Programmes/Films That Haven't Aged Well..

[JengaCupboard]

I have been off work a couple of days with a stomach bug, so a lot of time has been spent flicking through Netflix and Amazon for films/programmes etc. I'll preface with being an avid fan of easy-watching background rubbish.. however a few things have been ruined for me this week...

Starting strong I thought we'd have a bit of Christmas trash and put on 'The Holiday'; used to love this. However I switched off after the first half hour because all I really homed in on was Cameron Diaz punching her ex (because she's a woman & he's a man that's OK), followed by advocating drink driving by swigging red wine out of the bottle in the Deli... and quite generally just found it quite dated and cheesy and ultimately not entertaining.

I've had a similar experience with old episodes of SATC recently too - used to love this however in hindsight what a bunch of god-awful self obsessed women in completely unrealistic and narrow minded roles.

I dare not put on Friends or Bridget Jones in case I tarnish the memory forever!!

Obviously this is light-hearted, but more seriously is this an age thing (nearly 40) or is it created by a more cultural/societal shift where women punching men, using 'gay' references as comedic slurs and advocating for drink driving is literally not accepted, let alone funny?

Is it just a continuation of change, for example watching Carry On from the 60's & 70's is potentially an even more extreme example, yet to me at least less unwatchable?

Is there anything that you used to love that you now can't watch for this kind of reason?

First one that comes to mind - Dave Allen At Large. I grew up watching it, loved it ... and when I watch it now find it so unfunny, mostly because of the sexism.

Love Actually - used to love it, but watched it again last year and found some parts of it very sexist. It seems crazy that most of us used to watch these things without giving it a second thought as it was just "normal" at the time!

This was another one I have had the same thoughts about re-watching! @Kittyfudge

@Kittyfudge I saw Love Actually once, about five years ago, during Christmas at my sister's place. It's her favourite Christmas film. I loathed it, found it unbelievably sexist. Maybe I'd have enjoyed it if it had come out when I was twenty, but not since.

https://twitter.com/CBThorburn/status/1377696492295761923?lang=en

Love Actually is so obviously appalling from the first watch, I genuinely don't understand people that later realise.

I used to love 90s rimcoms (keeping that typo in! ), wonder how bad they would be now.
Can't remember how bad American Pie was, but suspect it wouldn't do well now.

I suspend reality when I watch things.

American Pie was generally considered horrible from the moment it came out, iirc!

Started a re-watch of Friends after recent news and realised, possibly because I binge watched about 10 episodes, A; how tedious it actually was and
B; Chandler really wasn't that funny to be honest.
C; the nipples!
Did the same with X Files which used to be a fave of mine, but found it really boring.

Sex and the City has aged really, really badly.

A lot has to do with the quality in the first place. Cheap, punching-down humour goes off quite quickly. OTOH, I'm always amazed at how little The West Wing has dated even though it's 25 years old now. Put iPhones in those people's hands and it could be 2023, because it was smart and nuanced and sensitive then and it still is.

Well thank god they come from a different place and we don't live there anymore

Grease really hasn't aged well.

Am I thinking of American Beauty? With Kevin Spacey? Pretty sure that was twisted then but would be even more so now.

Watched Pretty Woman last night....

It's sad that people are finding things to be upset/offended by 🤷‍♀️

Just watch them for what they are - entertainment.

It doesn't have to depict real life.

We watched the Scary Movie films over Halloween - shockingly dated, even for parody.

Some of Only Fools and Horses, specifically when Del Boy humiliates Rodney. Other parts are still hilarious.

I don't get the criticism of Grease. Both of them try to change, he does track etc etc . I love the whole thing. Although I saw the stage show and it's different, some things made more sense to be fair!

Exactly. The difference is, films and TV back then weren't made with the ultimate goal of reflecting some perfect utopian society. They showed how people actually are – flawed.

Now, some people seem to need every story to to show only a righteous version of the world, in which good always triumphs and baddies are punished. And the lead characters are morally perfect or if they aren't, have some extremely minor and acceptable flaw.

Feel really uncomfortable watching Grease now unfortunately 😕

Grease was awful at the time. But when you are really young you do not have the experience to realise.

I agree with this.

The History Boys. A film depicting a sexually predatory teacher as a complex and largely sympathetic character would not be greenlit today.

100% if it upsets / annoys you don't watch it. Some stuff is sexist but that's how it was back then. But then, I don't give a shit about being woke either so that can fuck right off in all its forms.

I am not a huge fan of the holiday, but Cameron diaz's character is supposed to be awful.

Big has not aged well, I know she didn't know he was a kid, but it's still uncomfortable watching how she seduced him.