{
  "id": 9839446,
  "title": "Microdramas have officially reached the \"co-opted by politicians\" level of cultural ubiquity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/microdramas-have-officially-reached-the-co-opted-by-politicians-level",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T20:30:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/vertical-microdramas-political-ad-nithya-raman"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microdramas, a form of monetized online video content, have become a prominent aspect of contemporary pop culture. Originating in niche corners of the internet, these shows initially gained traction through social media platforms before transcending into mainstream entertainment. However, they have now reached a point where politicians are incorporating them into their campaigns, as evidenced by Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman's decision to utilize microdramas in her political strategy.\n\nRaman, who has been polling ahead of incumbent Karen Bass in the competitive mayoral race, consulted a supporter who runs a production company specializing in the emerging microdrama genre. Initially, these videos presented soap-opera storylines alongside analyses of Raman's stances on various issues, including public transit and rent stabilization. These microdramas garnered significant success, accumulating 850,000 views prior to the primary election in June.\n\nFor the actual election cycle, Raman's campaign commissioned four new microdramas, featuring the candidate in satirical portrayals of popular films like Mean Girls and The Pitt. These ads also incorporated nods to the film industry, highlighting the importance of the sector during Hollywood's ongoing struggles. As the culture sled continues its descent towards an inevitable collision with relevance, it remains to be seen if other candidates will adopt this unique campaign tactic before it loses its novelty.",
  "summary": "The addictive vertical video format is now being loaded into the playbook of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}