Is There As Much Creative Energy Now As There Once Was? I'm Talking From Boomers To Zoomers Here... (1 Viewer)

[rockaction]

I was watching "Stay With Me" by Faces and after getting past Rod Stewart's sort of pantomiming idiocy, I was struck by the proficiency and almost legendary talent of a group of a couple of young guys from England, presumably from around the same area and obviously from the same generation.

It got me to thinking about creative and musical talent these days. I'd venture there's not as much now -- FOR WHATEVER REASON -- as there once was in creative endeavors. This doesn't come from someone who is getting older and getting nostalgic for youth. I never like Faces in my youth. What I'm wondering is why to the two generations -- The Boomers and The Zoomers look so different creatively.

Please, I don't want to bash the youth and seem like an oldster so stay off the snark, but I just can't help but wonder where the creative energy is for this generation. Is it somewhere else? Has the zeal for creativity and performance landed in the drear of other disciplines (I'm thinking politics but let's not go there, please).

What say you?

 

[Terminalxylem]

Only a finite number of new ideas in the universe. But don’t worry, we’ve got AI now.

It's important to recognize that creativity is a complex and multifaceted concept that can manifest in various forms, such as artistic expression, problem-solving, and innovation. While it's true that younger generations may appear less creative in certain areas compared to previous generations, it's not accurate to generalize that they are less creative overall.

There are several factors that can influence creativity, including education, culture, and technology. Younger generations have grown up in a world that is vastly different from the one that their parents and grandparents experienced. With advancements in technology, younger generations have access to an unprecedented amount of information, which can either enhance or hinder their creativity. On the one hand, the internet can provide a wealth of knowledge and inspiration, while on the other hand, it can also lead to a lack of originality and reliance on pre-existing ideas.

Moreover, the education system and cultural values also play a significant role in shaping creativity. Schools and universities may prioritize standardized testing and rote memorization over critical thinking and creativity, which can limit students' ability to think outside the box. Similarly, cultural norms and expectations can influence the way people express themselves creatively. For example, certain art forms or career paths may be discouraged or viewed as less prestigious, leading individuals to pursue more traditional paths.

In conclusion, while younger generations may appear less creative in some aspects, it's essential to consider the various factors that can influence creativity. It's important to foster an environment that encourages creativity and innovation, regardless of age or generation.

Seriously though, why would older generations be more creative? Is it the jeans?!?

Here’s a short piece of creative writing:

The sun set behind the mountains, casting a warm orange glow across the sky. As the day slowly faded away, a lone figure appeared on the horizon. It was a young girl, walking barefoot through the fields of tall grass. Her hair was wild and free, flowing in the gentle breeze. She wore a simple dress, adorned with bright flowers that matched the colors of the sunset.

The girl walked with purpose, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon. She knew what she was looking for, and she wouldn't rest until she found it. As she walked, she sang a soft melody, a song that only she knew. The notes carried on the wind, filling the air with a sense of longing and wonder.

As she neared the end of the field, the girl slowed her pace. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the scent of the wildflowers that surrounded her. When she opened her eyes again, she saw it - a single tree, standing tall in the midst of the meadow. Its branches reached up to the sky, as if calling out to her.

The girl approached the tree, her heart beating faster with each step. She placed her hand on the trunk, feeling the rough bark against her skin. And then, she closed her eyes once more, and began to dance. Her movements were graceful and fluid, as if she were in a trance. She spun and twirled around the tree, her dress billowing in the wind.

For a moment, the world stood still. The girl and the tree were the only things that existed, surrounded by the beauty of the setting sun. And then, as the last rays of light disappeared below the horizon, the girl opened her eyes once more. She smiled, and whispered a word of thanks to the tree.

And then, with a skip in her step, she turned and walked back through the field, disappearing into the night.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I was watching "Stay With Me" by Faces and after getting past Rod Stewart's sort of pantomiming idiocy, I was struck by the proficiency and almost legendary talent of a group of a couple of young guys from England, presumably from around the same area and obviously from the same generation.

It got me to thinking about creative and musical talent these days. I'd venture there's not as much now -- FOR WHATEVER REASON -- as there once was in creative endeavors. This doesn't come from someone who is getting older and getting nostalgic for youth. I never like Faces in my youth. What I'm wondering is why to the two generations -- The Boomers and The Zoomers look so different creatively.

