Amanda chose death, overwhelmed by a deteriorating condition and mounting financial distress. Her partner, Mike, suffocated her as she delivered an advertisement, a final, chilling act in a system that had consumed her, according to Netflix. Amanda's death reveals the profound cost when individuals cannot meet escalating societal demands.
The pursuit of societal excellence promises improvement and fulfillment, yet it transforms ordinariness into a financial and existential trap. The constant emphasis on progress leaves no room for "a two-star experience," making ordinariness feel like backsliding, notes The New Yorker. The unchecked drive for extraordinary achievement risks crushing the average person, as the commodification of excellence through subscription platforms extracts wealth and health until basic human function becomes impossible, pushing individuals towards a fatal end.
The Crushing Cost of Keeping Up
- The initial subscription for Rivermind costs $300 per month, with a higher tier, Rivermind+, costing an additional $500 per month, according to Netflix.
- As Rivermind's subscription tiers increased, Amanda began to spout commercial advertisements mid-conversation and slept for longer periods, making it impossible for her to work, as shown by Netflix.
- Mike resorted to performing humiliating acts on the internet for money to cover the escalating costs of Rivermind's premium tiers and booster packets, according to Netflix.
The Rivermind example from Netflix reveals 'excellence' as a subscription service to be an extractive mechanism, draining health, wealth, and lives. The dangerous feedback loop, where societal pressure fuels desperate measures rather than genuine improvement, traps individuals in debt and degradation, ultimately commodifying their very existence.
The Illusion of Universal Excellence
Statistically, the extraordinary remains rare, yet an obsession with being great spirals out of control, according to The New Yorker. The fundamental disconnect creates an unattainable ideal. Companies promising 'extraordinary' results through tiered services, like Rivermind's premium tiers, exploit this statistical rarity. They push individuals into a financially unsustainable and fatal pursuit, turning the societal obsession with excellence into an inherently exploitative proposition.
When Ordinariness Becomes a Death Sentence
In a society demanding extraordinary performance without a safety net for the ordinary, the inability to keep up leads to profound suffering and death. The ultimate exploitation is not merely financial; it is the complete commodification of the individual, where even dying moments are co-opted for advertising, stripping dignity and autonomy.
Reclaiming the Value of the Average
If society fails to re-evaluate its relentless pursuit of 'excellence' and acknowledge the inherent value of ordinary lives, it appears likely that more individuals will face similar tragic ends, crushed by an unattainable ideal.
