Is Creativity Gone in the Mass Media?

[monsoon]

Has anyone noticed that all of the big movies this summer are either remakes or sequels to past movies, 60s & 70s TV shows, and even 60s children cartoons? And much of the pop music today are either direct samples of 70s music or remakes of those songs?

So what has happened to creativity? Is it gone?

[Recchia]

A definite yes.... I'm so bored with movies this summer, and TV is even worse. Who could of thought that one day we'd aspire to have primetime be completely overtaken with reality shows. I HATE reality shows....every single one of them except maybe for "the biggest loser" cause at least they're trying to help people... flipping through TV shows on Fox is like looking at topics on a Jerry Springer episode now.

[ezcheese]

the well has been dry for years now. it's really sad that truly original movies are so few and far between nowadays.

[Ih8thecold]

Honestly it looks like creativity is no longer necessary. If it were Britney Spears would have lasted 15 minutes. Originality doesn't seem to be a cultural preference in the United States anymore. Remaking a past success is far less of a risk than taking a chance on something new and untested. The only area of our society that is still driven by creativity is literature, and we all know how popular reading is!

Until we stop buying remakes, sequals, etc they will continue to make them.

[Brickell]

My biggest coplaint is that they don't make movies for Adults anymore. Everything is tested and rewritten and focus grouped to appeal to 15 year olds. I guess they're the only ones that go to movies anymore.

So, I don't think the problem is creativity, I think it's studio suites meddling with the process.

[Viper]

Creativity died after the 80's.

It's no longer just batteries and lightbulbs that are a part of the 'replacement industry', now media has joined it. You simply replace the cast and reshoot. Movies could almost be made on an assembly line now.

[StevenRocks]

I've gotten so bored with mass media, I can't remember the last time I went to the movies and I leave the TV off for days save for news and late-night talk shows.

The recent movie treatment of "Betwitched" left me particurally cold. Why not just do a movie on it instead of a movie about a movie on it? That's not creative, that's just stupid.

[Spartan]

In defense of remakes, they are not all bad. Batman Begins was the best movie I have seen in years.

I agree that as a whole, the movies are less and less original. The successful ones already have some base to it (like Marvel Comics). Not that I mind. I grew up with all of that, so they will get my money

Fortunately we have alternatives to movies. Music (non-pop)is a viable option with alot of talent and creativity still there. We also have those paper things with alot of words and no pictures in them.

TV just sucks. The only thing I watch are reruns of the better sitcoms and the news as well as some of the adult swim cartoons like Family Guy, or comedy central, which does have a few unique and funny things.

I have seriously debated not getting cable/satellite since I only watch about a handful of channels anyway.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

yea, I don't watch TV at all, I just buy the series I like on DVD and watch that.

[ironchapman]

Seems as if I'm the only one who voted "No, it hasn't".

It seems to me that there is more of a "drought" of creative writers, shos, etc. in Hollywood, but the place itself hasn't fully given up hope yet.

The biggest problem is that the Media and movies are too intent on copying themselves (anybody notice the 100,000 thematic copies of "According to Jim" out there). While they do this, the ones that are really creative and worth your viewership get forgotten about (i.e. "Arrested Developement" and "Veronica Mars"). However, if something is really good and inventive, people will watch it in the end (like "Seinfeld").

But I do agree that too many things have been dumbed down for the American public.

It'll get better in a few years as fresh writers come in.

[Spartan]

I really just despise 'realisty' tv shows. Making people eat gross things and getting voted off the island (or whatever self contained ecosystem they happen to be in) has been over done.

[ironchapman]

I really just despise 'realisty' tv shows. Making people eat gross things and getting voted off the island (or whatever self contained ecosystem they happen to be in) has been over done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The entire genre of Reality TV should have never been started. It's pretty much "Entertainment for Dummies".

[I-275westcoastflorida]

My biggest coplaint is that they don't make movies for Adults anymore.  Everything is tested and rewritten and focus grouped to appeal to 15 year olds.    I guess they're the only ones that go to movies anymore.

So, I don't think the problem is creativity, I think it's studio suites meddling with the process.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea but yet the redneck conservatives make the movies for 15yr olds rated R for violent explosions, and nudity as in showing almost nothing, and for languge thats been around for ages. One thing i noticed is since the whole janet jackson thing how bad its getting.

[monsoon]

The entire genre of Reality TV should have never been started. It's pretty much "Entertainment for Dummies".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hehe, it started with MTV's "The Real World".

[ezcheese]

what has really annoyed me even more about newer reality shows is that now there are more and more "reality" shows about celebrities. in the beginning the whole point of reality shows was to show normal everyday people in certain situations on tv. now i would actually say that most of the reality shows are celebrity-based. hopefully this whole fad will die down in the next couple of years.

[StevenRocks]

Network executives wonder why free TV is slowly dying, then they feed us warmed over reality-show garbage. Can't they see what that they're turning off more viewers that they're attracting?

[rbdetsport]

I was just saying this the other day. I saw the previews before Fantastic 4 the other day and I said, "What is up with all of the remakes and sequels?" I just don't get it.

[MV_Klahowya]

Has anyone noticed that all of the big movies this summer are either remakes or sequels to past movies, 60s & 70s TV shows, and even 60s children cartoons?  And much of the pop music today are either direct samples of 70s music or remakes of those songs? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've lost track of how many movies over the last few years were either remakes or based on TV shows.

As for music, at least 3 songs on the "Awesomely bad songs of 2004" list were covers: "Behind Blue Eyes" (originally done by The Who, covered by Limp Bizcit (sp?)), "Love Song" (originally done by The Cure, covered by 311), and "My Perogative" (originally done by Bobby Brown, covered by Britney Spears).

A remake of King Kong is supposed to be coming out later this year. This is the 2'nd remake of that movie.

-- LB

[jazzman]

It's not just TV and movies, all of the arts (except architecture) are lacking creativity. I think we've hit a wall as far as what we can come up with, which hasn't already been done.

Music went through many experimental eras. It started in 1911 when Stravinsky threw the rules away with "The Rite of Spring". After that the road was open for anything. During the 60's Jazz came of age and the 70's brought many fusions of rock classical and jazz. The 80's had "new wave" the 90' had "new age" and nothing much has been "new" since...it's all been done.

The same parallels can be drawn for visual and performing arts. Even car design is now reverting to "retro" styles.

Occasionally, someone comes up with a new fusion, but it's a fusion of things which have been done. We have refined and re-refined these media and I feel the future is bleak.

Now that we can create art, music and movies with our computers and some software, it