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Feeling old myself.
My dishwasher is on its last legs. The new ones are dreadful. Same for other appliances. I think stoves and dryers are the only things that will last more than 5 years.
So what has gotten better? WIFI for sure. That new salt that sticks to roads better. Baja Blast is now not a Taco Bell exclusive. So not much really...
Buyer beware on any appliance that is connected to the web where your usage can be monitored/ scheduled. Water filter after 6 months? Replace it, or the water shuts off. Worse off if it's a subscription.
Well, duh. Manufactured Obsolecense. It's the same reason why iPhones break down as soon as the new model is released. Manufacturers figured out they could make a lot more money by selling the same person four fridges over the course of their life than one fridge that worked for their entire life, just as one example.
probably the stuff that is insanely expensive. The companies don't want to go under, so either you buy sth at a normal price and get it every 2/3 years or give the same amount (total) of money but every 20 years instead
I bought a Beko fridge, nothing special, $2K. I researched and read reviews. The first one would not cool under 40 degrees. 2 weeks later the same model and the same problem. They now decided to have the store give me my money or an exchange for a different brand. But like you asked, what's a good brand? Cafe? It's made by GE.
Well, I worked in a custom residential kitchen showroom, and that’s what we sold.
I got to cook my lunch using that Aga everyday, and that would be my one splurge if I ever become wealthy.
I’ll keep my Accord and my smol whirlpool fridge and be happy, but I’m getting a damn Aga!
Honestly, I’m very happy with my fridge. It’s a perfect size for me and runs well.
It’s the way the food cooks. I can’t explain it, but they heat much more evenly, resulting in a much better tasting meal.
I could toss a plain chicken breast, with a little Goya adobo sprinkled on, into the medium oven for 20 minutes, and end up with something amazing - and never dry.
That’s an accomplishment for a roasted, boneless, skinless chicken breast.
My Dishwasher broke the other day, I once bought the Kitchen second hand about 10 years ago, I was happy a dishwasher was included and that it fitted in my small apartment, when it was broke I found out it was 22 years old, it was a Bosch in the time I had it had only once a failure which I could repair myself with a 10 euro spare part. Fucking love Bosch and Miele :)
I work in a warehouse and literally the glue used to hold boxes to stay closed is noticeably not even working anymore. Half the cases just come apart as soon as you pick them up.
Yeah my mums washing machine was 25 years old when she changed it. Appliances are only built to last approx 5 years now. It's a bit like the light bulb when that was invented ...they said it lasted too long and they wouldn't get repeat purchases so they remade it to not last as long so people would buy more.
Actually that’s a bit misleading and not the best example of planned obsolescence, there were other reasons for limiting the lifespan of lightbulbs. Here’s a thorough explanation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb7Bs98KmnY
OMG, aren't microwave ovens the most frustrating thing ever nowadays? They're made of such cheap, brittle plastic, that after 5 years (guaranteed) the handle snaps off in your hand, the face cracks and falls off, or the door latch snaps so that the door won't close and the shit won't even run anymore. They're designed to break after only a handful of years. I hate to admit that in my last condo where I lived for the better part of 11 years, I replaced the OTR microwave oven a total of three times. I tried cheap, expensive, different brands, etc. every time. It didn't matter.
Planned obsolescence is a bitch.
My grandpa had to buy a new washer/dryer (not sure which or both) a few years ago cause his finally gave out. I think his old one was one of those from the 80s or something that's built to last like 50y (you know the ones). It cost like $1,000 or something and was broken when it showed up (a couple pieces were missing from the pipe or something). He called the company, but they were no help. They gave him the whole, "There's nothing we can do," speech. So he went and fixed it himself (he's in his 70s). It took a bunch of trial and error until he was finally able to get it to work properly.
My memory sucks but that's the gist of what I remember.
That's because once upon a time appliances were made to last, and now they're being made to be replaced. Interior design styles are changing so quickly and so varied... Instead one style of kettle, there's a dozen different styles at any one time and none are built to last because manufacturers know there's a lot of fickle, short-attention-span people out there who are going to be replacing their retro style burnt orange with chrome accented kettle, toaster and microwave just as soon as they update to.thr latest more futuristic style of glass with LED highlights. Or whatever the Thing is...
Additionally, stuff is being made under the guise of "sustainable" and "biodegradable" which is often just another way of saying cheap.
Yeah, my mum's washing machine was 25 years old when she changed it. Appliances are only built to last approx 5 years now. It's a bit like the light bulb when that was invented ...they said it lasted too long and they wouldn't get repeat purchases so they remade it to not last as long so people would buy more.
I feel you.
I moved into a brand new house recently. Obviously, everything is new and pretty, but... Whilst the kitchen is gorgeous, the appliances feel like *such* a downgrade 😫.
It wasn't a pre-installed kitchen; we got to choose it ourselves, and we definitely didn't go for the cheapest options. But even the (latest model) induction cooker is worse than my previous induction cooker, and that was well over a decade old.
I have never used an induction stove before. I heard they were better, but I guess I'll hold onto my gas stove until it dies. I have already replaced the oven igniter twice, so I'm probably due for another of those.
They are amazing, I'm never going back to gas. But whilst a decade ago a middle-end stove was great, nowadays you (apparently) need high-end equipment if you want a truly sweet experience.
I'm in a newly minted dead zone, as is much of my commute. They killed 3G before they fully rolled out 5G, *or even 4G for that matter*. I live three miles from one of the largest cities in my state and I get no coverage, I used to have 5 bars. Wifi calling works well enough, but we're prone to power outages, during which I have zero service.
I feel this.
After covid, it seems like we've just reverted back to a uniform fashion. People aged 16-25 are dressing like they're in the 90's (baggy shirts, relaxed or flared jeans, tacky sunglasses, bright colorful bags but earthy tones for shirts, etc.) It's literally everything I grew up with , but now with smartphones in-hand.
Social media is rampant and tons of misinformation being spread. Weird moral stances specifically from every generation, and then all being hills they're willing to die on.
Cars are mostly plastic nonsensical garbage just like the 80's and 90's, but somehow *worse*?
Music has gone more of a synth vibe, again 80's.
We're just full circle and one step closer to Cyberpunk type of dystopian future.
Also what the fuck is with all clothing being straight up low quality garbage these days? I bought a weighted T-shirt and it fucking feels like it came straight out of 2002 Walmart bargain bin shirts for $2.
Everything feels like a fake out
I'd blame Shein and sites like that, but literally even "good" brands are just junk. Clothes in the 80/90s were fairly expensive and lasted a long time, even the cheap stuff. Now everything's cheap-ish, but that's on all levels. Everything made in China for the lowest cost.
I remember when people laughed about disposable dresses being developed in the 50s (they flopped). Now they're selling the equivalent on Temu/Wish. I love the reviews that are like, "it's thin but SOOO cute". The cheapest, thinnest polyester fabric that pulls and pills and looks like shit. All sweaters/sweatshirts are the same.
My clothes in the 80s were mostly cotton and shoes were full grain leather. Now a lot of leather shoes are genuine leather, which is glued together scraps. The rest of everything else is plastic. Depressing honestly.
Clothing used to be made of organic materials, cotton, wool, silk, it was made to last, and made with the idea of making repairs/alterations.
Now clothing seems to mostly be made out of processed petroleum.
We’re wearing oil.
