Question regarding talent...

Demiurge

How come it seems that the talent of old can never be surpassed? I realize I'm asking this in the wake of Johnny Carson's (which this thread really has NOTHING to do with) passing, but I had always been wondering this.

The way I look at it is that there are always people who will stand out and theyr'e unique in their own right, but I think there's great talent today and maybe even moreso than in the past.

Is it because we have such a short time frame to look back on with actors, singers, entertainers...etc? It just seems to me that people that may not have been the greatest thing on earth back in the day are the greatest in their respective crafts ever now and nobody will ever be that good.

I'm just curious what that's all about and if it's not just a bunch of B.S. and we're missing the true point of a persons life or the legacy they leave behind.

PolkThug

It's BS, Dave Chapelle is just as good.

faster100

Its because IMO the older performers who are seemingly dieing off as they all reach old age, worked alot harder and went through alot more to get where they were/are.. and also did many many things before they made it big, I understand it is the way of the future.. now days you dont have to jump through hoops and work your way up as the days of old.. however alot of garbage talent makes it very easily and continues to make it... some of the old greats "can" be bested, buy todays talents... But its the long history the old guys have that intrigues people, me included.... I read the whole bio on johnny carson and thought he lived a long and eventful life... anyways... my take and 2 cents...

Demiurge

Johnny Carson was amazing and Letterman and Leno can't hold a candle to him, honestly, but I just don't want people to think that's what this is about.


I just see the claim made all too often and I kind of think it's a bunch of hooey.

Talent is talent no matter how you get through the ranks. I wouldn't begrudge anyone for getting through easier, but you're right it really muddies the water with a heap of crap as well.

jdhdiggs

In another 20 years you'll be saying the same thing about Leno and Letterman. Talent is always evolving and it is human nature to remember all the good about something in the past and blow it out of proportion.

See the "Good old days" threads or any comparison of sports talent on ESPN. The older something is, the more you remember only the good and none of the bad. You don't remember the nights Johnny wasn't "on", but you do remember his good shows. If you only looked at a highlight reel of anyone and compared them to today's standard, it would no doubt look like talent is collapsing. Give it time, you'll get over it in 30 years...

opus

Demi,

Not sure how old you are but this is quite possibly a generational thing. I'm 40 and was on the tale end of Carson's run (meaning from when I became interested in shows like his) and am a little sad today.
The "shared experience" was a powerful thing that alot of people fondly remember. There may be more talent today (?) but there are so many more options out there today that any one person will not affect the number of people today that Johnny did.
Pick your favorite "talent" of today. Let's say Chris Rock. Put him on 5 nights a week, for 30 years, lock out every cable channel, shut down the internet, close down 50% of the malls, turn off your damn phones and tomorrow morning gather around the watercooler and retell Chris' jokes. And in 50 years we will make the same fuss over him.
There was a kind of quiet class to Johnny that many including me will miss. In todays world of in your face humor Johnny could make you smile with a sly sideways glance or better yet when his joke bombed. His sincerity will always be remembered and sorely missed....................kevin

steveinaz

I'm still trying to figure out how the hell "Nervana" made instant "legendary" status just because the fool blasted himself. They weren't anything special...

reeltrouble1

Agreed steve, and how about that Ashlee Simpson, now there is some "talent" I hope I never see on a national show or anywhere else for that matter.

dragon1952

A large part of the problem is what it actually takes to entertain people now days. Look at all of these reality shows and xtreme this and xtreme that, rap and hip hop...it all blows. Garbage in (being the audiences) and garbage out (being the entertainers). People used to demand quality and that's what they got. TV used to cater to the older generation now it caters to 30 and below. It'll never be the same and will continue to get worse because people have no taste or sophistication anymore.

Frank Z

Some people are "Gifted" while others are a Gift to us all. Johnny Carson was one of the rare few that combined both.

There are some very talented entertainers out there right now, but regardless of their talents they will always be compared to those that came before and set the standard. Some have or will eclipse early superstars, others will always be also-rans.

If pressed for an explaination I'd have to say that todays entertainers will always come up short because of us, the audience. Most us have become spoiled by the remote control. We have short attention spans and aren't willing to spend our valuable time watching a new act develop into something worth our time. It has to be done right the first time or we don't bother it. Remember when TV first got started there wasn't a lot of variety. A very limited amount of content from a limited amount of sources. Our entertainment options are seemingly endless now. Entertainment back then was comparable to 5 & 10 Cent Store. A little bit of this and little bit of that. Nowadays it's a Huge enclosed, air conditioned mall, get everything you could ever imagine...plus a soda type of selection. Everything all at once under one roof. Overload and overkill. How is anyone supposed to standout when they are competing against...well, everything.

I think we did it to ourselves.

Loud & Clear

Originally posted by opus
Demi,

Not sure how old you are but this is quite possibly a generational thing. I'm 40 and was on the tale end of Carson's run (meaning from when I became interested in shows like his) and am a little sad today.
The "shared experience" was a powerful thing that alot of people fondly remember. There may be more talent today (?) but there are so many more options out there today that any one person will not affect the number of people today that Johnny did.
Pick your favorite "talent" of today. Let's say Chris Rock. Put him on 5 nights a week, for 30 years, lock out every cable channel, shut down the internet, close down 50% of the malls, turn off your damn phones and tomorrow morning gather around the watercooler and retell Chris' jokes. And in 50 years we will make the same fuss over him.
There was a kind of quiet class to Johnny that many including me will miss. In todays world of in your face humor Johnny could make you smile with a sly sideways glance or better yet when his joke bombed. His sincerity will always be remembered and sorely missed....................kevin

Nicely done.