You ever get told...

[Gorn Captain]

You know what?
When I hear a song from 30 years ago, I still know every line of the lyrics within seconds. I still recall every guitar note played.
I have my doubt the same will apply to Rihanna and all the other noise they insist on calling music.

Call me an old fart, and I'll wear it like a badge of honor....

[ctc]

>I have my doubt the same will apply to Rihanna and all the other noise they insist on calling music.

That's the generational conciet: every generation thinks their generation is THE generation. Music is a great example, 'cos when you look back you tend to remember only the bigger or better stuff. And a lot of THAT is pretty bad too. (The 80's had the New Kids. *shudder*) Was Culture Club any better than Rhianna? To an oldster, sure. But that's 'cos Culture Club is FAMILIAR. You're used to it, you lived the hype. Rhianna is new, strange, what them kids is into.... so it HAS to be bad. It's out-group. For THEM, not ME. The irony? They BOTH suck!

But it's a hardware glich with the human brain. The past seems better 'cos we were younger, more vibrant and engaged; our memory tends to clean up the unfortunate parts (like how utterly horrid the 70's were) and when we look at "the kids today" we're jealous. We see in them more potential, ("they have it SO EASY and they waste it all playing them video games!") more indulgence, ("I wish I could sit around playing video games all day, but I gotta WORK!") and our obsolescence. ("Back in MY DAY that would NEVER fly! We had rules, morals, not like the world today! Everything's so different and stupid!")

>Mostly with the video games.

That's one of the ones that baffles me. How many folks who poo-poo the video games of today were sitting around the Atari, 30 years ago hoping and praying that games JUST LIKE THE ONES TODAY would happen? How many of them were wow'd by Intellivision graphics, or how much control you had on a C64 game?

Don C.

[Mikey]

I could stand right next to modern superstars and not even know who they were

[MegoSteve]

I like old stuff, too, and spend a lot of time finding old Superman collectibles. However, the present is pretty great, too.

[Zemo]

Old and new, what better combo??

[VintageMike]

I should also say even with what I said before there's plenty of new stuff I like. Computers and the Internet changed my life forever in a positive way. The only thing that bothers me (as I'm sure it did the generations before us) is watching things I like go away as newer things come into play. Video games are the perfect example. Yes, as a child I dreamed the day home consoles would catch up with the arcade. Well not only did they, they surpassed them making arcades almost extinct. I'm actually acutely aware of "generational conceit" so I tend to keep an open mind about modern things I may not like personally. I'll even add to it it: most us of can rattle off a list a mile long of things we found special and enjoyed as children. Now try doing the same for things from your "adult" life. It no wonder one outshines the other when you look at it like that!
I never want to be the grumpy old guy. I just not ashamed to to reserve a special place for times in my life that I especially enjoyed.

[Mikey]

I'm so old I fart dust

[Hector]

Old and new, what better combo??

Exactly.

Old classic cars, Megos, vintage watches, classic rock, etc...good stuff.

But I also love computers, flatscreens, DVD/Blu-rays, cell phones, etc...

Both ways, definitely.

[huedell]

I prefer things from the 30's and 40's.........

That's the point, I think.

What's so bad with living in the past? Or liking the past? Or embracing styles and ideas from the past?

The 70's? The 80's? The 30's? The 40's? The 2010's? There's no difference.
Aren't they all full of interesting things of equal value? (And crappy things too) Across the board?

Why do people ask "Do you live in the past?" or why do people ask "Why are you out of touch?"

It's because:

1. People are just oblivious to the rational logic of what I said above.

or...

2. People are insecure bullies/jerks.

or...

3. A mix of #1 or #2.

[brannon86]

I was born in 1967, hence dogman67. I went through the late 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, and now Im here. I like the old shows and music from back then especially the 70s and 80s, because thats the years i greew up in, that shaped my taste. All the new music and technoligy is good in some ways, and bad in some ways, just like anything else. My past was the past, and I have some great memories, that I would not trade for anything, but all thats gone. I lived it, I wenmt through the good times, the bad times. All those times shaped me and made me who and what I am today. Do I like and agree with alot ot music and culture today, no, but its now, and today, I have to press on and live, and make new memories also. I embrace my past, but also, I live for the future.