Bland Times Indeed

[purpleronnie]

Well I guess this one is for the older foxetalkers.....boring farts like me.

But a post on another forum got me thinking. (dangerous)

As a kid back in the 70's-80's things seemed much more exciting.

There was a million different fashion trends...mods,, goths, new romantics, new wavers, metal heads, powerdressers, casual scene, preppy, punks, - later 80's had the acid house - madchester scenes too.

Now every kid I see dresses the same....

Politic's is another...I remember the miners strikes, the better dead than red, the 80's was a hugely political time and thesedays labour - tory - lib's all mould into one...they all seem the same.

Football of course is totally different and much blander than back then, the cheap ticket prices, the huge terraces, beer in the stands, pay on the gate....even the violent atmosphere was kinda exciting though the violence was..of course...not........now its bland lego stadiums, all seaters, no atmosphere, ridiculas stadium regulations all adds to a dull experience. The players actually had personalities....they werent media trained so they sound like robots whilst being interviewed.

One of the biggest things that has given rise to the blandess of our current times is the big brother country we have become, the huge increase in OTT health and safety and the massive increase in CCTV - not saying some of these changes werent needed but it seems to have added to the boring 'can't do or say anything' current state of affairs.

TV despite now having 100's of channels seem full of shit shows...massive amounts of 'reality' tv shows, every new show has 3 judges....very little variety despite acess to huge amounts of channels, kids TV is the worst, back when there was 2 channels for kids tv there semed endless different shows all completey different now every kids show seems to involve an american youngster who either is a singer or dancer or has their own tv show?.....wheres the contrast?...again everything is the same its so dull.

(waits for the inevitable....what a boring bland post).

[davieG]

Not forgetting bland grey buildings, magnolia interior decor and black/silver/grey cars.

[darko2k7]

You Know your getting old when you start doing the " It was better in my day " speeches

[Rincewind]

the 70's and 80's semm bland to us even older farts who survived the 50's and 60's.

[bmt]

Video games and internet porn outweigh all losses made by growing up at the moment.

[Captain...]

Move to another country, no seriously, that is not a "well if you don't like it fvck off commnet", go and live in Spain for a few years experience their week long city wide festivals, complete lack of health and safety regulations, run with bulls, throw fireworks, push goats out of churches, rip heads off geese (sorry Oz) throw tomatoes at each other, jump over fires, jump over babies.

Or even better try Latin America, England is not boring but it is safe, we have absorbed so many different cultures over the years that instead of being a rainbow of different colours they have all mixed and diluted themselves to a dull grey.

[Reynard Bleu]

I only seem to be able to recall the 60's in black and white, I was very young but the swinging 60's didn't really seem to to reach my world. The 70's were much more colourful, perhaps because it was the decade of my youth when I did't really have a care in the world and life was full of pubescent opportunity and change. The 80's were similar although I started to pick up responsibilities as the decade wore on, but still an exciting time. 90's were all about career and family. Without doubt the 00's have been the most thrilling and sad years of my life and have been anything but bland.

[James.]

I think sometimes when people complain about how things used to be better they're really bemoaning the fact that they're just getting old and don't have the energy, nous, motivation and knowledge to discover an interesting world beneath the seemingly bland surface.

[Captain...]

I think sometimes when people complain about how things used to be better they're rely bemoaning the fact that they're just getting old and don't have the energy, nous, motivation and knowledge to discover an interesting world beneath the seemingly bland surface.

A little patronising, but have to agree with that, as my Dad always used to say, only boring people get bored.

[sphericalfox]

I don't think it's a boring post at all. It is all down to perception. Generally when you are young you have a wider social circle, and are aware of new trends or the difference between them. Olders have a narrow range of social fronts, and typically a smaller circle of immediate friends with similar (safe )tastes.

Whilst I agree that it does seem that all the youngers have the same haircut and clothes, these are the ones that are popular, the most recognisable and the ones most likely to be pushed and sold by pop culture. I'm sure there's more underground trends as there were when I was a younger, and all as idealistic, wasteful, and selfish as the next. That youth though, no different than the last bunch, just with a different toolkit.

You're probably right about the realness lost. It does seem that we're all draped with a curtain of blandness, and are slowly being waterboarded with negativity by every which way possible.

Things haven't changed since the 50's/60's or any other decade, there's just more of us, doing the same old shit, just in a different way. We've been doing it all for 1000's of years.

