Why things at the Roxy ain't so ritzy (Burt Prelutsky)

Townhall.com ^ | January 12, 2007 | Burt Prelutsky

[EveningStar]

...I think the worst thing that happened to the movies was the 1960s. That was the first decade in the history of the world in which parents wanted to grow up to be just like their children, thus turning the natural order of things on its head...

[EveningStar]

Misc ping

[Borges]

Friends,” a show starring six actors in their 30s pretending to be characters in their 20s, all of whom spoke and behaved like teenagers.

Hehe.

[nothingnew]

Perhaps, as my fellow panelists seemed to agree, it’s just me. But, frankly, I think we’ve gone from having leading men to having leading boys.

Amen to that!

FMCDH(BITS)

[KellyAdmirer]

In addition to which, radio was in vogue, so they usually had distinctive voices. Today, not only can’t I distinguish between one actor’s voice and another, I doubt if the actors, themselves, can do much better.

That's a great point. All the truly distinctive movie voices are from the past, with the exception of Jack Nicholson. You don't find any Peter Lorres or Humphrey Bogarts today, only whiny Matt Damons and Jim Carreys.

[gcruse]

One of the reasons people with a worldview beyond the sixth grade are deserting broadcast TV for cable is the neutering of sexual content, producing a uniform blandness.

If you ever saw 'Man About the House,' the British template for 'Three's Company,' you'd find the male character was a wolfish sort intent on bedding his female counterparts. Comparing that to the poof played by John Ritter drives home the character's castration for the American market.

Similarly, the office manager in the British "The Office" is played with a sexual predation that surfaces when he thinks no one is watching. The American manager displays the sexual confidence of a thirty year old virgin.

As for the movies, since the demise of driveins, families seldom go out to the picture show, handing off the baton to adolescents. So of course Hollywood goes for a younger demo. That's their audience. TV goes for a younger demo because of the market their advertisers want -- the socially unsure, impulse-buying, easily manipulable adolescent.

I guess it was around my fiftieth birthday when I realized I'd seen every possible permutation of sitcom and that originality was extraordinarily rare on network TV. I fell out of the demographic and couldn't get back in.

[Logophile]

Perhaps, as my fellow panelists seemed to agree, it’s just me. But, frankly, I think we’ve gone from having leading men to having leading boys.

Exhibit A: Leonardo DiCaprio.

[GOPJ]

But, silly as it may sound, I think the worst thing that happened to the movies was the 1960s. That was the first decade in the history of the world in which parents wanted to grow up to be just like their children, thus turning the natural order of things on its head.

Over night, or so it seemed, adults began looking to their kids to be their role models. In huge, scary, numbers, American grown-ups were asking the squirts to tell them what was hip and cool. Adults lived in constant dread that their children would regard their taste in movies and music as -- far worse than bad -- as square!

Hello Hollywood. Hello. Hello. The first boomers (born in '46) are 60 years old. We grew up - it's time for you to do the same.

Boomers are sick of "teenager is smartest" type movies. They were cool when we were teens, but that was a long time ago.

It's time to go back, grab the future and make movies for the grown-ups. Boomers have money, time, and numbers -- just like we did in the 60's...

[GOPJ]

But, silly as it may sound, I think the worst thing that happened to the movies was the 1960s. That was the first decade in the history of the world in which parents wanted to grow up to be just like their children, thus turning the natural order of things on its head.

Over night, or so it seemed, adults began looking to their kids to be their role models. In huge, scary, numbers, American grown-ups were asking the squirts to tell them what was hip and cool. Adults lived in constant dread that their children would regard their taste in movies and music as -- far worse than bad -- as square!

Hello Hollywood. Hello. Hello. The first boomers (born in '46) are 60 years old. We grew up - it's time for you to do the same.

Boomers are sick of "teenager is smartest" type movies. They were cool when we were teens, but that was a long time ago.

It's time to go back, grab the future and make movies for the grown-ups. Boomers have money, time, and numbers -- just like we did in the 60's... Woo us.

[Jim Verdolini]

"It's time to go back, grab the future and make movies for the grown-ups. Boomers have money, time, and numbers -- just like we did in the 60's..."

Yeahm but a whole lot of those boomers still act as thought they were unsuccessful teenage lothario's...

Older is not always grown up.

[GOPJ]

Yeahm but a whole lot of those boomers still act as thought they were unsuccessful teenage lothario's...

There have always been "dirty old men" who swoon over all things "teenage" - but the vast majority of boomers grew up. If you have a doubt, look at who goes to the movies - 14 year olds. And the movies are dying. Why? Boomers outnumber 14 years olds by 20 to 1. And boomers are staying away. Time for Hollywood to wake up and smell the coffee - kiddy kool aid is sooooooo yesterday.