Arbitrage Andy is Funnier Than Michael Scott

“What happened to all those great network comedies?” a friend observed over dinner a few nights ago. “The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family,” she continued. “I miss those.” She missed that period in the mid-to-late-2000’s when these prominent network comedies defined entertainment at that time, and touched so many people’s hearts.

Almost immediately I related her nostalgia to a broader observation: YouTube happened.

It’s a well-understood phenomenon that YouTube has completely disrupted traditional television programming. Creators can produce high-quality content, on any subject in any style they want, with completely democratized distribution. And while it may be one of the strong contributing factors to the dwindling rates of network television viewership, I believe there is an under-appreciated force at play.

Instagram has completely changed the way people consume humor.

The reason any form of entertainment matters and attracts us is because (1) they allow us to escape from the minutia of our day-to-day lives, and (2) they are relatable.

For a time, TV comedies fulfilled this satisfaction. The Office parodied both the mundane, the absurd, and everything in between in the average American workplace. Modern Family filled a similar place in our hearts, but in the context of family life.

While the subject matter of shows relating the experience of common American archetypes is fairly relatable to almost anyone, the reality is that everyone has interests that are so acute and distinct to them that it’s almost impossible for a widely-distributed network comedy to tap into those interests and needs. This is where Instagram comes in.

There are SO many micro-niche communities on Instagram that satisfy our desire to introduce humor into our lives. Because these accounts are so niche, they become hyper-relatable in a way that’s almost impossible for any piece of legacy media to compete with.

For example, the Instagram account @arbitrage.andy takes the perspective of a young trader whose level of self-centeredness and implied douchebaggery can only be perceived as self-depreciating. Young men (who the account’s content is clearly geared towards) who are familiar with this ecosystem can’t help but observe this ridiculous culture and laugh. To this date, Andy’s gained over 21k followers and has extremely high engagement.

Andy’s success serves as just one example of how such a small niche audience can tackle and express the most unique yet relatable concepts in a way legacy media never can.

In summary, monster media companies can continue to produce high-production quality content with comparatively massive pools of capital, but their process will continually fail to hit the hearts of consumers like Andy and others can. Unless a significant change in strategy is on the way, it’s unlikely that legacy media companies will continue to remain the Goliaths they are for much longer as user attention becomes more fragmented and specific.