The Batman (June 25, 2021)

[TheDucky]

Nope. Last 20 years have been pretty bad. Look it up.

Human existence has been pretty bad. Look it up.

We are at the height of human civilization by every metric possible. Turn off the fake news every now and then.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

We are at the height of human civilization by every metric possible.

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[TheDucky]

PT is better than 95% of the 80s garbage.

 

[ZE_501]

Such a fascinating post. You should send that list of "significant" events to Billy Joel, so he can do a proper sequel to "We Didn't Start the Fire II", which came out in 1989.

In all seriousness, I would add the Obama administration to that list.

Also, when did Rock music die? What killed it? Because there's literally no young popular rock bands. An that bothers me as a rock fan. Personally, I think rap and the removal of the blues influence from rock n roll killed the genre, along with napster and the internet. The few younger bands I've heard on the radio like Five Finger Death Punch sound generic AF. It's just awful.

I was focusing more on what murdered pop culture and intelligent discourse but yeah, the Obama administration was a huge moment, as was the 2008 recession.

I think what helped kill rock music were the same forces that strip-mined and dumbed down hip-hop.

Rock music also needs to be both angry and earnest, which can be a problem when young people are paralyzed by affected, ironic distance due in large part to social media.


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[ZE_501]

Yea but the music and cartoons tho. You didn?t listen to Eminem back then? Come on man. No slim shady? No 50 cent?

No papa roach? Was a good distraction from all that crap. Bad things happened in every decade. AIDS in the 80s

It?s impossible to describe what it was like growing up in the 80s as a young kid; with the imminent threat of nuclear holocaust in the news every day.

We would talk about World War 3 ending the world on the playground and even in the classroom.

When the Berlin Wall came down, and the Soviet Union collapsed, we all felt a little lighter.

Then 9/11 hit.


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[ZE_501]

Human existence has been pretty bad. Look it up.

We are at the height of human civilization by every metric possible. Turn off the fake news every now and then.

You?re right in some respects.

Medical technology has never been better.

We?re still reaching for the stars.

Standards of living have been improving, and societies in a broad sense are the most compassionate they?ve ever been.

But we?re faced with rising environmental threat, rogue actors on the geopolitical scene, nuclear weapons all over the place, technological disruption, and a growing awareness of massive inequities.

The Internet and its suite of unintended consequences remains a double edged sword like most technology, but it?s a really big sword LOL.

The stakes are getting very high. As for the West, never have so many had so much and done so little with it. Our society has a dangerous anti-intellectual streak.

To quote William Gibson, the future is here but it?s not evenly distributed.


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[ZE_501]

[...]Personally, I think rap and the removal of the blues influence from rock n roll killed the genre, along with napster and the internet. The few younger bands I've heard on the radio like Five Finger Death Punch sound generic AF. It's just awful.

Well...Napster changed the industry, but the Internet's bland, homogenizing effect changed music -- mostly for the worse.

I think the downsides to the Internet as it stands today:

• Discourages risk-taking
• Lack of insularity and incubation periods, premature exposure
• Encourages conformity
• Anti-intellectual
• Oversimplifies
• Cuts attention spans
• Infoglut

Hip-Hop isn't what it was. Whether you liked it or not, the genre used to be defined by virtuosity, originality and individual style. There was poetry and flow.

The vast majority of what people are exposed to now is formulaic production, monotonous droning and 'personalities' that are *talking* over generic sounds instead of virtuoso performers actually rapping. The genre was appropriated and distorted years ago.

In the meantime, if you listen to what passes for rock music today, in a similar vein there's very little virtuosity. There's competence but relatively little musicianship.

And so stunningly bland. There's a radio station in Canada that brands itself as 'alternative' and they be playing soccer-mom jams by Feist -- who sounds like Anne Murray on yoga and rose.

Who's going to take Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy, or Ministry seriously when they're too busy taking pictures of their food and posting on Tik-Tok?

 

[The Buffinator]

Such a fascinating post. You should send that list of "significant" events to Billy Joel, so he can do a proper sequel to "We Didn't Start the Fire II", which came out in 1989.

In all seriousness, I would add the Obama administration to that list.

Also, when did Rock music die? What killed it? Because there's literally no young popular rock bands. An that bothers me as a rock fan. Personally, I think rap and the removal of the blues influence from rock n roll killed the genre, along with napster and the internet. The few younger bands I've heard on the radio like Five Finger Death Punch sound generic AF. It's just awful.

There are some excellent rock bands out there, but you're not going to find them on the radio unless it's a college radio station - if those are even a thing anymore. Unfortunately most of them are barely treading water financially and can't break out of the small club touring scene into larger venues. With the pandemic shutting everything down their situations are that much worse. Rock's not dead, but it's on life support right now.

 

[The Buffinator]

Papa Roach

I don't think Wor was watching cartoon in the 2000's.

I also don't think he's a rap fan. If he is, I will lose all respect for him and block him.

And I'll lose respect and block him if he ever owned a Creed album.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I don't think Wor was watching cartoon in the 2000's.

I also don't think he's a rap fan. If he is, I will lose all respect for him and block him.

And I'll lose respect and block him if he ever owned a Creed album.

Correct, nope on all of that.


Rap is the everyman music -- meaning almost anyone can do it -- so it has lasted 40 years. I've been tired of it since 1985.

You didn?t listen to Eminem back then? Come on man. No slim shady?

I tired of him quickly too. Preferred Fat Boy Slim at that time I think.

