Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: pop (classic) culture
Dumpshock Forums > Discussion > Shadowrun
mattvo28
I've been thinking about this on and off again but what from the last century would be remembered as a 'classic' in the SR universe?

Gone with the Wind? Star Wars? Star Trek? ER? Final Fantasy? Halo? Super Mario? (or would video games even transcend to that level of recognition?) Works by Asimov, Philip K. Dick, or Clarke? Comics?

I'm not really attempting to start a debate over what people like better, I'm just trying to get a feel of what from now (and media created within the last 100 years) translates over?

Thank you.
vollmond
I think things that have already lasted many decades would continue to last. Like It's a Wonderful Life.

My troll heavy weapons expert has a nanotattoo that plays random clips from Dave the Barbarian, but that may be wishful thinking smile.gif
Black Roger
What I'd like to think is that a lot of the heavy hitters, Star Wars, Star Trek, Tolkien, Fight Club, and the like would still be around or at the very least referenced.

However, after all the numerous problems that have befallen the Sixth World, something tells me that a lot of these ideas have been left behind. When real dragons, mages, vampires, and spirits are now a regular part of living culture, something tells me that entertainment would have to step it up a notch to compete. New culture should have large influences from past culture, but IMO the large majority of people would have forgotten the pop culture of today and the foundations it laid.

Forgotten is not the same as lost, and I'm certain that if people have the inclination, that culture can be found. Even with a few matrix crashes, you know there are the die-hard fans that would upload the content regardless of the consistent bombardments the culture faces. Entertainment has always been a great part of culture, especially in hard times. This leaves the door open for players to one of those odd people that holds on to relics of the "past" and it be a large influence on their character.

After all, who could pass up making a cybered out variation of "The Punisher", or a teenage adept blond cheerleader who hunts vampires?
Stahlseele
Popcorn in the Pan is still there
hyzmarca
Nintendo faced controversy when their new AR Super Mario game was only compatible with their officially licensed implanted hydraulic leg jacks; The Adept Great Leap community was not pleased. Later this was overshadowed by the numerous stomping deaths attributed to the game's overlay mode, which makes bystanders look like goombas and koopas, and gives points for stomping on them.
Daddy's Little Ninja
New York Yankees ball caps.
London Fog Rain Coats
Ford Mustangs
Stetson Cowboy hats
Barbie Dolls

Gone With the Wind, It's a Wonderful Life, Duck Soup, Casablanca, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Rocky I & II
Field of Dreams. The Odd Couple,

New versions will keep appearing of West Side Story/Romeo & Julliet, Hamlet and McBeth set in Corp offices.


Rasumichin
IIRC, in SR, Tolkien is considered racist because of his portrayal of orks and trolls as evil and is even banned in some countries.

That, and the fact that the Sons of Sauron reference his works in their name, clearly implies that he's still a part of pop culture, although under completely different implications.


Besides that, it's really hard to tell.

The fact that more and more culture is stored mostly or entirely digitally, combined with the two crashs, could very well lead to many nowadays iconic works lost to oblivion.

On the other hand, items which are pretty obscure nowadays could have reached extreme popularity in later times.
Some things are just decades ahead of mass appeal.
Ryker
QUOTE (Black Roger @ Dec 18 2008, 10:49 AM) *
However, after all the numerous problems that have befallen the Sixth World, something tells me that a lot of these ideas have been left behind. When real dragons, mages, vampires, and spirits are now a regular part of living culture, something tells me that entertainment would have to step it up a notch to compete.


I read once that people living in violent environments or great poverty prefer entertainment, that shows them a better, brighter world "suggesting a whole, romantic world untouched by the hazards of real life". So I guess some old Telenovelas etc. will actually still be watched, showing their audience a world,
where everyone had a good paid job and you cold go for picnics in the park or camping on a lake without worrying about awakened critters, toxic spirits,
or being robbed blind and killed by a Go-Gang on your way back.
Pretty much the same as reading Jane Austen novels nowadays and image to live a society where even the poor girls family had about 3 servants and the
only thing to worry about is not to be married by the age of 16.
TKDNinjaInBlack
The immortal icon that is Bruce Lee would make the jump. There'd even be research as to see if he was a spike level adept or something along those lines. Some of his films would get the wonderful video-to-trideo conversion. A lot of themes and stories from blaxploitation of the 70s would bridge the gap and reappear as orxploitation in the 2060s.
Luke Hardison
You think they still play ShadowRun?
chainsawash
In the SR novel "Aftershock" there is a scene that takes place in a renovated movie theater that was showing elf remakes of Grease and Staying Alive. Plus one of the characters loved old Robin Hood films, and an adept mentions being a fan of Kurosawa.
Method
I think the question is what would make the transition to new forms of media technology, and I think the answer is "not much".

I think a lot of these things would go the way of Shakespeare (for example). We all know his plays, many of us were required to read them in school and a few of us might get the references. But the vast majority of people have not seen them performed, and even today what we collectively "remember" is probably very different than how they were performed in the early 1600's.

That might seem like an extreme example (it was 400 years ago), but there was a fundamental change in media technology. Who wants to see men in tights talkin' funny English when you can play Halo on your X-box 360? The technological leaps into 2070 would be similar. Or to give a more contemporary example, how many people here know who Theda Bara is or have actually seen her work? I'll bet not many. I'll save some of you time... LINK

Anyway I think there would be die-hards and academics who still enjoy the ol' Starwars trilogy and whatnot, but I think the "populace" in "pop culture" will largely have forgotten things as quant as 2-D motion pictures when simsense is everywhere.

