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February 9, 2009

The Good Ol' Days

Ah, I remember these blogs.  Everyone had them.  They were the talk of the town.  I didn't think these old-fashion blogs still existed.  Funtrivia did away with these and switched to a virtual blog a few years back, they didn't really catch on as much as these blogs did.  The old blogs, for me, represented the Good Ol' Days.  I recall those times.

 

I remember when countries weren't fighting.  When people had money to spare.  When car companies were running strong.  When there was a feel-good story in the paper.  Anyone else remember the Good Ol' Days?  The Good Ol' Days symbolizes the memories we had in a world which was not nearly as complicated as it is today.  The Good Ol' Days also symbolizes the hope we have for a much brighter future.  I wish to say how I recall the Good Ol' Days in twenty years or so.  But a different period of Good Ol' Days, a different collection of sights and sounds I can remember for the rest of my life.

 

I recently made a quiz about the Rodney Dangerfield film "Back to School", released around 1986 (yes I'm promoting my quiz, check it out).  Dangerfield was a hilarious man, one of the finest stand-up comics and a good actor.  He didn't make a boatload of films(Caddyshack, Back to School, Easy Money were his most popular), but when he did, he put on one heck of a performance.  This reminds me back to days when there was such thing as smart humor.  You know, jokes and funny tales that actually had some intellect involved.  Dangerfield had it, Jerry Senfield had it, Sam Kinison had it, Rita Rudner had it, Phyllis Diler had it... they put up an excellent (and intelligent) stand-up routine.  Chevy Chase performed smart comedy in his films, Ted Knight did, Mel Brooks certainly did, Harvey Korman did.  What happened?  Now today's humor is all dirty, prejudice, bigotry, potty, and flat out disgusting.  I really can't recall one smart joke in "Superbad", "40 Year-Old Virgin", or "Knocked Up".  Where has smart humor gone?  Ask Adam Sandler as he makes another film about Isreali hairdressers.

 

The Good Ol' Days can be associated with music, too.  I can recall how real bands played real instruments.  Gone were electric drum machines and studio technicians and lip syncing for the David Letterman Show.  Back in the days, there were real musicians who could actually play an instrument.  Singers actually sung.  Drummers actually beat the crap out of their drums.  A time where songwriters actually wrote meaningful lyrics with lots of deep messages.  Now, we have young rappers writing lyrics about "Supermanning that h**".  Artists like Soujla Boy have discriminated the music business to a complete joke.  I can't recall the last time I've heard of a real good band that played and wrote their own music hit the mainstream.  There's a ton of great talent out there, but they are mostly underground bands with no real connection to popularity.  It's a shame too.  Instead of buying record from these "talents", we should perhaps give real bands a chance to see people's true abilities to play instruments.  I don't want to hear people accusing me of hating hip-hop and rap.  I actually believed rap was a true form of music back in the 80s and 90s when real artists like Tupac and Biggie Smalls were making good tunes.  Now?  Nothing like the Good Ol' Days that's for sure.

 

I remember the Good Ol' Days.  When humor required a brain to get a joke, when real talent was associated with music, when these Funtrivia blogs were the most exciting thing since sliced bread.  I'm sure they'll come back again, actually, I'm positive they will.  But for now, the world doesn't look too bright.  But with the memories of the Good Ol' Days, we can always dream.