Well, I came up with this idea about a year ago, and I’m trying to spread the idea. So I figured a thread here might be a good way to do that.
There’s a thread in IMHO asking what to do instead of watching Friends tonite. Which is fine, but what I don’t get is the snarky tone a lot of the responses take.
I attribute it to JHS.
See, back when I was a kid, 80’s movies (or, as we called them, movies) were huge. Prime among them was John Hughes Movies… Pretty in Pink, Say Anything, etc.
The usual storyline of these is the triumph of the poor or outcast kids over the popular ones. Rich kids with their cool clothes and nice cars were the villians.
This has lead, imo, to a perception that anything that is cool, is automatically bad. I rejected good things, things that I have since learned to enjoy, due to a belief that anything that was that popular couldn’t be possibly any good.
Buffy.
Harry Potter.
Japanese food.
Friends.
All things that I viewed as automatically bad, despite my never having tried them. They were bad, because they were popular. I was Ducky, and these thing, they were the rich popular kids…
Spread the word, friends. Don’t let John Hughes Syndrome keep you from trying new things.
Whachathink?
Tristan, have you every watched Friends? In brief moments of boredom, I sat through a few episodes, and discovered that yes, I truly have little patience for Friends (the show, not my own personal friends, that is).
I mean, come on, Ross and Racheal have been doing this for the past ten years. Isn’t that just a little too long for anyone other than me?
this doesn’t include the hype–everytime I turn on the TV, it’s been Friends this, or Friends that. If the show itself hadn’t been a turn-off, then having it jammed down my throat for the past week or so surely would have been.
I’ve been watching Friends since the premier episode. I like it. I’ll admit my interest has fallen off significantly in the last couple of seasons, but I’m damned if I’ll pretend not to like it just because it’s popular, or just because everyone seems to be trashing it lately. I won’t even let the hype get to me. I am glad it’s ending, however, because it was just time for it to end.
But the point is valid, I think. I know of plenty of people who forcefully and blatantly despise something the instant it becomes a popular thing. You know, like when a video appears on MTV the song is suddenly soooooo not cool.
Tristan is merely calling this John Hughes Syndrome in an homage to the noted cheesy-teen-flick auteur.
Thanks for explaining the John Hughes reference. I was, in fact, a little confused by it – and yes, I think you make an interesting point about rejecting stuff just because it’s popular. Not that I would ever do that, you understand – if only because I’m a little old for the target group on John Hughes syndrome.
Also – it wasn’t so much about a rejection of Friends, per se – I, in fact, watched reruns of two recent episodes last night (because there was nothing else on), and found them moderately entertaining. My point was that “they” started talking about this finale back in September for crying out loud, and the end of this particular sitcom does not actually mean the end of civilization as we know it. I mean, c’mon, Jay Leno and Katie Couric need to usher it off the airwaves? Oh wait, it’s not actually going anywhere – the reruns will still be running in syndication long after we’re all dead.
I was going for “given the hoopla, what are the alternatives?” In actual fact, I doubt I’ll clean out my refrigerator – I’ll probably be indulging in my usual “I brought work home tonight” routine – an hour or two working, then go online to chat with friends (of the “people I know” variety), play Rocket Mania, and read the boards.
It’s really no great mystery. JHS (or “being anti-”, as I’ve always called it) is just avoidance of the lowest common denominator. The idea goes like this:
For something to be very popular, many people must enjoy it.
For many people to enjoy, it must be targeted to a broad audiance.
To target to a broad audiance, you have to keep things simple.
Simple things aren’t good.
Where is falls apart is in that simple can be good. Friends is a perfect example. Yes, it’s humor is very broad-based, but it’s still funny as hell (less so now than it used to be, but anyway…).
It comes down to this – is less broad humor funnier? Sure, if it meets your taste. Friends is very, very funny, but it is better than, say, MST3K? No way…I’ll probably always find MST3K to be the funniest damn thing ever put on TV, but most of the general public would disagree.
JHS is a perfectly valid, and quite accurate, idea. There are a ton of people who think “Most people like TV Show X. I think most people are tasteless idiots. Therefore, TV Show X is a sucky show for idiots.” These people suffer from JHS, these people are being anti-, and if they make these judgements having never really given something a chance, then they, unfortunately, are the idiots.
Errr…quick clarification: It is of course perfectly valid, and non-idiotic, to not like a show even after giving it a few chances. Hell, I’ve probably seen a minimum of 25 Everybody Loves Raymond episodes (my wife loves it). It sucks rocks, hard. Outrageously unfunny. It should be called Everybody Stands Around Shreiking At Each Other Like A Bunch Of F&#%ing Banshees On Crack. But it’s popular as hell. Just not my taste. Go figure.
While I do know that derision of popular things isn’t “new”, I think that this may be the first generation wherein it has become so prevalent… it’s like the guys who listen to college radio, and then suddenly hate a band because they get big.
And yes, my lovely wife finally forced me to sit down and read Harry Potter, and watch Buffy… and I loved them. Friends is similar, though it was a different friend. And while I’ll admit the Ross/Rachel thing got tedious, and some jokes are just far too overdone, overall I still think it’s great writing and the ensemble works well together in just about all combinations.
Do I think it’s a monumental thing that it’s ending? Not as much as the media, I think.
But keep in mind we’re the first generation “raised by TV” to such an extent, and a lot of people saw this as a way to make a LOT of money…
But overall, I’m glad to see people getting it… JHS, and how to fight it, that is.
Ahh! The blissful ignorance (not necessarily in a bad way) of youth. I can assure you that several generations prior to the “John Hughes” generation have engaged in this behavior. This was very definitely a sixties and seventies sort of attitude (and probably a fifties attitude, but I was too young to notice).
There are many bands that continue to make great music after making it, though often show biz just ruins their message.
Bands have the pressure of the record company that owns them, pressure by people that live by quarterly profits and Billboard. They don’t care about bands that don’t follow the boy band, the macarena, or whatever else is popular.
Also, the land of big dressing rooms, hot cars, groupies, and contracts is far away from where groups begin. Gone are the real relationships, arguments, friendships, and situations that make up the real life that first inspired their music.
Soon they’re pushing Pepsi for millions and complaining about how bad they’ve got it.
