Ever get the feeling that the world just isn't quite built for you?
It's a feeling I've been getting quite a bit as I've got older. I suspect such a feeling is largely age-related, as it centres around the fact that certain things quite simply don't appeal, because they're not aimed at me.
It just seems a little odd that "popular culture" is often taken to mean "people under the age of 25 who aren't that bright".
Let's take Britain's Got Talent, for example, which Andie's been watching recently — primarily to get annoyed at, lest you judge her harshly for it. Any time I've watched Britain's Got Talent, I've got annoyed too, but I don't find the experience of getting annoyed at it particularly fulfilling or fun. If anything, I just get inordinately frustrated about… well, everything about it. Simon Cowell is a douche, the judges' comments are vapid nonsense that don't mean anything, the acts are cringeworthy and the audience is made up of the very worst kind of braying moron who thinks that constructive criticism is a personal attack and thus must be booed.
Take gaming, too. I have zilcho, zippo, nada interest in the upcoming "big" games that are bearing down on us like multi-million dollar juggernauts. I don't want to play Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed III, Halo 4 or anything like that. (I did recently play Binary Domain, which certainly was a an impressive experience, but one destined for obscurity)
Or the Internet at large. Everything must be social these days, it seems. And long-time experience has taught me that if you make something social, you will generally attract illiterate, ill-informed, angry morons. Just look at the comments section of any website ever. (I often find myself wondering why the most notorious cesspits don't just close comments forever. It's rare that any meaningful discussion takes place on them. Obviously I'm excluding my own blog from this because I have a small group of intelligent people who sporadically comment here and are willing to engage in actual conversation, as opposed to a vast community of pillocks.)
Fortunately, any time I start to get frustrated by any of the experiences I describe above, a moment's reflection simply reminds me that they are not the only experiences out there — just the most visible. And while that can in itself be frustrating in that you have to look a little harder to find people with whom you have things in common, we're certainly not beyond hope just yet.
On TV, I don't have to watch Britain's Got Talent. I can watch Community. My Little Pony. And a whole host of other stuff thanks to the magic of streaming video, giving me access to a whole ton of quality entertainment that doesn't make me want to throw bricks at my TV. I haven't seriously watched live TV for ages, a couple of episodes of The Apprentice aside. Instead, I can binge on Star Trek thanks to Netflix, or dig up obscure Channel 4 shows on YouTube.
In the gaming world, I can play everything from Binary Domain to Pandora's Tower and A Valley Without Wind to escape from the blockbuster insanity. Gaming is now so big that you literally can't play everything that comes out.
On the Internet, there are mature communities. I have the Squadron of Shame. You lovely people who comment on this blog. Twitter (at least the people I've trimmed my "following" list to, anyway). Gamers With Jobs. Fitocracy.
While the world may not be built with me in mind any more, I certainly don't have a problem living in it for the moment.
Unless you make me watch Britain's Got Talent. Then we might have a problem.
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I do soooooooooo agree!! With the whole lot. And when did society decide that the young – and I mean pretty bloody young – were the only people worth marketing anything to, creating anything for, and taking notice of in every way?! Did you get a fax about it? I certainly didn't. It seems we older to antique section of society are just for calling from call centres, and calling to our front doors by religion peddlars. Both lots get short change from me – I say in my best steely voice accompanied by a steely look "GO AWAY!" and they leave. It's one of the perks of the Bah Humbug zone/Club/ mindset, but it's still sooooooooooo annoying!
I also hate the way the audience boos the criticism in American Idol, the way Randy Jackson calls the male contestants "Dogs" and the females "Dudes" – yujjo!! – and the mind-numbing repetitive comments some of which you know are aimed at causing the voters to shy away from specific contestants so that they are voted out. It's like the whole thing is manipulated. And then the top singers are the best voices they have ever heard, the contestants the best they've ever had etc – when we all know that Adam Lambert was THE VOICE – amazing musician, singer, performer, with a range to die for and the full use of his chest and head voices – singers know what I mean. A staggering talent. That is not to say the others aren't talented but they are certainly not the 'best ever'. Their attitude is rather insulting to those who came before. Like you, I get so annoyed. I wish I didn't watch it, but I do so for the singing. But I get so fed up, and I fast forward through the crowds' screaming/noise! And the ads! lol
Bah Humbug! S i g h . . .
Wow, you literally just took the thoughts and feelings directly from my head and placed them directly into your blog! Well, except that it's American Idol that I'm forced to listen to when my wife watches it. 🙂
Maybe it's an age thing, as I'm just fixing to hit 30 myself, but I despise regular television too. Unless it's a documentary, or something in the vein of the Deadliest Catch, Build it Bigger, etc. (I build war ships to pay the bills. Roughneck by day, writer at night.) I'd much rather catch up on Initial D episodes I've missed, or one of the HBO/Showtime series that are on Netflix (Tudors is fantastic!).
Gaming is becoming so, well, as you stated, socially boring. As a — oh god, I guess I've got to say it — "hardcore" gamer, I adore the Ninja Gaiden series. But, NG3 was an absolute disgrace with it's "mass appeal"! I'm too am bored to tears with the Call of Duties, Gears of War, Uncharted, etc, etc, etc. If it wasn't for the indies and third parties, I don't know what I'd do. It's the Warriors Orochi's , Yakuza's, MotorStorm RC's, Disgaea's and the likes that keep me going. Though I will say that Insomniac's new Facebook game looks quite interesting, I'm still highly skeptical of it spamming my inbox on the site, as I already loathe it anyways. The only massive budget game I'm looking forward to at the moment in BioShock Infinite, and that's just because Ken Levine is an absolute genius. I absolutely adore his games!
Cheers for another great read Pete!
The world was built for you, but then some morons hi-jacked it.