Holden K's been writing a great series exploring why depictions of non-ironic utopias are so rare / unappealing.
I really love this suggestion in his latest post—that you can get a feel for a "moderate" utopia thru media centered on sports or performing arts.
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Yes, I think so. I think the petty conflict which often dominates these shows would be supplanted to some degree by "competition with oneself" for higher creative expression.