Hey ztl. I get where you're coming from and can see why one might morph into a troll over time. I would like to be a awesome pretty girl who likes to travel and believes that people should just be themselves, and then get paid for that.
However, while some folks do get an easy ride (pretty girls, I'm looking at you), as sappy as it sounds I do have faith that those things of importance, those things of intrinsic value to which you refer, will over time rise to prominence. It is my hope that over time, with the help of platforms such as steemit but also as a result of general everyday living, our culture will become more insightful and value content with greater intrinsic value. I don't know the timescales involved but feel that the right environment and constructive engagement will speed the process along.
I do think you might be onto something when you refer to a need to record the past (least we be doomed to repeat it etc.). A record helps culture develop and supports growth. I would however challenge you on saying that some content is useless. Content relevance is subjective. Perhaps people need there fill of eye-candy as part of the process of finding some deeper meaning.
Having said all that, it is a problem in the mean time if content of interest to me and others is not sufficiently incentivised, if the increasing popularity of Stemmit simply means pop-culture is imported wholesale. Perhaps the incentives need to be distributed within different circles of interest in a planned way? Is that against the central tenants of Steemit?
Respect for the intellect. I hope intellect isn't gravitationally draw to troll valley!