Kinda odd that 50-70s pop culture's wiped out..

[slackerinabox]

I just realized this the other day after discovering a great classic sitcom section on kodi - growing up in the 80s and 90s for me involved a lot of classic tv: Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Bewitched... While tvlands around, it seems like a big chunk of pop culture was removed from our consciousness, from tv to music, and fairly recently. What's up with that? I mean, kids these days don't even understand a "Lucy, I'm home!" reference! The strangest part of it is that the old shows seem much more appropriate for younger kids than modern sitcoms, from the broad humor to lack of who's f*cking who subplots - seems like a misguided shift and a missed cultural opportunity ... maybe that's part of why we're all so now oriented, and why music sucks so much (seriously, hip hop's now sampling music from 2 or 3 years ago instead of 20 years ago like 80s hip hop did).

or is this a sign that i'm getting old? i have far less nostalgia for 80s sitcoms than 60s ones (i'm mid 30s) to be clear

 

[nakedfrog]

or is this a sign that i'm getting old?

Yes.
I grew up watching this kind of stuff too, but mostly it doesn't hold up well IMO (neither do 80s sitcoms).

 

[Ruptga]

Yeah you're old. There are always some some lasting gems, but for the most part everything from every generation is forgettable even if it is pretty good. Example: if it weren't for the Hobbit trilogy, kids in high school today would have basically no idea what a hobbit even is, and Tolkien has been pretty influential on several generations. I mean, are you familiar with Buster Keaton's work? He did some good stuff in his day, but if I didn't have a Wikipedia problem I'd have never heard of him.

 

[Kaido]

My wife was on an I Love Lucky kick recently, there are actually some really hilarious episodes.

Plus, without Lucy, there would be no Star Trek.

 

[Kaido]

I just realized this the other day after discovering a great classic sitcom section on kodi - growing up in the 80s and 90s for me involved a lot of classic tv: Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Bewitched... While tvlands around, it seems like a big chunk of pop culture was removed from our consciousness, from tv to music, and fairly recently. What's up with that? I mean, kids these days don't even understand a "Lucy, I'm home!" reference! The strangest part of it is that the old shows seem much more appropriate for younger kids than modern sitcoms, from the broad humor to lack of who's f*cking who subplots - seems like a misguided shift and a missed cultural opportunity ... maybe that's part of why we're all so now oriented, and why music sucks so much (seriously, hip hop's now sampling music from 2 or 3 years ago instead of 20 years ago like 80s hip hop did).

or is this a sign that i'm getting old? i have far less nostalgia for 80s sitcoms than 60s ones (i'm mid 30s) to be clear

I think part of it has to do with the prevalence of streaming today. When I was a kid, TV meant either live television or VCR, and that was it. So if you were home and doing nothing, you'd turn on the TV. If the weather was bad & you couldn't play outside, you watched TV. If you were home sick from school, you watched TV. They'd play tons of re-runs to fill the non-primetime hours. I got hooked on MASH in middle school when I was out sick for a few days because it was playing non-stop all day. Now everything is Youtube or Netflix or Twitch whatever service you're using, so most kids don't get the opportunity to see those shows. And half of the younger generation is now watching streaming video of other people playing video games or reaction videos to other content lol.

Same with music. I only use the radio maybe once a month, the rest of the time is either Spotify or podcasts. I used to use the radio more, but now I just hit up Spotify's top charts to see what's new & good, so meh.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

AntennaTV and MeTV are both broadcast channels that replay plenty of old shows. And they're often available for streaming.

They're just not "hip" and "cool" enough to attract attention. And most of the characters exhibit behaviors that would today be considered signs of mental illness or worse.

 

[sandorski]

Whatever happened to Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, and Spanky and the Gang?

 

[Kaido]

And most of the characters exhibit behaviors that would today be considered signs of mental illness or worse.

Yeah but uh, have you seen shows like Adventure Time? Spongebob? LOL

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Whatever happened to Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, and Spanky and the Gang?

Laurel and Hardy and the Stooges caught flack when they were current, for being stupid and violent. (My grandmother wasn't allowed to watch them as a child.) They haven't aged well.

Spanky and the Gang was a band. You're thinking Our Gang, which, being from the '30s, is chock full of unfortunate implications. The modern adaptation glossed over that, but didn't make money.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110366/

There are no shortage of modern properties involving a group of children doing shenanigans.

Yeah but uh, have you seen shows like Adventure Time? Spongebob? LOL

Isn't Adventure Time on Cartoon Network? Most of that stuff is aimed at adults and 20-something stoners.

 

[sandorski]

Laurel and Hardy and the Stooges caught flack when they were current, for being stupid and violent. (My grandmother wasn't allowed to watch them as a child.) They haven't aged well.

Spanky and the Gang was a band. You're thinking Our Gang, which, being from the '30s, is chock full of unfortunate implications. The modern adaptation glossed over that, but didn't make money.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110366/

There are no shortage of modern properties involving a group of children doing shenanigans.



Isn't Adventure Time on Cartoon Network? Most of that stuff is aimed at adults and 20-something stoners.