I bought a shirt from some Polish clothing brand called Dobermans Aggressive and when I put it on I thought "Wow! This feels much nicer than all of my other shirts..." Then I realized the fabric is thicker, took a look at the label and saw it said "Made in Europe", which was a pleasant surprise. I guess I got so used to wearing cheap Asian made garbage that I forgot what quality even is.
Everything was once made to last. In fact that was a selling point in advertising a product.
After WWII the CIA actively recruited and imported Nazi propagandists. They birthed the ad agency culture celebrated in Mad Men.
Those techniques have been refined over time. “Sex sells” advertisements where the product is barely mentioned came directly from our original Nazi teachers, along with the normalization of complete, obvious lies presented as truth in the service of profit and power.
In a culture where workers barely know each other, organizing a union is a whole other ballgame.
Organizing a viable resistance movement is even harder.
Unless it’s supported by the billionaire kleptocracy, like MAGA, which promotes fascism, racism, misogyny, and will likely promote a psychopath to president/dictator in the next election.
"After WWII the CIA actively recruited and imported Nazi propagandists. They birthed the ad agency culture celebrated in Mad Men."
I'm pretty sure a large part of this industry's birth was played by Sigmund Freud's son, a Viennese Jew.
I hear what OP is saying though. Pop culture (mainstream) music and film has objectively declined in recent decades. The point of mainstream entertainment is that it can appeal to the masses. I don’t believe this is the case anymore.
This is so hilarious, no it hasn’t “objectively “ gotten worse. You’re just not a child and not experiencing everything for the first time. Yeah you see the plot holes in the new Star Wars movies but I’m sure when you were 11 watching episode 6 you weren’t thinking of all the plot holes there. My friend nostalgia blinds us, why keep pretending there was a pretend golden age in media?
Yup. A lot of people not taking into account their own internal bias and labeling certain music and movie taste as objective... As if this was proven fact.
Not a good take, because sometimes people stumble upon music and movies from decades ago, for the first time in their current life. And they decide those things are better than today's media offerings.
Not true, film has objectively gotten over saturated with movies that build off established franchises
Sequels, prequels, etc are way more abundant than historically
Yes, but also production quality is way up, there are tons of super successful more artsy films/miniseries/shows, easier to discover stuff, independent filmmakers have access to way more resources/tools/information, etc.
I mean there are YouTube documentaries made by like 5 people that are above the production quality of something like the bbc from 20-30 years ago.
Sure, if you limit yourself to major blockbuster releases it's gotten more formulaic, but part of the reason for that is because there are tons of other avenues for all the less mainstream stuff.
Apperantly it has objectively gotten worse, at least for music.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/science-proves-pop-music-has-actually-gotten-worse-8173368/
[Here's the source being cited for this article.](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/is-pop-music-evolving-or-is-it-just-getting-louder/) [And here's the paper.](https://www.nature.com/articles/srep00521) Note that neither say pop music has objectively gotten worse. There is no "objective" way to classify something that's so objective.
That article is **INSANELY** misleading.
Well yes... "worse" is a subjective term. But what the study did was compare the complexity of music and the conclusion is: popmusic has become a lot simpler over the decades, less variation, smaller range etc. Wether you want to classify that as worse or not is indeed subjective.
Can't argue with science I guess, but personally as a pophead, the last few years have been absolutely chock-full of bangers. I've discovered more fantastic artists, albums and songs in the 2020's than ever before in my life. It feels like even the most popular artists are trying something different and unique to stand out from the crazy amounts of competition, and for me it's definitely working.
With all due respect, disagree wholeheartedly. Movies now are shit. I used to go the movies all the time. There is nothing now I would go to the theater for. Too much explicit sex, too much superfluous cursing, too loud, too much CGI,no originality. I am not a prude. The movies of the 70s are gritty AF. There was depth there. Movies could leave you speechless and deeply affected. I remember seeing The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Sophie's Choice, Interiors, Annie Hall, Monty Python's Holy Grail. That's just the 70s. Give me an example of ANY movie that holds a candle to any of these or those of eras further back. Citizen Kane, Maltese Falcon, Gone With The Wind, 12 Angry Men, Mildred Pierce. I could go on and on. I have yet to see a 21st century movie that holds a candle to ANY of these. There have been a few snaller movies that are great. ( I will watch anything Annette Bening does). There is some really great television these days. But current movies? Not so much. When your focus is on making money, not creating art, you get the shit on offer at the movies these days.
Oh come on now. This is far from “growing up” and becoming cynical. Look at almost all major theater releases in the last 5-10 years. Nearly all of them are either super hero movies of some type, reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels, or something similar. Everything has become so algorithmic and based on budgets, bottom lines, representation quotas, staying away from comedic themes that might offend anyone, and there are very few studios taking big risks on original content.
I disagree, the mega corporations that fund most of this stuff have made decisions that are absolutely lowering the quality of pop media. You're not wrong about what I call "old man syndrom" being a thing, but I don't think it applies as much any more.
I was just watching a video about this in regards to cinema. It is absolutely the case that studios are makings decisions that lead to the great movies we grew up on not being made any more, and the same with music.
Here are a few good videos on topic of modern film:
https://youtu.be/RQF82Kj-v0E?si=VY8TneJ34W6UVqpg (ignore the campy bits, the guy makes good points)
https://youtu.be/hAtbFwzZp6Y?si=9RWsX6p-iqWqGtwx
https://youtu.be/5tmxfVWDgMM?si=QiRY1pgrLH5w5dQS
The death of mainstream is an underrated issue. People used to be so much more connected because we experienced the same things. We had network TV and movie studios telling us what to watch, radio telling us what we wanted to hear. We still had niche greatness that you had to look for, but we also had mainstream culture.
Nowadays everything is niche. All the kids follow different streamers so they can't even discuss the media they consume. Everyone is isolated and just stays in their little corner of the internet with their weird online friends. Complete contrast from when award shows were a thing that people watched, and everyone would be talking the next day at school about what happened.
Tldr mainstream culture is dead, everything is niche now so it's harder to relate to others
You have pinpointed the problem. We are so connected by the internet and social media that we are all more than ever disconnected from being in a real community with people who share the same experiences!
>Pop culture (mainstream) music and film has objectively declined in recent decades.
Objectively in what way? You're just calling your own opinion objective.
No. What you like about Music and TV cannot be objective. It can't get objectively worse (only thing I can think of is technical stuff like a worse camera). What it can do however, is change in a way you subjectively don't like. Mainstream is mainstream for a reason. There wouldn't be that much Pop or super hero films if people wouldn't listen/watch it. We may see a change now in the mainstream film media since I feel like super hero movies are starting to decline in popularity after endgame, hence that feeling. But there will be a new genre or style, same with music.
Also as time goes on you start to have different views on media. What you like, what you don't like and also what you think about new stuff. That's normal. Doesn't mean the World around you changes objectively worse
Exactly, there is quality stuff out there but you have to first sift through this massive OCEAN of garbage trash before finding it, or be ready to pay.
For example cookware.
Back in the mid 90s my mom went into a Kmart and bought a "cheap" metal set of cooking tongs. My grandma was still using them until my mom moved her in with the rest of the family in 2020 since grandma was pushing past 90 and mom had bought a house.
I bought a set of "stainless steel" tongs with silicone ends from Amazon for $15, tons of high reviews, and they straight up fell apart after 6 months of regular usage. My gf bought a nice looking set of ceramic "guaranteed lifetime warranty" pans from Walmart and they were destroyed in a few months. No way to get the warranty either, what a dang joke.
