Lots of people do like pop culture into their 20s, even 30s and occasionally beyond too...but I think there's this idea that adults will at least find it inferior to their childhood and teenage years. Same with anything new that comes along in the world, like social, political and lifestyle changes or technology. Of course there's SOME people who follow that, but why do you suppose there's this assumption that kids and teens will automatically love everything just because it's "their time", then once they reach 22 or so, start turning their backs on anything new?

That always annoyed me on both sides, whether or not it related to me personally. It just seems close-minded, because we're all individuals. Age doesn't define what we like or our beliefs.

Even if more people (young and older) tend to dislike the '00s...it still makes me wonder (with myself included) what makes us any different than any group of adults since the beginning of time? People have always complained about the current state of the world compared to, say a quarter of a century earlier.

I guess I would say it depends on the person. I am in my early 20's now, but I haven't really been deeply into pop culture since I was about 16 or 17 at the latest.

In previous generations, I think when you stopped being caring alot about pop culture had alot to do on when there was a pop culture shift. I know some people that were around the 20-22 age range in 1991, and didn't adapt very well to the new music replacing '80s music. On the other hand, my parents were around that age in the early '80s and they still dug current pop culture until the early '90s

These days it seems like most people around my age are turned off because pop culture seems much more focused on those 18 and under (and more specifically about 11-16). 18 through 25 year olds historically still keep up at least moderately with music/trends/fashion/etc. but there's just not much still focused on us these days.

I guess I would say it depends on the person. I am in my early 20's now, but I haven't really been deeply into pop culture since I was about 16 or 17 at the latest.

In previous generations, I think when you stopped being caring alot about pop culture had alot to do on when there was a pop culture shift. I know some people that were around the 20-22 age range in 1991, and didn't adapt very well to the new music replacing '80s music. On the other hand, my parents were around that age in the early '80s and they still dug current pop culture until the early '90s

These days it seems like most people around my age are turned off because pop culture seems much more focused on those 18 and under (and more specifically about 11-16). 18 through 25 year olds historically still keep up at least moderately with music/trends/fashion/etc. but there's just not much still focused on us these days.


That's true, when things drastically changed I think that left alot of people in the dust. Because it made the stuff that defined them irrelevant and old-school. In the past, there usually was a shift every 4-5 years at the latest, which I guess is why 22 was the beginning of "going into old"...since their high school stuff was dated by then.

Yeah, pop culture kinda stopped appealing to adults in the early '00s. Like you said there's a very YOUNG feel to stuff now, like probably 9 to 16 year olds are who like it most (stuff like "Soulja Boy"). ;D

I guess that's what freaks me. I'm not fond of feeling "too old" for things, because as a kid in the '80s I remember lots of adults liking it (even my middle-aged dad was into some of the music and seemed still "hip enough" on the world). So maybe even subconsciously, I took that as being normal. Like we've talked about before though, I think it was alot more common back then, because the music was really catchy and fun sounding. It almost seemed designed to get as many people into it as possible. There were more blockbuster, popcorn type movies that everyone was talking about, too.


Would you say it might depend on the type of pop culture too? Like the stuff that's blatantly aimed at kids and tweens (i.e. teenpop) is what older people wouldn't be able to get into. But the really mainstream stuff might still find an audience with 20 and 30somethings?

That's true, when things drastically changed I think that left alot of people in the dust. Because it made the stuff that defined them irrelevant and old-school. In the past, there usually was a shift every 4-5 years at the latest, which I guess is why 22 was the beginning of "going into old"...since their high school stuff was dated by then.

Yeah, pop culture kinda stopped appealing to adults in the early '00s. Like you said there's a very YOUNG feel to stuff now, like probably 9 to 16 year olds are who like it most (stuff like "Soulja Boy"). ;D

I guess that's what freaks me. I'm not fond of feeling "too old" for things, because as a kid in the '80s I remember lots of adults liking it (even my middle-aged dad was into some of the music and seemed still "hip enough" on the world). So maybe even subconsciously, I took that as being normal. Like we've talked about before though, I think it was alot more common back then, because the music was really catchy and fun sounding. It almost seemed designed to get as many people into it as possible. There were more blockbuster, popcorn type movies that everyone was talking about, too.


Would you say it might depend on the type of pop culture too? Like the stuff that's blatantly aimed at kids and tweens (i.e. teenpop) is what older people wouldn't be able to get into. But the really mainstream stuff might still find an audience with 20 and 30somethings?



