Am I an old fuddy duddy?

[James]

It's a rare person who watches every show...maybe we're all fuddy duddys?

 

[Teelie]

If you do watch every show, does that make you immortally young?

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I think it should be noted that despite rave reviews and even some decent ratings most of the most acclaimed series of the past 15 or so years have acctually NOT had a mass audience following. We are a country of over 300 million. What number does the ratings for a Breaking Bad/Mad Men/Walking Dead actualky translate to? 4 million? 5 million? Let's be generous and say 10 million people a week tune in to those shows. Out of 300 million? Do the math.

Those shows are actually more badges of cultural cache for those that view them, but the truth is most don't see them and probably never will. I wish we all would stop mistaking what is discussed by passionate fans ONLINE for what is acthally popular in the real world among the mass audience, both in terms of profitability and culturally.

 

[Teelie]

You are neglecting an important aspect: Before cable's popularity there were 3 primary networks everyone watched. 3 of them. Those were CBS, ABC and NBC. Fox, TBS, WGN, etc. only came into their own nationally after cable's introduction.

Now you have literally 100 times that, 300 or more cable channels all vying for people's attention. To gain 10 milllion viewers is still an accomplishment when you've got 299 other competitors.

 

[Soapy]

I would much rather watch good shows that are unpopular than whatever trash is popular at the moment. That's not me being an elitist or a hipster or whatever; I've never disliked something because it's popular. It's just that things that are popular are usually engineered to be that way, meaning they're designed to appeal to as many people as possible (i.e. safe and bland i.e. unentertaining and uninteresting).

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

You are neglecting an important aspect: Before cable's popularity there were 3 primary networks everyone watched. 3 of them. Those were CBS, ABC and NBC. Fox, TBS, WGN, etc. only came into their own nationally after cable's introduction.

Now you have literally 100 times that, 300 or more cable channels all vying for people's attention. To gain 10 milllion viewers is still an accomplishment when you've got 299 other competitors.

Not neglecting your correct point at all. But my point is that when we speak of these shows that supposedly "everyone" is watching the truth is actually a very small number out of the actual pool of potential viewers ARE watching. The raw numbers back that up. That's not a slight against those programs in the least. Most of the shows that the OP mentions are more critical and artistic successes than they are some kind of mass audience juggernauts though. Believe me, I am more than well aware that the days when the country at large watched something like say the finale for MASH are long gone.

 

[Soapy]

I really don't think it's at all fair to say that the ratings tell the whole story. It doesn't account for DVR, iTunes or other download services, streaming services, on demand, home video, and piracy.

A lot of people, young people especially (who many of these shows are targeted at), are increasingly in large numbers not watching TV in the traditional method of sitting down at a specific time on a specific day and watching it that way. As such, ratings will become less and less relevant over time.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

You are right. Again, it's besides the point. I am not slighting the quality of many of the shows the OP mentioned or the people that watch them. If you enjoy them fine that is great for you. But even factoring in the plethora of alternate methods of media consumption available now what I wrote still stands. Not "everyone" is watching these programs in our current tv landscape, and if someone isn't they shouldn't feel "out of it/un hip/an old fogey ect."

 

[Tron Bonne]

Maybe not literally everyone is watching these shows, but still, we're talking about shows that rank from 2 to 5 all the way up to 10 million viewers weekly plus any alternative means of watching that Soapy mentioned, not even mentioning the people who download illegally. If we're going to gauge popularity on the entirely on the whole population of the United States, that's kind of obtuse, I think. The shows are popular and watched by a good deal of people, which I assume is what got this guy to start this thread with this weird question. Maybe not as many as American Idol, say, but does it matter if you nitpick the details about what levels of popularity something is at?

 

[Mace Dolex]

I don't understand how you could even miss something you don't watch in the first place, but no, not caring about "watercooler" shows doesn't make you an old fuddy duddy. It just means you're not as much of a TV junkie as some other people. I'm sure there are things you like that other people don't care about, and don't feel like they're missing out by not caring about them either. That's just the way the world works.

And it's funny because when I was in high school in the 90's my classmates would tease me that I watched way too much TV and now the internet takes up most of my time that I've no longer become a couch potato.

 

[Wheels]

No, it doesn't. I don't like any of the shows that you watch outside of Family Guy and The Simpsons, but that doesn't mean you're a fuddy duddy. You could be, but since I don't know you, I can't form an opinion on that. I mean rock and metal hasn't been at the forefront of popular culture in years, and yet I listen to it. Perhaps some would view me as a fuddy duddy in terms of music.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I said that jokingly to my 58 year old grandfather, and he winced and asked why I was speaking so old fashioned, not understanding that it was a joke.
.

I'm just shocked that someone posting here is so young they have a 58 year old grandfather.

And yes, the OP is a fuddy-dud emotionally, but not physically.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I'm just shocked that someone posting here is so young they have a 58 year old grandfather.

My mother just had me when she was really young, at 17. And her parents had her young, too, so the ages are lower in our immediate family.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

...And for the record I'm only 37, but I ask this because I really dont watch any shows that other people watch or rave about and frankly, I dont miss them.

I dont watch Breaking Bad, The Bridge, Dexter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, Louie, How I Met your Mother, NCIS, Mad Men, etc.

Now maybe you watch some or all of these shows. I just cant get into them. The thing I dont miss not watching them. Does that make me an old fuddy duddy because it seems like everyone watches these shows?

I'm as old as you and I watch those shows expect for Dexter, Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, NCIS and Mad Men, but yeah watching or not watching any of those shows does not make you younger or older. You're old as you feel man.