How Hollywood Lost Control of the Attention Economy It Created

Hollywood didn’t just invent stardom, spectacle, or mass entertainment. It invented the attention economy — the same system that’s now threatening to destroy it.

Just a decade or two ago, Hollywood didn’t chase attention. It commanded it. Movie premieres shut down city blocks. A single poster could tease a whole season. Lining up was part of the ritual.

Now? The spectacle is everywhere — and almost none of it sticks.

Long before TikTok turned eye contact into currency — before autoplay dictated bedtimes and influencers monetized breakdowns — Hollywood industrialized the human gaze. It didn’t just tell stories. It engineered obsession. Blockbusters weren’t just entertainment; they were cultural weapons. Gone with the Wind didn’t simply open — it landed like a national event. Jaws