Please, I don't want to bash the youth and seem like an oldster so stay off the snark, but I just can't help but wonder where the creative energy is for this generation. Is it somewhere else? Has the zeal for creativity and performance landed in the drear of other disciplines (I'm thinking politics but let's not go there, please).

What say you?

My wife and I were just talking about this a few days ago. It's getting weird that they still play 70s and 80s music as the default background music whenever you go into a bar. Those songs are all 40+ years old. It would be like when we were kids in the 1980s, if you still heard Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B every time you went out. And you can't blame it on Gen X achieving cultural dominance because we're irrelevant.

Then you look at the movie industry. It's all superhero movies, remakes, and reboots. There's very little being made for mainstream audiences that's actually new or challenging.

Obviously there's lots of great stuff if you go digging for it -- the internet is wonderful here. But I do wonder if the internet isn't somehow responsible, by pulling so many people into little niches that there's no longer enough space for anything more challenging that the latest Marvel movie to find broad appeal. I don't know.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I was watching "Stay With Me" by Faces and after getting past Rod Stewart's sort of pantomiming idiocy, I was struck by the proficiency and almost legendary talent of a group of a couple of young guys from England, presumably from around the same area and obviously from the same generation.

It got me to thinking about creative and musical talent these days. I'd venture there's not as much now -- FOR WHATEVER REASON -- as there once was in creative endeavors. This doesn't come from someone who is getting older and getting nostalgic for youth. I never like Faces in my youth. What I'm wondering is why to the two generations -- The Boomers and The Zoomers look so different creatively.

Please, I don't want to bash the youth and seem like an oldster so stay off the snark, but I just can't help but wonder where the creative energy is for this generation. Is it somewhere else? Has the zeal for creativity and performance landed in the drear of other disciplines (I'm thinking politics but let's not go there, please).

What say you?

I want to think on this a bit, and how to frame my response.......but, I think I disagree. At least as it applies to music (I'm even dumber when it comes to other art forms).

I'm guessing Zoomers are today's young people?

 

[culdeus]

Art moved to saying a bunch of splotches on a canvas was worth 10 million three decades ago or more. Gonna say the art community is legit out of ideas. Music. Maybe not.

 

[Terminalxylem]

To draw upon the posts above, and add a little, I think it’s multifactorial:

1. There are a lot more millieux to express one’s creativity, so less incentive to produce media us old folks consume. And maybe some of the stuff we like is becoming obsolete. Plus, we are less adept at judging new tech.
2. Attention span seems to be getting shorter, as is multitasking. Ain’t got no time for things that are thought-provoking.
3. Many themes have been explored ad nauseam, so creating something novel is harder.
4. Meanwhile, consumers gladly pay for mindless recycled ideas. Nostalgia is big business.
5. And I really believe AI may ultimately hinder human creativity. Especially when it becomes superintelligent, as humans are inherently lazy.

 

[Jayrod]

I honestly believe it is because young people won't/don't/can't sit in silence with their own thoughts. Every moment is filled with a video or song in their ear.

Hard to think of something new when someone or something is constantly directing your thoughts.

One of the biggest battles I'm fighting with my two teenagers and even my wife is them always walking around the house with earbuds in. Drives me crazy that they can't just go an hour without something on their phone pumping sights and sounds into their brains.

And read a book? My goodness it's like torture! So boring (aka not constantly stimulating).

 

[Northern Voice]

There's more than ever because there's more people than ever, it just doesn't have the same widespread cultural impact because there is no longer a singular/narrow method that people find/listen to music anymore.

Nothing will ever be massive/broad appeal like the old days because there is no longer and Ed Sullivan Show or FM radio station that people care about but what is being created is more diverse than it had ever been, we have so many genres of music now that never existed in the time of Faces.

Also, now we have this, so current times win (not joking)

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I think after The Goonies everyone just kind of gave up. There was no topping it.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

There's more than ever because there's more people than ever, it just doesn't have the same widespread cultural impact because there is no longer a singular/narrow method that people find/listen to music anymore.

Nothing will ever be massive/broad appeal like the old days because there is no longer and Ed Sullivan Show or FM radio station that people care about but what is being created is more diverse than it had ever been, we have so many genres of music now that never existed in the time of Faces.