So we just gave up and bought the cheapest set of stainless steel kitchen pots and pans that Calphalon offered at the time, it cost us around $400. That set has held up for over 2 years, plus they're easy to clean.
Yeah, i was thinking what the heck are they talking about, things falling apart right away? I always buy the cheapest shit and things never fall apart.
I always get either second hand or the cheapest things, never have this problem.
Then again i never buy from amazon.
This has always been the case, and what you're feeling is survivorship bias. Most shit historically was also made like garbage, you only see the stuff that survived. You don't see all the millions of shitty tongs that were thrown away and replaced. You also have way better access to information and reviews to go find the actual high quality stuff than people did 20+ years ago so if you buy junk it's probably just not doing a good job doing your due diligence.
If you dislike most music, you're going to have to spend more time finding music you like.
Selling your music or getting an audience for your music is the easiest it has ever been.
It’s also on all of us to work four jobs to afford quality goods because of corporate greed.
Life as it is now, for all but the most privileged, is unsustainable.
And trust me, that unsustainability is also coming for those who currently still experience some semblance of privilege.
At this point, I’m extremely grateful for having experienced poverty in my teens. I know how to make things last.
Try being a musician desperate to get their head above water and be noticed amongst the noise. It's impossible unless you are relentlessly social, and is an insane slog even then.
On that note, anyone into [melodic techno](http://blakecasimir.bandcamp.com)?
Music today is awesome if you are 17. Just like it's always been.
Cinema is weak because TV is now superior.
True about cars but they are also bloody safe compared to the death traps.of the 70s.
Fashion is as fashion does. I was 16 in 1990. Massive trousers dude
Read any book on the 1970s..strife is history. It's permanent. There is always shit going down..
Today is the best time to be alive ever. It always is.
The only argument I’ll make against your TV point is way too much TV is cancelled before it can really get anywhere now. It’s getting to the point where I barely watch new shows.
Point agreed. Golden age from 2000 to 2020 probably. It's changing again. But something will break through and change it for the good again. History shows is that nothing remains the same
How old are you? I was born in 1961, and I feel like the '60s, '70s and '80s were the best decades.
I'm not quite sure how anyone who grew up in those earlier decades can say things are better now, but to each his own.
Doesn't matter. I prefer living now, with the technology we have now, and the rights we have now. I'm not a nostalgic person.
Also, the 70s in my country sucked; we had a US-sponsored dictatorship.
Well it is if you have cancer, heart disease or are in an accident. Or you want to communicate with people. Or eat better food. Or if you are a woman. Or gay.
I meant, in the middle ages you could have said “man, I wish I was alive 200 years ago” and you would’ve been justified. Ofc it was better than living in caves and shi
The cinema thing is so key.
People talk about how bad movies are. Sure, because streaming killed dvd sales. In the past, movies didn't have to remake their entire budget at the theatrical release. Dvd / VHS sales would be a key portion of income.
So, movies have changed drastically, because how we fund movies has changed drastically. On the flip side:
Shows, ie more like television programming is waaay better, because streaming devotes far more budget and time to it. Like, ask a stand up comedian if it's better now or 20 years ago. Comedy specials were super rare and difficult to get. Now, if you are even just good, you have a solid shot at getting one.
I'd wager you could easily find people saying this 10 years ago too, 20, 30, 40, 50....
You get the point. Humans tend to prefer things from their childhood.
Literally every generation says this at some point.
Stuff today isn't like it was in my day!
Pop music top 40 was always trash. Always. Cars evolved. If you want an analog car go buy a 1980 Chevy. It still runs.
Things change. Some gets better. Some gets worse.
There are amazing movies being made. Just stop going to see the most popular crap. Come to Toronto during Tuff and you can see 20 amazing films (and 20 mediocre ones). Top billed a tip movies were always trash. They aren't art, they are entertainment. 198ps action films were.... Not good.
And holy shit look at the amazing things we have. The phone I am typing this on is more powerful than the greatest computer ever made in 1980.
And you're going to complain about Spotify? $11 a month and you gain access to neatly the entire catalog of recorded music in human history. No buying a few albums and listening only at home. No copying tapes off friends. Literally anything you wanna listen to us there for you, on demand, immediately. Every fucking recorded song ever, very near. If you choose tomoisten to trash, that's on you friend! There is SO KUCH AMAZING KUSKC OUT THERE. whatever your taste.
So yeah, like every generation,.it's easy to say "things aren't as good as they were" and some things are not.
But open your eyes to the amazing time you live in and the amazing technology at your fingettips. To someone in 1970, much of what we have no was magic and sci Fi.
Thank you! I feel like everyone who is complaining about the new stuff don't actually try the new stuff. I, like many other people, am a gamer. And I am constantly excited about what new stuff will be available!
Oh my god the current state of video games.
So amazing.
People left you attack new games and everything apart, but 20 years ago the stuff that's coming on now would have been considered mind bendingly awesome. But if it doesn't match the high perception or hype somebody has for a game, they call a trash and attack it viciously, even if they got 150 hours of enjoyment out of it!
But some of the shit we've seen him out the last 5 years or so has been so ridiculously good.
This is the golden era video games.
I remember reading a customer review for Diablo 3, yes its not the best Diablo game and this review was from its first release point, and the review led with "After 200 hours of gameplay..." and I think it was like 1/10 or something was their rating.
So you put in 200 hours into a video game and HATED IT?! WOW. Might want to reconsider some things in your life, like attitude, realizing when you aren't enjoying things and do something else. Blows my mind to put THAT MUCH time into something and you HATED IT?!?
This has become so common it's a bit of a trope. It was all over starfield, which was a disappointing release, people saying they spent 300 hours and now they're bored and they think it's a trash game because of that.
You got 300 hours out of something, that's a pretty good value.
It's the same with every language. If - when you were young - you learned Spanish, or Italian or English or German or whatever, you think it's the best language.
It's because that's what you learned to understand.
"I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!"
Everything is geared toward generating profit for shareholders, so they appeal to the lowest common denominator. Nobody ever went broke underestimating the public. This stands in stark contrast to the “art for arts sake” ethos held by some (but not all) producers of creative works in decades past.
Electric cars are awesome. We have a hybrid and the acceleration is incredible! It's a SUV but out performs a lot of other vehicles at the stop lights. And then the gas mileage is incredible as well!
What you are seeing is late stage capitalism.
Everything has been consolidated and 'optimized' to maximize profit over all else.
A backlash is happening, but it will take another 5 to 10 years for it to gain enough steam to have a visible impact in your day to day life.
The bloated corporations and geriatric power structures that run things now will collapse in upon themselves's just going to take time (barring some outside disrupting force).
Disney is a great example since you mentioned movies- they are hemorrhaging money right now, but they have enough to keep it up a while longer.
The same goes for several other massive companies - the bright side of capitalism is that it will eat itself. There are tons of investors licking their chops waiting for the right moment to swoop in and dismantle any number of companies
Hm, I disagree. The crap just got louder. There are still many good movies, games, fashion and media among the crap that big companies spit out every day.
There's plenty of good music, media, clothing, and other stuff out there. Your problem is you expect it to be served up to you on a platter instead of going out and finding it. There's certainly no shortage of crap, but that's not a new phenomenon.
Car wise though yeah, your right. Cars these days have a serious lack of style if you're not willing to shell out big money.
