Things that make you feel old

[Natebishop3]

Watching all these terrible remakes of my favorite childhood cartoons in the Transformers, GI Joe, etc... I actually watched an episode of Voltron on Netflix the other day and I couldn't remember why I liked that show so much as a kid. It was beyond terrible. I still enjoy an episode of Transformers though. The dialogue between Prime and Megatron cracks me up. Megatron had to be one of the best cartoon villains of all time.

Also, just watching guys retire and get old that were young rookies when I first started watching the NBA is pretty depressing as well. I look at Marcus Camby and I think.... how the hell did he get so old so fast... and then I look at myself and I have my answer.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I did the same thing watching Scooby Doo with my nieces at Thanksgiving. WTH was I thinking?

Though, other than Blazers games and the occasional Sportscenter, I seem to be watching what the little girl watches...which is basically Nina's Good Night Show. So I guess I can't say anything.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Nina's kinda hot.

 

[Minstrel]

It's interesting because I think South Park has had the exact opposite trajectory. The early seasons are pretty much unwatchable. Mostly just kids swearing a lot. But as it rolls along Cartman just gets more cruel, guys like Butters get more interesting, the plots just get wilder and wilder, and the topics get edgier. And yet the characters are always consistent within themselves.

I agree, South Park got better and better (though it may have peaked a few years ago). As you allude to with the consistency, but I also think applies to the quality, I believe that's a product of the same two guys basically driving the show. My feeling about the Simpsons is that the show fell apart when Matt Groening (and his top producers) left the show to do "Futurama."

I guess Simpsons fans would argue that those characters are more multi-faceted. I'd say they're just more wishy-wash--the products of hundreds of writers warping the personalities to fit whatever plot they have to pitch. They sabotage character to make a plot work, while with South Park the unchanging characters propel the plot.

I think the original (first nine) seasons had characters who were both multi-faceted and consistent (in the way actual people are...everything you do is consistent with who you are, but you're not exactly the same moment to moment or day to day). Homer was generally oblivious and simple-minded but was a decent guy inside and could have his inner humanity provoked. Marge was submissive, but her desire to make a better world sometimes took over. These aren't wild swings, IMO.

I think your criticism of Simpsons characters is spot on for the later (pre-Season 9, which is sadly the majority now) seasons...the new, rotating writers abandoned the clever satire and nicely fleshed-out "world" and basically tried to turn it into "The Family Guy" or "The Critic"...inane cartoon hijinks, with the characters basically just action figures there to say or do whatever was needed to advance the gag.

 

[bodyman5001]

We can all talk about what happened to the Simpsons, but I don't know that there was a single person responsible for the genius of the first 7-8 years. I don't remember into season 9 that much but I know the show was amazingly funny in its first 5-9 years at least.

There are countless gags and quotes from the early years that are juts amazing. The entire episode where Homer goes on the space shuttle is better than anything they have done after it combined.

Maybe if they would have killed Lisa off I could still watch that show but they started doing political shit and I can't stand it any more than I can stand the political shit on Family Guy.

 

[Rodolfo]

 

[julius]

The fact I remember Tom Synder doing radio, and Sally Jesse Raphael doing radio, and that the kids who were born the year I graduated from HS are now out of college. The fact I refuse to believe that Home Alone came out 20 years ago, or that I remember when Cheers ended and that was almost 20 years ago, or that people born in 1980 will be turning 31 this year. Or that my first car was newer when I bought it then how long ago it was that I bought it (and it was old when I bought it).

I remember when TV's only went up to 36, and that was after my parents finally got rid of the sliding cable box. I remember VCR's with a remote that was connected to the VCR, and it cost a couple hundred dollars to buy (a used one) from a rental place. And now VHS and VCR's are a basically dead medium. I remember when BETA lost out. I remember taping songs off the radio, and using the big magnetic cassette tape eraser. I remember my first CD I got, and how it was so fucking awesome (and I got it 25 years ago. Still have it too). I remember buying records when they came out the first time, and now the new fad records that are out now.

But what really makes me feel old is that I had to look up "rainbow party" because I had no earthly idea what the hell it was, and now that I did I found some kids to yell at and tell them to get off my lawn.

 

[barfo]

Or that my first car was newer when I bought it then how long ago it was that I bought it (and it was old when I bought it).

True of my first car too, and it was 24 when I bought it.

I remember buying records when they came out the first time

Huh? Wasn't the phonograph invented in the 1800s? Are you really really old?

But what really makes me feel old is that I had to look up "rainbow party" because I had no earthly idea what the hell it was, and now that I did I found some kids to yell at and tell them to get off my lawn.

I just looked it up myself.

