My Theory on Modern Entertainment

Hey, everyone,

I had a thought that spun into a theory, that turned into a problem I've seen happening. Let me explain...

I was born in 1990 and I know, for some of you, you'll be thinking, she's just a baby! But I grew up on all entertainment that was, for the most part, older than I was alive. Sure, I watched things from my day and age, who didn't? But my point is, I have been around the block with TV shows and movies of decades before I was born too.

I say this because I noticed that in old movies, TV shows, and advertising there was something much different going on than you see today. In older entertainment I saw people physically doing things rather than just talking about doing something. For instance, someone would ask a friend to go play Squash with them or you'd see someone going for a run, climbing on the ground with their kids, playing sports, hopping on a counter top or washing machine. People were bowling or hiking or riding their bike. They went ice skating, played in the snow, skied. The point is, they did things. The advertisements even made you want to get up and move. You'd see people hop over a closed car door and jump into their convertible. There was always some form of activity happening.

Take a look at this Sprite commercial from the early 90's. There is constant action in this commercial. I realize they're trying to sell their soda, but what they're doing is working. It's action packed, humorous, fun and most of all makes you want to be a part of the fun by buying their soda. Watching this makes me want to get up and dance or something equally fun!

In entertainment today you see people standing, sitting, and laying down, holding cups of coffee, mild things to pretend they're busy. You see them do things that they might do in an action show or movie, like run with a gun or something. But it's all pertaining to the job they're doing. You might see someone at a club dancing. You might see someone playing a sport because they're involved in a team. For the most part, though, I don't see people actively doing things. I don't see them painting the walls in their house or getting down on the floor, chasing each other for the fun of it, riding their bikes, asking their grown adult friends to go play a sport at the gym with you, hopping a fence or anything like that.

If they do anything that I just listed, like say, hopping a fence, it might be because they're running away from a house they just burglarized or sneaking away from their parent's house. The activity is all circumstantial not just something that the characters were doing.

Again, this commercial also gives you a similar feel to the one before. It makes you want to get up and do something. I do like the Sprite commercial better than the Double Mint one. But it was a good example of showing people getting up and doing, swimming, people engaged in one another's company and happy.

This is a theme song to one of my beloved favorite shows from the late 80's that shows a great example of what I'm talking about. There is a lot of emotion, physical touch and closeness, kids being kids, and basic activity in each scene. A good writer shows and doesn't just have his characters stand around and only talk while they are in a room together. These were clips all taken from scenes in the show and set to music. So there were things all actually going on in the theme.

This isn't particularly active but she happens to be doing something while she's listening to the radio. It's not only that but there is a sense of personal longing and emotion in this clip as well.

Now you see someone maybe picking up a basket of laundry and if you're lucky you might see them fold it. People just don't do things anymore. If they're in a scene, they aren't doing much, if anything, with their hands. You might see someone stir a pot in a kitchen to appear like they're cooking. But I'm talking about, what happened to scenes like a couple cooking together in the kitchen, cutting up veggies and putting things in the oven, hopping on counter tops and stolen kisses. What happened to writing in actual life activities into their scripts?

Here is a good example of a more modern style of people standing around talking and not doing. They're all hiding that fact by pretending to be busy and by telling each other what they're about to do, therefore informing the audience of what's going on instead of showing them what will come next. (I enjoy this show, so I'm in no way criticizing, just using it for an example.)

People used to create characters that did things. Now they show people who sit on their cells phones and they show clips of their phone screens so you can see what they'r writing to each other about. What happened to show it, don't say it? It's more entertaining to see people doing things than hear them talk about doing it. You see commercials with families where they all sit in a car together and do nothing. The commercials where something active is happening consists of people in shiny pants with their legs dancing in the kitchen.

First, I HATE this commercial. But I used it because I referenced it. But, really, does this make you want to drink Sparkling Ice? No.

Advertisers have a job to do. I realize that. They are trying to sell their products to their demographics. In that case they have to adapt through the years to appeal to the people of today. The same thing goes for people who make TV shows today. They need to make things relevant to their demographic of viewers. That being said, those people that I'm mostly referring to are the younger generation and they don't do the activities that previous generations did. They don't go bowling, ice skating, play squash with their buddy, etc. Obviously, this doesn't speak for everyone because there are some out there who are still active in their everyday lives. For the most part they are gearing their TV shows and advertisements towards people who don't do a whole lot other than your basic living activities, work, going clubbing, etc. When they do a retro styled piece it's usually very evident, not just in the style, but also in the fact that they make the people in the commercial do an activity that was popular at the time.

Now, for my theory:

People are impressionable; this we know. If Pinterest and Facebook alone don't tell you that, I don't know what will. People see something intriguing and they want to do it too. So, WHAT IF all of the advertisers, television shows, movies and everything geared towards the younger generation coming up would recreate the past. What if they took the style and energy of the past and lit up the next generation with excitement and intrigue and give them something to be passionate about. Give them something more than that funny video clip online to find funny and give them a real reason to laugh, like doing something silly out with their friends. Create more ads where it's cool to put down your phone, of which I have seen. Create ads that make you want to dance and run and be active.

This commercial gives that vibe of: get off your phone and live your life or let it pass you by. I think, it's a pretty good commercial to be honest.

Make TV shows where your characters ACTUALLY do things other than pretend to look busy. We need to stir up the minds of the young people and get them yearning for more of life. It's not just the young people, I'm just picking on them because they don't get the choice to live how we all did. GIVE THEM THAT CHANCE.

Think about it. When you watched someone on a movie play basketball in their driveway, didn't it make you want to break out the basketball? When you saw someone swimming, weren't you wishing you too were swimming?

So, that's my theory. Instead of basing their advertisements on the people according to their current life habits, they should try to build up a new generation with their own desires to be like those active people in the video clips all around them. I think, given the right work and the right amount of time, it could work.

Am I crazy? Probably. But, at least I mean well. I'm sure that my theory is full of holes, but it's still a nice thought. I have seen some advertisements where they are trying to turn people more away from spending all of their time with their faces glued to their phones. Years ago they didn't have many phones around and making a call to your sweetie was a BIG deal. Now people have each other at their fingertips. There aren't dire needs to see each other any more. Our faces are one click away. But, maybe if the advertisers and television writers would work in more clips of people actively NEEDING each other again, we might start to open up our eyes as a world again and see what we're missing.

I hope you enjoyed another moment in my brain! It was a little scattered, but the essence shoudl all be there: Activity, Togetherness, Desire and Need for Others. Maybe you feel similar, maybe not. But either way, thanks for reading. I appreciate it! I'll see you guys next week!