Our Obsession with Now Or Then: Narrow Views of Music, Film and Television.
Posted: Thursday, August 12, 2010
by Connor Davidson
I suspect that you have probably noticed that the majority of people (yourself a possible inclusion) tend to watch films and television that are only a few years old. Younger people tend to listen to new music and older people tend to fall hopelessly behind by listening to the music of their youth sixty years on. The vast majority of people I have spoken to fit into these groups.
Yes, modern film and television can be very good – for example Sherlock by Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson and Mark Gatiss aired only yesterday and it was fantastic. Of course, new films can be enjoyable. But it is ridiculous to say that anything that went before does not compare to now. We should try to take a broader view of culture. The films that are just out in the cinema or on DVD represent a tiny fraction of the whole. Consider this list of films:
· Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
· To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
· The Godfather (1972)
· Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
· Singing in the Rain (1952)
· North by Northwest (1959)
· 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
· Blade Runner (1982)
· The Searchers (1956)
· Gone With The Wind (1939)
Now this list is not based on my personal opinion but on the results of various polls. Despite these films being among the highest rated and most critically acclaimed films in history, they are rarely on television and never on prime slots. Ask yourself when was the last time you seen any of these on any television channel? Or when was the last time you seen one on a major television channel?
The answer is not very often. Well, you can occasionally catch one late at night if you really look. The question that remains is why?
Whenever you think about television programming, you must think about ratings and how much the advertising will sell for. Therefore it may be reasonable to assume that these older films do not get the same ratings as the newer ones. But why?
That is the big question. This question, I’m afraid, I can’t answer alone as I watch these old films so I’ve asked some people I know who point blank refuse to watch anything that is not modern. The answers I got back where along the lines of “they’re boring", “Granddad likes that", “they’re never on TV", “the special effects suck" and “I like Dirty Dancing but that’s it". Perhaps they are right. Perhaps everything that has ever been made more than twenty years ago sucks. Perhaps tens of thousands of films are boring. But I’m skeptical – can anyone be that fussy? Are the same plot ideas and devices not recycled over and over again from the films that went before? Of course they are.
However, the idea of only watching a small segment of film and television goes the other way as well. I’ve met many, typically older, people who insist that film and television is in a downward spiral. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps the tens of thousands of programs and films made now are all drivel. Though I doubt that as well. Remember, the young dashing actors of your youth; they don’t make them like that anymore. Well, of course they don’t, these dashing young actors are now playing grandpa.
The main point is that there is drivel now and there was drivel then. However, if we take a broad view of television and film then we find there is an unbelievable amount of choice.
Music. Don’t we love our respective musical tastes? I for one do. Music taste should always be a personal thing based on purely personal choice. However, I find that music has a social dimension to which I find myself very much outside of. For example, quite number of years ago I was with a friend of mine who lives reasonably far away. I was staying at his house for a few days and he had to go to some birthday party which I, by association, was invited to also. Strangely, for a birthday party, it included a briefing and a debriefing. I was briefed that my type of music would make me look like a total “weirdo" and he, by association, one also. I was told there was to be no Tchaikovsky or Dolly Parton, there was to be funk not folk and Garth Brooks was out but Gareth Gates was tolerable. Goodness, I felt like I was in the San Quentin of music and Cash was out of circulation.
So there I was at this party, bored out of my mind (I don’t really like parties anyway) and wondering who decided that phones should play such dreadful (in my opinion) music. Though, with my new fake musical taste, I was able to chit chat (personally, I hate chit chat with a passion) with people about bands, I’d never heard so I realised that I shared a supposed “interest" in something with an entire room of people. This never happens. That, I guess, is the essence of music’s social dimension.
Then came the debriefing where I asked whether he or his friends were familiar with my sort of music. Had they tried it? No – as far as he knew. He went on to explain the ‘theory’ of “it’s old". The ‘theory’ basically states that people listen to new music because it is new and everyone listens to new stuff because it’s new.
The basic point of this article is that you must subject yourself to a whole range of media before you can be at all subjective about any of it. Film, music, television and radio are so wonderfully diverse over their great histories. Let’s just try expanding our horizons. You may be amazed at the gems you uncover.
