Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Calling on Nostalgia Lacks Originality

At the guide, our staff is known for having strong opinions about pretty much everything. We’re taking stands on the pop culture issues that really matter, from tween stars to the movies that make us smile, and from catchy pop songs to the stories that dominate the Internet.

We love nostalgia. We watch old cartoons on Netflix, reruns of “The Golden Girls” and have seen The Breakfast Clubway too many times. Nostalgia is a healthy and normal thing to have — as time passes, you only remember the parts you loved the most. But when we saw a rumor that the cast of “Friends” would reunite for another season, we had to say enough is enough.

That rumor has since been debunked, thankfully, but you have to understand our concern. It seems that all Hollywood can do lately is recreate, reboot or revive things that should be left in the past. There’s Disney’s purchase of Lucas Films and plans to make more Star Wars movies (we’d have thought that the critical failure of Episodes 1, 2 and 3 would have dissuaded them, but money is money, apparently). Michael Bay is working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlefilm, which can only go horribly wrong. Though superhero movies are awesome and Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield blew Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst out of the water, we didn’t need The Amazing Spider-Man and we wish someone would come up with a new idea besides a strong man in tights.

When you recreate something old, you have to build upon it and change it. That’s why Christopher Nolan’s Batman series works so well — it cast a character America thought it knew in a completely different light. If studios think they can just throw together the same old characters and tropes, stick a new name on it and create something worthwhile, they’re wrong. They might make a lot of money, but they won’t make something lasting.

The one exception to our general disdain of reboots and retries is “Arrested Development,” which will be reappearing on Netflix next month. “Arrested Development” ended too soon, while the cast and crew were still bursting with ideas. That is the only reason why we’re not opposed to this project: It doesn’t seem like an attempt to cash in on nostalgic emotions, but a legitimate artistic pursuit. Obviously Netflix wouldn’t have picked it up if they didn’t think it would be financially advantageous, but we’re on board with this.

But we’re still just hoping that someone will fund a new idea — we know that people are having them, but studios are always more willing to fund safe bets. We don’t want an Anchorman or Zoolander or Bridesmaids sequel. That doesn’t mean we don’t love those movies — we do — but what made them special was their uniqueness. The Hangover 2, a generally unfunny rehashing of the original, proved that some comedies are better left untouched.

Let’s see movies about women that don’t rely on sexist stereotypes. Let’s see movies where racial minorities aren’t delegated to the background. Let’s see television shows about people who aren’t doctors or lawyers or detectives.

These days, Hollywood is lacking originality, so it’s about time we introduce new stories, protagonists and superheroes into the mix of popular culture. Because, let’s face it, the only way that the entertainment industry is going to continue to grow and thrive is if it stops repeating the same plots.

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