I don't know how old you are or how young Eliza is, but Betamax came on the market in 1975. Expensive, and mostly for early adopters, but it was around. (Actually, RCA was marketing Cartrivision in 1972, but...) Still, there weren't all that many movies available in the mid-70s.
- Walt Crawford
My grandfather used to show us 8mm shorts of Koko the Clown and such, but certainly not as ubiquitous as today's technology is.
- Spidra Webster
Well, the Wizard of Oz was on once a year ...
- Laura Norvig
If we're counting broadcast movies, you could see a lot of classic A and B films on indie channels. Some of them have never been reissued on DVD or video. I think a lot of Wheeler & Woolsey and Olsen & Johnson stuff was never issued, for instance.
- Spidra Webster
My mom taped a couple of things off the Disney Channel when I was little that we watched forever (might even sitll be able to, she has a VCR). I grew up knowing all of the commercials in those (Wendy's Chicken Nuggets to Cool and the Gang Celebrate and the Doublemint Twins).
- Hedgehog
I remember that we taped a few Disney movies when we had HBO and some other random specials. I can still remember a campbell's soup commercial where the kid had turned into a walking snowman because he was so cold
- Sir Shuping is just sir
campbell's still airs that commercial, or did a year or two ago. it's a little freaky.
- ~Courtney F
I would have been 4 in 1977, so technically Betamax was around...I knew it was close, Walt, but didn't remember how early. I can't find info quickly about what sorts of commercial films were available at the time, but my understanding was that the format was originally pushed as a replacement for 8mm home movies and for time-shifting, and that commercial film availability was later. The...
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- Jason Griffey
As well, in 1977 we had 3 channels, 4 (PBS) if the wind was blowing right.
- Jason Griffey
Seriously. There was no on-demand home viewing when I was a kid, regardless of what technology was technically available. Sheesh.
- Jenica
We had a mess of channels in Chicago when I was a kid, but most of them were only able to be seen out in the burbs if you had an antenna. The UHF had the Big Three, WGN and PBS; VHF had several selections, which really only came in clear if you could afford an antenna on your roof, most of which are now FOX affiliates, religious TV or Spanish networks. Back then, we had quite a...
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- Steven Perez
And we did have a cheap 8mm projector that Pop found in a garage sale, along with a box of tapes. Those were fun.
- Steven Perez
On a slight tangent, I'm old enough to remember going to the video store and not only renting a couple of movies, but renting the VCR as well! The last time I did that might actually have been late-1980s. Also I remember an era when there was only one or maybe two baseball games on TV every week. And listening to all the others on the radio like a fiend. Dave Van Horne & Duke Snider FTW!
- John Dupuis
Three Chanels and a couple didn't come on until afternoon and everybody signed off after midnight and boxing every friday night sponsored byGillete. Best part, they filled the afternoon before news with Cronkite with Looney Tunes, 3 stooges and movie serials. #yesyoudidturnadialclickclickclick#yesiamveryveryold
- WarLord
That sounds like Sunday mornings in Chicago, WarLord. The fights in the morning (Grampa never called it "boxing"), CISCO KID, THREE STOOGES and THE RIFLEMAN in the early afternoon and old movies later. And we used to rent VCRs from the locally-owned video stores, too, along with gaming systems like the Ataris and Nintendos.
- Steven Perez
As a kid in the early 80's, we had 7 channels (3 network, PBS, and 3 independent) in the Philadelphia region. I only took under a minute to figure out if "nothing's on".
- Andy
We had no cable, when VCRs came out it made no impact on our house, I was 16 in 1983 when we got our first color TV! Jayden marvels when I tell him about stuff like this: but what did you DO?! Hahaha, kid, we played outside til the streetlights came on, that's what!
- Starmama
from FFHound(roid)!
Yep, John, we did that too: rented VCR + rented videotapes + plus snacks + a roomful of teenagers = party #wildkids
- maʀtha
Oh, this reminds me of a funny story my boss has told me. She teaches Holocaust studies for a Hebrew school for middle school aged kids. Every now and again, she'll get a student who will ask her why the Jews in the ghettos didn't call each other to warn that the Nazis were coming to exterminate them.
- Andy
I had wondered as a kid what my children would find as fascinating at my parents' generation's lack of television. Turns out it's orders of magnitude bigger and crazier.
- Steele Lawman
In other interesting Media anecdote: Eliza had a friend over on a playdate this weekend, and when I asked her friend what sort of TV shows or movies she watched, her answer? "I like Netflix."
- Jason Griffey
At the risk of another hijack to a different country in turmoil, this is what *I* think of when it comes to "digital natives." Not that they have digital skillz, but that their expectations and experiences are shaped by the current glut of media available digitally.
- Steele Lawman
Steve: I think that's a better reading of "digital native" than most. (I conclude from this: When Jason was young, there was no way a *typical family* could watch their choice of movies at home, both because it was too damn expensive for most people and because very few movies were available. Not quite the same as "no way" but close enough.)
- Walt Crawford
What's really going to be interesting is to see what my grand kids are going to see as bizarre and incomprehensible about the lives of my kids. You mean you couldn't teleport? No flying cars? Sadly, I think it might also be something like, "You mean people had good jobs and reliable benefits?"
- John Dupuis
John, sometimes I feel like that about my parents.
