The Most "Premium Mediocre" Music, Movies and TV Shows of All Time

Note: Every now and then I like to post stuff that isn’t directly “Cross Current”-type content but it is adjacent. So this post isn’t directly looking at the link between legacy media and new media, but it is still a fun, fluffy piece about media. Enjoy?

As I wrote in my last Substack (and you have no doubt deduced yourself) pop culture is in critical condition thanks to streaming. One benefit of streaming though: looking at the archives of the past. With everything declining nowadays, it is a good time to look at our pop culture history.

Still, there is a bunch of critically acclaimed stuff out there that is meh. Venkatesh Rao created the term “premium mediocre.” I am not sure I am using it the exact same way he intends but hey, I’ll take my chances.

Though these are my picks, I want to see yours. In the comments, give your choices along with your reasoning. Enough lollygagging: let’s get normal, totally fine, whatever’s OK with me.

MUSIC

Robert Plant and Allison Kraus: Their music together inspired this whole list. For years I heard how great their music was together. Then I finally caved the other day thanks to a Spotify recommendation (of course) and it was…fine. It sounded nice. Absolutely nothing revolutionary. To be frank, my life would be the same if I never heard it. Most of the picks below fall into the quintessential Premium Mediocre genre of critically acclaimed country/Americana. If it is country music that you can play around your egghead friends and your parents, you can bet it is premium mediocre.

Emmylou Harris, Wrecking Ball

Jackson Browne, Late For the Sky

Miranda Lambert, Wildcard

Ray LaMontaigne

Mumford and Sons

Foo Fighters

FILM

American Beauty: Chuck Klosterman recently wrote in The Nineties that American Beauty may have had sufficient critical acclaim, but now is notorious for its “ick” factor (older man fantasizing over teenage neighbor, etc.) If you have only consumed and enjoyed media created after 2010, I guess this kind of movie really bothers you. But anyone who has had even a passing interest in literature from the ‘50s and ‘60s will be less shocked than borderline bored with the suburban mediocrity that this film explores. And by “explores” I mean “regurgitates into a more easily digestible form.” Like American Beauty, most of the premium mediocre films below won the Oscar for Best Picture. Which sounds right; not always appearing on “end-of-decade” best of lists, but certainly a distinguished affair.  

Shakespeare in Love

12 Angry Men

Spotlight

12 Years a Slave

Million Dollar Baby

TV

Ozark: Binging Ozark reminds me less of my drug addiction and more of cigarette smoking. I couldn’t get enough, but when it was all over, I can’t tell you that it left me feeling enlightened or even elated. I associate Ozark and Parliament Ultra Lights with stress. This is how it is with most Netflix shows; interesting enough to keep you binging, but never challenging enough to make you wonder what you’re watching. Because wonder can lead to wandering away. All of the premium mediocre peak TV is smart, competent, but it has enough candy coating, so all that binging goes down smoothly. Like Jell-O shots. All buzz, no danger.

The Crown

Justified

Parenthood

Dear White People

Russian Doll

Orange is the New Black