What is happening to us?

[RonBloor]

George Carlin offered some really interesting insight into our dis-functional society. His routine about "The American Dream" is priceless.. His language was typical for standup comedy and that in itself tells you quite a bit about today's society. Oh well. Again, no Chet content, but somehow I think Chet would have found this conversation interesting!!

[Norm]

When we were children on the playground there was always one kid in particular who had a mouth like a sailor and said words our parents would surely punish us for using at home. But the kid on the playground with a dirty mouth was a fascination.

Now the use of Those Words is apparently a sign of what... maturity? Hipness? Being "With It"?
We make "comedians" rich because they use Those Words. Is it that their material is so weak that it isn't funny without using Those Words?

Those of you who frequent Facebook are inundated with Those Words. YouTube "comments" are flooded with Those Words.
But you have seen that if someone complains about use of Those Words they are made out to be BadGuys. "Get over yourself" they jeer.

Here's the thing...
We all slip. We all use Those Words from time to time in normal everyday conversation.

But when you write something and use Those Words what you are saying is that you are so limited in your ability to communicate that the use of those foul words, deliberately chosen, mind you, is the best you can do.

While I'm at it I might as well put my head all the way in the noose. It always makes me wonder how someone can post something vile and hateful on Facebook and later the same day post something all saccharine about God and Love. And it isn't just Facebook. We've all seen that double standard in real life.

Apparently some folks can have it both ways.

"What's happeining to us" indeed...

[RonBloor]

Carlin was a comedian that did NOT need to use the F word to sell his comedy routines. So why did he? I suppose It really comes back to the original subject of this thread.

[Ray Bohlken]

That's all well and good Ray but you're still in the "Old Country" box.

Norm, you're right about me being in the Old Country box. I do tend to live in the past. And as another posted, a lot of times it is all about me. I know times change. I do appreciate all kinds of music, but a lot of the newer things leave me cold. I did get rid of my duck tail a few years back when my hair started REALLY thinning, though. Anyway, this was a good string of posts and I enjoyed reading the responses.
Ray

[Joe Diamond]

It's not just about the music. Look at how the male country singers (?) are dressed (?). These guys come out in shirts hanging out of their pants, rags on their heads, sun glasses, ball caps, and those pretty little things hanging from their ears (my opinion only). It's hard to tell if they are going to put on a show or climb under their car to change the oil. What happened to the days of artists wearing nice suits, western outfits, boots, etc? Marty Stuart's band on RFD-TV dresses the way the best artists did, like Chet, Ray Price, Porter Wagoner, Jerry Reed, etc. Those days are gone. The current crop of music (?) is geared to the lower age, lower mentality crowd. We can only be glad that we lived in the age when music was music and artists dressed as if they were putting on a show.

[David Elliott]

It's not just about the music. Look at how the male country singers (?) are dressed (?). These guys come out in shirts hanging out of their pants, rags on their heads, sun glasses, ball caps, and those pretty little things hanging from their ears (my opinion only). It's hard to tell if they are going to put on a show or climb under their car to change the oil. What happened to the days of artists wearing nice suits, western outfits, boots, etc?

Hi Joe,

Actually, I think Paul Yandell said it best...he said that most of the "newer" country-western entertainers dressed "like they were going fishing"!

David

[Joe Diamond]

David
I take offense to the remark about "Goin' Fishin". I used to be a tournament bass fisherman and we dressed a hell of a lot better than what they dress like today goin' on stage. Only joking about the offense. 90% of the material being played today is purely CRAP ( that's a combination of country and rap). Can anybody out there look at the tunes available today and say that they are worthy of even being played? I have 2 friends of mine who are country DJ's and they say that they crindge when there guys come into town for an appearance. Of course, country radio is partially the blame for this problem, the country labels are geared to the YOUNGer generation, they have all of Daddy's money. What can we do about it? Watch Gunsmoke on TV.
J

[Vidar Lund]

"Actually, I think Paul Yandell said it best...he said that most of the "newer" country-western entertainers dressed "like they were going fishing"! Well, the only time a saw Paul (with Chet in 1979) he was dressed in overalls. I wonder what he had planned to do after the show?

[rkk2786]

Just to set the record straight my dad never owned or had a pair of overalls, don't take my word, ask my mom! She would have never let him own a pair of them! He was very sensitive to the clothes he would wear and wanted to make sure they were appropriate. Now that doesn't mean he was against overalls, they just wasn't his thing.

Best regards,
Micah yandell

[John Trahan]

Now you've done it Micah! You've opened the wardrobe door. Prepare yourself for questions about the color of your dad's socks, etc.