June 8, 2005
[good] 6:48 PM
I think there's been a big decline in "good" across the board in pretty much every genre of entertainment, from books and comics, to music, film and television. In the quest for the next blockbuster or huge hit the simply enjoyable are being overlooked entirely. People are so keen to write something off in these sensationalist times, that no one can see simple value in things.
Desperate Housewives and Lost are fantastic shows, giving ABC it's best numbers in years, yet Eyes, which was simply fun and enjoyable gets cancelled because it can't pull it's weight. "It's weight" meaning it wasn't pulling in 16 million viewers a week, something that ABC seems to forget was unheard for them a year ago.
If a movie isn't a spellbinding revelation then it's cast aside, considered a failure. It seems now that if you find something that you enjoy that didn't make over $80 million at the box office, then you've discovered some sort of hidden treasure.
More often than not it seems when you strive for "greatness" you wind up with a jumbled mess. The true greats are suprises, things that blow away expectations, books, films and stories that blindside you.
I'd rather tinker away and make 50 good things than drive myself crazy trying to create one "great" thing. Somewhere in me I have something great, but I'm not going to go searching for it. It'll come out when it's ready.
who are you and what have you done with the insane person i used to know?
but i couldn't agree with you more. i think that most of the time, if you try too hard to make something 'great,' it won't even be 'good.'
if trying too hard made you great, then ben affleck would have an academy award sitting on his.... o wait... well, i mean, george lucas would have and academy awar.... shit.... hang on... how the hell did these people get academy awards?
Posted by: andrew at June 8, 2005 10:31 PMVERY well said!
Posted by: Giuseppe at June 9, 2005 12:59 AMbest laid plans... become Deep Impact
Posted by: -p- at June 9, 2005 3:40 AM"The most dementing of all modern sins is the inability to distinguish excellence from success." - Harlan Ellison.
Posted by: Michael at June 9, 2005 5:59 AMThe problem is one of standards and expectations from both the entertainment industires and the audiences of them. When something like Star Wars Episdoe III breaks all kinds of records at the box office, a new standard is suddenly made and makes it that much harder for everyone else to become "great".
What needs to happen is what has in the comic industry, where the numbers aren't the "be-all" to people's expectations. After all, during the speculator boom of the 80's and early 90's, 200, 000 copies sold of a book was near cancellation levels. Now, it's championed as a "huge success". It's all about perception.
People just need to know that the reason so many past things were great, was because they weren't trying to be. They simply were, or became great DUE to people's expectations (or lack thereof). Sadly, I don't think it's a lesson most will learn any time soon.
Posted by: James Meeley at June 10, 2005 3:28 AM
