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Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

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Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#91

Post by globular-toast »

I agree in general. But Mulholland Drive is absolute rubbish which people like because they know that most won't like it (because it's rubbish).

I've been invited to similar groups that have esoteric music tastes. They think that because I have a good taste in music I will fit into those groups. But I can't stand them. It's all about finding the most obscure thing possible. The kind of thing that isn't popular for very good reason. It's just not that good.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony has virtually universal appeal. Die Hard is considered one of the best action movies of all time. Those are the kind of things you need to make sure you see. After that, whether you watch the latest mindless popcorn thriller or crap that nobody really likes is up to you. I'd rather watch the popcorn thriller, though.

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#92

Post by listenallyall »

dannyeei wrote: post #3

It's a fair thesis but the reality is that films and most things are constantly getting a lot better because people are learning from the best

Exactly. We didn't have nearly enough superhero films in the 1970s. Just crap like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Chinatown.

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#93

Post by asperous »

I doubt anyone who is deliberate about the content they consume needs this advice.

New media is popular because of its novelty factor, hype pre-release, the social aspects of discussing whats popular, and the convenience of having a choice be top of mind. I doubt many people only watch whats new or think that new is better. There are many facets of life and few people are interested in making deliberate and contrarian choices in all of them.

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#94

Post by barbs »

globular-toast wrote: post #91

I agree in general. But Mulholland Drive is absolute rubbish which people like because they know that most won't like it (because it's rubbish). I've been invited to similar groups that have esoteric music tastes. They think that because I have a good taste in music I will fit into those groups. But I can't stand them. It's all about finding the most obscure thing possible. The kind of thing that isn't popular for ve…

I genuinely enjoyed Mulhulland Drive, dislike Beethoven's ninth symphony (and most classical music) and Die Hard.

True elitism is assuming your subjective preference is objectively better than other people's subjective preference.

In the end, if you like something, that's all that matters.

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#95

Post by Wowfunhappy »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #28
kinghtown wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not quite Goodreads is kind of a weird space which shows that the popular vote is kind of useless. It’s hard to find a good book based on ratings. Everything seems to be either 4+ stars or garbage. The Fault in our Stars probably has a better rating than print copies of Hamlet. Actually, all classics seem to hover around 3.68 stars. Never 2. In fact, I don’t think any books published in the history of the world hav…

Star ratings have been widely proven to be a total failure. Most people treat them as binary: either something is nice, and gets 5, or is crap, and gets 1. The neutral score for things that are OK tends to be 5, sometimes 4. This is particularly pronounced whenever there are any consequences attached to the ratings. If you give anything but 5 to your Uber driver, you're risking them losing their job. If you give anyt…

> Most people treat them as binary: either something is nice, and gets 5, or is crap, and gets 1

I really think GoodReads is the exception to this though. When I look through other people’s ratings I frequently see them using the full spectrum.

Furthermore, it’s very common for written reviews to say that a book really deserves some fractional number of stars, but Goodreads forced them to round.

Of course, the average ratings suck anyway...

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#96

Post by barbs »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #30

There are far, far too many variables to complex performances like a movie, to make broad generalities about what you'll enjoy. A great movie may address themes uncomfortable for some to enjoy, at least where they are right now. Something great in the past may not age well. Average appeal can be a negative correlation for some who have different tastes. I guess we can agree, that a badly made and acted move is likely…

I agree with you overall. Although I'd point out that some people enjoy watching badly made and acted movies for a different reason. "The Room" is an absolute trainwreck that I enjoy watching.

But yes, you're right. It's funny how recommendation engines seem to rarely get it right as well. I find that the best recommendations come from friends that know me well enough to know what I'd enjoy.

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#98

Post by barbs »

PaulRobinson wrote: post #20
srtjstjsj wrote: post #2

Huh. Up til now I thought "potboiler" meant mildly entertaining filler, "a way to pass the time while waiting for a pot to boil", since "a watched pot never boils".

And I always thought it was something that built up suspense like a pot builds up a boil. A quick dig around suggests the etymology described in the article is correct though. TIL, etc.

And I thought it was a low effort, slightly humorous film that stoners would watch while "boiling pot" in their bongs. :P

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#99

Post by barbs »

Kiro wrote: post #72

I like sci-fi films with good CGI. Similarly I enjoy electronic music where they push the boundaries in production techniques. This naturally gives newer productions an upper hand when it comes to my taste.

Interesting! What are some examples of electronic music in that vein you would recommend?

Edit: I guess I'm also interested in your quality-CGI scifi films as well :)

Re: Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

#100

Post by barbs »

spinach wrote: post #62

> Society’s norms with media and culture are stuck in the pre-Internet days People in society want to have jobs in creative pursuits, and for that they need money, they need people to consume the newest products. So on the other hand, isn't it better to support living people who are incorporating the current times into their art than to support old content where perhaps the creators are dead and won't see the money?

I don't see why I should be paying someone for something I don't want
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