 

[ZE_501]

[...] Rap is the everyman music -- meaning almost anyone can do it -- so it has lasted 40 years. I've been tired of it since 1985.

Very few can do it well. Fewer still have done it well in the past decade or so.

I tired of him quickly too. Preferred Fat Boy Slim at that time I think.

I never liked Eminem's sound, but I saw him at Lollapalooza 2011 in Chicago. Hell of a live show, I'll give him that.

 

[jye4ever]

Nothing can touch the 80’s and I mean nothing.

Empire, Jedi, Raiders, Aliens, Terminator, Die Hard, Conan, Rambo, Road Warrior, Predator, Superman 2, Robocop, Batman, Comedies.

Sorry Blade Runner and The Thing fans those 2 were duds when released so I can’t help you there lol

 

[ZE_501]

Nothing can touch the 80’s and I mean nothing.

Empire, Raiders, Aliens, Terminator, Die Hard, Conan, Rambo, Road Warrior, Predator, Superman 2, Robocop, Batman, Comedies.

Sorry Blade Runner and The Thing fans those 2 were duds when released so I can’t help you there lol

That was the era when special effects were actually special.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The 80's were a creative explosion that still resonates to this day and looks like it will continue.

We all knew it at the time too; we all knew this was going to be a very special time in all our lives.

 

[jye4ever]

Added Jedi oops my bad lol

I have such vivid memories of seeing Jedi the crazy lines.

The famous review on Ted Koppel’s Nightline show lol

I still have framed on my wall the movie book I bought on opening night at the theater.

It’s worth nothing I don’t care it’s worth a lot to me.

I saw every single one of those movies (except the comedies) on opening night.

Empire I left the theater shaken and a changed kid lol

 

[Wor-Gar]

Its funny to think of some of the big movies we all rushed to opening night that we barely even talk about any more. Like I rushed to see Roger Rabbit... but that year was all about Die Hard. There were just so many movies in that decade its impossible to mention them all. 'memba all the movies like Explorers or Streets of Fire or Gremlins? I know you do.

 

[jye4ever]

2000 forward for me is defined by only these 9 key events:

Marriage / Birth of my son / Working at ground zero / LOTR / Raimi Spiderman / TDK / MCU / OT cast returning / Live action SW on TV

Sorry that’s all I got to offer

I guess I should make it an even 10 events and include joining this forum lol

 

[Wor-Gar]

Jye -- I have your 1st significant event of the 20's! There's a 1/6th Barry Allen figure -- check out the DC section!


No one passed in the last 20 years? You're lucky.

 

[jye4ever]

I will display it with my Brian Singer pool diorama

 

[Skywalker(OG)Kush]

Yea but the music and cartoons tho. You didn?t listen to Eminem back then? Come on man. No slim shady? No 50 cent?

No papa roach? Was a good distraction from all that crap. Bad things happened in every decade. AIDS in the 80s

I really did not like 80's music growing up (outside of Van Halen) in fact my uncle gave me a cd for xmas, the Doors Greatest hits when I was 11 or 12 (can?t remember), I instantly latched on to the sound and sought out other classic rock bands and that carried me through the rest of the 80s- that is until the 90's music explosion. When I first heard Pearl Jam's ten and nirvana's bleach my mind was blown the **** away from that point on, I was hooked on alternative rock. I became enamored with all the Seattle grunge bands (Temple of the dog, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Screaming trees, Mad Season etc.) and other bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and early green day (punk). The grunge era churned out amazing music for a good 4 years then Cobain killed himself and that was the day Seattle grunge died. Sure, my favorite band (pearl jam) went on and is still going strong to this day (their live shows still rock (pre covid)), Cornell remained amazing until he tragically took his own life, but the music started changing in 1995 and beyond we started getting those fake grunge bands like Creed and Bush which I hated.

At that point I started listening to band like Phish, Dave Matthews, MXPX, Sublime, Jane?s Addiction Etc... When 2000 hit I just gave up on music, no nookie for me I couldn?t stand Fred durst or wet bisket, Lincoln Park was ok but other than that I pretty much stopped even seeking out new music completely- I pretty much stick to classic rock (pink floyd, Beattles, Zeppelin, the Who ect), those older alternative bands (mentioned above), punk, some reggae (Marley, Peter Tosh and Eek a mouse fan), some metal Metallica (older), Folk (Dylan), Neil Young, and country (Cash) these days.

In terms of Rap or Hip hop- Marshall Mathers first 2 albums, Dr Dre the chronic, NWA (the Beattles of rap bands), Tupac, Snoop dog's first album were my cup of tea. Honestly, I was never into east coast rap or hip hop in general but those west coast albums got a lot of play time for me- especially NWA and Run Dmc in the 80?s when there was nothing else good to my young ears.


For me it goes like this

80's movies were at the pinnacle but music was bad in general outside of Metallica & Guns in Roses, Van Halen, Sabbath (parents didn?t let me listen to Ozzy) and those early hip hop bands I mentioned above-

90's music was really good but movies took a **** big time- outside of Quinten Tarantino we didn?t get many memorable flicks at all- at least that my mind can think of as I type this. When I think of the 90s i think Pulp fiction, reservoir dogs, True romance (wrote screenplay), Natural Born Killers (wrote screenplay). Matrix was really good too

2000 to now Music Terrible, movies have been hit and miss- I enjoyed the **** out of the early superhero run (both dc and marvel), but that was before the dark times... before the "wokeness". lol