Yeah, I would agree with that. Even in the late '80s/early '90s teen pop movement, I'm sure alot of twentysomethings and thritysomethings weren't exactly into NKOTB/Color Me Badd/etc. in like 1991. Same with the late '90s/early '00s teen pop groups.

The problem is, today all music seems focused on teens, instead of just one segment of it. The only thing that really relates to those outside of high school age is post-grunge (mostly because it's what people my age first started getting into in the mid '90s) and some of the edgier hip-hop.

When I was 14 or 15 things seemed better to me, but I think it was more of just being less knowledgeable. Back then I mostly only knew the stuff I liked, nowadays I know a lot of the stuff I don't really like so that's part of it. Now I've heard A LOT more music and while I like plenty of new things, I'm more realistic about them (ie I know a lot of music isn't very good right now but I'm not too picky so I can still enjoy some things while knowing that it's not the best music to say the least).

Whether they are victims of ADD(wouldn't someone detect that in the kids early years when they buy then kid a vanilla ice cream cone and he yells back-I WANT CHOCOLATE!?)

I know a guy in the media business who is in his mid to late 30's and is always updating his equipment..I being older think about things before just replacing them, and say, I may need that one day..such as a cassette recorder..the 30's guy is saying- Get a cd player or ipod..well, you can't play back your old collection of cassettes on a CD player until you transfer them etc..and then when CDs became old school you have to PAY AGAIN for the same music on your ipod..and who knows what's next????

I have VHS tapes that have commercials from the 80s and 90s on them which are lost to some, and to keep them categorized, I would need to burn them off onto a dvd, go back, and save the programming as well and it would take YEARS to do a good job with it..these memories aren't just 'shows' on dvd you can buy now..like the SNL show with Dice Clay they only aired once...  so now I hear people will buy old commercials as well..I have some, but need to separately run them off.

But the 30's guy says to go DVD/TIVO..you can't carry tivo with you to show others....

Yeah, I would agree with that. Even in the late '80s/early '90s teen pop movement, I'm sure alot of twentysomethings and thritysomethings weren't exactly into NKOTB/Color Me Badd/etc. in like 1991.

Yeah that's like the disposable music from that era. Not to say it's BAD, but it has no substance and doesn't really stand up to listening to it over and over the way that the more general, catchy pop does (i.e. Wilson Philips, Paula, or that period's MJ, Phil Collins, etc).

Back then I didn't pay much attention to it, and now it just seems lame by comparison lol.


The problem is, today all music seems focused on teens, instead of just one segment of it. The only thing that really relates to those outside of high school age is post-grunge (mostly because it's what people my age first started getting into in the mid '90s) and some of the edgier hip-hop.

I would totally agree with that too. The kid/younger teen-centered stuff is more unavoidable now, like the ringtone-type music. You know that mainstream music has gotten lame when the only other choice is Nickelback. ;D There's lots of good bands (especially anything '80s influenced), but they seem to be less mainstream.

When I was in my early 20s, I was still listening to 80s music, which seemed strange to alot of people I knew.  It's like I was living in my own world becuase I listened to older music more than what was popular at the time

It's more of a case that I was listening to good music over crappy music

I think it has to do with what people are exposed to and when.  If you're at an impressionable age then you're more likely to accept the "cool, new things" that are coming out there.  Once you're beyond that impressionable age, whatever it might be since it depends on the person, and the style you like is formed in your mind, then when pop culture begins to shift, then you're more likely to say, "wait, a minute..." 

I wouldn't say people over a certain age are supposed to dislike new things but they're probably not going to accept them so easily.  From there, you have some older people who will just shut off anything new and say that nothing after (insert year here) is any good.  It's exactly the same as some younger people who don't like anything before (insert year here).  It's two sides of the same coin.

Yeah, I would agree with that. Even in the late '80s/early '90s teen pop movement, I'm sure alot of twentysomethings and thritysomethings weren't exactly into NKOTB/Color Me Badd/etc. in like 1991. Same with the late '90s/early '00s teen pop groups.

The problem is, today all music seems focused on teens, instead of just one segment of it. The only thing that really relates to those outside of high school age is post-grunge (mostly because it's what people my age first started getting into in the mid '90s) and some of the edgier hip-hop.
I actually listen to Color Me Badd's stuff  from the early 90's. My Mom used to listen too Color Me Badd "All 4 Love" I think too back in the early 90's. I'm really not into NKOTB or BSB though.