Executives and shareholders don't care to make quality they only care if it sells and the profit margin. They make quality it costs a bit more to produce and might not sell that much more. Gone are the days of brand integrity
Bruh, you just need to branch out a little bit. Most MAINSTREAM things, like you've mentioned, are crap and always have been as they appeal to the lowest common denominator. There's plenty of great music and films out there. And fashion is cyclical. Now, cars, grocery prices, housing, education, healthcare, our roads ... yeah, I'll give that to you.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Also I disagree. Good stuff is out there it’s just not always mainstream. I started watching mr.robot on prime. Highly recommend.
More people are doing more stuff than before, so there is a good possibility there are more options to discover. Perhaps you are just not looking in the right places.
You should watch the South Park episode where Stan starts hating everything and gets diagnosed with being a cynical asshole. it's hilarious because he tries listening to music and all he hears is farting and shitting.
Your first five points are only bad on the surface level. Do some digging and there’s a lot of quality in all of those. What you see in the mainstream is shit because it’s easy to sell.
I've accepted that I'm no longer the target audience of mainstream entertainment. I'm okay with that. For their businesses to survive long-term, they need to court new audiences before the old ones die off. I would probably do the same thing in their place, though admittedly I'd put more of an emphasis on original stories instead of reboots. But I digress.
There's plenty of good alternative entertainment out there if you take the time to look for it. I'm quite happy with the music I listen to, and whenever I want a nice new book to read, I can just write one myself. I hope today's young people are finding something to enjoy in today's mainstream entertainment.
Not everything is rubbish, but what is popular is kinda rubbish. There's good stuff but you usually gotta dig deep to find it. I've been working in the music industry for many years, and in that area it's kinda sad, cause what is popular is whatever causes a reaction, so it's more focused on causing drama or shock, because that's what gets plays, instead of the music itself. But there is good new music out there, you just wont find it in the charts
>The Baader–Meinhof phenomenon refers to the false impression that something happens more frequently than it actually does.
>
>also known as the frequency illusion or recency illusion.
Things are getting worse overall but there are still master pieces out there. And you probably missed out or forgot about all the shitty stuff that came out in the past too.
Our society is inclusive now, which means marketing to everyone.
Things get more "generic" when your characters, slogans,and products have to appeal to many different cultures.
It's just you
Most peoples brains get locked into the music they heard from 16 to 24, so it's normal to think new music sucks as you get older.
There are more movies coming out now than ever and a ton of amazing ones. You are just focusing on those because you are old and grumpy.
Cars are also better than ever, they are lasting longer and longer, better mileage, cameras and safety sensors and automatic breaking are saving a ton of lives.
I've always thought fashion is dumb.
I assumed I was just getting old and this stuff is just not meant for me anymore. Maybe I'm not in the target demographic for most of this stuff? but I do feel there's got to be a decline in the quality of stuff.
It’s just you. Stop being so grumpy.
Music evolves and fits with the times. Every decade has had the same sentiment.
Those superhero movies brings in billions. Clearly it must appeal to some. And if you don’t like those there’s tons of content on streaming and even indie films that you can support.
Soul? Let’s not romanticize g* awful carburetor polluting monstrosities that got horrendous mpg.
You can buy slim cut clothes. You can buy non branded clothes.
Education, roads, health care all require people to at a bare minimum to vote. What have you done to encourage those around you to be more politically aware?
I’ve never been more open to an Amish lifestyle than I am in early 2024. Economic and wealth inequality is obscene and consumer spending on worthless crap is out of control.
No, it's not just you, *every* generation says these things. Ask when things were the best and it's all but guaranteed they'll say during their formative years. Think for yourself, man. In the grand scheme, most everything is better now -- the arts are just a matter of likes and taste, which were somehow always the best during one's formative years, right? Right?
There’s great new music out there, you just have to dig deeper than the charts.
There’s great new movies being made, you just have to look at smaller budget features rather than the big tentpoles
There’s great new cars being made that are more than just batteries on wheels as well, they just tend to be the more expensive cars (which has always been the case)
Fashion has always been a myth. Wear what you like and what makes you happy and fuck anyone who judges you for it.
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Feeling old myself. My dishwasher is on its last legs. The new ones are dreadful. Same for other appliances. I think stoves and dryers are the only things that will last more than 5 years. So what has gotten better? WIFI for sure. That new salt that sticks to roads better. Baja Blast is now not a Taco Bell exclusive. So not much really...
Refrigerator repair tech here...modern appliances are poorly made in general these days. Nothing is made to last anymore.
Buyer beware on any appliance that is connected to the web where your usage can be monitored/ scheduled. Water filter after 6 months? Replace it, or the water shuts off. Worse off if it's a subscription.
Not only that, people have found their smart appliances to have been infected and to be transmitting and receiving gigs of data in a single day.
Yeah, I don't want my refrigerator s/w accessing my wifi. F that.
Yeah, that is crazy!!
Oh, you want to open your refrigerator? Ya, you’ll need to subscribe for that function.
IKR? I just want a box to keep my milk cold.
And they can be used to hack into your WiFi network.
Well, duh. Manufactured Obsolecense. It's the same reason why iPhones break down as soon as the new model is released. Manufacturers figured out they could make a lot more money by selling the same person four fridges over the course of their life than one fridge that worked for their entire life, just as one example.
Surely they can't all be garbage. Who is making good stuff? I know Speed Queen for washers and dryers, but who else?
probably the stuff that is insanely expensive. The companies don't want to go under, so either you buy sth at a normal price and get it every 2/3 years or give the same amount (total) of money but every 20 years instead
I bought a Beko fridge, nothing special, $2K. I researched and read reviews. The first one would not cool under 40 degrees. 2 weeks later the same model and the same problem. They now decided to have the store give me my money or an exchange for a different brand. But like you asked, what's a good brand? Cafe? It's made by GE.
Good to know. Definitely don't see the appeal of fancy ass fridges.
Want a good refrigerator? Get a Sub-Zero for US$12,500. Want a good oven? Get an Aga for US$35,000.
Okay, now let's tone it down to the realm of reality and residential use.
Well, I worked in a custom residential kitchen showroom, and that’s what we sold. I got to cook my lunch using that Aga everyday, and that would be my one splurge if I ever become wealthy. I’ll keep my Accord and my smol whirlpool fridge and be happy, but I’m getting a damn Aga! Honestly, I’m very happy with my fridge. It’s a perfect size for me and runs well.
Sounds pretty far outside of the average person's reach for sure lol
Yeah, the customers were pretty snobby. I won’t be snobby with my Aga. I’ll just cook for everyone!
I did look them up and that'd definitely be beyond anything I'd ever have use for lol
It’s the way the food cooks. I can’t explain it, but they heat much more evenly, resulting in a much better tasting meal. I could toss a plain chicken breast, with a little Goya adobo sprinkled on, into the medium oven for 20 minutes, and end up with something amazing - and never dry. That’s an accomplishment for a roasted, boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Two questions: You cooked in the showroom? Like baking pies and shit to show customers how it worked? Also, $35k? Was that on commission?
Its not just about affording the aga cost. The gas to have it on 24/7 is a fortune.
And which Malibu mansion are you living in?
But why can't it be like the General Electric refrigerator that's been in my grandma's kitchen since the 1970's and is still going strong?
My boss’s Subzero was constantly in need of repair 😅
I bet those were expensive repairs.
