Why has the entertainment industry been on the decline?

Leo Lion: Why has the entertainment industry been on the decline?
Quality is a rare item these days. No better place to see that is in the entertainment industry. From the actors, to the media to the networks….in general, most of what is passed off as entertainment is trash. In the past, entertainers had distinction. Today, many are lame personalities. The media hypes the failings, instead of promoting those who make a statement. The general message they give is NEGATIVE. We are spiraling downward and continue doing so. Nothing to admire or look up to anymore. Once upon a time in America we had as much.

Answers and Views:

Answer by [email protected]
it seems like everyone is in the business these days… and with all the competition out there, it’s not about the best ideas.. it’s about making money and having longevity… so i’d say in the past 5 or so years, we as a society have made the fads our lifestyle and the quality of almost all media has gone downhill as we vie for immediate gratification… i mean, sure.. there are some great movies… some really great musicians out there… some really amazing writers… but their talent is overshadowed by the public’s need for “what’s hot”…. and it’s definitley muted by all the drive from the tabloids…

but give it a while… the public will get sick of it.. and we’ll go back to great ideas, rather than passing phases.

Answer by rose
Wellll, it depends on who thinks about entertainment as what! if somone thinks all this is xcellent, their wish. N if u think its mostly trash, then that’s ur point. All people are different luv.

Answer by Carl S
It due to the quantity of stuff they have to crank out. In my younger days, 3 television networks – CBS, NBC and ABC with some independent channels around. And even they weren’t on 24 hours a day. Now with cable and satellite, you have hundreds of channel gobbling up programming. And with movies, the high cost of production, coupled with falling audience due to competition from cable, from DVDs and loss of revenue to copyright infringement make it harder to get projects completed.
When you say entertainers had distinction – the Rat Pack – alleged Mob connections, drunkenness, etc; Rock Hudson – homosexual; Elvis Presley – drugs, on and on, along with studio sponsored stars whose lives were scripted by the studio press agents – where’s the glamor in the “good ole days”?

Answer by laseranimation2004
Maybe its because the airwaves, channels, cinemas, etc. are stuffed with reality programs. What garbage? I deal with reality every waking moment; I have no interest in seeing talentless drones reenacting their own inadequacies. There is little acting left in the entertainment business as of late. Instead, just other people’s soap operas.

Answer by Rock Flavored Sporks
Remove all electrical appliances from your house and live as an eskimo, then.

I don’t know when the media ever DIDN’T give a negative message… Besides, I can think of lots of good movies and shows these days. Oops, wait, no, I guess that means I’m not sophisiticated enough… me, watching all this “trash”… perphaps I should become an eskimo, too. Maybe it would give me some class so I could rise above the “tasteless” and “lame” world of today…

Answer by Karl M
I find your question confusing. Are you concerned that the media cover the negative aspects of the those in the entertainment industry? Or are you stating that you find the entertainment business to be going in directions that you do not value.

Both the entertainment industry and the media that covers and presents it are market driven. The “media” are also part of the entertainment industry. Consider the soporific drivel you see on your “news” broadcasts these days. They are also in the entertainment industry. They all measure success by the bottom line. If they were not successful they would not be able to support themselves and would disappear.

The media and the entertainment industry are not on the decline, they are making plenty of money.

Yes, it is all about money, it is an industry.

While I don’t go to the movies or listen to popular music, I would guess we probably have some fine entertainers these days, but then…well if it sold, we would probably be more aware of it.

If you are looking for profound human expression, try going to an art museum, a ballet, a library, or a concert of art music. You may not be entertained there, but if you make the effort, you might find those experiences can have great meaning for you.

Answer by Karebare
low budget films,bad advertisement,Gossip columns,rag mags,
people looking for a quick buck.

Answer by Theatregal
Actually, the entertainment industry is booming. It has just shifted its perspective from true, quality entertainment to quick, cheap “info-tainment” – hence the proliferation of reality TV shows. (which really aren’t, by the way, exept that they don’t employ actors, which is subject for another whole rant)

The producers are making money hand over fist by churning out these awful time-wasters because some baby-genius, right out of grad school, did a demographic survey a few years ago, showing that audiences really want to watch people just like themselves. Well we don’t. We want to watch really talented, well-trained, experienced professionals, playing material that has been written by top-quality writers, directed by first-rate filmmakers. (and the equivalent in TV)

And don’t even get me started on the state of Broadway. A revival of “The Pajama Game?” The only reason anyone even remembers this piece of fluff is because of Bob Fosse’s choreography of “Steam Heat,” and because of the fact that Carol Haney broke her ankle and had to be replaced by her understudy – Shirley MacClaine. But put a pop star in it (the truly talented Harry Connick, Jr.), cook up a tie-in deal with his record company for the original cast album, and boom! You’ve got a proven hit before it even opens.

But once in a while, we can still find art. Catch “Broken Trail” for filmmaking, writing, and acting at its finest. And see “Doubt” when it tours your city. The amazing Cherry Jones has made the unprecedented decision to do the national tour of this remarkable show. We saw it last week with Eileen Atkins (who was brilliant) and still can’t stop talking about it. Art is out there. As the audience, we ultimately decide what is art and what is trash – with our wallets.

So get out there and vote: write to the TV stations and film studios. Support theatre at every level. Decide whether you want to see a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about the human condition, or a bunch of celebrities playing cards.

Answer by baraaa
maybe it’s time u give us an alternative

Answer by Cookie777
People are afraid of being creative and cheesy at the same time. It’s too much work at the risk of not making money to recoup on an investment. It is disappointing that after the golden age of musicals, it seems like movies including dance numbers and singing grew fewer and farther between. Look how popular “American Idol” and other talent shows are – it just points out what has been missing in movies and TV over the years. Another answerer asked what would you do to fix it – well, I’m studying how to write comedies and musicals and murder mysteries (not gory ones) for theater, so maybe if more talented people get together maybe we can cause a serious reform little by little.