[Rincewind]

I think these are exciting times actually. There are more things to do if you look forthem. In the 70's we did nothave the internet and the vast number of activities that comes with it and new technology. I was not able to be involved with News agengies and magazine production back then. These things were for the elite. Now all you have to do do is look up for the field of interest for you and there is a minefield of information and research.

If you are intersted in conspiracy therories for example there is so much more to choose from and if you cannot find what you are looking for it is easy to set up a website and start your own. There will be plenty of people willing to join your exclusive club.

There are also spellcheckers to help your posts.

I edited this and the above is meant to be irony as I have made one or two typos.

[MooseBreath]

Leicester is a boring city in comparison to some other cities in the UK which is itself a boring place in comparison to some other parts of the world. Best thing to do is leave, or at least go on long holidays to faraway places while you're planing to leave. I fully appreciate the opportunities afforded to me by virtue of having been born here, but in today's world I wouldn't wish the same fate on my own children. There are simply many, many places which offer a much more enjoyable lifestyle than this dull, grey, miserable and monotonous little island. Another four years and I personally will be gone.

[James.]

A little patronising, but have to agree with that, as my Dad always used to say, only boring people get bored.

I was probably a little harsh as I have no doubt there is some truth in what purpleronnie says, particularly around football and politics.

That said I've noticed in the Music forum that he often moans about how rubbish dance music is nowadays and was only good in the early 1990's... that strikes me very much as someone who's now a little out of touch harking back to a time when he wasn't.

[James.]

Leicester is a boring city in comparison to some other cities in the UK which is itself a boring place in comparison to some other parts of the world. Best thing to do is leave, or at least go on long holidays to faraway places while you're planing to leave. I fully appreciate the opportunities afforded to me by virtue of having been born here, but in today's world I wouldn't wish the same fate on my own children. There are simply many, many places which offer a much more enjoyable lifestyle than this dull, grey, miserable and monotonous little island. Another four years and I personally will be gone.

He's lived/been abroad a lot which I imagine is part of the reason he has this view about the UK.

[foxoffderby]

Life was tougher growing up then, there was little money you just got by. I makes me laugh when I here kids say today that they are bored.

Society has very much been dumbed down by the state with no end of rules and regulations.

I remember being chased up the streets by skinheads wanting my blood for example

I would hate my 7 year old to grow up in times like I did.

[sphericalfox]

I think these are exciting times actually. There are more things to do if you look forthem. In the 70's we did nothave the internet and the vast number of activities that comes with it and new technology. I was not able to be involved with News agengies and magazine production back then. These things were for the elite. Now all you have to do do is look up for the field of interest for you and there is a minefield of information and research.

If you are intersted in conspiracy therories for example there is so much more to choose from and if you cannot find what you are looking for it is easy to set up a website and start your own. There will be plenty of people willing to join your exclusive club.

You are correct in both regards. There's plenty of information and research available out there in every form and level possible. There's plenty of distraction, disinformation and bullschnit too which make the money, and keep the brain disengaged.

[Guest Col city fan]

Well I guess this one is for the older foxetalkers.....boring farts like me.

But a post on another forum got me thinking. (dangerous)

As a kid back in the 70's-80's things seemed much more exciting.

There was a million different fashion trends...mods,, goths, new romantics, new wavers, metal heads, powerdressers, casual scene, preppy, punks, - later 80's had the acid house - madchester scenes too.

Now every kid I see dresses the same....

Politic's is another...I remember the miners strikes, the better dead than red, the 80's was a hugely political time and thesedays labour - tory - lib's all mould into one...they all seem the same.

Football of course is totally different and much blander than back then, the cheap ticket prices, the huge terraces, beer in the stands, pay on the gate....even the violent atmosphere was kinda exciting though the violence was..of course...not........now its bland lego stadiums, all seaters, no atmosphere, ridiculas stadium regulations all adds to a dull experience. The players actually had personalities....they werent media trained so they sound like robots whilst being interviewed.

One of the biggest things that has given rise to the blandess of our current times is the big brother country we have become, the huge increase in OTT health and safety and the massive increase in CCTV - not saying some of these changes werent needed but it seems to have added to the boring 'can't do or say anything' current state of affairs.

TV despite now having 100's of channels seem full of shit shows...massive amounts of 'reality' tv shows, every new show has 3 judges....very little variety despite acess to huge amounts of channels, kids TV is the worst, back when there was 2 channels for kids tv there semed endless different shows all completey different now every kids show seems to involve an american youngster who either is a singer or dancer or has their own tv show?.....wheres the contrast?...again everything is the same its so dull.