- DJF
DJF, which part? Bizarre and incomprehensible or possibility of next generation worse off than its parents?
- John Dupuis
well, the part about the good salaries and stable jobs. I do live in post-industrial London, ON, remember.
- DJF
But at least your employer no longer has the word Ontario in its name.
- John Dupuis
My mother just bought her fourth television. Ever. We rented a VCR and a movie for my 9th birthday.
- laura x
from iPhone
We got a color tv when I was... 10? so 1986? and a VCR a few years later, then cable when I was 15, which was 1991. That experience was in line with many of my lower-middle-class peers.
- Jenica
Walt, I'm pretty sure what sounded like a universal generalization in Jason's post was simply a personal generalization based on his experience as a young boy. It wasn't a thesis statement for an article. You don't need to grade it as "close enough."
- Steele Lawman
Good grief, Steve, I wasn't "grading it." I was saying "close enough." I thought this thread was an interesting discussion; not sure why it needs to be a source of strife.
- Walt Crawford
I thought I was amplifying Jason's comment by adding some history. Do we need an icon to say "If anybody says anything other than HIGH FIVES! for this post, it's inappropriate and judgmental and should be sneered at"?
- Walt Crawford
Maybe it needs to be a formalized version of a Smiley: "Only agreement desired here." And it seems like it would apply to a large (but never clear) portion of FF posts.
- Walt Crawford
Jason: when my nephews were little, they watched mostly videotapes. On the rare occasion when regular TV was on, they called it "videos" and wondered why we couldn't fast forward.
- Betsy #TeamMonique
This is the most awesome thing I have seen in a long, long time.
- Michael McKean
I was going to put a bandolier on the bunneh and have it say "VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!" but the bunneh was too small. Seriously, though: that bunneh with the carrot bandolier from the PETA ad? PURE WIN.
- FFing Enigma
"Have you ever noticed how crowded restaurants are on Valentine's Day? Every table is a two-top, the menus are often fixed, and the staff frantically busy. After several misfires over the last few years, I've given up with going out that night, and instead focus on lovely dishes we can make at home. Here is a classic date night meal—filet mignon in a red wine reduction."
- Steven Perez
from Bookmarklet
Hey Shawn, Just saw this thread and always open to feedback - what do you think we can do to improve Mashable in your eyes? Thanks in advance, Pete
- mashable
WoW....Mashable!....errrrr....heyyyyy....ummmm....never met anyone famous before, Hiiii....no no J/K So you’re serious in asking your question? So to your point, you’re HOT right now, but YES, lacking in really key areas, but nonetheless you’re raking in the money.
- sofarsoShawn ~presque...
To your question specifically, as @Mashable’s grown you’ve aggrandized & annexed territory over reaching beyond sufficient networks and to answer you question appropriately if you serious and in asking what you can do to improve in my own eyes, we gotta do this in a manner more appropriate than a FF thread. So i Ieft you my info at mashable.com, lemme know, I am severly curious and interested to see now what you think, and yea my apologies as to what I said. Im seriously surprised you care.
- sofarsoShawn ~presque...
always interested in making mashable better! you've got my details I think if you wanna mail thoughts over - saw your mail come in earlier
- mashable
Yeah you already mentioned as much, but read above again. Mashable better in what terms?In what areas? With what criteria? And how would you be measuring: both qualitatively/quantifably? Through my eyes is far to{ ambigously metaphorical (pretty colours vs how things are understood and through what POV etc etc) otherwise I'm just pissing against the wind. Sooooooooo Tamara has my info...
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- sofarsoShawn ~presque...
from iPhone
I get it all the time, oh you're a Fixer, well Fix it!" *sigh* & and btw STFU Livy, my fees are very resonable for the impeccable/range services I deliver which always work.
- sofarsoShawn ~presque...
Ahhahahhaaha, thanks Micah! It's funny cuz it's true. But must've been some other sofarsoShawn....wonder what hist tweets looked like though ~ Micah????
- sofarsoShawn ~presque...
This was Micah bumpn again: obvi XD Sooo why don't I delete this: #1 it's funny #2 now that Cashmore and I buddy's, well on the same page ---> see #1 ;) Nonetheless enoug has been had.
- sofarsoShawn ~presque...
from FFHound!
Users asking for a cut of Facebook IPO is like asking for a cut of Charlie Sheen's paycheck for watching his show - http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012...
Obama Criticized For Living In Lavish Mansion While Most Americans Struggle To Make Ends Meet | The Onion - America's Finest News Source - http://www.theonion.com/article...
Not nessecarily girls... I know a tradesman who puts fluro pink handles on his tools so other people can take them
- Johnny
from iPhone
Half the items in this store have English and Chinese labeling. I don't think these were made with gendered marketing in mind.
- Micah
from FFHound(roid)!
Exactly, Johnny. In my experience in the construction industry for the last 15 years, it is common practice for the workers to use pink so people won't steal their tools. Also, foreman issue pink tools and hard hats are punishment for those workers who forget their tools/hardhats at home.
- Tamara J.
The Commutative Internet - started this morning searching Craig Wedren (musician) on Spotify, which led me to Tweaker (Chris Vrenna, musician, formerly with NIN), which in turn led me to the art of Joe Sorren, who did the art for the Tweaker records and grew up here in AZ. Next stop is inevitably Kevin Bacon.