People Nowadays
Jeanwah
Posts: 6,363
I feel this way particularly when I go to a show, and I can only wonder how the artists on stage feel. Why are people more focused on their mobile devices than the world? Why can't I go to a show and see the folks in the front few rows rocking out and getting lost in the music rather than texting or taking pictures? What happened to people that we are unable to tune in to what's in front of us rather than being lost in technology? And I do feel that it's also a generational thing.
Same goes for meeting celebrities. No longer are meet and greets about talking to your idols; it's become nothing but having tangible proof that you were in the same room together. I was at a meet and greet last week and no one said a word to the person I met; people were more interested in autographs and photos rather than actually asking how he was doing. And let me tell you, he was uncomfortable as hell being there, which is odd because he's so comfortable talking to people otherwise (you can't really shut him up, on stage and out and about).
So what's up with this bizarre behavior that everyone seems to participate in? People are just dying to "meet" members of the band but that only means having a physical piece of them? What happened to valuing the experience?
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“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion”.Chinese Proverb
:ugeek:
As to your original post, humans are told that they are special and that the world evolves around them. Become selfish and self absorbed. Face book, twitter, constant texting validates this need to feel special.
Part time parents don't help.
If we as Americans would call out these idiots it would be curtailed but we don't fearing getting into a fight or even worse shot. We do love our violence and guns.
Tonight stood in checkout line and person in front of me didn't stop talking on cell phone during entire transaction. Cashier was visibly fustrated.
facebookification, tweeteration, whatever you want to call it. everyone is a star in their own (small) mind and everyone else 'needs' to see their status updates, pictures, etc.
devils' advocate on the phone vids at concerts, there is a genuine entertainment value provided once posted youtube, or whatnot.
MGM Grand - Jul 6, 2006
Cox Arena - Jul 7, 2006
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - May 1, 2010
Alpine Valley Music Theater - Sep 3-4 2011
Made In America, Philly - Sep 2, 2012
EV, Houston - Nov 12-13, 2012
Dallas-November 2013
OKC-November 2013
ACL 2-October 2014
Fenway Night 1, August 2016
Wrigley, Night 1 August 2018
Fort Worth, Night 1 September 2023
Fort Worth, Night 2 September 2023
Austin, Night 1 September 2023
Austin, Night 2 September 2023
On vids at concerts, they can be fun to watch and feel for those that can't get to a show but spending big bucks to see a show and having a 4" screen blaring light right in front of you the entire show royally sucks and not worth it in my opinion.
That and going to a show with nothing on your person except ID and a few bucks and your keys.
http://elimanninglookingatthings.tumblr.com/
hmmm ... reminds me of a song
People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.
Take that as a compliment tho....cause instead of making small talk about the weather in the grocery lineup....I'm usually 'hanging' with you people
(I'd be posting too if they'd ever resolve this fucking beta/bb issue!)
And, I don't think it's just nowadays - though it's ridiculous how much it's grown. I remember beginning around the mid to late 80s, when we'd have tourists here walking around Beverly Hills seeing the sights through their videocamera lens and not their own eyes.
This past weekend, I was with my mom and sister, talking about my dad's death and how his wife kept some precious items we would have wanted - an old camera, his watch, some photos. But then, it really comes down to the intangible we retain - our memories. The other stuff...is just stuff.
I guess people have become more narcissistic (or have better means of displaying it?). The whole concept of twitter - following - and Facebook - liking - it's just so...strange to me.
Anyway, good post here, Jeanwah. Got me thinking this morning - perhaps a bit too much, but not a bad thing at all.
Seems like a lot of shit to take when if you took your cell phone you'd be good.
I usually get my phone out 1 or 2 times to take a quick picture or quick video. Probably all of 2 minutes total I would think. I just find it a pain in the ass to do it for that 2 minutes anyhow so why bother with more?
I rarely have a cell phone on me- my wife confiscated that when we got together 10 years ago- and even if I did I would no more know how to take a picture with it than I would to solve a Rubik's cube.
BUT... I'm a hypocrite in that as much as I agree with Jeanwah's post I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching some of the videos others made and posted from the Missoula show- my first PJ show.
Hypocrite Hypocrite Hypocrite. There, I said it, Cincy- saved you the trouble.
