://rock947.com/shows/show/scary-terrys-saturday-nightmare/#info
Do you have a podcast?
I think they excel in deep understanding of average and mediocre.
their craft actually never leaves mainstream. they don’t wander off towards extremes. in a Bell curve they stick to the middle.
relentlessly.
Maybe, but Stern and Apple produce truly excellent stuff, and the technical craft produced in a Cameron movie is at the highest level.
And I’d say EL James is on the far left of the bell curve. Maybe Rowling is in the middle.
yes, but that’s the “technical” aspect, not human which is where their genius lies IMHO.
not in terms of craft, but in terms of what majority of people finds fascinating.
JK Rawling is not Dostojevsky.
Cameron is not Kurosawa.
Apple is not DARPA.
while waaaaaaay ahead the latter are still admired by a few.
those you mentioned just know how to take it to the level of average understanding. to me that’s a virtue that is highly undervalued, especially in ad industry.
anyway, hard to explain (not native speaker), great debate, fun to dig into…
they all produce a very marketable and accessible product that is rooted in fundamental needs. Howard is the guy who tells like it really is. JK Rowling re-invented the epic journey saga. James Cameron understood how Hollywood works. He never dawdled in indie movies. He always went for the box office jugular.
This is interesting. We do seem to live in a winner takes all world. A few films account for most box office takings. The mid range stuff is more or less gone. Ditto books. A few musicians make huge amounts of money. The rest struggle to get by.
It’s a situation mirrored by national income inequality. CEOs and start up founders make many millions. Their employees live hand to mouth.