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Anyone else cutting off all ties to modern day culture and society?

posted 3 years ago by [deleted]
100 replies | jump to latest

Recently, I've been losing myself in a lot of retro TV shows, music, books, etc. The reason why is that it feels to me as if modern day culture and society is becoming more dehumanizing and nihilistic, to the point where more people are forgetting what it means to actually be and feel human, as well as live in an actual society where you have to share a space with others.

For example, this will be the 20th anniversary of 9/11. I'm a New Yorker who lived through that experience, and I can tell you that the culture and people were a complete 180 from what they are today. I remember walking through the streets of NYC in the weeks after and legit feeling if the entire country was united and all pulling for each other. And now it's the opposite. We went from the entire country going ape shit because almost 3,000 people die on 9/11, to the entire country not giving a fuck that 500K died from COVID.

The reason why so much has changed is social media, to be sure, but modern entertainment has been fueling nihilism and anti-humanistic values for well over a decade now. The generations that grew up being taught to get a hard-on for antisocial sociopathic characters (seeing them as sexy for being damaged or cool for being non-conformist) are now coming of age.

To me, an example of how fucked up culture has become--and how it's destroying modern day society--is that song Pumped Up Kicks. I remember hearing that song and loving it because of how romantic it sounded...only to hear the lyrics. This is a romantic-sounding song about a sociopathic kid that wants to kill people.

Another example is anime. Don't get me wrong--I do love anime but it's weird what gets pushed in this country. It's the demented stuff in Japan that gets pushed in the US, not the more wholesome fare. The worst example is Death Note, where the viewer is made to experience most of the story from the perspective of the villain, who's basically a serial killer.

Anyway, the point is that I'm pretty much done with modern entertainment and culture. I'm just going to lose myself in anything that predates 2010. It's nothing to do with age. I'm just sick of nihilism and anti-humanism and wonder if anyone else is feeling the same way.

[–] Furienna (3322) 3 years ago

I must say that I think that you're a bit too pessimistic though.
I'm not a fan of that kind of popular entertainment either, so I do what I can to stay away from it.
However, I believe that most people in real life aren't sociopaths and serial killers.

[–] Quasimodo (16388) 3 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Quasimodo (16388) 3 years ago

My apologies, I meant to reply to the OP.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I didn't mean to imply that most people are sociopaths are serial killers, but that entertainment that emphasizes nihilism and hated of humanistic values having a negative effect on people in real life. I'm noticing that people in real life nowhere near as "warm" or neighborly as they used to be.

The COVID epidemic is pretty much confirmation.

For example, right after 9/11, we had a massive blackout on the East Coast. The thing I remember the most about it was how people, for no other reason than to help, started directing traffic at intersections until police were able to arrive and take over. But last year, so many people refused to wear a mask, were outraged about having to do that to protect others. It's a different world from what it was 15, 20 years ago because IMO, mass media no longer emphasizes things like helping your fellow man or seeing yourself as something larger.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

I agree with your overall sentiments but mask wearing is not a sign of compassion, it’s a sign of being duped by the very Marxist takeover responsible for the horrible societal changes you’re observing.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I'm going to tell you what I've been telling the other "goons" posting in this thread.

I didn't post this thread so that an Alt Right goon can use this as an opportunity to peddle Rightwing talking points. What I'm talking about has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with sociopaths pandering to the lowest common denominator. Negativity, hatred, division and pandering to the worst in human nature sells, so that's what both Hollywood and Big Tech execs are selling.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

OK, I’m simply explaining why society is decaying - it’s because of the Marxist takeover that is especially hostile to the family unit, nationhood and liberalism. If a right wing cult was responsible then I’d be calling them out instead.

One of the things that prevents us from halting the decay is that anyone who correctly identifies its origins is to be labelled an ‘Alt Right goon’, but fortunately people are starting to see through this tactic.

[–] moviechatterer (13382) 3 years ago

kids today eh?

stupid clothes , stupid music , stupid movies

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

This response is a prime example of what I'm talking about.

One of the signs of dehumanization is the inability of people to respond as human beings. Instead, they respond like robots with ready-made cliché responses, as if programmed to say "X" in response to "Y." I use to have full blown, in-depth conversations with people. Now all I get are cliché responses, or--worst yet--conspiracy theory talking points or other crap that someone saw on social media.

