| The difference between classic and modern media is stark, and modern hasn’t necessarily improved from the classics. Equipment quality has improved, but that doesn’t mean the artistic quality and integrity have remained or gotten any better. With how accessible media has become, many people have started to see it as a “quick cash grab”. In an interview with Senior Cristian Silva, he says “It kind of also dilutes the art of it. Because, if you’re making music or making a movie or a show, simply for the purpose of it getting big, there’s no actual substance to it anymore, and it feels very soulless.” This is something very obvious, especially in music nowadays. A lot of songs will have sections or choruses that feel very manufactured and are created to go viral on TikTok. A popular music artist, PinkPantheress, was interviewed by ABC and said “A song doesn’t need to be longer than two minutes and thirty seconds.” If you look at the average song length from the 1950s until the 2020s, it has wavered but is steadily decreasing. In the 1950s the average song length was 2 minutes and 46 seconds, in the 1990s however it hit an all-time high at 4 minutes and 14 seconds. But in 2020 it was on a decline with the average song being about 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Movies, on the other hand, are getting longer. But that doesn’t always mean better. A common criticism I see with most films produced today is that the movie is poorly done. The writing and costumes look cheap and lazy, the periods are inaccurate, and the acting is poor. The quality of book writing has also taken an extreme hit. The two biggest examples are “TikTok poetry” and Colleen Hoover’s books. Colleen Hoover’s writing style is immature, lacks proper grammar and world-building, and glamorizes horrific situations and turns them into “love stories”. Her books have extremely unnatural dialogue and actions as well. TikTok poetry, while some of it can be good, is mediocre overall. There are many overused tropes, sayings, and metaphors, most of which are very lazily written. Some of it evokes emotion, but it does not have the depth or thinking that classic poetry does. Classic media in general was more “groundbreaking” in terms of topics and writing styles, classic media was also used to challenge society more with shows like South Park using satirical and shock value humor to critique society, but modern media doesn’t have that. A lot of shows and movies, even the later seasons of South Park, try to replicate that level of shock and darkness but are unable to due to essentially running out of material. There is always going to be something to make satirical commentary on, but it is a lot different now with how society has evolved. A lot of taboo topics are not considered as such nowadays, which makes it hard to create media with shock value. On top of that, a lot of modern media that is created with dark humor and shock value in mind, such as Class of ‘09: The Flipside, end up missing the humor part and turn out just blatantly horrific. All of these things combined end up with classic media being better than modern media in multiple forms.
With all the new technology and quick access to most media, modern media is just better than the old stuff. Modern media is inclusive, provides real-time communication, and has many varieties and genres. The contemporary media is always on time with the latest trends, adding a sense of relevancy. Media like music allows people to connect with a sense of understanding and community. According to ‘Startle Music’, there are over 1,300 genres of music in the present times, and in the 70s and 80s, there were only up to 16. This new generation of music allows for so much more creativity and freedom of expression for young children and adults. Artists like Billie Eilish, Alex G, and Tyler the Creator address the relevant themes to today’s youth, such as mental health and identity making their music feel personal and relatable. In contrast to classic and iconic songs, they now feel outdated and irrelevant. “I just feel that the music I like is pretty popular because everyone can relate to it. So I think that’s why I’ve always been drawn to the more popular music,” freshman Danica Kasper stated. Modern artists are pushing boundaries that the classics often ignore regarding books. With the rise of streaming services and e-books, modern media is more accessible than ever. Back then it was hard making a living doing something you love like making music or writing a book due to lack of reach to the public. Nowadays people from all over the world with different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures can publish their work to the public allowing their art to resonate with a wider audience. Today, filmmakers create movies and TV shows that reflect real-life problems and offer fresh storytelling, keeping the audience engaged. Thanks to advancements in technology like high-quality visuals and sound effects, CGI helps create experiences the classic can’t match. For instance, newer movies can portray emotions and complex ideas that were previously impossible. While classic media will have a place in our hearts and history, modern media provides a more dynamic and relatable experience. By embracing modern-day stories we can better understand the world we live in today. |
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The Heart Behind the Art
Are the classics really better than modern media?
December 4, 2024
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About the Contributors
Vivian Anderson, Writer
I am a senior and a first-year writer for The Bark. I joined journalism because it is what I want to pursue in the future and because of my deep interest in writing. Journalism is important to me because I think it is vital that there be true and easy-to-understand information about what is going on in local communities and the world.
Elianna Hanson, Writer & Photographer
I'm Elianna Lynn Hanson! I have been into reading and writing for as long as I can remember, and when I saw that Grant had a journalism option, I admittedly put it as my first choice. I've recently gotten into honors English which I've been dreaming about since 6th grade ever since my sister got in. I plan on going to college somewhere far and completely foreign to me just for the experience. I still do not know what I want my major to be and I know that will take forever to decide because I'm the most indecisive person. My birthday is February 12 which kinda sucks because it's always cold and I also can't even pronounce February but one thing I wish for is LOTS of Nutella, it's my absolute favorite. I have a very big family; 6 siblings and 23 other cousins. Although they are very loud, I love them very much. This class is probably my favorite of the day and although it's very different than I thought I love it so much more than I thought I was.