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

The fact I remember Tom Synder doing radio, and Sally Jesse Raphael doing radio, and that the kids who were born the year I graduated from HS are now out of college. The fact I refuse to believe that Home Alone came out 20 years ago, or that I remember when Cheers ended and that was almost 20 years ago, or that people born in 1980 will be turning 31 this year. Or that my first car was newer when I bought it then how long ago it was that I bought it (and it was old when I bought it).

I remember when TV's only went up to 36, and that was after my parents finally got rid of the sliding cable box. I remember VCR's with a remote that was connected to the VCR, and it cost a couple hundred dollars to buy (a used one) from a rental place. And now VHS and VCR's are a basically dead medium. I remember when BETA lost out. I remember taping songs off the radio, and using the big magnetic cassette tape eraser. I remember my first CD I got, and how it was so fucking awesome (and I got it 25 years ago. Still have it too). I remember buying records when they came out the first time, and now the new fad records that are out now.

But what really makes me feel old is that I had to look up "rainbow party" because I had no earthly idea what the hell it was, and now that I did I found some kids to yell at and tell them to get off my lawn.

Telephones used to have wires connecting them to the wall, and rotary dials.

How about TV when it was black and white?

Laserdisks?

When the Bulls were in the Western Conference?

 

[crandc]

What makes me feel old is watching athletes who are the sons and daughters of athletes I used to watch when I was younger.

The first president in my lifetime younger than I am.

Arthritis.

Realizing it's been 30 years since John Lennon was taken from us.

Being eligible to join the Older Lesbian League.

 

[Ed O]

Hmm... let's see.

1. I'm going to a 20 year reunion of my state championship high school basketball team next week. Twenty years. Wow.

2. A couple of summers ago I saw a show with a chick I was dating and the band covered a Depeche Mode song. Afterwards, I mentioned that I had seen the original group perform it live in 1990. She reminded me that she was three years old in 1990.

3. A woman I went out with recently revealed that her mom is less than a year older than I am. She also asked me the classic line, "So... do you remember the '80's?"

4. The first player I remember in pro sports that I considered "my age" was Julian Tavarez. He's a couple of months older than I am, but I remember being shocked that he was so young when he debuted in 1993. He's out of baseball now.

Old. Old. Old. Old.

Ed O.

 

[Ed O]

Being eligible to join the Older Lesbian League.

I think they should rename it to League of Older Lesbians. It sounds more super-hero group-like, AND it could be called "LOL".



Ed O.

 

[MickZagger]

Hmm... let's see.

1. I'm going to a 20 year reunion of my state championship high school basketball team next week. Twenty years. Wow.

2. A couple of summers ago I saw a show with a chick I was dating and the band covered a Depeche Mode song. Afterwards, I mentioned that I had seen the original group perform it live in 1990. She reminded me that she was three years old in 1990.

3. A woman I went out with recently revealed that her mom is less than a year older than I am. She also asked me the classic line, "So... do you remember the '80's?"

4. The first player I remember in pro sports that I considered "my age" was Julian Tavarez. He's a couple of months older than I am, but I remember being shocked that he was so young when he debuted in 1993. He's out of baseball now.

Old. Old. Old. Old.

Ed O.

Where did you play high school ball?

 

[julius]

Hmm... let's see.

3. A woman I went out with recently revealed that her mom is less than a year older than I am. She also asked me the classic line, "So... do you remember the '80's?"

Ed O.

Wait a second...why are you dating 7th grade girls Ed?

 

[maxiep]

I did the same thing watching Scooby Doo with my nieces at Thanksgiving. WTH was I thinking?

Though, other than Blazers games and the occasional Sportscenter, I seem to be watching what the little girl watches...which is basically Nina's Good Night Show. So I guess I can't say anything.

Funny you mention this show. I used to refer to her to annoy my wife as "Hot Nina" until my son pointed at the television and said, "Look, it's Hot Nina!"

For the record, the hottest woman on Sprout is Kelly.

 

[Natebishop3]

Hmm... let's see.

1. I'm going to a 20 year reunion of my state championship high school basketball team next week. Twenty years. Wow.

2. A couple of summers ago I saw a show with a chick I was dating and the band covered a Depeche Mode song. Afterwards, I mentioned that I had seen the original group perform it live in 1990. She reminded me that she was three years old in 1990.

3. A woman I went out with recently revealed that her mom is less than a year older than I am. She also asked me the classic line, "So... do you remember the '80's?"

4. The first player I remember in pro sports that I considered "my age" was Julian Tavarez. He's a couple of months older than I am, but I remember being shocked that he was so young when he debuted in 1993. He's out of baseball now.

Old. Old. Old. Old.

Ed O.

Ed likes em young.

 

[maxiep]

This thread. Many of the things posted about feeling old I think are still hip.