The Medium is the Mutation (Pt. 5): In Conclusion

We have seen how the mode of delivery for an entertainment product is never neutral—it shapes structure, tone, budget, and ultimately the very form of the product itself. From the oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon poetry to the economic scaffolding of Elizabethan theater, from radio drama to Netflix-era wrestling, and from the fall of territorial wrestling to the rise (and possible fall) of record deals, each shift in delivery medium brings with it a shift in creative logic.

Form follows function. And in entertainment, function follows format.

Every delivery platform is a scaffold around which the art builds itself — structurally, economically, and emotionally. New forms emerge not just from creative inspiration but from the incentives, limitations, and opportunities of the distribution mechanism. To ignore that is to misunderstand both the product and its potential.

We are not just watching the evolution of genres — we are witnessing the evolution of delivery itself as genre. And the artists, producers, and companies who understand that—who design not just for story or spectacle but for form + function + format—will be the ones shaping the next age of entertainment, and making money while doing so.