Everything created after 1978 sux

Everything created after 1978 sux


Do people count?  Christina Aguilera was created in the 80s ;D

I personally think it's all about the type of adaptive attitude a person holds growing up and how their parents views and attitudes allowed them to shape who they are for better or worse. An offspring usually has at least three choice responses to a parents attitude:

- Influenced (grows up adopting their parents positive/negative attitudes)

- Apathetic (not bothered what their parents think and do things their own way)

- Rebellious (opposed to their parents positive/negative attitudes)

Some parents enjoy the comforting things of their past, some live for the present and some look forward to the future. An offspring's reaction to their parents (positive or negative) can determine how they look at the idea of time and how things change as a result.

I like Natasha Bedingfield, Ting Tings, Fergie, and I actually watch "The Mighty B!", which reminds me of cartoons from the 1990's.



It has to do with interest since I'm not  into emo/current alternative (no difference, IMHO)  nor current rap muisic except for a very few like Black Eyes Peas & White Stripes.

I wouldn't say they're supposed to, really.  My dad and mom actually like a lot of newer rock music, for example.  My grandma on my mom's side graduated high school in 1960, but was up to date with pop culture all the way up through the Disco era, when she finally stopped keeping up with pop culture.  I know plenty of adults who like stuff from after they were 21-22, even though they may prefer stuff from before that time.

Speaking as someone whose in college and currently going through the process becoming less involved with pop culture, I wouldn't say you start disliking new things as you get older.  I think you just become more picky, choosing to like certain new things and dislike others.  I've noticed people had more things in common with each other in high school then they do in college.  Now that they're past the "core audience" of 00s stuff, a lot of them are going off and doing their own thing, rather than strictly following pop culture and embracing everything about it.

I think when you're younger, you're more likely to be into pop culture because its new, you're less mature, are influenced to like it by your peers (being popular is more important in high school than that any other time of your life, pretty much), and its mostly targeted after your age group.  Once these conditions start to disappear, you start picking and choosing aspects of pop culture to follow, rather than following all of pop culture.  

Thats what happened with most of the adults I know.  They keep relatively up to date on certain aspects of pop culture while shunning other aspects.  They just matured and got into their own thing, rather than following pop culture as a whole.  My mom and dad, for example, keep up to date with some aspects of pop culture (mainly rock music and movies), while shunning other aspects (rap music, teen shows).  They still like new stuff.  They just don't like all the new stuff.

I agree with whoever said it depends on the type of audience that the pop culture is aimed at. A 30 year old isn't exactly going to be into "Souljah Boy", but he might also like a bit of Jay Z too.  I also think the music scene changes completely once a person gets out of high school, in high school kids music tastes really aren't all that developed and they really are just into whats out in the mainstream at the time, rather than go back in time and listen to better stuff that may not exactly have been from their era.

I think saying people over age 21 don't follow the pop culture of the time is cutting it pretty close, because there are lots of 40 year olds who still follow pop culture even though they may be from a different "time", they still adapt. I think its also worth mentioning how it seems that generation after generation adults continue to seem younger and more in tune to things. Kind of how they say "40 is the new 30". Generation Y when they hit 50 years old may be as hip as the average 20-25 year old.  Ultimately I think it depends on the type of trends themselves which determine an adult's interest level. Someone who grew up with led Zeppelin, Sabbath and Aerosmith in the 70s might not have dug Grunge music in the early-mid 90s because of what they percieved as a diluted rehash of the sounds they grew up with, or vice versa they might have loved grunge because it reminded them of the same rock aesthetic of their youth.

Likewise if someone wasn't really into the shiny, synthesized pop music of the 80s they might have saw the rise of grunge as a breath of fresh air and something they can finally relate to. However if a different person from the same era liked 80s pop and hair metal, they may not have liked seeing the styles they liked and were used to change into something else. Likewise if somebody these days likes the fake glam rap and bad emo music from this era (I'm very neutral on this, I know lol) they probably won't like it when something else replaces those trends in a few years. But if your like many other people, and certainly some people from this board, and you can't wait until glam rap, emo and fake rehashes from the 90s teen pop era finally bite the dust and something more authentic replaces it, you won't really miss any of what you didn't like. It all depends on a person's tastes, different strokes for different folks. I think the best thing to do is be able to appreciate music and culture from all eras, knowing its all relevant in one way or another.

