What Is Old Is New Again

The original MAGNUM, p.i.

The other day, watching reruns for some of the shows I missed during the season, I was startled to see that "Magnum, P.I." was getting a reboot. The Tom Selleck character was being replaced by a new, to me, Hispanic actor but with all the drama of the original. You know, babes and fast cars. 

2018 reboot of MAGNUM, p.i.

     I have to admit that I pondered that for awhile. It was never a great show but launched the career of Tom Selleck and countless other babes in tiny bikini's shows, notably "Baywatch" a show that was shown and known throughout the world. I remember our AFS student couldn't wait to go to the beach and "see" Baywatch. He saw it in Austria.

Murphy Brown 20 years ago

     Then they announced the return of "Murphy Brown," another show with the same old characters, like me, about 20 years older. Again most if not all of the original cast would be returning. If they are anything like me, they are now seniors and probably have all the aches and pains anyone in their 60's, 70's and 80's has. I am not sure it makes for humor but then look at how many years the "Golden Girls" played. I guess we will have to see. I would be remiss though to ignore the fact that they are all, ugh, getting a little long in the tooth.

2018 Murphy Brown

     

I think that the biggest shock of this season was how fast the reboot of "Roseanne" rose to the top and then crashed and burned after Barr's rant about things that really she had no business discussing. She and many of her fellow actors need to learn the lesson that they are, well, actors. They are portraying someone that they are not, and probably will never be.

   

    I think that the now overtly Gay flavor of "Will & Grace," may have lost the original crowd that made it a favorite. While it clearly is aimed at the LGBT community, few that I know in that community like this show. I began to wonder, is that all Hollywood can come up with? Reruns, reboots, never-ending  shows like a "Rocky 2, 3, 4, ....23."

     Will we see a return of "Father Knows Best" now called "Mother Knows Best" (she did back then too), or some form of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" set in an assisted living home or even "Gunsmoke" set in the woods with everyone using a cane? 

New Roseanne

   Will "Cheers" return and deal with the opioid

epidemic catching a few laughs along the way and, shudder, will we see "All In The Family" again? It certainly was questionable then and possibly even more divisive now! However, on a recent TV show, Rob Reiner was asked about a reboot of "Family" and laughing he said, "A reboot? We don't need a reboot, Archie is in the White House."

     It seems that today, there is a dearth of new ideas in an entire range of the arts. Hollywood with its endless 2, 3, 4, et reboots of all shows. Really, how many original movies can withstand a second try? Lucas did manage to create three rather good space operas with "Star Wars 4, 5, 6 but going back to 1, 2, 3, the stories were less successful unless, you, like the cast on the "Big Bang Theory, are Comi-con junkies and wouldn't brook any criticism.

The networks new Will & Grace seems to be 

working on the theory if you haven't seen it before, 

it's new to you, right? 

     Revisiting the past is not new. Hollywood is, well, lazy. Better to know the money you know than the one you don't. After the first "Frankenstein" movie in the 1930's think of all the spinoffs that came from that. Mel Brooks finally put the nail in that creature's coffin when he made "Young Frankenstein." How can you be scared after you've realized the monster has a huge "swanstücker" and after bedding the ladies they sing ... "ah sweet mystery of life I've found you ...." How many versions of "Dracula" and "Ben Hur" do we need?

     We are entering the age of the Baby Boomers, a 75 million class of babies born starting on January 1, 1946 until 1964. As we age we find that the world has gotten more complex and confusing on so many fronts. We have started to long for the simpler times of the past. There are signs everywhere. TV, music, books, tours visiting the past (think Route 66), even food.

     One item that I find amusing is how just about every restaurant menu now includes macaroni and cheese. Remember those blue Kraft boxes that cost about 5¢ each back in the 50's? When my mother didn't want to cook for our family of 4, out would come several boxes, some frozen peas and some kind of dessert. That was our dinner. I don't know about you, but macaroni and cheese doesn't cut it anymore with this 72 year old.

    I stumbled on a new Netflix original series "Black Mirror" that is quite original. The initial story about a programmer who by capturing co-workers DNA creates a game with the people he works with who, unlike his real life, do his bidding in his digital life. It is a mirror of what lay people think of silicon valley. The tale of a mother who via an implant in her child loses that child after seeing everything her child does literally through the child's eyes. Is this the future we want? Planned, watched over, monitored? Are we already in 1984 and don't know it? Many fear that we are losing our humanity where the digital present is the digital drug of our future!

     Yet, the past is everywhere. The endless viewing of "I Love Lucy," the increasing popularity of 50's homes, food and furniture. Modernism Week here in Palm Springs gets bigger every year attracting people from around the world. Desert winter cabins built in the 50's for $10,000 are now sold for over $1 million. When West Elm opened their new store here in Palm Springs I entered and stopped cold. The sales lady cheerfully greeted me and asked what I thought of the store. "I think I just walked into the living room we had growing up!" She laughed and said, "You're the fifth person to say that today."

     It isn't that the past is bad. But as Peggy Lee sang, "Is That All There Is?" In my lifetime we have made breathtaking advances on so many fronts: computer technology, automobiles that may soon drive themselves, the Internet, medicines and treatments not even dreamed of before, feeding the world, instant news and not just "fake news" either. We can literally be in touch with anyone anywhere in the world. The dream of the video phone was eclipsed when your cell phone could connect you and no one seemed to worry if their hair was done or not.

     For all these advances there is one question that no one seems to ask. Are we any happier? Do we need the endless feed of news. Do we need to know in real time about some event thousands of miles away shown as if it's next door? We live through our cell phones often connecting with each other through a digital feed. Yet  true human loneliness is growing as we become increasingly disconnected from the real world entering into a digital one. Traveling on the subway in Hong Kong or Beijing the cars are silent as virtually everyone is staring at a cell phone. You see this on the street, shopping even eating. One restaurant here posted a sign that stated, "We don't have wi-fi. Talk to each other."

     The past is where we've been. Today and tomorrow is where we will go. I guess the question is, how will we go there?

  

Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed! 

Be sure to check my ETSY store ... KrugsStudio.etsy.com. I am adding many new and exciting, collectible birdhouses and craft items. Many of the items talked about here will be for sale there!