Also, now we have this, so current times win (not joking)

This is kinda what I was going to say.

And-
I liked the linked song - except it’s all auto tune. I’m a few songs in and it’s ALL auto tune.

ETA- listening more it’s really apparent they bit the chorus of one of Kesha’s songs (on the song you linked)

 

[Ilov80s]

I don’t know but if their creative energy is the same, it’s being put into different outlets. Video games being a major example.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Age is appreciated differently than before.

Taylor Swift is considered a top tier in her prime artist, yet she is older than each one of the Beatles were when they laid down the last track on Abbey Road.

She is older than Elvis was when he made his comeback special in 1968.

Everyone thinks their generation owns all the answers.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I don’t know but if their creative energy is the same, it’s being put into different outlets. Video games being a major example.

This is a really good point.

Also, while 99% of Youtube et.al. is garbage, there are random people making really good content for free. Maybe that doesn't fill the same cultural hole filled by music and cinema, but it should count for something.

 

[kupcho1]

I think you're conflating creativity with quality.

Creativity: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."

I think there's plenty of that happening today driven by social media and solipsism. Unfortunately, most of it is utter garbage.

As @IvanKaramazov already said, there's great stuff out there. The problem is wading through the refuse to find it.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

But I do wonder if the internet isn't somehow responsible, by pulling so many people into little niches that there's no longer enough space for anything more challenging that the latest Marvel movie to find broad appeal.

 

[rockaction]

Creativity: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."

I might have implied it, but no, this is what I meant. The actual use of imagination in producing an artistic work. in other words, do people have the same impetus or desire to do this. I asked because I wondered if the energy used to create wasn't being channeled in differing ways.

Also, there was a bit of quality concern going on given that I used Faces, so I guess I should have asked it twofold.

1) Is there as much creative energy?
2) What is used, is it as good?

 

[Ilov80s]

I think you're conflating creativity with quality.

Creativity: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."

I think there's plenty of that happening today driven by social media and solipsism. Unfortunately, most of it is utter garbage.

As @IvanKaramazov already said, there's great stuff out there. The problem is wading through the refuse to find it.

Same as ever imo. There’s always been some real crap music and movies and TV that one has to maneuver through to find the quality.

 

[Ilov80s]

Also keep in mind the median zoomed age now 18-19 so it’s still too early to really get a beat on whatever this generation will do.

 

[kupcho1]

I think you're conflating creativity with quality.

Creativity: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."

I think there's plenty of that happening today driven by social media and solipsism. Unfortunately, most of it is utter garbage.

As @IvanKaramazov already said, there's great stuff out there. The problem is wading through the refuse to find it.

Same as ever imo. There’s always been some real crap music and movies and TV that one has to maneuver through to find the quality.

Agreed there's always been crap, but the sheer volume now is incredible. The crap to quality ratio is exponentially higher now given technology enabling anyone to "create"

 

[Ilov80s]

I think you're conflating creativity with quality.

Creativity: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."

I think there's plenty of that happening today driven by social media and solipsism. Unfortunately, most of it is utter garbage.

As @IvanKaramazov already said, there's great stuff out there. The problem is wading through the refuse to find it.

Same as ever imo. There’s always been some real crap music and movies and TV that one has to maneuver through to find the quality.

Agreed there's always been crap, but the sheer volume now is incredible. The crap to quality ratio is exponentially higher now given technology enabling anyone to "create"

Yeah tons of crap because it’s so easy to share things. However, just think of the sheer number of comedy clubs and local bar bands that used to exist that weren’t very good. That’s mostly been channeled to YouTube, social media, etc.

 

[kupcho1]

I think you're conflating creativity with quality.

Creativity: "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."

I think there's plenty of that happening today driven by social media and solipsism. Unfortunately, most of it is utter garbage.

As @IvanKaramazov already said, there's great stuff out there. The problem is wading through the refuse to find it.

Same as ever imo. There’s always been some real crap music and movies and TV that one has to maneuver through to find the quality.

Agreed there's always been crap, but the sheer volume now is incredible. The crap to quality ratio is exponentially higher now given technology enabling anyone to "create"

Yeah tons of crap because it’s so easy to share things. However, just think of the sheer number of comedy clubs and local bar bands that used to exist that weren’t very good. That’s mostly been channeled to YouTube, social media, etc.