[–] moviechatterer (13382) 3 years ago

I'm sorry , what you were meant to infer from my comment was:

Are you sure you are not just experiencing getting old and being out of touch with the youth.
A phenomenon experienced by generations down the ages.
At last since jazz music appearered in the 20s etc

to summarise:
All parents think their kid's generation has rubbish music, fashion etc

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I didn't say anything about "youth." I said modern culture. What does modern culture have to do with youth? It's members of my generation and older (GenX, Baby Boomers and WW2 Generation) who are producing today's movies, TV shows and videogames. Zack Snyder, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the producers of Breaking Bad or Sherlock are not "youth". Neither are the CEOs of our social media media companies, Rupert Murdoch or talking heads like Alex Jones. Neither were or are the developers of videogames glamorizing violent sociopaths (GTA) or standup comics like the late George Carlin, who's nihilistic diatribes get quoted on a regular basis.

In light of all that, what does your response of me being "out of touch" do? It doesn't reveal me to be out of touch but highlights the problem that I talked about in my OP. I talked about a specific problem, giving specific examples and a specific frame of reference. I said nothing about youth culture or anything like that. I said there's a problem with today's society and culture. It's nihilistic and anti-humanistic.

You immediately boiled down specifics into a cliched response about an old person making a generic complaint about today's youth, because today's society has taught you to act and think robotically to what anyone says or does. In other words, it's like you've been programmed with canned responses, canned comprehensions, canned everything. IMO, this is the result of social media and today's culture, which no longer teaches people how to develop nuanced understanding of things.

[–] Furienna (3322) 3 years ago

I'm afraid I have to agree with Moviechatterer that you sound like you don't understand "youth culture" anymore.
But I get that you're saying, that much of what you don't like isn't written or produced by young people.
However, there's such a thing as being savvy enough to know what the kids like and making a profit from it.
Now, I don't believe that the WWII generation is still making much popular entertainment anymore these days.
But I don't doubt that some GenXers and Baby Boomers still know what will be a hit or not.
After all, popular entertainment for youth has often been written and produced by people from older generations.
That is hardly new at all...

[–] Quasimodo (16388) 3 years ago

I have sympathy for your situation. Western Civilization is in steep decline and that must be more apparent in America ( as it was riding the highest only sixty years ago ) than anywhere else I would guess. In Australia the story is different due to its isolation and humble as well as unfortunate beginnings as a penal colony that was largely populated from the lower social orders. And so it never reached any great cultural heights ( with individual exceptions of course although many of those left the country ) from which to fall.

For information and entertainment I tend to graze wherever my interest takes me. Today I was looking for whatever I could find on the Canaanites. But I also keep up with current things because there is still quality to be found, though admittedly less of it. ' The Queen's Gambit ' (2020) I thought was a masterpiece. And I quite liked ' Belgravia ' (2020) as well.

I can only stand listening to so much Wokery Pokery before I have to switch it off. The knowing blatant dishonesty of many of those people makes my blood boil. They are propagandists telling dangerous lies to try to achieve power so they can force through their agenda. As far as the poisonous Gangsta culture that so many young people idiotically follow it makes me very sad.

Still I suppose we would all prefer to be here and now rather than back in the bad days and the hard days when people were trying to kill woolly mammoths with pointy sticks.

[–] Burk48917 (10996) 3 years ago

Only the liberal run cities are in steep decline in America. Unless affected by some type economic hardship, most small rural areas aren't that different than they were 30 years ago.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

[deleted]

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

It's funny you should say Star Wars: The Force Awakens, because the last movie I saw was Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The reason why I went to see those movies is that Star Wars is the only franchise right now that's the complete opposite of mainstream movies. Unlike so many IPs that stress nihilism, anarchy, etc., Star Wars still respects this idea that there is good and evil in the world, that there are good guys and bad guys and that it's important for people to keep pushing back against evil and bad people.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

Well, sort of, except that in The Last Jedi all of the villains are white males and all of the heroes are every combination other than being white and male. The woke lesson, once again, is there is evil in the universe… but it is embodied by white males.

