Tuesday, March 22, 2011

black.and.white.

I remember when I was a kid, since Nickelodeon does not do this anymore, watching Nick at Nite and seeing all the old shows from way before I was born. Many were in black and white; others were those that started when tv sets actually had color and were played in color. Examples: I Love Lucy, Leave It to Beaver, Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, etc. etc. As well as movies and all kinds of stuff. Anyway, when the world revolved around black and white tv shows and movies, I think, we were happier people in general. And in many ways, I think I would have preferred living then. Here are my reasons for why I feel this way:

  1. In the present, we want everything faster, louder, stronger, quicker, smarter, better looking, more of it, more expensive, top of the line, high quality, and as soon as possible. We don't even stop to think about what it is. Does this tv show provoke anything? Is this movie even funny to me or do I only laugh because everyone else is?
  2. Back then, things were original. It is nearly as creative or interesting to remake things. Yes, covering a song is the finest form of flattery, and I'm all for that, when you make it your own but give credit to where it is due. But really, don't remake old movies and tv shows. It won't be as good, ever. I mean, think about it, could anyone but Lucille Ball be Lucy Ricardo? I don't think so. I rest my case.
  3. People always seemed to live in the moment. This definitely relates to my first point, but families enjoyed time spent with each other. They did things together, besides watch tv. Yes, back then it was common for mom to stay home and dad to work and with the cost of things that is not quite possibly, but sometimes it seems as though family comes second or third or fourth to everything else in the world. That is so terribly wrong in so many ways.
  4. It was embarrassing to have children before you were married or where short skirts or certain hairstyles. I am all for freedoms and for women to be treated equally to men, but newsflash, if you wear a short skirt and low cut shirt, a size too small, with high heels it is quite obvious you aren't dressing for your own enjoyment, fashion, or comfort, but as a sex object. Thanks for making it okay to stare at my chest because you like the attention. I don't. What happened to looking pretty and sophisticated, if not simply prim and proper? And when has casual Friday become the uniform for life? We shouldn't judge by appearance, but sometimes, it happens and I would rather come off as sophisticated that trashy.
  5. Finally, politeness. I don't know if that's a word, but it seems, or maybe I'm incorrect, as I wasn't there. People were more polite. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do.

Anyway, those are my reasons for preferring the black and white era to my super technological world. I'm really into retro things these days and I'm totally digging old movies. I really want to watch a whole bunch. Hmm... Maybe I will. :)

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