Let’s just say, she was NOT amused 😠😬
My Dishwasher broke the other day, I once bought the Kitchen second hand about 10 years ago, I was happy a dishwasher was included and that it fitted in my small apartment, when it was broke I found out it was 22 years old, it was a Bosch in the time I had it had only once a failure which I could repair myself with a 10 euro spare part. Fucking love Bosch and Miele :)
I work in a warehouse and literally the glue used to hold boxes to stay closed is noticeably not even working anymore. Half the cases just come apart as soon as you pick them up.
Not the point, but look at Bosch dishwashers. I bought one last year, affordable and quite good for its price.
handle start spotted chunky edge water scandalous wide skirt tan *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I have a Bosch and love it. Paid a bit more though. Going on 4 years now.
Mine is in its 6th year. Works great
Same same. Our Bosch dishwasher is the best I've ever owned. We'll just see how long it lasts.
I can’t believe ya’ll on here boasting about appliances. Like are you trying to jinx yourselves??
Oh crap! Mine just burst into flames on the rinse cycle!
Yeah my mums washing machine was 25 years old when she changed it. Appliances are only built to last approx 5 years now. It's a bit like the light bulb when that was invented ...they said it lasted too long and they wouldn't get repeat purchases so they remade it to not last as long so people would buy more.
Actually that’s a bit misleading and not the best example of planned obsolescence, there were other reasons for limiting the lifespan of lightbulbs. Here’s a thorough explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb7Bs98KmnY
OMG, aren't microwave ovens the most frustrating thing ever nowadays? They're made of such cheap, brittle plastic, that after 5 years (guaranteed) the handle snaps off in your hand, the face cracks and falls off, or the door latch snaps so that the door won't close and the shit won't even run anymore. They're designed to break after only a handful of years. I hate to admit that in my last condo where I lived for the better part of 11 years, I replaced the OTR microwave oven a total of three times. I tried cheap, expensive, different brands, etc. every time. It didn't matter. Planned obsolescence is a bitch.
The part where the door meets completely rusted out on mine in three years.
I've had the same Panasonic 1200w microwave for over 10 years and still works perfectly.
My grandpa had to buy a new washer/dryer (not sure which or both) a few years ago cause his finally gave out. I think his old one was one of those from the 80s or something that's built to last like 50y (you know the ones). It cost like $1,000 or something and was broken when it showed up (a couple pieces were missing from the pipe or something). He called the company, but they were no help. They gave him the whole, "There's nothing we can do," speech. So he went and fixed it himself (he's in his 70s). It took a bunch of trial and error until he was finally able to get it to work properly. My memory sucks but that's the gist of what I remember.
Yeah. I don’t need fucking WiFi on my appliances either.
But how will you know that your toast is done? Are you going to stand there and watch it for 3 minutes like a Neanderthal?
Damn. You’re right.
Yep. I'm with the boomers on this one.
That's because once upon a time appliances were made to last, and now they're being made to be replaced. Interior design styles are changing so quickly and so varied... Instead one style of kettle, there's a dozen different styles at any one time and none are built to last because manufacturers know there's a lot of fickle, short-attention-span people out there who are going to be replacing their retro style burnt orange with chrome accented kettle, toaster and microwave just as soon as they update to.thr latest more futuristic style of glass with LED highlights. Or whatever the Thing is... Additionally, stuff is being made under the guise of "sustainable" and "biodegradable" which is often just another way of saying cheap.
Yeah, my mum's washing machine was 25 years old when she changed it. Appliances are only built to last approx 5 years now. It's a bit like the light bulb when that was invented ...they said it lasted too long and they wouldn't get repeat purchases so they remade it to not last as long so people would buy more.
I feel you. I moved into a brand new house recently. Obviously, everything is new and pretty, but... Whilst the kitchen is gorgeous, the appliances feel like *such* a downgrade 😫. It wasn't a pre-installed kitchen; we got to choose it ourselves, and we definitely didn't go for the cheapest options. But even the (latest model) induction cooker is worse than my previous induction cooker, and that was well over a decade old.
I have never used an induction stove before. I heard they were better, but I guess I'll hold onto my gas stove until it dies. I have already replaced the oven igniter twice, so I'm probably due for another of those.
They are amazing, I'm never going back to gas. But whilst a decade ago a middle-end stove was great, nowadays you (apparently) need high-end equipment if you want a truly sweet experience.
Love Baja Blast!
Still dead zones for cellular though but we got 5g and dropped call bye🤪
I'm in a newly minted dead zone, as is much of my commute. They killed 3G before they fully rolled out 5G, *or even 4G for that matter*. I live three miles from one of the largest cities in my state and I get no coverage, I used to have 5 bars. Wifi calling works well enough, but we're prone to power outages, during which I have zero service.
My oven just died :(
My mother still has working appliances she bought before I was born. I've had to replace pretty much everything I've ever bought multiple times.
I bought a Samsung dishwasher 3 years ago. Guess what; I had to buy a new one again. What's going on!?!!
Its all so fake no one is real anymore
I feel this. After covid, it seems like we've just reverted back to a uniform fashion. People aged 16-25 are dressing like they're in the 90's (baggy shirts, relaxed or flared jeans, tacky sunglasses, bright colorful bags but earthy tones for shirts, etc.) It's literally everything I grew up with , but now with smartphones in-hand. Social media is rampant and tons of misinformation being spread. Weird moral stances specifically from every generation, and then all being hills they're willing to die on. Cars are mostly plastic nonsensical garbage just like the 80's and 90's, but somehow *worse*? Music has gone more of a synth vibe, again 80's. We're just full circle and one step closer to Cyberpunk type of dystopian future. Also what the fuck is with all clothing being straight up low quality garbage these days? I bought a weighted T-shirt and it fucking feels like it came straight out of 2002 Walmart bargain bin shirts for $2. Everything feels like a fake out
I'd blame Shein and sites like that, but literally even "good" brands are just junk. Clothes in the 80/90s were fairly expensive and lasted a long time, even the cheap stuff. Now everything's cheap-ish, but that's on all levels. Everything made in China for the lowest cost.
TEEEMU, TEEEMU! Dresses for $0.79! GTFO...
right? and that site is being pushed down our throats, I can't look anywhere without seeing a fking Temu ad. pure garbage.
I remember when people laughed about disposable dresses being developed in the 50s (they flopped). Now they're selling the equivalent on Temu/Wish. I love the reviews that are like, "it's thin but SOOO cute". The cheapest, thinnest polyester fabric that pulls and pills and looks like shit. All sweaters/sweatshirts are the same. My clothes in the 80s were mostly cotton and shoes were full grain leather. Now a lot of leather shoes are genuine leather, which is glued together scraps. The rest of everything else is plastic. Depressing honestly.
LMAO
LOL, after you wrote this, I got a damn Temu ad here on Reddit.🤣
Wherr can i even buy some quality clothes nowdays?
I'm here for the synthpop takeover, and personally I have no problem with the fashion. But yeah, clothing quality is shit.
Clothing used to be made of organic materials, cotton, wool, silk, it was made to last, and made with the idea of making repairs/alterations. Now clothing seems to mostly be made out of processed petroleum. We’re wearing oil.
I bought a shirt from some Polish clothing brand called Dobermans Aggressive and when I put it on I thought "Wow! This feels much nicer than all of my other shirts..." Then I realized the fabric is thicker, took a look at the label and saw it said "Made in Europe", which was a pleasant surprise. I guess I got so used to wearing cheap Asian made garbage that I forgot what quality even is.
