Fame More Important than Being a Nice Person

Clara Oswald

Clara Oswald

Oswin!
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I just read about a study (don't have it in front of me, but I think it was from Wake Forest) where they looked at children's television from the 60s onward, and whereas in the 60s fame was the 15th most important attribute shown, now it is the first.

Recently I've been watching a lot of the shows from when I was a child, and you can really see it. Being a good person seemed to be the most important thing for the main characters. The "screw up" was always the sidekick best friend, where now if you watch shows the screw up who doesn't listen to adults is the main character and the one who follows the rules and gets good grades is the geeky best friend or sibling.

Food for thought...
 
definitely. this highlights something I read last year about how FAME is the most important thing to the "current" generation (generation O or the "net generation" i think they call them). even Scream 4 referenced this sad development when the antagonist pointed out that fame was the most important thing & you dont even have to have TALENT to get it now...you just have to have "fucked up shit happen to you."


the article pointed out that the current generation cares more about fame than actually being recognized for TALENT or even getting a college education!


you can look @ horror movies as well...where in the late 60s thru the mid 90s...every monster/antagonist was ultimately defeated by the Final Girl (or sometimes Boy) & the film ultimately rested on the strength & ability of the Final girl but now when many famous franchises are "rebooted"...the MONSTER is somehow cast as both the moster & sympathetic & a sort of "hero" @ the same time. the films suffer b/c of it. The final girl always represented a niceness & wholesome virtue as well as showing that the smart, virginal, not always glamorous person would sometimes ome out on top.

look @ the shows on disney...which make hardly any sense to me LOL...but what ive noticed is that the kids seem to be the "adults" in their world while the REAL adults are easily fooled/duped & balatantly disrespected & side stepped by the kids & that's seen as funny & "normal". these shows make the role of the parents almost pointless.
 
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Though it is an enjoyable show to watch lol, Wizards of Waverly Place is the perfect example of what you're saying there.

And you're so right about the horror film remakes - the Halloween remake turned Michael into a much more sympathetic character than he is meant to be...
 
I think you also have to take into account the current 'reality celebrity' culture. The youth of today (yes I went there) are much less inclined to put the hard work in to get what they want. They want it all, they want it now and they don't see any reason why they can't.

The very fact that these 'reality stars' are seen as famous is beyond me, what skill/talent do they possess other than getting their knockers out?

Although to pick up what Jill said about the kids being the real adults and the adults in shows being the jokes, this was present in an extent in earlier shows like Clarissa Explains It All, but it was much more innocent. Man I loved that show, I used to dress like her.
 
Karma
Karma
most definitely! & i didnt even think about Clarissa Explains it all as an early example but that IS true!
He was? Of course I had to go and IMDB it, I can't see it but that doesn't mean anything.

I know he was Seth in the Sabrina movie but I can't remember him in Clarissa.
 
Good points all. It should be pointed out that in the past generation being good and smart made you successful while many famous people died penniless. Now the opposite is true. Kids are not fools.
 
If something is worth having then it is worked for. Part of the reason, I think that these younger stars go off the rails so much is because it all just happened in a split second. One minute they had a normal life and the next they had the world.

The older generation of actors worked through the ranks and paid their dues and were able to handle it better. Of course there are the exceptions as there are with everything.

Jill Monroe agrees: most definitely! & i didnt even think about Clarissa Explains it all as an early example but that IS true!
Click to expand...

Even better is Saved by the Bell with Zack, Mr Belding. But again both were much more innocent that the ones today.

Caroline - that wasn't Ryan, I checked as I didn't think he was ever a Ginge (and being a redhead I can say that!)
 
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