That is of coarse barring Hollywood remakes... ohplease.gif
Daddy's Little Ninja
I was thinking of this sort of thing a week ago. What movies would they translate/redo for trid or would they have old style formats so you can still watch "Cassablanca" like we do today. (My husband and I were talking about spending money for an HD DVD player and TV.)
Chrysalis
There is the top 100 movies of all time. Usually given by some film critic who claims to have actually seen them all. I have to say that like with many other films, if they have been destroyed no-one will see them, and therefore will be forgotten.

As for books, let's be honest: catcher on the rye is still manditory reading, but everything else is pretty much about movies, comic books or music videos. Very low book knowledge, but very high in visual media. We are already talking about a post-literate education now and that means references to computer games and movies. I have noticed at times that we are also using video pieces to indicate a situation which otherwise would not be understood. Such as the dead parrot joke, rick-rolling, or bushisms.

We do not refer to the entire book or play, we do not even refer to the context anymore. A reference at times seems to be plucked from out of space and time, the fabric of cultural language. For instance, I distinctly remember hearing an older BBC presenter say the word "peeps" today.
Rasumichin
QUOTE (Method @ Dec 19 2008, 06:31 AM) *
I think a lot of these things would go the way of Shakespeare (for example). We all know his plays, many of us were required to read them in school and a few of us might get the references. But the vast majority of people have not seen them performed, and even today what we collectively "remember" is probably very different than how they were performed in the early 1600's.


Yeah, but the basic plotlines, especially those of Shaespearean comedy, are constantly ripped off by Hollywood authors.
If you want to write a romantic comedy, just take the plot and basic character configuration from Shakespear, transfer it to a contemporary highschool or college and throw in new punchlines, there you go.
I've lost count of how many of my ex's favourite movies where based upon Taming Of The Shrew or Much Ado About Nothing.
Froggie
LOL Cats

QUOTE
(from the Feral Cities Jackpoint page)

* Your Ganesh virtual pet has been
eaten by an opponent’s LOLcat.


Two crashes be damned! Someone out there would have saved it or printed one out at some point...
OverdrivePrime
All Your Base would have likely fallen into a cycle of disuse and ironic resurrection at least ten times by 2070.

Most of the movies we consider classics and greats would have been remade several times. I think the Matrix will be remembered with a sort of quaint charm.

Pokemon and collectable card games in general will likely remain ubiquitous, and be adapted for 6th World relevancy.

D&D will probably be abandoned in favor of grittier interpretations like Warhammer.
Ed_209a
QUOTE (Luke Hardison @ Dec 19 2008, 12:01 AM) *
You think they still play ShadowRun?

5th generation Dumpshockers sitting around complaining about SR 9th Edition....

Ah, progress. smile.gif

(though, if it stays 80 years in the future, it might be more like SJG's Transhuman Space.)
Metalmek
what would be around in the 70's

- remakes of remakes... starwars redonne again and again, Neil the barbarian would star as Arnold in terminator ;end of the six world,
- what are considerate today good movies would be considered B movie because people at the time would expect the future to turn out with elfs and orcs
- music is mostly what would survive the best... their is always someone who love old stuff, as a music done by the beach boy's would be remade again as a danse music... then a rapper sample it.. to be rediscover few years later by a new generation of rising stars and redone their way.
- the things that is sure to last the most are the love for local professional sport team ... the montreal Habs (canadien de montreal) would be around 160 years of existance... and NY yankee would be around it's 170 birthday!
- Movie that are badly received by critics today would be call genious visionary in the future ... due to perception of people that have gone thou six world history.
- Cher and Chuck Noriss
wind_in_the_stones
QUOTE (Method @ Dec 19 2008, 01:31 AM) *
I think the question is what would make the transition to new forms of media technology, and I think the answer is "not much"...

That is of coarse barring Hollywood remakes... ohplease.gif


The technology will exist to transform any existing video to trid. Though there will always be purists who insist on seeing it in its original form.
Rasumichin
QUOTE (Luke Hardison @ Dec 19 2008, 06:01 AM) *
You think they still play ShadowRun?


The BBB mentions a SR MMORPG.
Given that SR saw 4 editions in the last 20 years, that would be based on...dunno, SR 16?
Method
QUOTE (wind_in_the_stones @ Dec 20 2008, 11:04 AM) *
The technology will exist to transform any existing video to trid.
. We have the technology now to put silent films on DVD. Find me a 16 year old who would rather watch those than the latest hollywood turd or play xbox. It's not that they can't. It's that it wouldn't sell. Hell most kids today don't even like the old starwars trilogy cuz all they know are the new episodes.
Snow_Fox
Most won't want to, but what might survive. I grew up watch great movies like Cassablanca and The Adventures of Robin Hood on TV. but hten in college I was lucky enough to see these on the big screen and WOW!

I think the trick is knowing what is a truly iconic image and what is a fad of the momment. Pokemon, forexample, will not survive. A lot of fantasy cyberpunk stuff won't make it because who wants that when you see how it's off?

for US stuff I think DLN has a good idea. I've heard in France the beret is dying out, now only with oldsters and tourists. so that having been said, what fashions might survive in the UK, France, Germany? Japan seems to have done an execellant job of maintaining it's culture with the modern.

English tea and beer, German beer and French Wine will survive as images.

wind_in_the_stones
QUOTE (Method @ Dec 20 2008, 09:21 PM) *
. We have the technology now to put silent films on DVD. Find me a 16 year old who would rather watch those than the latest hollywood turd or play xbox. It's not that they can't. It's that it wouldn't sell. Hell most kids today don't even like the old starwars trilogy cuz all they know are the new episodes.


I was just saying that the fact that it's flatvid is irrelevant. Now that we know what can survive, we can get back to the question of what will survive.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Dumpshock Forums © 2001-2012