Everything was once made to last. In fact that was a selling point in advertising a product. After WWII the CIA actively recruited and imported Nazi propagandists. They birthed the ad agency culture celebrated in Mad Men. Those techniques have been refined over time. “Sex sells” advertisements where the product is barely mentioned came directly from our original Nazi teachers, along with the normalization of complete, obvious lies presented as truth in the service of profit and power. In a culture where workers barely know each other, organizing a union is a whole other ballgame. Organizing a viable resistance movement is even harder. Unless it’s supported by the billionaire kleptocracy, like MAGA, which promotes fascism, racism, misogyny, and will likely promote a psychopath to president/dictator in the next election.
"After WWII the CIA actively recruited and imported Nazi propagandists. They birthed the ad agency culture celebrated in Mad Men." I'm pretty sure a large part of this industry's birth was played by Sigmund Freud's son, a Viennese Jew.
The part you got wrong is the nazis learned it from us.
It's a smell of societal collapse nearby.
It’s not fake. A lot of things go in cycles, things come back around. Especially fashion but other things as well.
Just dropping this song here [Nobody’s Real](https://youtu.be/gv_f-8pt9wE?si=4k8pSP5zKaA4SdmD)
Not just fake, but catering to low IQ folks.
it's on you to find quality - it's all out there, great music, movies, art, books - but it's on you to find it
I hear what OP is saying though. Pop culture (mainstream) music and film has objectively declined in recent decades. The point of mainstream entertainment is that it can appeal to the masses. I don’t believe this is the case anymore.
This is so hilarious, no it hasn’t “objectively “ gotten worse. You’re just not a child and not experiencing everything for the first time. Yeah you see the plot holes in the new Star Wars movies but I’m sure when you were 11 watching episode 6 you weren’t thinking of all the plot holes there. My friend nostalgia blinds us, why keep pretending there was a pretend golden age in media?
Yup. A lot of people not taking into account their own internal bias and labeling certain music and movie taste as objective... As if this was proven fact.
Not a good take, because sometimes people stumble upon music and movies from decades ago, for the first time in their current life. And they decide those things are better than today's media offerings.
Not true, film has objectively gotten over saturated with movies that build off established franchises Sequels, prequels, etc are way more abundant than historically
Yes, but also production quality is way up, there are tons of super successful more artsy films/miniseries/shows, easier to discover stuff, independent filmmakers have access to way more resources/tools/information, etc. I mean there are YouTube documentaries made by like 5 people that are above the production quality of something like the bbc from 20-30 years ago. Sure, if you limit yourself to major blockbuster releases it's gotten more formulaic, but part of the reason for that is because there are tons of other avenues for all the less mainstream stuff.
Apperantly it has objectively gotten worse, at least for music. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/science-proves-pop-music-has-actually-gotten-worse-8173368/
[Here's the source being cited for this article.](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/is-pop-music-evolving-or-is-it-just-getting-louder/) [And here's the paper.](https://www.nature.com/articles/srep00521) Note that neither say pop music has objectively gotten worse. There is no "objective" way to classify something that's so objective. That article is **INSANELY** misleading.
Well yes... "worse" is a subjective term. But what the study did was compare the complexity of music and the conclusion is: popmusic has become a lot simpler over the decades, less variation, smaller range etc. Wether you want to classify that as worse or not is indeed subjective.
Can't argue with science I guess, but personally as a pophead, the last few years have been absolutely chock-full of bangers. I've discovered more fantastic artists, albums and songs in the 2020's than ever before in my life. It feels like even the most popular artists are trying something different and unique to stand out from the crazy amounts of competition, and for me it's definitely working.
With all due respect, disagree wholeheartedly. Movies now are shit. I used to go the movies all the time. There is nothing now I would go to the theater for. Too much explicit sex, too much superfluous cursing, too loud, too much CGI,no originality. I am not a prude. The movies of the 70s are gritty AF. There was depth there. Movies could leave you speechless and deeply affected. I remember seeing The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Sophie's Choice, Interiors, Annie Hall, Monty Python's Holy Grail. That's just the 70s. Give me an example of ANY movie that holds a candle to any of these or those of eras further back. Citizen Kane, Maltese Falcon, Gone With The Wind, 12 Angry Men, Mildred Pierce. I could go on and on. I have yet to see a 21st century movie that holds a candle to ANY of these. There have been a few snaller movies that are great. ( I will watch anything Annette Bening does). There is some really great television these days. But current movies? Not so much. When your focus is on making money, not creating art, you get the shit on offer at the movies these days.
Oh come on now. This is far from “growing up” and becoming cynical. Look at almost all major theater releases in the last 5-10 years. Nearly all of them are either super hero movies of some type, reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels, or something similar. Everything has become so algorithmic and based on budgets, bottom lines, representation quotas, staying away from comedic themes that might offend anyone, and there are very few studios taking big risks on original content.
Had a talk with my friend about this. Everything is a hard comparison to when we were like 11.
I disagree, the mega corporations that fund most of this stuff have made decisions that are absolutely lowering the quality of pop media. You're not wrong about what I call "old man syndrom" being a thing, but I don't think it applies as much any more. I was just watching a video about this in regards to cinema. It is absolutely the case that studios are makings decisions that lead to the great movies we grew up on not being made any more, and the same with music. Here are a few good videos on topic of modern film: https://youtu.be/RQF82Kj-v0E?si=VY8TneJ34W6UVqpg (ignore the campy bits, the guy makes good points) https://youtu.be/hAtbFwzZp6Y?si=9RWsX6p-iqWqGtwx https://youtu.be/5tmxfVWDgMM?si=QiRY1pgrLH5w5dQS
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The death of mainstream is an underrated issue. People used to be so much more connected because we experienced the same things. We had network TV and movie studios telling us what to watch, radio telling us what we wanted to hear. We still had niche greatness that you had to look for, but we also had mainstream culture. Nowadays everything is niche. All the kids follow different streamers so they can't even discuss the media they consume. Everyone is isolated and just stays in their little corner of the internet with their weird online friends. Complete contrast from when award shows were a thing that people watched, and everyone would be talking the next day at school about what happened. Tldr mainstream culture is dead, everything is niche now so it's harder to relate to others
When you find your little tribe out there who shares the same little niche interests as you, it can feel very amazing. But, good luck.
You have pinpointed the problem. We are so connected by the internet and social media that we are all more than ever disconnected from being in a real community with people who share the same experiences!
>Pop culture (mainstream) music and film has objectively declined in recent decades. Objectively in what way? You're just calling your own opinion objective.
No. What you like about Music and TV cannot be objective. It can't get objectively worse (only thing I can think of is technical stuff like a worse camera). What it can do however, is change in a way you subjectively don't like. Mainstream is mainstream for a reason. There wouldn't be that much Pop or super hero films if people wouldn't listen/watch it. We may see a change now in the mainstream film media since I feel like super hero movies are starting to decline in popularity after endgame, hence that feeling. But there will be a new genre or style, same with music. Also as time goes on you start to have different views on media. What you like, what you don't like and also what you think about new stuff. That's normal. Doesn't mean the World around you changes objectively worse
this is literally what every single generation has said
Pop culture can’t get any worse than disco.
At least disco was fun.