In the end though (unless they are right in front of me and the cell phone light is bothering my view), I could really care less what people are paying attention to.
Keep in mind too, that not all concerts are the same for everyone. If we go to a Pearl Jam concert or another band we love, the show is everything, and we want to enjoy every second of it. But I've have gone to shows before for bands that I "kinda" liked, or even bands that I wasn't crazy about but went with friends who liked them. Maybe on one of those shows, I'll spend some time playing with my phone or whatever.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I have a "friend" on facebook... a guy who I went to high school with 20 years ago, and haven't talked to since. I have no idea what he does for a living, but he seems to be a professional meet & greeter, for b-list celebrities. He has literally hundreds of pictures with people (many of which I don't know). I just don't see the point... "Hey, I waited in line to get a picture with an actor who played a support character on a 90's sitcom, aren't you jealous?"
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
In MT I got all of 3 photos and maybe 4 minutes of video in 20 second snippets (half of that of the crowd). That is plenty to capture the feel and visual memory of the show I think, and without really bothering others behind me if they mind that kind of thing. But you know, I have watched all the full song footage from that show on youtube and was really glad it existed. I'm happy people do that. What I don't get is why all those people who can't get GOOD footage and sound try and film so much. They know good footage will be posted online, so why not relax, enjoy the show, instead of making shitty distorted vids all night? But whatever, their loss, not mine.... although I do feel for those who are bothered by it, and more, I feel for the artists who are offended by it. I get it.
What I find REALLY offensive are those meet and greet people who stick cameras inn people's faces (with flash!!!). I would personally never try and meet famous people like that because I find it really a awkward and weird and kind of embarrassing, but for those who do, I find it insanely dehumanizing for the star when people just start taking photos instead of shaking their hand and just talking to them like human beings. It's really pathetic.
Why, cause your friends just wouldn't believe you were there with just the stories about how good the show was?
I had a guy in Montreal video the whole fucking show. But with me beside him, bumping him most of the night, I don't think that his video was too steady. Sucker!
The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08
I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"
The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.
Who tells them this? If it's the media, (and it is) then kill the damn television. If it's teachers, then they're not really teaching anything valuable, like learning to think critically. Facebook and twitter, as well as texts, were developed to keep in touch with people, not for the sake of being narcissistic. I don't buy it. No one is "special", and the sooner folks realize this, the sooner they stop thinking of only themselves.
While I agree Facebook is now about showing off, it was originally intended to simply keep in touch with people we know. What's become of it is that it's now a narcisstic vehicle. But I use it to keep up on bands I love and to actually keep in touch with friends that aren't local.
:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.
While true for Facebook, Twitter is a pretty powerful tool that doesn't have to be about attention and narcissism (although it can be). Like a lot of people, I was glued to the TV on Sunday night watching coverage of the storm. I was also on twitter the whole time. It was remarkable how far ahead (hours in some cases) that people on twitter were in both getting information out, and debunking some the crap that the networks went on the air with without verifying.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Don't get me wrong, there's value in facebook and Twitter....but my comment was focused more on their misuse, which i feel is they way they are used by the large majority.
It's one thing to be annoyed by people who can't live in the moment and are obsessed with their electronics....but the criticisms of facebook people as being self-absorbed celebrity wannabe's is a totally different claim. I think there is a bit of irony there....by coming down on social media with that kind of blanket judgement, they're kinda doing the same thing - elevating the importance of your own personal choice not to participate. In the end, you're just calling your choice of entertainment/downtime superior to someone else's. Non-facebook people seem to love telling everyone how much more in tune with reality they are than facebook users, and how stupid the whole concept of social media is. There has been a new thread about it on the pit every month or two since about 2007.
This website, and pretty much any site that has real-time interaction, can be used in many many different ways...it's just another form of stereotyping to judge people on whether or not they use the site.
We need to do a better job of detaching from technology and actually getting out and living. We need to stop thinking of only ourselves and actually caring about other people. We need to get lost in the music because if we didn't love the music, we wouldn't be on this board writing. Obviously we're music lovers, so why do we let the music get in the way of our love for personal gadgets at shows? I know as a society, we're selfish, but there's no reason for these gadgets to get in the way of a great live show. But they do, because people are more focused on the tangible proof of an event over the actual memory of feeling joy of being there. That's where I'm trying to go with this thread.