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More commentsThink it's a character trait. Explorers are rare because it tends to take people out of their comfort zones. We are taught from an early age to hold on to that which is familiar to us because it exposes you to less danger. Although you miss out on a world of fascination, most people tend to hang on to binky as long as possible, that is why it is so hard to exact change in society, even if what you believe is hurtful to growth.Why otherwise would many people believe they live in a world only a couple thousand years old?Why didn't I think of it like that? That's a fantastic hypothesis.Thanks for the comment.
Connor, i agree.having worked most of my professional career in film, teaching at a univeristy and a history buff, i love all GOOD films-films that tell stories, engage the senses. i worked with special effects and was always thoughtful of whether the tech was working for the story or the other way around. Many films emphasize the visually stunning-perhaps because their younger audince has been conditioned for a faster pace retrieval of visual stimuli. But,as you seem to appreciate, the films that endure are the ones that dipict GOOD STORYTELLING. a film can work if the story is good, even if the efx are not. great efx cannot help a bad story. historically there are always those who understand this notion, and those who do not.bingI'm not very impressed by large amounts of special effects. Though they do work in that Micheal Bay advert for an internet connection - because they work as the main joke in the advert.Thanks for the comment.
Many of the classic shows that you mentioned sometimes are available on TV Land, but yet some still are not shown, unless looked for. As far as music, since I am young, I listen to what's on now, but sometimes go back to the oldies every once in a while to remind myself of the good ole' days.Thanks for the comment.
Hi Connor.Ah. Geez. That just sounds too much like work. I have a friend of my same age who is a sci-fi fan from way back; like me. He is constantly astounded at the books I have NOT read. He has his masters in library science and is all about culture. He is a real film buff too and I get the same "grief" from him about movies. Oh, sorry, he's not rude about it, just uncomprehending of my lackadaisical manner.I'm all for uncovering gems, but I prefer to leave it to chance. Does that make me provincial?Don't get the idea that I didn't enjoy your article, because I did. It is very well written, as usual and entertaining.Hugs, DianneI see exactly where you are coming from. In order to watch these older films you either have to spend hours flicking around the channels at silly O'clock or search for them in DVD.Thanks for the comment.
Interesting article Connor, I love old movies, even some of the silent ones, we even have TCM just for the purpose of watching old movies from time to time, I like a movie with a good story line, not fantasy land USA, l love all types of music except for todays, rap, heavy metal, etc. I listen to a lot of classical when I'm painting, salsa when I'm cleaning house, different types for different things. Now you have every one thinking again as your articles usually do.If I were you I'd probably be tempted assign heavy metal to cleaning.Thanks for the comment.
This is a great challenge,Connor. I hope many accept it and learn and grow! I remember seeing many of those movies you mentioned and others I have wanted to see - good article well written!Thanks for the comment.
Good point. I love the old version of Miracle on 34th St and the Wizard of Oz. Those two classics are timeless. As for music - I actually prefer modern day easy listening and even not-to-twangy country (who would have ever thought!) to some of the stuff I listened to as a kid. But Alice Cooper's "schools out for the summer" my favorite around June 25th every year.Thanks for the comment.
Great article Connor.I don't follow these obsessions. Proof of this is that my two favourite movies of all time (To Kill a Mockingbird and Toy Story 3) are 48 years apart!Thanks for the comment.
I enjoy watching old movies on TCM (turner classic movies) The actors in those days were the real thing. Most of the movies today I don't care much about.I like your use of mostThanks for the comment.
Bravo, Connor! Well written and well-thought. It's delightful to see a 'young' perspective so open to all things both "old and new". I'm not sure where you draw that line (how old is an "old person"; how old a "young" person?) but from your refreshing piece, it sounds as if that part isn't really the point. I agree, there are many people who refuse to stretch beyond their comfort zones (so to speak) and it's a pretty sad state of affairs. I have the great fortune of knowing a LOT of "young" people who are more than happy to share their tastes with me. Some of it is awesome. Some...not so much. Same goes with movies, TV and various other mediums. I'd have never gone to see The Lion King (on stage) had it not been for my niece. And let me tell you, of all the many Broadway shows I've seen, this was by far THE BEST.Well then...here's to hoping you keep that open-minded perspective as you, too, get a bit older. There's an old saying: "We don't stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing."'Nuff said!In this context I am taking young as this generation and old as being of other generations.
I agree with your saying.Thanks for the comment.
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