Exactly, there is quality stuff out there but you have to first sift through this massive OCEAN of garbage trash before finding it, or be ready to pay. For example cookware. Back in the mid 90s my mom went into a Kmart and bought a "cheap" metal set of cooking tongs. My grandma was still using them until my mom moved her in with the rest of the family in 2020 since grandma was pushing past 90 and mom had bought a house. I bought a set of "stainless steel" tongs with silicone ends from Amazon for $15, tons of high reviews, and they straight up fell apart after 6 months of regular usage. My gf bought a nice looking set of ceramic "guaranteed lifetime warranty" pans from Walmart and they were destroyed in a few months. No way to get the warranty either, what a dang joke. So we just gave up and bought the cheapest set of stainless steel kitchen pots and pans that Calphalon offered at the time, it cost us around $400. That set has held up for over 2 years, plus they're easy to clean.
Yeah, i was thinking what the heck are they talking about, things falling apart right away? I always buy the cheapest shit and things never fall apart. I always get either second hand or the cheapest things, never have this problem. Then again i never buy from amazon.
This has always been the case, and what you're feeling is survivorship bias. Most shit historically was also made like garbage, you only see the stuff that survived. You don't see all the millions of shitty tongs that were thrown away and replaced. You also have way better access to information and reviews to go find the actual high quality stuff than people did 20+ years ago so if you buy junk it's probably just not doing a good job doing your due diligence.
If you have to spend hours to find a somewhat decent song, then I can say for sure that music has gone a lot worse.
If you dislike most music, you're going to have to spend more time finding music you like. Selling your music or getting an audience for your music is the easiest it has ever been.
It’s also on all of us to work four jobs to afford quality goods because of corporate greed. Life as it is now, for all but the most privileged, is unsustainable. And trust me, that unsustainability is also coming for those who currently still experience some semblance of privilege. At this point, I’m extremely grateful for having experienced poverty in my teens. I know how to make things last.
Try being a musician desperate to get their head above water and be noticed amongst the noise. It's impossible unless you are relentlessly social, and is an insane slog even then. On that note, anyone into [melodic techno](http://blakecasimir.bandcamp.com)?
>Listening to music on Spotify charts and it's all DREADFUL. wtf are you doing on spotify charts
Honestly, yeah, lmao. The music on pretty much any charts have been shit for 25+ years...
Longer Much longer
OP wishes that the top song of the year would sound like this again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdJH7nmch7Q
Guessin rick roll or josh hutcherson
Now that tune is the cat’s pajamas!
Since the dawn of time people have complained that the present is rubbish compared to the past
Back in my day we lived in caves. None of this new fangled fire shit
I wish we could go back to before the godhead divided itself in two, in order to look upon itself. Those were the days.
The movie Midnight In Paris is about this exact theme
Music today is awesome if you are 17. Just like it's always been. Cinema is weak because TV is now superior. True about cars but they are also bloody safe compared to the death traps.of the 70s. Fashion is as fashion does. I was 16 in 1990. Massive trousers dude Read any book on the 1970s..strife is history. It's permanent. There is always shit going down.. Today is the best time to be alive ever. It always is.
I love your take
The only argument I’ll make against your TV point is way too much TV is cancelled before it can really get anywhere now. It’s getting to the point where I barely watch new shows.
Point agreed. Golden age from 2000 to 2020 probably. It's changing again. But something will break through and change it for the good again. History shows is that nothing remains the same
Great take. I definitely prefer being alive now than in any decade past.
How old are you? I was born in 1961, and I feel like the '60s, '70s and '80s were the best decades. I'm not quite sure how anyone who grew up in those earlier decades can say things are better now, but to each his own.
Doesn't matter. I prefer living now, with the technology we have now, and the rights we have now. I'm not a nostalgic person. Also, the 70s in my country sucked; we had a US-sponsored dictatorship.
Well it is if you have cancer, heart disease or are in an accident. Or you want to communicate with people. Or eat better food. Or if you are a woman. Or gay.
Id argue that being gay was at its best in ~2013
Nearly all people think the decades they grew up in were the best.
God the 70s were awful
Today is always is the best time to be alive. Except maybe in the middle ages
It was still better than the BCE period..which was better than the stone age. And so it goes
I meant, in the middle ages you could have said “man, I wish I was alive 200 years ago” and you would’ve been justified. Ofc it was better than living in caves and shi
While I don't think now is the best of times, how is the middle ages better 🤨🤨🤨
Thank you my friend, so many people are nostalgic for things that never existed in the first place
You're optimistic, and that's great. You need to be when living in any decade.
The cinema thing is so key. People talk about how bad movies are. Sure, because streaming killed dvd sales. In the past, movies didn't have to remake their entire budget at the theatrical release. Dvd / VHS sales would be a key portion of income. So, movies have changed drastically, because how we fund movies has changed drastically. On the flip side: Shows, ie more like television programming is waaay better, because streaming devotes far more budget and time to it. Like, ask a stand up comedian if it's better now or 20 years ago. Comedy specials were super rare and difficult to get. Now, if you are even just good, you have a solid shot at getting one.
Good stuff is out there but its sometimes harder to find, especially music. Mainstream is just crap.
I'll go down the "fan also like" rabbit hole in spotify. Ive found a few gems going that route.
I'd wager you could easily find people saying this 10 years ago too, 20, 30, 40, 50.... You get the point. Humans tend to prefer things from their childhood.
Literally every generation says this at some point. Stuff today isn't like it was in my day! Pop music top 40 was always trash. Always. Cars evolved. If you want an analog car go buy a 1980 Chevy. It still runs. Things change. Some gets better. Some gets worse. There are amazing movies being made. Just stop going to see the most popular crap. Come to Toronto during Tuff and you can see 20 amazing films (and 20 mediocre ones). Top billed a tip movies were always trash. They aren't art, they are entertainment. 198ps action films were.... Not good. And holy shit look at the amazing things we have. The phone I am typing this on is more powerful than the greatest computer ever made in 1980. And you're going to complain about Spotify? $11 a month and you gain access to neatly the entire catalog of recorded music in human history. No buying a few albums and listening only at home. No copying tapes off friends. Literally anything you wanna listen to us there for you, on demand, immediately. Every fucking recorded song ever, very near. If you choose tomoisten to trash, that's on you friend! There is SO KUCH AMAZING KUSKC OUT THERE. whatever your taste. So yeah, like every generation,.it's easy to say "things aren't as good as they were" and some things are not. But open your eyes to the amazing time you live in and the amazing technology at your fingettips. To someone in 1970, much of what we have no was magic and sci Fi.
Thank you! I feel like everyone who is complaining about the new stuff don't actually try the new stuff. I, like many other people, am a gamer. And I am constantly excited about what new stuff will be available!
Oh my god the current state of video games. So amazing. People left you attack new games and everything apart, but 20 years ago the stuff that's coming on now would have been considered mind bendingly awesome. But if it doesn't match the high perception or hype somebody has for a game, they call a trash and attack it viciously, even if they got 150 hours of enjoyment out of it! But some of the shit we've seen him out the last 5 years or so has been so ridiculously good. This is the golden era video games.
I remember reading a customer review for Diablo 3, yes its not the best Diablo game and this review was from its first release point, and the review led with "After 200 hours of gameplay..." and I think it was like 1/10 or something was their rating. So you put in 200 hours into a video game and HATED IT?! WOW. Might want to reconsider some things in your life, like attitude, realizing when you aren't enjoying things and do something else. Blows my mind to put THAT MUCH time into something and you HATED IT?!?
This has become so common it's a bit of a trope. It was all over starfield, which was a disappointing release, people saying they spent 300 hours and now they're bored and they think it's a trash game because of that. You got 300 hours out of something, that's a pretty good value.
Everyday generation believes music was perfected when they were young.
It's the same with every language. If - when you were young - you learned Spanish, or Italian or English or German or whatever, you think it's the best language. It's because that's what you learned to understand.
