The Big Picture: In Defense of Nostalgia

[peruvianskys]

Both nostalgic cash-ins and repetitive new properties are bad and they're both bad for roughly the same reason, mainly a lack of original thought. So this argument that basically states, "Nostalgia isn't as bad as, say, Call of Duty!" is flawed because it assumes or at least rests on the assumption that you can either have boring new titles or tired old titles. There's a third path here, guys, and most of the nerds who whine about the former also whine about the latter, so I don't see what he's trying to say. Most videogamers want originality in their games and they don't see it in either retreads or cash-ins.

This guy's criticism is like getting arrested for theft and saying "Why are you getting on me for being a thief? There are murderers out there!" There may be something worse than nostalgia, but that doesn't mean intellectually vapid productions that rely on rose-colored glasses should be given a free pass.

But when he gets into politics I definitely agree. Conservatism is silly. Check tradition against morality, not morality against tradition.

 

[Verlander]

You are likely to get flamed for this Bob, but I am with you all the fucking way. Needed to be said, and you said it damn well

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

The funny thing is, it isn't the REAL 1950's these "certain people" are wistful for. I call these people "Cleaverists", because they remember the 1950's as "Leave It To Beaver [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_It_to_Beaver]". Ah, yes, the Cleaver family, in their suburban home where everyone around them was just as lily-white and Christian as they were, and America ruled the world through the power of captialism and overwhelming military might. Wally and the Beav never had to deal with racial relations, or social injustice, or anything more complex than consequences for teenage hijinks.

Sure, it was a great time to be alive- if you were a rich or middle-class white Christian. But those "certain people" believe that only that group were "real Americans".

 

[Solivagus]

Damn straight, Bob. Damn straight. Nail on the head, etc.

 

[LazyAza]

The universe is estimated as being 13 billion years old right? I'm sure stuff was way cooler back in the -12billions lol.

 

[REPTILE 0009]

@MovieBob
Kind of like how Nintendo tricks it's fanbase into buying the same game's every two years? Don't deny it, you know it's true.

 

[omegawyrm]

I consider myself a failure, if a Liberal isn't calling me a racist nazi. >D

It's good to know that it's not just the conservative-minded people in my personal life that are backward-thinking, morally superior jerks. The ones on the internet are the same way! Reading forum posts makes me feel so much less guilty when I make sweeping generalizations about entire ways of thought.

 

[ExtraDebit]

"Perspective people, perspective!"

Nuff say!

 

[Ukomba]

*Sigh* and you were doing such a good job of keeping your political rants confined to your website too.

I'm not opposed to political commentary but you clearly have no understanding of the political movements you bash. It's like you've never actually seen any of the stuff your going on about and just bash on it because you've heard others on your side doing it. If you do know more than you're letting on, then you're purposefully misleading people. I'm not sure what's worse.

There's no nostalgia for older time periods. It's not even nostalgia at all which is why this rant is so stupid to begin with. You might as well clam that people are nostalgic for the circular wheel and that's why they aren't willing to try triangles.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

For the first time ever, I think I can actually say that you really did talk about 'The Big Picture' I didn't even see that last bit coming.

 

[Furrama]

I think the problem with nostalgia as far as the non political stuff goes, (I don't want to go there), is that many of us are sick of the current wave. See, some of us didn't come from the 70's or 80's. We weren't born yet or we had jobs then and weren't paying attention. That's most of the country, yet all this money is being poured into the nostalgia movement of rich white american almost 30 somethings. The rest of us just want a little attention also, and it isn't fair that we are being skipped over.

 

[stueymon]

Actual Nostalgia is a terrible thing, as said in the video, it happens every, in every society like a piece of bad programming. Personally I think we should always strive forward, be it in issues that the right get upset about or scientific progress that scares people. (I Wanna be a Cyborg dammit!)

Cultural Nostalgia has never really bothered me that much, I'm a total transformers nerd and If I could I would probably go back and buy them all. I shouldn't though, because the reason they call nostalgia rose tinted glasses, is because it's better to look back than it is to go back.

I recently dug out my old N64 and played a few titles on that, but I found even playing my favourite goldeneye jarring, because I'd adapted to the modern advanced shooters. Looking back is fine, just don't GO back*

*Side note: I don't think this idea applies to movies, there are great old Movies that stand up to the test today, but maybe that's because movies haven't really moved on in any vast way since the 50's

 

[Aprilgold]

Wait, so people are saying that nintendo is SUDDENLY bad because its doing this?.... And yet NO ONE dares drop the Mrs's Atom Bomb problem that CoD and most shooters now in days need to stop making so much so I could enjoy old school shooters? You know, to where it was about FUN!

