Why Are We Obsessed With The Past?

[The Duke]

FOX business runs this commercial "But I wish we had more cash/sitting on a gold mine" with Benny Goodman music.....Most that enjoyed that music are dead by now.....Trying to pick up the spares I guess.

It makes me want to puke coat hangers when I hear it.

Ah, Benny Goodman, very nice.
I liked Artie Shaw, too. So many old good ones.

 

[JGalt]

Especially when most of the dates mentioned where from the 50s and 60s.

... ... ...

The 50s... often referred to as The Golden Age of America...

That could be why. On some level we look at this cultural icons and can see they are from a... better time.

I was too young to remember the 50's. And looking back on the 60's, we were all fed a big lie.

I pretty much hate most everything I liked back then.

 

[Correll]

I was too young to remember the 50's. And looking back on the 60's, we were all fed a big lie.

I pretty much hate most everything I liked back then.

Most of us are in that boat, it is before out time.

But, that it still resonates though time and old media, is a sign of how powerful an idea it is.

imo.

 

[1srelluc]

I was too young to remember the 50's. And looking back on the 60's, we were all fed a big lie.

I pretty much hate most everything I liked back then.

I sure liked 1/3rd less people than we have now.

1970....203,392,031

2025....343,603,404

 

[Correll]

I sure liked 1/3rd less people than we have now.

1970....203,392,031

2025....343,603,404

One can imagine what the environment would be like without mass immigration.

Bet California would have more water.

 

[1srelluc]

One can imagine what the environment would be like without mass immigration.

Bet California would have more water.

The most population growth in the US since 1970 has been in the South and West, with the South experiencing the largest increases in population.

 

[JGalt]

Most of us are in that boat, it is before out time.

But, that it still resonates though time and old media, is a sign of how powerful an idea it is.

imo.

The media and advertising industries use past icons to control us or extract money from us. One case in point is Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, with their soundtrack. I didn't care for any of those songs back then, and I care even less about them now. Television commercials for pharmaceutical products are the worst. They take crappy songs from 60's and 70's, change the lyrics, and play them over and over again, as if that's supposed to be a reflection of who I am. Boomerism is a disgusting way to stick people into boxes and categories, and I reject that. I am not the same person I was in the 60's. I'd rather listen to Avenged Sevenfold than I would any of that crap I grew up listening to.

 

[80zephyr]

Materialism and political extremism have supplanted the normal stream of human interests.
Not that they always haven't been there but never in the pervasive presence that we are experiencing now. If you listen to the older music there's definitely a stronger theme of happiness and positivity that flows through it compared to mainstream music today. It's the canary in the cage so to speak..... People are just miserable these days as life becomes harder and harder to negotiate.

Life is easier than ever. People are stupid.

 

[Correll]

The media and advertising industries use past icons to control us or extract money from us. One case in point is Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, with their soundtrack. I didn't care for any of those songs back then, and I care even less about them now. Television commercials for pharmaceutical products are the worst. They take crappy songs from 60's and 70's, change the lyrics, and play them over and over again, as if that's supposed to be a reflection of who I am. Boomerism is a disgusting way to stick people into boxes and categories, and I reject that. I am not the same person I was in the 60's. I'd rather listen to Avenged Sevenfold than I would any of that crap I grew up listening to.

And the first person who says "Ok Boomer" gets shot in the face by my monkey avatar.

Yes, but they didn't create those "past icons" or the power that they hold over us.

They are just... scavergers trying to use them.


Something else made those images and sounds loom large in the minds of Americans.

 

[Correll]

Life is easier than ever. People are stupid.

It is MATERIALLY easier.

But culturally, in the past America was more optimistic about the future.

 

[JGalt]

Yes, but they didn't create those "past icons" or the power that they hold over us.

They are just... scavergers trying to use them.


Something else made those images and sounds loom large in the minds of Americans.

They're Pavlovian responses. When we see and hear those images and sounds, we salivate in the anticipation of receiving a treat. That's how we've been conditioned by our masters.

Woof.

 

[justoffal]

Life is easier than ever. People are stupid.

Easy that doesn't necessarily transfer to Happy.

 

[sparky]

I guess i'm just chronologically challenged ....... ~S~

 

[Dekster]

America's number one movie franchise - Marvel Extended Universe -- characters created between 1940 and 1966

America's favorite "futuristic" movie franchises -- "Star Wars" created in 1977 and "Star Trek" created in 1964

America's favorite radio format - "Classic Rock" where most music if from between 1955 and 1995

Most popular theme park - Disneyland -- opened in 1955


Is it that we have creatively dried up as a culture or that classic culture is that much superior to art today?

You do realize that if you ask people about their favorite movie franchise, that by necessity, means shit that has already been released? It isn't as if they can answer with one that doesn't yet exist.

 

[80zephyr]

Easy that doesn't necessarily transfer to Happy.

True. But that is the fault of the person, not his surroundings.

 

[Blaster]

Every generation likes the music of their youth.

I like the music of my parent's youth. Todays music sucks.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

I like the music of my parent's youth. Todays music sucks.

I like the music of the 60s and 70s.
The 90s was last decade of good music.

 

[Votto]

America's number one movie franchise - Marvel Extended Universe -- characters created between 1940 and 1966

America's favorite "futuristic" movie franchises -- "Star Wars" created in 1977 and "Star Trek" created in 1964

America's favorite radio format - "Classic Rock" where most music if from between 1955 and 1995

Most popular theme park - Disneyland -- opened in 1955


Is it that we have creatively dried up as a culture or that classic culture is that much superior to art today?

Creativity and intelligent thought is becoming less and less.

IQ levels are dropping with half the culture on drugs or joining political cults who discourage critical thinking, starting with public education.

It's a sad time in history really and may be the beginning of another Dark Age.

 

[Stryder50]

America's number one movie franchise - Marvel Extended Universe -- characters created between 1940 and 1966

America's favorite "futuristic" movie franchises -- "Star Wars" created in 1977 and "Star Trek" created in 1964

America's favorite radio format - "Classic Rock" where most music if from between 1955 and 1995

Most popular theme park - Disneyland -- opened in 1955


Is it that we have creatively dried up as a culture or that classic culture is that much superior to art today?

If one enjoys Shakespeare are they also obsessed with the past ?

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

I like the music of the 60s and 70s.
The 90s was last decade of good music.

Remember How Great Nostalgia Used to Be?