The 21st Show

The Streaming Wars; The End of The ‘9 to 5’ Work Day; Discrimination In Dating Apps; Handwritten Gettysburg Address On Display

By Gwen Macsai, Anna Casey, Libby Foster and Alan Montecillo
 

Disney Plus says it hit more than 10 million sign-ups on its first day of launch, far exceeding expectations. Steven Senne/AP

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Roughly 60% of Americans use a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon to watch their favorite shows. With huge newcomers like Disney+ joining the competition we’ll ask where streaming stands and where it’s headed. Plus, working 9 to 5 is becoming a thing of the past as our work schedules become longer and more unpredictable. We’ll talk about the negative impact of going without down time. Also, on dating apps, it’s not uncommon for LGBT people, and especially people of color, to be on the receiving end of someone’s racial and sexual prejudices. And, more than 150 years ago Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. And for just two weeks, the Lincoln Museum is displaying one of the few handwritten copies in existence.

Streaming Service Wars

Roughly 6 in 10 American adults subscribe to at least one streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. With little or no commercials, a cheaper price tag than cable, and more flexibility in where and how you watch, it’s easy to see how this industry has taken off.

Today there are more than a half-dozen major streaming services, and many smaller ones available for your viewing pleasure. Last week, Disney+ became the latest service to enter the streaming game. 

People were excited for everything from Pixar, Marvel and Disney titles to new original content like the Star Wars TV series “The Mandalorian”. And in the first 24 hours, the platform brought in more than 10 million customers. 

But, with all of these streaming options to choose from, and even more coming in the next few years, is it possible we might have too much of a good thing? 

We brought in two experts to help us answer that question. Erik Adams is the AV Club’s Managing Editor and Jen Chaney is a TV Critic for Vulture.

The End of The '9 to 5' Work Day

Thanksgiving is coming up next week, and hopefully that means some time away from work. For many Americans, though, holidays can be just another work day, as the hours we work become longer and our schedules more unpredictable. Thanks to technology and automated scheduling, the “9 to 5” workday is becoming a thing of the past. 

This is especially true for low-income and hourly workers. Emily Guendelsberger is a journalist and the author of “On The Clock: What Low Wage Work Did To Me and How It Drives America.”

It’s not just hourly workers who are affected by unpredictable scheduling, this is happening across occupations in Illinois. That’s according to research from Bob Bruno, professor and director of the U of I Labor Education Program in Chicago. 

And Judith Shulevitz is the author of The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time and wrote a piece for the November issue of Atlantic magazine called “Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore.” 

Discrimination In Dating Apps

For decades, gay bars were safer spaces for the queer community in America. They offered places where people could meet each other without having to worry as much about stigma and discrimination against same-sex relationships.

And for years the same was true for dating websites and apps. Before Tinder became mainstream for straight people there were websites like Grindr and others.

But the internet in 2019 is not a safe place. Anyone can get bombarded with personal insults, hate, and even death threats. And on dating apps, it’s not uncommon for LGBT people, and especially people of color, to be on the receiving end of someone’s racial and sexual prejudices. 

Ryan Wade has been studying this phenomenon, especially as it relates to the experiences of gay and bisexual black men. He is an assistant professor of social work at the University of Illinois. 

Gettysburg Address On Display

156 years ago this week, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech to dedicate the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. It was just 275 words long and lasted for about three minutes.

The rest is history, of course. The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in America. And the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is displaying one of the last remaining handwritten copies of the speech.

Ian Hunt is director of acquisitions at the Lincoln Library and Museum. 

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