I wouldn't say they're supposed to, really.  My dad and mom actually like a lot of newer rock music, for example.  My grandma on my mom's side graduated high school in 1960, but was up to date with pop culture all the way up through the Disco era, when she finally stopped keeping up with pop culture.  I know plenty of adults who like stuff from after they were 21-22, even though they may prefer stuff from before that time.

Speaking as someone whose in college and currently going through the process becoming less involved with pop culture, I wouldn't say you start disliking new things as you get older.  I think you just become more picky, choosing to like certain new things and dislike others.  I've noticed people had more things in common with each other in high school then they do in college.  Now that they're past the "core audience" of 00s stuff, a lot of them are going off and doing their own thing, rather than strictly following pop culture and embracing everything about it.

I think when you're younger, you're more likely to be into pop culture because its new, you're less mature, are influenced to like it by your peers (being popular is more important in high school than that any other time of your life, pretty much), and its mostly targeted after your age group.  Once these conditions start to disappear, you start picking and choosing aspects of pop culture to follow, rather than following all of pop culture. 

Thats what happened with most of the adults I know.  They keep relatively up to date on certain aspects of pop culture while shunning other aspects.  They just matured and got into their own thing, rather than following pop culture as a whole.  My mom and dad, for example, keep up to date with some aspects of pop culture (mainly rock music and movies), while shunning other aspects (rap music, teen shows).  They still like new stuff.  They just don't like all the new stuff.



Great point. My grandparent's both graduated high school in the '50s and they were still both moderately into pop culture even into the '80s, and my parents still liked some new music in the '90s.

I did notice that it was around the time that I left high school several years ago that I started not paying as much attention to the latest pop culture, so you could have a point there too. I do think that it takes alot of pressure off you to not have to be into what your friends are into like in high school.

I wouldn't say you start disliking new things as you get older.  I think you just become more picky, choosing to like certain new things and dislike others.  I've noticed people had more things in common with each other in high school then they do in college.  Now that they're past the "core audience" of 00s stuff, a lot of them are going off and doing their own thing, rather than strictly following pop culture and embracing everything about it.

I think when you're younger, you're more likely to be into pop culture because its new, you're less mature, are influenced to like it by your peers (being popular is more important in high school than that any other time of your life, pretty much), and its mostly targeted after your age group.  Once these conditions start to disappear, you start picking and choosing aspects of pop culture to follow, rather than following all of pop culture.  

Thats what happened with most of the adults I know.  They keep relatively up to date on certain aspects of pop culture while shunning other aspects.  They just matured and got into their own thing, rather than following pop culture as a whole.  My mom and dad, for example, keep up to date with some aspects of pop culture (mainly rock music and movies), while shunning other aspects (rap music, teen shows).  They still like new stuff.  They just don't like all the new stuff.

Great way of putting it now that I think about it, that's probably more accurate than my assessment.;)

We don't become stagnant, it's just that our tastes get more "set in stone" after a certain time. In past generations that's probably why some people got resistant to a brand new style of music coming out (say rock and roll in the '50s, or gangsta rap and grunge in 1991) because it was alien to them.

To use myself as an example - I actually like alot of current music but it tends to be the stuff that's '80s influenced, or just anything that's generally catchy (say "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon Five). That kind of catchy and polished pop was what developed my tastes as a kid in the '80s and the first half of the '90s...so I guess it makes sense that I would keep being into anything that fits that style as time goes on.


P.S. Would anyone agree that both little kids as well as adults tend to be more "easygoing" about what they like, as opposed to 12-20 year olds? I've noticed when people on either side of adolescence like something, it's mostly just because it appeals to them. Whereas teens can be more discriminating because like you said, they're usually more influenced by what their peers like, or the image of pop culture (i.e. because an actor or a band's lead singer is "hot") - they care more about it being cool.

Great way of putting it now that I think about it, that's probably more accurate than my assessment.;)

We don't become stagnant, it's just that our tastes get more "set in stone" after a certain time. In past generations that's probably why some people got resistant to a brand new style of music coming out (say rock and roll in the '50s, or gangsta rap and grunge in 1991) because it was alien to them.