 

[omegawyrm]

Most videogamers want originality in their games and they don't see it in either retreads or cash-ins.

Do they? I'd think that the first thing they'd want is fun from their games. Originality is certainly a bonus, but an original game that doesn't entertain you is still a failure.


edit: Going to put an addendum here so that I can say that the new Thundercats cartoon is totally awesome and has probably had more compelling drama and action in it's first 6(?) episodes than there was during the entire run of the original show.

 

[draythefingerless]

im sure the people whom defended slavery made a similar argument. Although the scope of the problem is different that argument was wrong then and is wrong now.

You're trying to link the truth of a claim to others who may have said it in a less reputible issue. Hyperbole much?

But if we are to engage in this, need I remind you that Hitler ate sugar? [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HitlerAteSugar]

Honestly, I couldn't care less for gay marriage, but I've never heard an argument against it that was any stronger than "God said so!", and that's simply not a compelling reason. I'd like your take on it, since you clearly disagree.

Actually, I've heard a secular argument:

Money. If we allow more people to get married, that means more people will get devorced, which takes up the courts time and money. And that also means that if they file together, they pay less in taxes. So we are left with a net loss.

Which means we either cut spending, raise taxes, or both.

The former is not popular with those on the left, and the second is not popular to the right.

Again, I don't necessarily agree with it. It just is fully non-God based.

Well, regardless if you agree or not, it's a bloody lousy argument. Yes, it'd cost money, but if you are gonna exclude people from marriage because of the cost of the divorce, you should A)work do de-legalize marriage as a whole, or B)make sure the people that are getting the divorce are paying for their costs, or C) base the discrimination on marriage rights on people more likely to divorce.
You can't say "Ok, we can have SOME marriages, but we can't afford more than X so these groups are not allowed to"
That is not an argument against gay marriage, that is an argument against marriage.

You're missing the point of the argument, dear reader

You, I assume, favor gay marriage

Allrighty then, how do you pay for it?

I think that's a bit of a weird argument. Are you saying some people shouldn't have basic rights because they have the same chance as Straight Couples to get divorced?

"Sorry, but we were here first and we don't need anyone else getting divorced right now."

In all honesty I would trust gay people to stay together more than straights: They already committed to an "alternate" lifestyle. Most "Middle Americans" treat the institution of marriage with so little respect that they deserve it less!

My parents have married in the double digits, combined. That includes getting divorced. Wouldn't it be more fair to put a Marriage cap on so every Cletus, Bob and Bob Jr. can't keep costing us money?

Also, wouldn't having more family units benefit our economy? When you marry, that's a lot of money being pumped back into the economy. (Cakes, invitation, etc.)

You're missing the point, just slightly

You can get rid of this argument by presenting a way to make up for the shortfall in tax collection it would cause. That's all you have to do.

Look, I see what you're saying, but considering that some people are arbitrarily being denied civil rights, shouldn't we just look at this and say "Ok, we can take this hit, this is important"?

Don't misunderstand me, money and budget balancing and such are important, but you can't be paralytically afraid of giving up ANY money, especially when something important comes up.

I can see where you are coming from as well.

But the thing is: when a political proposes any plan, one of the first questions is "How do we pay for it?"

I'm merrly asking for the same to be applied to this issue.

And again, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW ME A WAY IT WILL BE PAID FOR. That's it

oh ok. heres a solution. lets swap them. gay marriage is allowed and straight marriage is forbidden. you want to have a discussion using only one factor of the deal, ignoring all other factors beyond that of economical and financial one. so lets just swap. i mean, who cares about rights? i dont see straight people in the streets, so lets appease the masses that are protesting right now. forbid cross gender marriage, allow same gender marriage. sounds good? that way there is no tax collection loss increase. solved your problem?

on a serious note, i believe someone else already answered your tax colelction problem with a more feasible solution so im just here for the kicks. divorce mediation is extremely complex and advanced, would be more than easy to implement saving measures.

 

[Zaverexus]

Boooob! The Republicans are scaring me!

 

[Agent Larkin]

Sweet! A big picture episode that actually looks at the big picture. I like it. Not that I don't like the other episodes; I just like the ones that make me think more so.

And if my history class taught me anything its that people died of starvation from the potato's failing. And then getting stuffed on boats to countries that didn't want them.

If English class has taught me anything, its that people survived that <a href=http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html>by eating babies[footnote]You smart kids out there will notice if I actually think that, then I learned nothing in English class[/footnote].

While I do get the book I never know why people associate it with the Potatoe Famine. The book was published for over 100 years before the event.