Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why is the world losing color?

culture-critic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

161–170 of 309 posts

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#161

Post by bongodongobob »

wholinator2 wrote: post #84
jntun wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the analog equipment back then could only do binary panning.

I've heard this is a recommended paradigm for mixing, to only ever pan things R, C, L and nothing in between, but it doesn't make sense to me. Possible because i have to mix on headphones, but it sounds much too extreme to me. Sure, _some things_ can go all the way but i generally enjoy to fill the space between the far edges, and allow some reverb busses to blur the lines a bit if needed. Is hard panning really stro…

No, that's complete nonsense.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#162

Post by bongodongobob »

Henchman21 wrote: post #100
bongodongobob wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can see the same thing in music recordings during the 60s. Stereo and quadrophonic sound was new so everything was panned all over the place really hard. Drums all on the left, vocals hard right etc. It's an interesting effect sometimes, but generally a gimmick and/or distraction. We don't really do that anymore, for good reason.

IIRC, the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper” album was among the first stereo-mixed albums released. As much fame as that particular album has, the original mix is really bad. Drums all left, guitars all right, nothing in the center. It sounds weird to modern ears! Also IIRC, I believe George Harrison’s kid remixed it properly, just a handful of years ago.

One of the reasons being that more people had mono systems so the stereo mixdown was just kind of a "for fun" afterthought. They didn't take it as seriously.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#163

Post by JKCalhoun »

sixothree wrote: post #152
ryandrake wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another thing that might also play a role is this styling trend of vehicles looking "meaner" and more and more aggressive. This was discussed[1] a bit on HN a while ago. Bright colors don't really match the "My vehicle is going to punch you in the face" styling (for cars and especially trucks) that has become popular. 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32425520

Literally every vehicle seems to have that diagonal line incorporated somewhere. I mean the one generally near the windows that slopes downward as it moves towards the front of the car, regardless of the general shape of the car itself.

Not sure which diagonal line you mean but I expect some creases are added for structural reasons, so the large areas of the metal are rigid, not floppy.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#164

Post by nine_k »

parpfish wrote: post #62
crazygringo wrote: post #3

It's not "losing" color. At periods when technology resulted in new color possibilities, people went overboard with color. Make all the things colorful!! Think of the technicolor sixties. And we can go back in history and see the same thing with new clothing pigments, new paint pigments. But when everything is colorful, nothing stands out. Everything being colorful is as monotonous as everything being, well, monotone…

> I don't want constant "riotous color", as the article puts it, in my home, or my workplace, or while I'm driving. It's visually exhausting. could a factor driving current monotone style be less about aesthetics and taste and more that we're all just cognitively exhausted? everything is fighting for our attention because our attention has been monetized. so when something bland shows up, it simultaneously provides a…

I think the sensory load idea is productive, but I'd add a related idea of drawing attention to key things only.

I don't care if my kettle looks "professional"; one is pink, another is orange.

But I prefer walls around me to be white or very lightly colored, not, say, intensively red. That would constantly distract me.

Code in my editor is colorful like a Christmas tree, bur most of the interface is muted beige and green. This is about certain things requiring my attention, and others sparing it.

When everything is loud, nothing is, nothing stands out. Bold colors often work better as accents.

(Sometimes it's about non-aesthetic considerations. I prefer my car to be approximately white to soak in less of the hot summer summer sun.)

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#165

Post by bluGill »

syndeo wrote: post #143
bluGill wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My son (11 years old) always wears mismatched socks. Even when we match them in his drawer he will unmatch them (we no longer bother). I'm not sure if style has changed or he just isn't old enough to care what girls think.

