This man craves a time when things weren’t based on instant gratification. Do you agree?
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I know we always think that things were better before and that the more nostalgic we get, the better things seem to have been. But, I don’t think this is a case of nostalgia getting the better of me.
We seem to live in such a disposable world in which everything is packaged up for instant gratification, and then we move onto the next big thing.
The cinema was one of my favorite pastimes, but now it just feels crap.
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Take the cinema. More and more frequently I come home from the cinema feeling disappointed at what I saw. Too often it was just a CGI laden boom fest, low on plot, high on adrenalin, little to no quality acting and after a couple of hours, I can’t remember what was the plot? For example, I know I have seen Mission Impossible IV, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about. I know they were in the Middle East somewhere for some part of the film, and Tom Cruise was dangling outside a building, but other than that, I have no clue.
When was the last time you went to the cinema and came home raving about a movie, the plot, the quality of the acting, or the dialogue? Personally I can’t remember.
The cinema was one of my favorite pastimes, but now it just feels crap. Don’t agree with me? Just go and watch a couple of Paul Newman films and you will see exactly what I mean.
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It’s not just movies either. I am a very big sports fan. But, there is so much sport on TV now, and so many channels peddling it. So many talk shows, interviews, opinions, etc. that it feels like sports have taken a back seat to the presenters and their opinions. No sooner is the Superbowl, NBA Play-Offs, World Series over that they were being spoon-fed the next serving of drivel being spouted by these sports presenters.
It like there is no time to savour the moment, it’s just onto the next. Also, with the battle for TV ratings, and to appeal to non-sports fans, it feels like many sports have been artificially made more exciting. Look at football, it’s a throwing fest with the scores of 35-33, high scoring, but very dull. So much so that many games become forgettable and just blend into one another.
And don’t get me started on food. I love good food, but it seems that everything is bad for us. It’s the wrong fats, not enough fat, it’s low fat but too much sugar, it’s zero sugar, but the sugar replacements are bad for us. I have no clue what is good or bad for me anymore; it seems to change on a daily basis and I just can’t keep up with it.
The food choices I just don’t see as inspiring either. The more and more ingredients and flavours we add, the more everything tastes like everything else.
I’m also sick of restaurant chains, all peddling the same menus wherever you go. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a McDonalds in the UK, US or Ukraine; a Big Mac is a Big Mac.
I know that as we get older we have a tendency to turn into grumpy old men.
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Wasn’t it better before we had the chains, and each restaurant offered different menus, admittedly some were good, some were bad and some were downright awful, but at least it wasn’t the mass produced stuff that’s tastes the same each and every time we eat it. We had some variety, now it all just tastes like the same crap.
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I know that as we get older we have a tendency to turn into grumpy old men who will complain about anything and everything, but actually, I think Cinema, Sports and Food, to name just three things have a case to answer.
What do you think?
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Photo: Flickr/ Ed Yourdon
Guys, thanks for the feedback ii suspected it might i’m just grumpy. Although i have to say i actually went to see Mission Impossible 5 and it was much better than expected.
I do seek for plot orientated films and do watch a lot of foreign films. It just seems that a lot o the main stream cinema was very muchdisposbale
Gordon, I don’t think you are grumpy as much as you’d do well to gather some inspiration into your life buddy–go to a foreign film festival or x4 (have you any Satyajit Ray films??!) go play sport yourself, not just watch it–& head off to your local Farmers Markets to be inspired by locally grown, fresh organic produce–& take a vegetarian cooking class!! And food festivals in various cities are awesome!! Yes, life can look pretty dull from a mass franchise perspective but there’s a whole gang of us valuing individual, artisanal & craftsman created–it’s fun to go looking for… Read more »
Yeah, you’re grumpy.
In answer to your question I think you a grumpy old man. In using the three subjects that you cited to make your case(s) you can easily find examples of each that fit the ‘simpler’ aspect of what you crave. You just simply choose to not acknowledge them and instead focus on the more glaring examples of the sensational examples. For sports there are plenty of less sensationalized sports, such as tennis or golf. And of course watching a MI movies is going to be a ‘boomfest’, it’s what is expected for that movie franchise. But if you want more… Read more »