Patton Oswalt Geek Culture Rant Response (plus "Public Speaking" review)

[Banes500]

Enjoyed this, thanks!

[SuddenFilmsGo]

There will always be a mainstream, there will always be an alternative. Both will switch occasionally just to give our culture some variety. Both have assholes and both have heroes. Culture is culture. Nobody owns it exclusively.

[kiwiperson]

Patton also said that the pop culture is dying, in a way, since we are now just recycling the stories. Take a look at all the remakes of movies and stories we had these 10 years.

Also, that these significant figures that some of as adore, like from comic books, have became fads, and that people who don't even like nor read the stories are wearing for no other purpose but to look hip. This is why this age sucks

[PennyJavy]

His "fear" of weak otakus or whatever is lame. If we take a look at the current critically acclaimed shows on TV right now, they aren't that popular. Sure anybody can download the entire series of Mad Men/Breaking Bad/ so far and be caught up in a few weeks, but it's definitely not a mainstream thing to do. Also, his other belief that this culture is breeding lazy creative people that just want to do weird mash ups is a also silly. Artistic people are the first ones in line to break trends.

[kidcodea]

Its easier to be exposed at anything (including previously more obscure/indie stuff) and indeed the pace and easyness of that exposure makes good stuff available to people who "in the older system" wouldnt have dug it up.

Even though u are exposed to it, u arent feeling it as much as those who suffered to gain/achieve something.

Explains how this easier acess to all (good or bad) has made us more consumer and less creative, because we dont need to create to fullfill the voids with dreams.

[LonsTV]

@kidcodea But couldn't you just as easily say that, because people now are being exposed to SO MUCH MORE information than ever before, the next generation will have the potential to create art with more insight and depth?

It's possible that this is wrong and Oswalt is right and that working hard to "find" cultural products that mattered to you was the key. But we're too close to it right now to know for sure. His essay is nostalgic and premature.