Well hey, if that's his style, and he can find the confidence to "own" it, the right kind of girl will appreciate him for it. (As long as it's not too outlandish of a sock combo, ha)

As adults that is true, but in high school perceived peer pressure is important and so most kids act like their peers. (there are a number of different groups in most schools and they are not a like, but you pick yours and belong to it)

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#166

Post by crazygringo »

lofaszvanitt wrote: post #93
crazygringo wrote: post #3

It's not "losing" color. At periods when technology resulted in new color possibilities, people went overboard with color. Make all the things colorful!! Think of the technicolor sixties. And we can go back in history and see the same thing with new clothing pigments, new paint pigments. But when everything is colorful, nothing stands out. Everything being colorful is as monotonous as everything being, well, monotone…

"Everything being colorful is as monotonous as everything being, well, monotone." What a load of crap. Where do you live, in a cave? have you ever been in a jungle perhaps? what about birds with colorful feathers? you want to wash out those colors too? jesus, nature dictates and nature is full of vivid colors. so your argument goes down the drain. there is no such thing as modern taste. there are trends dictated by a…

Jungles are actually a great example. They are mostly neutral browns and dark greens that form a pretty neutral background... with the occasional beautiful bright accent colors from a bird or flower or something. But if you trek through the jungle, it's pretty boring color-wise most of the time. Which is why spotting a colorful bird is such a joy.

But can you please take the personal attacks elsewhere? HN is not the place for those.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#167

Post by bluGill »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #153
bluGill wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars are not buy it for life items. I generally buy a 3 year old car because it is about half the price of a new one - but I'm limited to what color I can find. If I bought new cars I could get whatever color - except that new car buyers won't be seen in a 4 year old car, and they can only afford to upgrade (to the extent they can) if the car has resale value so they care about what color they (the dealer) thinks wil…

> Cars are not buy it for life items. No, but they certainly can be "buy it for the life of the car". I prefer that myself. New cars are nice, but I'm not going to trade up to a new car every few years. I will buy new (or new-ish), and then drive it until it dies 15 years later. Much more cost effective.

If you buy new and drive for live you are a minority and so manufacturers (and banks via loans) won't make that type of thing that sell you but don't have perceived resale. If you buy newish used and keep for life you are stuck with what they think you will buy.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#168

Post by StefanBatory »

legitster wrote: post #76

May I make a case for brown? - Brown is an extremely warm color, and sucks up all of the ugly blues from unnatural light sources - Brown pairs well with all sorts of shades and colors, just like the millennial gray and white tones - Brown can come in all sorts of shades and vibrancies, but is not as stimulating as other colors - Brown hides dirt, scuffs, and stains extremely well Humans have spent most of our history…

Brown and all its hues is very underappreciated color.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#169

Post by parsimo2010 »

"Millennial Gray" is a somewhat derogatory term that describes the interior decorating in many people's homes. It seems to be a generational thing. I think color will come back as Gen Z and Gen Alpha get older and become more dominant in the economy.

Re: Why is the world losing color?

#170

Post by munch117 »

tracker1 wrote: post #147
munch117 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatever colour you put on the wall at home, you get used to. Your senses acclimatize to it because you see it all the time, even if it initially seemed "riotous". Once you step outside, it does matter though. If your own home is shades of grey, then any colour you encounter outside is going to seem garish. Visually exhausting you say? If you are being stressed by the colours of the world, then that's a problem of yo…

Even if it's in one's own living space it's possible to not get used to something. In those cases, for those types of personalities, it'll usually get replaced or painted over. One thing I completely abhor are busy tile patterns, it can be the shapes or colors, and no, I wouldn't get used to it. In terms of the colors of the world... I'm fine with nature... it's the man-made that gets to be garish at times.

Then what happens, if you're that type of person, after you've replaced or painted over something? Do you relax and become comfortable with what's left? Or do you move on to the next irritant, that will bug you until you've replaced or painted over that?

I saw some pictures from a house where everything was white. The walls were white, the tables and chairs were white, the pillows were white, lamps were white, etc. But I bet the owner didn't see it as everything being white, like I did. I bet that when they'd look at the same pictures, they'd see all the little details here and there that were not white, or not quite white enough. I imagine them being in a constant state of stress over the non-white blemishes.

I don't know them, I just saw the pictures, so I don't truly know how they feel, I could be just imagining things. But my gut feeling is that someone with a home like that is not at ease with themselves.

Post reply on HN