Have any of you heard of the show 'Muppets Tonight'? Somehow, even though it aired back in '96 and '97, I missed it completely (just shows how long I've been basically boycotting TV). For those that missed this, it was a 'new' Muppet Show, with a few of the original characters (I stress few) and a shitload of new ones, and instead of the old 'Vaudeville'-style setting, it is done as a late-night talkshow. The only reason I ran into it is that Di was downloading Prince videos, and happened to find the one on which he was the guest-star.
It took almost no time at all before a dark annoyance came over me. Seeing stupid comments, 'trendy' characterizations, and barely disguidsed replacements for old standbys, much less the fact that it didn't have half the depth (yes, I'm describing 'The Muppet Show' as occasionally deep) of the original but was more than happy to toss in quick, pointless humour of the type I'm used to seeing out of the present generation of video entertainment...well, I just snapped. I literally had to leave the room.
What is with this generation? Is nothing classic? Is nothing off-limits to being raped and set back out in a new sweater? Apparently, the "entertainment" industry is no longer able to make new things, only to try and recreate old ones...and badly, at that, as they don't have the vision that the original had, only the dollar signs in their eyes. How many movies do you see that are sequels. and bad ones at that? How many TV series that are spinoffs and updated remakes, or obvious retellings of classic tales? How many artists that you immediately define by the 6 others like them? How many children's movies are straight-to-video sequels that have nothing to really do with the original?
Just one more reason that, in my more private moments, I'm very socially nihilistic.