[–] jonathan_k80 (6436) 3 years ago

Social media and overdependence on electronic gadgets are two of the biggest culprits that are contributing to the downfall of civilization. Communication has become quick and efficient, which is not always a good thing. Hate groups can now spread their messages immediately to any place on the globe, and have the ability to hook up with other isolated like-minded organizations. This makes them appear larger and more powerful than they are in reality, and this is exactly the image they want to convey to the public.

Our society is becoming so dumbed-down and lazy, and the sad part about it is this is being done voluntarily. Phone zombies stumble around and walk into traffic or fall down steps because they can't divert their eyes from the screen for even a couple of seconds. "Shopping" means lying on the couch with ones nose buried in the "smart phone" and clicking links, then expecting the items to show up on the doorstep yesterday. Instant gratification without exerting any effort is expected. There are those who can't perform simple tasks without consulting some silly "phone app." I call these devices StupidPhones™ because they are electronic crutches. Users think they are so-o-o smart because they have access to all this information. There's a big difference between possessing knowledge and using a device to retrieve it.

Being a science fiction fan, I was always excited by innovations in technology, especially when it was for the advancement and benefit of humankind. But we have come to a point to where this is becoming detrimental. I think we reached this point around 2010, the same year you and others have mentioned. Society is becoming hedonistic and indolent, and history shows this leads to the downfall of empires.

I don't live off the grid, but I am very selective in the type of technology I embrace. No StupidPhone™ for me. Those devices are intrusive and an invasion of privacy.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Yes, they are definitely StupidPhones. I have a sister who eats, lives and breathes on her Samsung Galaxy, but has no idea how to use Google, register an online account to do manage her finances or even log in to a brand new laptop because her smartphone *is* her only point of contact with the internet.

Our society is becoming so dumbed-down and lazy, and the sad part about it is this is being done voluntarily.

I can totally relate to this. I have family members who I've been begging over and over again to get off Facebook, get off all this crap. I warn them about privacy issues, about fake news, about disinfo. They nod their heads in agreement, but then still religiously use this stuff, even though they keep seeing signs that their privacy is being violated in the worst way.

For example, I had a niece who downloaded a semi-popular messaging app. As soon as she registered her phone number, the app added a crazy ex as a contact, even though she hadn't spoken to him in years. Again, this was not a super popular messaging app that everyone and their mother uses or is connected to a popular site like LinkedIn Facebook. It's a standalone app but somehow it was able to whip contacts out of thin air to people she's been trying to avoid. Still uses the app, regardless.

[–] jonathan_k80 (6436) 3 years ago

Like I said, I'm selective in what technology I will embrace. I will have nothing to do with Facebook, Twitter and their ilk. These are data-collection entities masquerading as social networking sites. They track every keystroke to create a demographic profile and interest list of the users so they can bombard them with pop-up ads and spam e-mails.

I don't use Amazon, either, unless it's a last resort. I can count on one hand the number of times I've used it, and am not one bit impressed with their services. Online shopping is a bad idea, and I could list the reasons but these posts have character limits. I'm getting tired of going to a store and being told "we no longer stock that item; you will need to order it online." The stores have quit stocking some merchandise because demand has dropped and it doesn't pay to take up shelf space with these items, which I totally understand. It's the reason why demand has dropped that irks me: people are too lazy get out of their cars and walk through a store.

A day is coming when people are going to finally wake up and regret all this stuff. By then, it will be too late.

[–] Furienna (3322) 3 years ago

While I get why you wouldn't want a crazy ex to follow you, I've had no such problems with Facebook.
So I guess that most other people haven't either.

[–] diezman (1812) 3 years ago

I tend to watch older movies and listen to older music.

It doesn't mean that I find current entertainment bad. There is a great deal of great movies and music out there.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

I see the decline. I feel the draw to disconnect. I have watched fewer and fewer movies and tv shows over the last 10 years. I'm not drawing some line but I guess I am gradually tuning out. Very fond of the vast entertainment options of the past. Not a bad fate. But I doubt I'll ever fully disconnect.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20466) 3 years ago

I despise modern television and movies, and have for many years. When my wife talks about a current movie star or singer I usually don’t even have a clue of what they look like.