To use myself as an example - I actually like alot of current music but it tends to be the stuff that's '80s influenced, or just anything that's generally catchy (say "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon Five). That kind of catchy and polished pop was what developed my tastes as a kid in the '80s and the first half of the '90s...so I guess it makes sense that I would keep being into anything that fits that style as time goes on.


P.S. Would anyone agree that both little kids as well as adults tend to be more "easygoing" about what they like, as opposed to 12-20 year olds? I've noticed when people on either side of adolescence like something, it's mostly just because it appeals to them. Whereas teens can be more discriminating because like you said, they're usually more influenced by what their peers like, or the image of pop culture (i.e. because an actor or a band's lead singer is "hot") - they care more about it being cool.

It was late '70s and early-to-mid '80s for me.  After '88, I really started to sour on pop culture, so I went to seek esoteric media.

First manifestation: Buying Birdsongs of the Mesozoic records in Harvard Square and watching Eraserhead at the Brattle down the street."
:D

Birdsongs, they still rock, well, they've been an avant-jazz ensemble for fifteen years now.
http://www.birdsongsofthemesozoic.org/

A lot of people find pop culture of their adolescence pretty hollow by their early twenties.  Some later.  Some never.  But there's no "supposed to," it's just a question of taste.

;)

^ You're a wise guy Maxwell. :) I think that's generally accurate.

Also, just kinda wondering...is one reason you stopped liking as much new music because of the urban/rap elements coming up around 1988 or '89? That really synthesized, slick sound was dying out around then which seems like it made alot of hardcore '80s fans turn away. You're more of an alternative/new wave guy from what I can tell.

I love that era too and it was the heart of my childhood...but even with me, I tend to prefer the early and mid 80s because of the really smooth, catchy feel of pop music.

^ You're a wise guy Maxwell. :) I think that's generally accurate.

Also, just kinda wondering...is one reason you stopped liking as much new music because of the urban/rap elements coming up around 1988 or '89? That really synthesized, slick sound was dying out around then which seems like it made alot of hardcore '80s fans turn away. You're more of an alternative/new wave guy from what I can tell.

I love that era too and it was the heart of my childhood...but even with me, I tend to prefer the early and mid 80s because of the really smooth, catchy feel of pop music.


Sure, I was a fan of synth-pop.  I never liked the the whole rock 'n' roll show.  Think Aerosmith and Guns 'n' Roses.  I hated that stuff.  When the New Music--Grunge--sounded a whole lot more like bad '70s rock than anything else. 

But I always knew Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, and Brian Eno.  That and Depeche Mode are the ancestors of my current listening. 

I was into Ambient/Electronica music (Eno, Aphex Twin, The Orb) from whence I was led to composers who founded electronic music as we know it today, Pauline Oliveros and Milton Babbitt, those are two excellent examples, who really did compose and perform on those really early synthesizers, like the RCA Mach V, which had circuitry that filled an entire studio.  Then I discovered with both of them and many others there was a small portion of electronic music but spent the rest of their careers creating radical music with conventional instruments.   And there were revolutionary composers such as Henry Brant, who died last April at age 97, but had one the Pulitzer Prize in music in 2001 for a his spatial composition "Ice Field" for large orchestra groups and organ.  Some guys peak when they're 30, some when they're 40, some when they're 60, but this guy just kept getting better and better and better.  Another 10 years and god knows what he could have done!

I tried with New Age music but there was no conflict in the music, it was just schock. 
Anyway...
:-\\

As far as music goes I'm kinda for the next grunge/alternative revolution I mean today's music is just deadweight(I would say 90% of it.) I mean T-Pain and "This Is Why I'm Hot" by MIMS? Thats actually music? I mean music since March 2007 most of its just awful. I don;t know I felt this way about the whole teen-pop thing from 1999-2000 and now the late 00's I think are terrible for music. I think 2001-2005 music was still listenable even though the music that was made during that time isn;t as good as 1983-1988 or 1992-1998 music.

Than again I do like Hip/Hop/R&B like Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Ne-Yo, and Lloyd.

As far as my parents go I think my Mom she likes her share of  anything to late 70's disco to early to mid 90's R&B I think. She likes Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson's music. As far as my Dad goes he says the music scene was good from 1985-1990. He does know about the grunge artists but he always says oh that was only around for the early 90's(for a short while.)

Oh yeah one of my Aunts she likes rapper "Eminem". I was shocked about that because usually "Baby Boomers" hate rap music.

I;m 28 years old BTW.