However?

That's exactly the point I'm making. Social media/technology has exponentially increased the amount of crap we're exposed to. Moreover, apps like GarageBand enable the woefully untalented to inflict more crap. Local bar bands didn't have that. They'd have to spend real cash dollars to go into a recording studio. And the pain of bad comedians in clubs was limited to the audience in the building, not YouTube's world wide audience.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Social media/technology has exponentially increased the amount of crap we're exposed to.

Disagree. You're only exposed to it if you wanna be. It's like the folks who complain that "Stairway To Heaven" is overplayed. Move away.

 

[foxco]

Then you look at the movie industry. It's all superhero movies, remakes, and reboots. There's very little being made for mainstream audiences that's actually new or challenging.

For movies, it's way more of a business looking at the bottom line now than it was say, in the 70's, when filmmakers were given much more leeway and creative vision. Now it's all about pre-existing IP because hey, built in audience. Execs are under massive pressure for hits, and the least amount of risk involves adapting a novel, video game, graphic novel, or remake, reboot, sequel etc. Studio films are also more expensive to produce, so even a romcom can cost upwards of 100mill before P&A. A buddy of mine went out with a spec script and got zero interest from the studios. He adapted it into a graphic novel, sent the graphic novel out to the same studios and bam, mid-six figure deal. Producers/execs etc. are barely reading spec scripts anymore.

Having said this, I think there's still some decent creativity on the low budget end ($5mill or less), and production companies like A24 have been crushing it on pretty much all fronts the last few years.

 

[higgins]

I love the fact that kupcho is back

 

[rockaction]

I love the fact that kupcho is back

I'm with you. We did a football draft with kupcho aroun 2018 or so and called his automatic skip picks "kupchobot," something he may or may not have remembered when I brought it up once. But it did happen.

kupcho is indeed around, though, which is good. Good to have some quality control here.

And he's right about the democratization of all things technological allowing crap to be made, but I was thinking even the major outlets and major airwaves are clogged with stuff that isn't as good. So it was a two-pronged question, and I'm glad he pointed it out. In my limited knowledge and opinion, creative places are desperate for original content (that's from those "insider" puff pieces and what I read, see, and hear).

 

[massraider]

but I was thinking even the major outlets and major airwaves are clogged with stuff that isn't as good

That’s what our parents told us.

 

[rockaction]

That’s what our parents told us.

Yeah, and our parents were eventually wrong about the nuclear threat posed by Soviet Russia and the U.S. then, too.

Doesn't mean we're wrong to worry about it in modern iterations.

In other words, the same old story about the world ending as we know it doesn't become less true just because the original same old story about the world ending was not true.

The content might really be crap. And, regardless, your premise is a touch off from what I was getting at. Our parents -- The Boomers -- might have been sort of right. That's why I picked the Boomers vs. their parents' concerns about Boomer content. The Boomers deconstructed everything in a last flash of glory, some people will tell you, and we never recovered.

 

[massraider]

Yeah, and our parents were eventually wrong about the nuclear threat posed by Soviet Russia and the U.S. then, too.

You can go back to jazz with this.

 

[rockaction]

You can go back to jazz with this.

There are no new threatening forms of art coming out. Hip hop is dead if its face is Jack Harlow. There’s a real difference in those complaints from ours. Our complaint is that there are no new subversive forms.

 

[massraider]

Adults were always wrong about kids' music, until now (that I am an adult), and I am saying their stuff sucks.

Meh.

 

[rockaction]

Adults were always wrong about kids' music, until now (that I am an adult), and I am saying their stuff sucks.

Meh.

What new music have they come up with? Everything is synthesis. (Look at their bands. They all hearken back to the nineties or seventies singer/songwriters for the female singer/songwriters.)

What new visual arts have they proffered? Nothing is very original from what I've noticed.

What new themes have they explored besides sex itself as a construct (let's not get political here. This is the major theme I've discerned in modernity. Leave it at me. Tell me another theme.)?

What new sweeping monuments have they created or envisioned?

Is this stuff all just under the surface or will it bubble up? (That's what worries me most. That even the underground is dead because it's too much effort to be underground.)

I'm just spitballing here. I see my niece and nephew and their friends and nothing strikes me as very new. At all. Like we've preprogrammed their world and they're just making their way through it with the slightest agitation. Contrast that with the Boomers.