Oops, thanks for the correction. It's been a long time. Ya, I can see why they have some controversy, but suspect at the time they were rather Progressive.

 

[shortylickens]

Every episode of Gilligan was EXACTLY the same.
For that matter so was Threes Company.

Id much rather watch SHIELD or even Red Green.
At least something happened on his show!

 

[purbeast0]

Whatever happened to Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, and Spanky and the Gang?

Whatever happened to predictability, the milkman, the paperboy, evening TV?

 

[Carson Dyle]

Just one generation's nostalgia replacing another. TV programmers today have a much larger library of old sitcom drek to choose from.

 

[slackerinabox]

Just one generation's nostalgia replacing another. TV programmers today have a much larger library of old sitcom drek to choose from.

True, but weren't shows like "I Love Lucy' supposed to transcend time? I don't think Lucille Ball should be forgotten, as an example.

I don't think Gilligan's Island was exactly hip.. My larger

I think part of it has to do with the prevalence of streaming today. When I was a kid, TV meant either live television or VCR, and that was it. So if you were home and doing nothing, you'd turn on the TV. If the weather was bad & you couldn't play outside, you watched TV. If you were home sick from school, you watched TV. They'd play tons of re-runs to fill the non-primetime hours. I got hooked on MASH in middle school when I was out sick for a few days because it was playing non-stop all day. Now everything is Youtube or Netflix or Twitch whatever service you're using, so most kids don't get the opportunity to see those shows. And half of the younger generation is now watching streaming video of other people playing video games or reaction videos to other content lol.

Same with music. I only use the radio maybe once a month, the rest of the time is either Spotify or podcasts. I used to use the radio more, but now I just hit up Spotify's top charts to see what's new & good, so meh.

Good point, sick days were where I got a majority of my golden era sitcoms viewing, and now daytime tv's full of talk shows (usually of the women sitting around a table talking smack variety). I wonder if it's partly a response to a change in the daytime demographics? Less old folks, more unemployed people who like to say "you go girl!"

 

[Thebobo]

Whatever happened to predictability, the milkman, the paperboy, evening TV?

What ever happend to what ever happened?

 

[Carson Dyle]

True, but weren't shows like "I Love Lucy' supposed to transcend time? I don't think Lucille Ball should be forgotten, as an example.

Who said that? Nothing transcends time. The older it gets, the more dated it looks, the less relevant the comedy, the less it appeals to children. When we were kids and I Love Lucy and The Munsters (and F Troop and Leave It to Beaver and ...) were playing on endless repeat at 3:30 PM when we got home from school, it wasn't nostalgia for Mom & Dad, it was to keep the kids occupied.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Another thing:

TV <> "pop culture"

The pop culture of an era is not "wiped out" when Happy Days and The Addams Family are no longer being shown in syndication on cable TV.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Another thing:

TV <> "pop culture"

The pop culture of an era is not "wiped out" when Happy Days and The Addams Family are no longer being shown in syndication on cable TV.

The Addams Family was taken out of syndication for public health reasons. Morticia made a man out of too many of us, too early.

 

[Thebobo]

I miss Its about time

 

[John Connor]

AntennaTV and MeTV are both broadcast channels that replay plenty of old shows. And they're often available for streaming.

They're just not "hip" and "cool" enough to attract attention. And most of the characters exhibit behaviors that would today be considered signs of mental illness or worse.

My parents watch these two channels all the time.

 

[John Connor]

I used to watch Gilligan's Island every stinking day in the early 90's and longed-for the day I'd finally see them get rescued. Well, that day never came until about two decades latter when I finally seen the last episode. They heard on that famous white radio that a tsunami was going to hit the island. So they all tied there huts together as one big boat and eventfully got rescued. If I can remember, it was a 2 hour special.

In the 80's when I was a kid I'd just watch The A-Team, Macgyver and GI Joe. And some Miami Vice in between even though I was too young to really understand the drama. Now that I'm older it was one hell of a good show. I about finished the whole show watching it on Hulu.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

My parents watch these two channels all the time.

Yeah. The ads are pretty clearly targeted at old people.

 

[sandorski]

I used to watch Gilligan's Island every stinking day in the early 90's and longed-for the day I'd finally see them get rescued. Well, that day never came until about two decades latter when I finally seen the last episode. They heard on that famous white radio that a tsunami was going to hit the island. So they all tied there huts together as one big boat and eventfully got rescued. If I can remember, it was a 2 hour special.

In the 80's when I was a kid I'd just watch The A-Team, Macgyver and GI Joe. And some Miami Vice in between even though I was too young to really understand the drama. Now that I'm older it was one hell of a good show. I about finished the whole show watching it on Hulu.

That 2 hour episode sucked so bad too. The show needed a laugh track.

 

[John Connor]

Yeah. The ads are pretty clearly targeted at old people.

My parents are in their early 60's. LOL!

 

[John Connor]

That 2 hour episode sucked so bad too. The show needed a laugh track.

Cool thing was I lived in Cali. in the early 90's and had a two hour tour at Newport Beach where apparently they did some filming. Seen John Wayne's house too. LOL