2022-07-14
I apologize for any generaliztions made. These are all my own opinions and influenced only by my own taste and choices. If you don't see your favorite X, dont get angry at me. I enjoy content outside the categories I have mentioned and if you think your X is good, I have nothing against it.
Every media form should have a purpose. And there should be features unique to each of them. A piece of media, that takes advantage of the full features of its genre, will most of the times outshine those who try to fill in many shoes at once.
Books allow the most freedom to its consumers. They can make the reader imagine their own world. A single book can be perceived in a lot of ways - that are different to each other - by different people. It does what other media can not due to fundamental limitations. That's why some people can put endless hours in them without getting bored and some even declare it to be the best source of entertainment. That is up for a debate. But it is certain that, unlike other media, the consumer is not constrained by only taking in what the creator shows them. Instead, they can uncover the world themselves and put their imagination on top of it.
What unique experience does music provide? Well, everything. Auditory pleasure releases dopamine, which in turn makes us happy. You can not understand the lyrics or motive behind the song and still jam out to the tunes. Experts say, music represents our state of mind.
A short rant. I think there should be enough care and proper accredetition for technicality. It is not bad to follow the norm and being different just for the sake of being different is not a good move either, but if a song sounds fundamentally the same as 100 other songs with the same concepts being reused over and over again people are not going to remember something about it. This is a big reason why 4-chord modern pops are so unrememberable and sound similar. And in my opinion, a lot of the songs today also have lost their lyrical value, exploring the same themes repetitively. So why would someone listen to it, if it does not have anything unique to offer in terms of both composition and lyrics. Again, there is not anything wrong with being in a flock, but if the flock is big enough, each sheep will lose its individuality. And for the listeners, I don't think it is ignorant to like a song that is an umpteenth variation of just another one — I also have songs in my playlist that have some lazy composition with forced lyrics and repetitive music — but it is on the listeners to appreciate what takes effort. Ultimately, they play a significant role in the turns the normal music wave takes. I always take an interest when an artist tries to do something progressive, not for the sake of just standing out, because it is fun and it shows personality and most importantly, as once said by one of internet's favorite musicians, there is no wrong note.
Since the early days, television has represented the cultures of their decade/era. They, to some degree, achieve what books do albeit being limited by the imagination of the director. But when done right, they let the viewers to look through someone else's lens. And however crude it sounds, there are people with greater imagination potential and allowing them to present themselves puts a great amount of thought in the regular human's mind. They also offer the opportunity of showing technical skills unlike any other listed here. Cinematography techniques have come a long away and directors have proved it possible to convey narrative and emotions through them. The craft of using the camera and its surroundings to manipulate human attention and focus has been a tremendous success in forming what some might call the best form of entertainment.
The most noticeable characteristic for video games is the amount of interactivity with the media it allows. All the other media forms listed here are one-way routes making video games the only one to let the consumer impact the piece by letting them play a role. It leads to greater immersion end engagement. The offer a freedom to consumers similar to the books and can leverage the cinematic techniques of television (to a certain degree). And it is possible to visualize the impossible in a video game, unlike films. It gives a sense of affiliation and inclusion to the player, either by involving them in the narrative, or building a world surrounding them, allowing for some lifelong memories.
It is indeed phenomenal (and praiseworthy) when a creative piece tries to blend in multiple entertainment forms to provide something different, when done right. But it is very hard to get it so. And when it is not possible to collaborate with a different media, at least try to keep it so that you don't butcher the identity inherited from your own.