The Cave #7
This week, we’re discussing the latest analysis and lols from the campaign trail, Cory Booker, and content scarcity.
So on that note, let’s get on with it.
Comms
Speech therapy
The Cave is now an unapologetic Cory Booker fanzine.
The US lawmaker broke the record for longest speech ever by a lone senator, clocking in at an incredible 25 hours and 5 minutes. Booker, who fasted and dehydrated himself in preparation, undertook his marathon effort to draw attention to the “grave and urgent danger” of President Trump.
While few would have watched the whole speech, lots watched some of it. Booker’s own livestream had more than 76,000 views, AP's stream had over 156,000 views, and another on X had more than 879,000.
It’s a welcome return to the spotlight for a form of communication that’s become a little disregarded in an era where people’s eyeballs are easily reachable, but their thumbs are hard to stop.
Speechwriting is a distinct form, the dexterous artistry of building an argument, paragraph after paragraph, balancing accessibility with a perfectly crafted line that resonates through history. Think “the fierce urgency of now”, “ask not what your country can do for you”, or “I will not”.
It’s a delight that Booker has reignited the art, even for a (literal) day. In doing so, he may also have demonstrated that speeches can drive real impact, even in the age of short form video.
Culture
All You Need Is Lo…ads of Content
Mark your calendars. In April 2028 the “first binge-able theatrical experience” will land in the form of four different biopics of The Beatles.
Beyond a fair amount of curiosity about the scouse accents of the four leads (none of whom are from Liverpool), it’s also the latest demonstration of volume as a competitive advantage.
Franchise expansion has seen Star Wars, Marvel, John Wick, Harry Potter, and countless others swell from initial stories to sprawling universes across formats and platforms.
All signs point to James Bond being next to receive this treatment, with Amazon MGM taking full creative control. We’re thinking of pitching an office-based mockumentary starring Miss Moneypenny and other Mi6 assistants. It’s called The Secretarial Service. Please don’t unsubscribe.
This week also saw stars from The Last of Us and White Lotus congregate in Sydney to help launch Max, while Marvel spent almost six hours unveiling 27 cast members for Avengers: Doomsday.
How to compete in the attention economy isn’t new, and presumably, studios have data that shows abundance is a winner.
But perhaps we need to think a little more about the ‘economy’ part of the attention economy.
It's basic macroeconomic theory that scarcity helps drive up demand (and price). While we typically think of audience time as the scarce resource, should we consider content in the same way?
The success of shows like Severance (three years between seasons) and films like Avatar (13 years between movies) demonstrate the power of paucity.
Regardless of its merits, less content isn’t happening soon. Not with 6 seasons and a movie of The Secretarial Service to make.
(Campaign) Curiosities
From Return to Office to Working from Kirribilli House
What a first week of the federal election campaign it’s been - the RBA held rates, Trump enacted Liberation Day, and April Fool’s Day kept things interesting. But everyone’s made it through (mostly) unscathed.
It’s the election of millennials, zoomers, and new platforms, as we are reminded every single day.
The Liberals have embraced TikTok to tell young people that Labor is ‘mid’, while Albo has countered with a podcast blitz, and dares (“delulu with no solulu”) in a bid to win over the mystical youth.
Meanwhile, Scott Yung, the Liberal candidate for Bennelong, partnered with Chinese-language influencers on Rednote. This meets the promise of a niche, rather than just new media, with Yung engaging directly with the one-third of his electorate who have Chinese ancestry.
It all presents a challenge for regulators, with Rednote under fire for spreading false claims on Chinese Australians and citizenship and the Electoral Commission reviewing whether Abbie Chatfield posts should be classified as political content. Making new rules may turn out to be as important as making new content.
Campaign Clangers
The campaign trail is long, relentless, and overstimulating - all with a travelling press gallery that’s akin to a hangry toddler demanding answers to the universe. Thankfully, this can lead to a bit of a laugh.
The Prime Minister got a little tongue tied after being asked “385 times” about a potential deal with the Greens, declaring “If you ask me 'Do you rule out governing in coalition with the Greens?', the answer to that is no.” Maybe 386th time's the charm?
Opposition leader Peter Dutton was accused of measuring the curtains before he’d closed the deal with the Australian public, proudly declaring he would rather live in Kirribilli House than The Lodge. In fairness, same.
Independent candidate Nicolette Boele was in hot water after jokingly complimenting a hair wash by saying “that was amazing and I didn’t even have sex with you.” Boele must be hoping the old Head and Shoulders tagline ‘You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression’ doesn’t hold true.
Lastly, The Greens floated a new public holiday - National Chill Out Day - on 20th April (4/20). It turned out to be an April Fools’ joke, but we might all need it in a couple of weeks.