I've read from somewhere online that there are two types of nostalgists. Type A is the personal nostalgist, who mainly uses their own personal memories to reminice about the old days, and can be more personal and welcoming to others. Type B is the historical nostalgist, who strictly uses content focusing on eras before he or she was born or too young to remember. For instance, somebody born in the 1990s being a fan of the 1970s, which can often be a result of certain reruns and classics exposed (oldies stations, old movies/TV shows shown on TV, visits to museums). They also tend to appreciate the memories of their parents/grandparents and pass them on. For instance, the distinction between the two is quite evidant on a link I posted on the Pre-'70s board, a topic that compares the memories of the people who were children in the '60s compared to the facts that the history books teach you. For myself, I voted for option 3.

Mostly personal - but sometimes I like to dig deeper and find out where the jokes came from.  I'm the guy who has every Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD (and keeps an eye out for the GOALT laserdiscs at flea markets), and who watches every commentary.  

As I kid, I enjoyed watching Bugs and friends raise hell on Saturday morning TV.  As an adult, I enjoy the same cartoons anew - both when I recognize Bogart as more than "that guy who says 'Could you help out a fellow American who's down on his luck?'" - but even more so when I listen to the DVD commentary and realize that some cartoons featured dozens of such tributes.  

Grandma doesn't get ThunderLOLCats.  But she can explain 1944's What's Cookin' Doc?, which came out when my parents were in diapers.  She laughed her ass off a few years ago when I was the first of us to laugh at Bugs' reaction at the "Stag Reel" (t=4:40), because I hadn't seen the cartoon since ... well, since before I could appreciate that joke!

For the personal nostalgists out there who don't understand the historical nostalgists: it's not always about getting the joke yourself; it's about getting the fact that there is a joke, and that there was a time when everyone got it.

(And even though you don't own a computer and will never read this, thanks, Grandma.)

Mostly personal - but sometimes I like to dig deeper and find out where the jokes came from.  I'm the guy who has every Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD (and keeps an eye out for the GOALT laserdiscs at flea markets), and who watches every commentary.  

As I kid, I enjoyed watching Bugs and friends raise hell on Saturday morning TV.  As an adult, I enjoy the same cartoons anew - both when I recognize Bogart as more than "that guy who says 'Could you help out a fellow American who's down on his luck?'" - but even more so when I listen to the DVD commentary and realize that some cartoons featured dozens of such tributes.  

Grandma doesn't get ThunderLOLCats.  But she can explain 1944's What's Cookin' Doc?, which came out when my parents were in diapers.  She laughed her ass off a few years ago when I was the first of us to laugh at Bugs' reaction at the "Stag Reel" (t=4:40), because I hadn't seen the cartoon since ... well, since before I could appreciate that joke!

For the personal nostalgists out there who don't understand the historical nostalgists: it's not always about getting the joke yourself; it's about getting the fact that there is a joke, and that there was a time when everyone got it.

(And even though you don't own a computer and will never read this, thanks, Grandma.)


  Only now, after tuning-in to Sirius 40s on 4 do I get some of the obscure cultural references which abound in those great old Looney Tunes shorts.  Most recently...

  Yosemite Sam: "OPEN THIS DOOR!!!"
                       
                      "Ya notice I didn't say Richard..?"

  I'll tell you, it made my day hearing Count Basie's "Open the Door Richard" and connecting the dots... :)