I am in the unique and awkward position of saying the Boomer generation trumps these kids. By a lot. Because I'm in the middle and able to be somewhat objective as a Gen X dude, and give me Boomer output vs. the kids any day.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I think what some here want is a tidal wave of rebellion with mass-market push. That ain't happening.

It wouldn't have happened with punk in the mid-70s or hip-hop in the 80s, except that Rolling Stone started feeling like they were losing their grip on mind-control about what was IMPORTANT.

The cultural monolith is gone and has been for 30+ years. There's still great music being made and it's more accessible than ever. We're not getting Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson again.

Also, the Boomers (I'm one of 'em) were wrong. We blew it when we had the chance.

 

[Ilov80s]

I would say gaming is the biggest artistic development by a long shot. I don’t play games but people that do tell me the story telling is light years beyond the stuff we played in the 90s and aughts. The success of something like The Last of Us sort of speaks to that. Music seems to be a melding of electronic, pop, rap and international sounds.

But in general everything has become so fractured or so corporate controlled that it’s tough to follow developments in the arts.

 

[msudaisy26]

I think it is what 80's and and Terminal said. There are only a finite amount of ideas in every aspect of life and each generation is different. I think they are being creative in there own ways.

Think about how we (as a species) have evolved. We went from we live to work and now we seem to be at quality of life over money/jobs no matter what (for lack of a better word).

 

[msudaisy26]

I would say gaming is the biggest artistic development by a long shot. I don’t play games but people that do tell me the story telling is light years beyond the stuff we played in the 90s and aughts. The success of something like The Last of Us sort of speaks to that. Music seems to be a melding of electronic, pop, rap and international sounds.

But in general everything has become so fractured or so corporate controlled that it’s tough to follow developments in the arts.

My school has e sports and some of the moves and strategies they think is beyond me.

 

[Ilov80s]

I would say gaming is the biggest artistic development by a long shot. I don’t play games but people that do tell me the story telling is light years beyond the stuff we played in the 90s and aughts. The success of something like The Last of Us sort of speaks to that. Music seems to be a melding of electronic, pop, rap and international sounds.

But in general everything has become so fractured or so corporate controlled that it’s tough to follow developments in the arts.

My school has e sports and some of the moves and strategies they think is beyond me.

Yeah esports is coming to my HS next year

 

[Ilov80s]

I think it is what 80's and and Terminal said. There are only a finite amount of ideas in every aspect of life and each generation is different. I think they are being creative in there own ways.

Think about how we (as a species) have evolved. We went from we live to work and now we seem to be at quality of life over money/jobs no matter what (for lack of a better word).

And the speed of development the last 100 years has been crazy. Moving at lightning speed.

 

[rockaction]

And the speed of development the last 100 years has been crazy. Moving at lightning speed.

Staggering. We went from the fear of the industrial revolution making us automatons to the fear of the death of God making us automatons to the fear of the rise of AI leaving us way too short of the automation with which we might compete with them.

 

[rockaction]

It's an automaton's world, I guess.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I'm not a big music guy, but in movies I think there's still tons of creativity out there. Everyone likes to lament reboots and comic book stuff but there's just so much amazing content out there that people ignore when making those arguments. It's not like it used to be where something like Star Wars came out and everything else was just so much worse that the whole world could latch onto how amazing it was. Now there is so much amazing content coming out all the time things don't get singled out as much.

Take something as simple as Inception. Considered a generally good modern action movie that people generally like but don't really think about much. That was 100x more creative than any movie that came out in the 80's. There are just so many creative movies now, it's not really something to single out.

If Robocop or Terminator 2 came out today instead of when they did, no one would bat an eye at them.

And TV. I mean, c'mon, TV. Compare the content we get now out of TV shows (especially on the streaming services) compared to TV 20-30 years ago. It's just a whole different world of amazingness and creativity.

ETA: And while we're on the subject of comic book movies, let's not forget that while a lot of people are sick of them now, a continuous movie universe with dozens of films with an ongoing story arc and characters appearing across different film franchises was a pretty bold/creative move in and of itself not that long ago.

