A few weeks ago, I left the theater after seeing Scream and I mentioned to Brandy, “That was fun. It was just pure fun.” She laughed and said I had said the same thing after Ghostbusters Afterlife and Spiderman No Way Home. She wasn’t wrong. Those three movies have stood out in my mind as some of my most favorite movie experiences over the past year, along with Free Guy, another fun movie. It got me thinking? Why do these movies feel like such a breath of fresh air? It’s not just that some of them are revisiting great franchises and characters, but because the films didn’t seem overly concerned with pushing an agenda of any sorts. They weren’t dark nor were they depressing. They just present a script, all of them flawed in some ways, and then created a movie going experience that would make you smile and have a great time.
The Mandalorian comes to mind as another fun entertainment product. You know what’s not fun? Star Trek Discovery. It’s gorgeous and offers the occasional great episode, but it’s far from fun. In fact, it’s almost a downright chore to shovel through the various social commentaries and dark, cold, depressing space future. I definitely enjoy Discovery, but it again, lacks the fun of the TNG era shows. No one is overly happy, ever. I guess that’s just too corny in today’s cynical world.
But Star Trek Discovery is not the only piece of entertainment that forgot it was supposed to be fun. In fact, I’d say the movies I mentioned above are on a short list of fun films. Today, it seems all media is created to defy expectations, break the mold, fuse genres, or make a comment on society. Any why not? Everything is criticized, picked apart, analyzed and judged before it’s even released.
I’ve made comments in the past regarding my dislike of most entertainment podcasts. The idea of watch-alongs frustrate me because you end up with a ninety minute podcast about a thirty minute show because the hosts break down every single scene and tell you what happens. Why? Why not just offer some commentary without needing to dissect an episode of Married with Children? I kid you not, I listened to five minutes of a Married with Children podcast last week and I had to turn it off after the hosts mentioned that Marcy was mean to Steve because she made a joke at his expense.
Last year, I spent some time watching 90’s movies. I just randomly picked movies I used to love and hadn’t seen in ages. Speed came to mind and I gave it a watch and it was two of my favorite hours of movie watching I can remember. The movie again is just… FUN.
Brandy and I spent some time watching 90’s commercials the other evening, and well.. you know what I’m going to say. The commercials were humorous, quirky, and everything was geared towards excitement. I know, we live in a dark and depressing world, but I ask you, is it dark and depressing because that’s the way it is, or is it dark and depressing because we choose to reflect it in our music, news, social media, movies, and television?
I don’t have a great answer nor a way to fix things, I just realize that I’m worn out on the depressing TV shows and movies. My poor body just can’t do it anymore. I started up an episode of Discovery the other day and I just said, “I’m just not in the mood to be bummed out.” Then I scrolled across most of my Watchlists and started removing things. Then I started deleting websites and video games. I ended up watching Wedding Crashers, a film I had never seen until now and ya… I’m sick of writing the word fun.
This negativity has gotta stop. I truly believe I was happier years ago, because things weren’t so damn dark. I’m just over it.
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