A world sanitized into boredom

Things used to be exciting. Look at the cars of the 1980s and 1990s. They weren't eco friendly. No, that they weren't. But they were exciting and each car had a distinct look. Today, they all look the same. I can't tell a Honda from a Toy-yoda anymore. IF you want an exciting car today, you need to pay a lot of money. Back then even the small cars had flair, charme and excitement. Driving them was also fun. Modern engine management dictates that your engine will run most fuel efficient. Flatten the pedal and yaaaawwwwwn... Back then the floodgates opened and something was happening.

Movies... oh how we loved the cinema. The leather seats, the wooden floor. In one place. The cinema in the next town looked different. Wherever you go now, the insides of the movie theaters look the same and even if it is a different operator, it looks the same. Needless to say you can't smoke in them anymore. It had something when the film projected bounced off the smoke that hung in the air. We had a lot of fun rolling empty coke bottles down the hall. Impossible now as it is all papercups or bottles with deposit on it. Besides, the halls now have steps. Please don't get me started on movies. Once a movie is somewhat successful, there will be pre-quels, sequels and sequels to prequels that are in between sequels. And you KNOW the story-line as it is all the same stuff. Movies some 20 years ago were smart. They surprised you. There wasn't so much bloody product placement in them that it now feels like a 90 minute ad. These movies had "Acting", not bloody CGI shit to show off. I I want to watch a computer game, I do that. Movie production could be a story in itself. Look at "Apocalypse Now" where the production was riddled with issues and one of the main actors lied about his age in order to get into the flick. Excitement! Stories! Now it is in, shoot, out. No behind the scenese drama, romance or any of that. Marriage between Bread Pitt and Angeline Lonely? I prefer Richard Burton snapping up the model GF of James Hunt!

James Bond? Oh please! Sean Connery. Now that was an exciting Bond. Would I rather be like an old Bond or Daniel Craig (Pouting here while writing). Please don't tell me you would prefer to be a modern Bond! Back then even the bad guys were badder.

Pop music you say? Oh dear! Same shit. Literally. There isn't any excitement left in these casted-together clones that all look, sound and sing the same. In the 80s we had punk, rock, pop, synty pop, funk, dis and dat playing on the radio. Today you get the same 10 songs every hour, sung to you by people that LOOK good. Like I care. And one casting show is like the next one too. Keep it. The last 2 songs that stuck in my mind were Umbrella Eh Eh and Telephone (Radio errrr Lady Gaga). The rest? I wouldn't be able to tell one "artist" from the other as they don't have any own style that is recognizable as "Ah, that's a ABC song". Now please don't tell me that there is excitement when you have some "wardrobe malfunction" (A term that brings me close to being on my knees in front of the toilet bowl) of pop stars. PLEEEAASSSE. When was the last time your / your wife's bra popped open in public???? All manufactured to create a sense of excitement. Commerce rules.

And now the corporate snooze-fest on wheels is back. Yes, the Formula Yawn. At some point I would take leave on Fridays just to see the practicing. Formula 1 used to be hot babes, hot tempers, boundaries being pushed with car design and apparently Lauda putting washing powder into Senna's overall before a race. Playboys ruled the world! Now... Interchangable corporate lollies. No one does anything fun anymore. PR Managers next to each driver all the time. And let's not talk about the races. What happened? I tell you: This sport, like any other, has been sanitized into boredom. Sponsors lack passion and balls and so all atheletes are groomed to be well behaved. Sport has now also become too expensive to just do away with sponsors. Sad.

And then there is flying. You could smoke on board a plane once. In the smoking section. Not that it made a difference. But there was something about it... So, now let me book a hotel in which I can wake up and know execatly what I am getting myself into. And when I wake up, I don't know where I am cos all the hotels look the same, the concierge has the same sly grin and the breakfast will be served at the usual time with your everyday garden variety of cereals.