ETA2: I think there is also a lot of diminishing returns in technology. With every mid-budget movie able to make giant laser beam space battles with CGI now, it's harder to stand out with effects like something like Star Wars or Jurassic Park could in their time. There's also fewer big game changing industry moves like the invention of directional and personal microphones that allowed actors to actually start acting instead of having to over-enunciate every line like they were in a giant auditorium trying to make sure the people in the back could hear them.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

My wife and I were just talking about this a few days ago. It's getting weird that they still play 70s and 80s music as the default background music whenever you go into a bar. Those songs are all 40+ years old. It would be like when we were kids in the 1980s, if you still heard Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B every time you went out. And you can't blame it on Gen X achieving cultural dominance because we're irrelevant.

This is a good point, but honestly I think a big part of it is that music from the 30s/40s was so freaking bad and music from the 70s/80s is so freaking good.

That's not just a "my generation was the best and the old one sucked" kind of thing. The whole approach to entertainment and the personality of the country really changed over that span. We went from very prudish to very fun over that time period. With such a huge shift in society and their openness to entertainment it makes sense that the crap from the 30s/40s died off fast in a world whose personality completely shifted.

 

[culdeus]

Also can't really overlook the age of serial dramas. I haven't seen one single Oscar winner in a decade +, but I'd gather I could name 10 serials that match or better over that timeframe anything hollywood has put out.

 

[rockaction]

And TV. I mean, c'mon, TV. Compare the content we get now out of TV shows (especially on the streaming services) compared to TV 20-30 years ago. It's just a whole different world of amazingness and creativity.

Zoomers are not writing that content, though. It's Boomers and Gen Xers for the most part.

I'm talking about the young generation and arts on the outside of things, not the landed generations and art in the mainstream now.

I guess I really should have limited this to Zoomer music.

Boomer music and Gen X music are ten times what today's music is, despite NV's protestations. 100 gecs and JPEGMAFIA and other big, young acts of the day absolutely suck even for their supposed genres, despite what anyone tells you. I've trolled around the hype bands and I haven't found almost nary a one that I've liked other than Been Stellar, who is a bit of a NY/garage retro band in their own right. I mean, they're the only recent band that struck me as doing anything competent and wildly creative while being listenable. I mean, there are more than that - way more -- but it's nothing like having Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles' solo projects, you name it all going at once.

Boomers ace Zoomers. Badly.

 

[rockaction]

And I get that both wikkid and Uruk think the Boomers blew it (and I'd say they did, too, but I think we all have differing reasons and time plots and thoughts about that -- Uruk, what do you mean when you say that?) but along the way at least they were bonfireriffic and built a testament to hedonism heretofore unkown in Western civilization. Blaze of glory and whatnot.

Today we get beeps and clicks and boops. Which can sound great when done artfully. But it's hard to find and hear groups who are doing that. And they seem to get panned when they do. See: Injury Reserve's By The Time I Get To Phoenix, which is stunning glitchpop/hip hop.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

If you’re just talking about music, I think there are a few things at play:

-there are obviously way more songs being out out than ever before so there is no way for any one act to get the same kind of groundswell behind them like bands in the 70s/80s.

-the proliferation of technology means that so many musicians don’t need to try to work things out for audiences or cross-pollinate as much with other musicians. The older bands that you are lionizing had to figure out a way to meld new ideas with packaging that would have mass appeal in order to get their music published. They also spent so much time together sharing and jamming and creating.

-music is probably just a less desired creative outlet for people the age that you are talking about, and they are more likely to move toward visual media due to the environment that have grown up in.

I still don’t know that I agree with the premise that there is less creative energy or even less subversive creative endeavors. I am still not sure how to really prove or disprove that. But the examples you give seem like they are related more to the traditional ways that content was created and delivered to you and others.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I also think the UK young punk scene is very strong with creative energy and subversion.

Donald glover and Atlanta (not music) is also an example, though maybe he’s not technically a zoomer.

I think that it also may be too early to say this. It would be like trying to make a referendum on the boomers in like 1970.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

And TV. I mean, c'mon, TV. Compare the content we get now out of TV shows (especially on the streaming services) compared to TV 20-30 years ago. It's just a whole different world of amazingness and creativity.

Zoomers are not writing that content, though. It's Boomers and Gen Xers for the most part.

I'm talking about the young generation and arts on the outside of things, not the landed generations and art in the mainstream now.

