31 years ago, millions sat in front of their televisions and watched the 13 minute long spectacular that was Thriller. Since then, millions more have experienced one of the most important artistic works in history. In 2009, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant, the first music video to ever receive this honor. What made Thriller a phenomenon was not simply its artistic merit. What made Thriller a phenomenon was that we let it be. As Livingston writes, "rituals are found in every human community and are a primary means of social communication and cohesion" (98).
Today, Thriller would be nothing. Thriller would rot away in the depths of YouTube as many other works have, not because technology has advanced or because people are more talented than Michael Jackson, but because we as a society have a changing collective culture. Despite this change, the vast number of media outlets have increased the accessibility of a wealth of talent. The result is a culture that has more musical artists to be fanatics of.
However this dynamic is still influences our perception of media and talent. In the past, it was to the mainstream media; radio, television, and movies that would inform how american cultural rituals were performed. Music was pushed in various forms to maintain the power of rituals as a means of social communication and cohesion. However, we have been taught of the manufactured media. We have learned of the seemingly unauthentic nature of mainstream media which has damaged our perception of it. This conflict raises the question if growing cynicism will mark the stark decline of musical religiosity? Moreover, does that limit the possibility of there ever being another Thriller?