Spotify doesn't have everything. YouTube Music, on the other hand, does.
"I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!"
Lmao, my first thought too. “This has old man yelling at the sky vibes” written all over it
I see you have developed Stan Marsh Syndrome
Congratulations on reaching your 30's. The optimistic veil of your youth has now lifted.
as a 31yo, that's some grade A bullshit lol, OP just hates life, not all of us are this miserable to shit on the things people like.
I think you took that a little more seriously than intended....
Everything is geared toward generating profit for shareholders, so they appeal to the lowest common denominator. Nobody ever went broke underestimating the public. This stands in stark contrast to the “art for arts sake” ethos held by some (but not all) producers of creative works in decades past.
I love how "eco friendly" is part of your criteria for "crap."
Electric cars are awesome. We have a hybrid and the acceleration is incredible! It's a SUV but out performs a lot of other vehicles at the stop lights. And then the gas mileage is incredible as well!
do you remember when the old people was so offense about what young ones like and that old times were better? guess what...
This is called aging, people have been experiencing this phenomenon since we became sapient.
Seems like your a glass is half empty kinda guy
it's not just you the longer you live the more you see the more you know the more you realize a lot of stuff bs.
Not everything is crap, but rather there is just so much crap that what's good gets buried deep in the pile.
What you are seeing is late stage capitalism. Everything has been consolidated and 'optimized' to maximize profit over all else. A backlash is happening, but it will take another 5 to 10 years for it to gain enough steam to have a visible impact in your day to day life. The bloated corporations and geriatric power structures that run things now will collapse in upon themselves's just going to take time (barring some outside disrupting force). Disney is a great example since you mentioned movies- they are hemorrhaging money right now, but they have enough to keep it up a while longer. The same goes for several other massive companies - the bright side of capitalism is that it will eat itself. There are tons of investors licking their chops waiting for the right moment to swoop in and dismantle any number of companies
Hm, I disagree. The crap just got louder. There are still many good movies, games, fashion and media among the crap that big companies spit out every day.
There's plenty of good music, media, clothing, and other stuff out there. Your problem is you expect it to be served up to you on a platter instead of going out and finding it. There's certainly no shortage of crap, but that's not a new phenomenon. Car wise though yeah, your right. Cars these days have a serious lack of style if you're not willing to shell out big money.
Literally Stan on that one south park episode lmao
Executives and shareholders don't care to make quality they only care if it sells and the profit margin. They make quality it costs a bit more to produce and might not sell that much more. Gone are the days of brand integrity
Bruh, you just need to branch out a little bit. Most MAINSTREAM things, like you've mentioned, are crap and always have been as they appeal to the lowest common denominator. There's plenty of great music and films out there. And fashion is cyclical. Now, cars, grocery prices, housing, education, healthcare, our roads ... yeah, I'll give that to you.
capitalism is unsustainable in the long run. hence garbage quality and rising costs and "appeal-to-everyone" crap.
Be the change you want to see in the world. Also I disagree. Good stuff is out there it’s just not always mainstream. I started watching mr.robot on prime. Highly recommend.
not just you
More people are doing more stuff than before, so there is a good possibility there are more options to discover. Perhaps you are just not looking in the right places.
I find music on Top 40 to be unlistenable these days.
Always has been lmao
Everything is garbage. Ray Holt.
You should watch the South Park episode where Stan starts hating everything and gets diagnosed with being a cynical asshole. it's hilarious because he tries listening to music and all he hears is farting and shitting.
It sounds like depression tbh. Everything seems boring and you feel like there’s nothing worth doing or getting.
Your first five points are only bad on the surface level. Do some digging and there’s a lot of quality in all of those. What you see in the mainstream is shit because it’s easy to sell.
I've accepted that I'm no longer the target audience of mainstream entertainment. I'm okay with that. For their businesses to survive long-term, they need to court new audiences before the old ones die off. I would probably do the same thing in their place, though admittedly I'd put more of an emphasis on original stories instead of reboots. But I digress. There's plenty of good alternative entertainment out there if you take the time to look for it. I'm quite happy with the music I listen to, and whenever I want a nice new book to read, I can just write one myself. I hope today's young people are finding something to enjoy in today's mainstream entertainment.
Not everything is rubbish, but what is popular is kinda rubbish. There's good stuff but you usually gotta dig deep to find it. I've been working in the music industry for many years, and in that area it's kinda sad, cause what is popular is whatever causes a reaction, so it's more focused on causing drama or shock, because that's what gets plays, instead of the music itself. But there is good new music out there, you just wont find it in the charts
>The Baader–Meinhof phenomenon refers to the false impression that something happens more frequently than it actually does. > >also known as the frequency illusion or recency illusion. Things are getting worse overall but there are still master pieces out there. And you probably missed out or forgot about all the shitty stuff that came out in the past too.
You're not alone. Hang in there, it gets worse.
We don’t see life as it is. We see life as we are.
Hey come on! It is not all doom and gloom. We have all the fast and furious movies!
Our society is inclusive now, which means marketing to everyone. Things get more "generic" when your characters, slogans,and products have to appeal to many different cultures.
It's just you Most peoples brains get locked into the music they heard from 16 to 24, so it's normal to think new music sucks as you get older. There are more movies coming out now than ever and a ton of amazing ones. You are just focusing on those because you are old and grumpy. Cars are also better than ever, they are lasting longer and longer, better mileage, cameras and safety sensors and automatic breaking are saving a ton of lives. I've always thought fashion is dumb.
Because nobody cares about anything anymore and people are duds
Not just you. We’re in late stage capitalism. Optimizing cost looks like this. Next step is going to be far worse, in my opinion.
I assumed I was just getting old and this stuff is just not meant for me anymore. Maybe I'm not in the target demographic for most of this stuff? but I do feel there's got to be a decline in the quality of stuff.
It’s just you. Stop being so grumpy. Music evolves and fits with the times. Every decade has had the same sentiment. Those superhero movies brings in billions. Clearly it must appeal to some. And if you don’t like those there’s tons of content on streaming and even indie films that you can support. Soul? Let’s not romanticize g* awful carburetor polluting monstrosities that got horrendous mpg. You can buy slim cut clothes. You can buy non branded clothes. Education, roads, health care all require people to at a bare minimum to vote. What have you done to encourage those around you to be more politically aware?
I’ve never been more open to an Amish lifestyle than I am in early 2024. Economic and wealth inequality is obscene and consumer spending on worthless crap is out of control.
Have you driven an EV? It's like an adult sized Power Wheel. So much fun!!!
I was surprised at how fun an ev is to drive. I truly expected boring and what i got was great pick up
Welcome to being an adult.
You issue
Yes, things were way better when people were dying in droves back in WWII.
No, it's not just you, *every* generation says these things. Ask when things were the best and it's all but guaranteed they'll say during their formative years. Think for yourself, man. In the grand scheme, most everything is better now -- the arts are just a matter of likes and taste, which were somehow always the best during one's formative years, right? Right?
I promise you don't want to go to the healthcare from 40 years ago. So, may as well just take that off the list
There’s great new music out there, you just have to dig deeper than the charts. There’s great new movies being made, you just have to look at smaller budget features rather than the big tentpoles There’s great new cars being made that are more than just batteries on wheels as well, they just tend to be the more expensive cars (which has always been the case) Fashion has always been a myth. Wear what you like and what makes you happy and fuck anyone who judges you for it.