I guess I really should have limited this to Zoomer music.

Boomer music and Gen X music are ten times what today's music is, despite NV's protestations. 100 gecs and JPEGMAFIA and other big, young acts of the day absolutely suck even for their supposed genres, despite what anyone tells you. I've trolled around the hype bands and I haven't found almost nary a one that I've liked other than Been Stellar, who is a bit of a NY/garage retro band in their own right. I mean, they're the only recent band that struck me as doing anything competent and wildly creative while being listenable. I mean, there are more than that - way more -- but it's nothing like having Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles' solo projects, you name it all going at once.

Boomers ace Zoomers. Badly.

Well I'm out of my depth on music discussions since I have no idea what the kids are listening to these days. But it seems like this boils down to "old guy thinks old guy music is awesome and young punk kids are listening to garbage", which pretty much describes every generation ever. I mean, the generation before boomers practically tried to make boomer music illegal.

And again, I'm not up on what the young kids are doing these days (or even what a "Zoomer" is), but is that T-Swift lady any less of a phenomenon amongst zoomers than the Rolling Stones were amongst boomers?

Boomers were kind of right at the forefront of a new genre of music. There have been several new genres of music to become popular since then, but we're kind of at an in-between period on that right now.

 

[Ilov80s]

My wife and I were just talking about this a few days ago. It's getting weird that they still play 70s and 80s music as the default background music whenever you go into a bar. Those songs are all 40+ years old. It would be like when we were kids in the 1980s, if you still heard Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B every time you went out. And you can't blame it on Gen X achieving cultural dominance because we're irrelevant.

This is a good point, but honestly I think a big part of it is that music from the 30s/40s was so freaking bad and music from the 70s/80s is so freaking good.

That's not just a "my generation was the best and the old one sucked" kind of thing. The whole approach to entertainment and the personality of the country really changed over that span. We went from very prudish to very fun over that time period. With such a huge shift in society and their openness to entertainment it makes sense that the crap from the 30s/40s died off fast in a world whose personality completely shifted.

I think a lot of this is just the size and significant of the Boomers and their refusal to keep up with the times. Gen X music and millennial music largely has been frozen out by Boomers who insist that the music they grew up and listened to as young adults remained the default music everywhere they went. It's also good music so it's easy to go along with, it became the cultural touchstones after they kind of reshaped the landscape of entertainment. I don't think the music of the 30s/40s is really bad. It's just different and sounds weird to many people's ears because of how dominant rock became. Jazz and classical music is very good but like boxing it's become a niche interest. The Boomers really wanted to break the society of their parents and build a new one in their image and music really led the way.

However, a general nostalgia of a generation past has always been present. Boomers had a nostalgia for Jazz Age/Roaring 20s, and a revitalization of Bogey, classic Hollywood, etc.

 

[Capella]

Then you look at the movie industry. It's all superhero movies, remakes, and reboots. There's very little being made for mainstream audiences that's actually new or challenging.

This simply is not true at all. There is so much stuff being made for hbo, netflix, prime etc that it is simply impossible to keep up. Sure, super hero movies get the most hype and eyeballs but there is a never ending catalog of new things to watch if you wish.

 

[Ilov80s]

And TV. I mean, c'mon, TV. Compare the content we get now out of TV shows (especially on the streaming services) compared to TV 20-30 years ago. It's just a whole different world of amazingness and creativity.

Zoomers are not writing that content, though. It's Boomers and Gen Xers for the most part.

I'm talking about the young generation and arts on the outside of things, not the landed generations and art in the mainstream now.

I guess I really should have limited this to Zoomer music.

Boomer music and Gen X music are ten times what today's music is, despite NV's protestations. 100 gecs and JPEGMAFIA and other big, young acts of the day absolutely suck even for their supposed genres, despite what anyone tells you. I've trolled around the hype bands and I haven't found almost nary a one that I've liked other than Been Stellar, who is a bit of a NY/garage retro band in their own right. I mean, they're the only recent band that struck me as doing anything competent and wildly creative while being listenable. I mean, there are more than that - way more -- but it's nothing like having Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles' solo projects, you name it all going at once.

Boomers ace Zoomers. Badly.

No doubt that current music is weak. Are you sure though you are talking about Zoomers and not millennial? Zoomers are pretty young- half of them haven't even graduated high school yet.