(waits for the inevitable....what a boring bland post).

Nah!

It's a generational thing. Youth these days I'm sure find things just as exciting and as challenging as we did.

Some things though have changed beyond all recognition IMO. Here's my brief list..

1. Watching football on TV has become brilliant..

Football is always on the box, you can watch it in HD or even in 3D. Sky's coverage is sensational and I like nothing more than lying on my favourite sofa watching games on my big screen.

I do agree, watching football at games has become diluted by H and S... The atmospheres are just not as 'confrontational' anymore.

2. Who would be a youth these days? Tuition fees of 9k per year, student loans, the expense of everything... I feel so fortunate that I went to Uni paid for by a Government grant. I left owing the state, or the banks, nothing. I even got my MA paid for!

3. Big brother.... Surely CCTV and DNA testing are positive things? They help massively in crime cases and it makes me wonder how anyone was ever caught for doing anything in bygone times.

4. Political correctness has gone barmy. People have to be careful about what they say, to anyone these days. To some this is of course a good thing.. But I think sometimes it's gone too far. Freedom of speech, it would seem, is only ok if what you say is the flavour of the times.

There's tons more, but I've probably bored you already..,

[OzFox]

Leicester is a boring city in comparison to some other cities in the UK which is itself a boring place in comparison to some other parts of the world. Best thing to do is leave, or at least go on long holidays to faraway places while you're planing to leave. I fully appreciate the opportunities afforded to me by virtue of having been born here, but in today's world I wouldn't wish the same fate on my own children. There are simply many, many places which offer a much more enjoyable lifestyle than this dull, grey, miserable and monotonous little island. Another four years and I personally will be gone.

I'll do a swap with you if you want. After 12 years in Australia I've had my fill of the place. Give me history, 500 year old pubs, decent football, sense of humour and proper green grass any day of the week.

Come to think of it, if anyone wants to know what it was like in the past, come here. Parts of Oz remind me of England in the 1970s, in a strangely quaint way.

[Rincewind]

When I did the food and catering exam, I asked if we had gone OTT with H/S etc regarding food I said I remember when butchrs had meat on display with flys swarming and there was not a lot more food poisoning. The tutor said that a lot of the time food was bought and cooked on the same time so gave little time for the bacteria to grow. So in many ways the rules they have brought in fit in with todays society and way of living. With seated stadiums in football, it is a lot more omfortable to go. It is surprising more people were not crushed over the years but then fans filed out of the crowd in an orserly fashion. There was pushing but not on the scale that there would be now.

There is more possessions around so a greater temptation for theives so better measures are needed to deter them hence the use of CCTV. If the tech is there why not make use of it to improve our lives and make it safer?

[Captain...]

I'll do a swap with you if you want. After 12 years in Australia I've had my fill of the place. Give me history, 500 year old pubs, decent football, sense of humour and proper green grass any day of the week.

Come to think of it, if anyone wants to know what it was like in the past, come here. Parts of Oz remind me of England in the 1970s, in a strangely quaint way.

I really enjoyed Australia from a nature point of view, but I did find it culturally lacking, especially as I arrived in Darwin after 2 months in Asia.

[Reynard Bleu]

I found many places in New Zealand stuck in a 1960's time warp. Formica was cutting edge.

[OzFox]

I found many places in New Zealand stuck in a 1960's time warp. Formica was cutting edge.

A lot of them were still driving Mk I Ford Escorts last time I was over there

[purpleronnie]

Hey I don't want to sound like I hate everything about today's society...thats not true I love england, I still think its the greatest country, and my post wasnt an anti england post as the things i wrote could have been said about most countries....maybe it is a generation thing but I cant help but think growing up thesedays just seems duller and blander than it was 30-40 years ago.

[Captain...]

Hey I don't want to sound like I hate everything about today's society...thats not true I love england, I still think its the greatest country, and my post wasnt an anti england post as the things i wrote could have been said about most countries....maybe it is a generation thing but I cant help but think growing up thesedays just seems duller and blander than it was 30-40 years ago.

YOU HATE ENGLAND

[OzFox]

I really enjoyed Australia from a nature point of view, but I did find it culturally lacking, especially as I arrived in Darwin after 2 months in Asia.

I think Darwin is where people go and hide when they're in trouble with the law. Anything you want to admit to?