# Movies/TV Shows/etc moments that seem really dated now... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2002, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226 "2002-09-13T04:39:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/141 "2016-08-12T20:52:50Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I’ve been watching The Monkees season 1 lately. Vox Super Beatle amps? A Gretsch bass guitar? Come on! Not sure if this is an attempt at a Whoosh… but you realize that vintage gear like this has only gotten \*more \* desirable over the years? Most of yer favorite ‘modern’ musicians seek out vintage gear. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/142 "2016-08-13T02:00:17Z")
> [@Alfishius](#): > > Anyway so yeah all these shows were in that kid’s head. Crazy stuff. _St. Elsewhere_, maybe. But probably not the shows it crossed over with. Fictional characters can exist in more than one continuity. Some characters, like Jenny Everywhere and Mikhail Gorbachev, basically have the super-power to actually exist in any continuity you can think of. (Well, I think Gorby is usually only used in settings that include Russia at the end of the Cold War, but he does exist in many fictional universes, including ours.) Happy Birthday, Jenny! ---
**Author:** ![Alfishius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Alfishius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alfishius)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/143 "2016-09-03T02:14:43Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > _St. Elsewhere_, maybe. But probably not the shows it crossed over with. Fictional characters can exist in more than one continuity. Some characters, like Jenny Everywhere and Mikhail Gorbachev, basically have the super-power to actually exist in any continuity you can think of. (Well, I think Gorby is usually only used in settings that include Russia at the end of the Cold War, but he does exist in many fictional universes, including ours.) Interesting! But still…if a fictional character exists only in one person’s mind, and yet someone meets that fictional character…then they must also be in that person’s mind, no? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/144 "2016-09-04T01:50:14Z")
> [@Alfishius](#): > > Interesting! > > But still…if a fictional character exists only in one person’s mind, and yet someone meets that fictional character…then they must also be in that person’s mind, no? Dude, let it go. But, wait, if you’re obsessed … I’m not sure you could do that if you were just a character in some kid’s head… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/145 "2016-09-04T01:58:33Z")
I’m starting to think maybe he is the kid. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/146 "2016-09-04T15:30:51Z")
Any television or movie western from before the Sergio Leone era that depicted astonishingly clean and well-dressed cowboys. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/147 "2016-09-05T01:45:00Z")
> [@Alfishius](#): > > Read, dude. > > [Fan Theory Proves Almost All TV Shows Exist Within Same Universe | HuffPost Entertainment](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tv-show-fake-tommy-westphall-universe_us_55f84ba1e4b00e2cd5e8118a) > > They all actually exist only in that kid’s head. The evidence is overwhelming. Dracula has appeared in my head. Guess that means there’s not any Dracula fiction in the real world, just what’s in my head, right? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/148 "2016-09-05T12:53:42Z")
I really don’t understand all the debate over the Tommy Westphall Universe. It’s quite simple: He fantasized about characters he saw on TV. The _connections_ happened in his head, that’s all. He was watching the same unconnected shows that we do and just tied them all together in his head. I also don’t believe that the entirety of _St. Elsewhere_ was a fantasy of Tommy’s. St. Elsewhere was probably a real hospital that he had been to (where else would you get a snow globe like that one?), and his fantasies were a mix of real people and TV characters. ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/149 "2016-09-07T16:59:53Z")
Almost any early CGI, especially on TV. Babylon 5 is a great example. Wonderful stories, but oh-so-terrible graphics by today’s standards. While watching, you feel like you’re playing a late 90’s video game. Even today’s browser-run games have better graphics. Unfortunately, there’s probably too many CGI shots to redo if it were to get the Star Trek TOS treatment where they recreate all of the exterior shots. Probably not enough profit to be made from doing it… I hope eventually the current level of eye-tricking CGI will get cheap enough to make it workable… Or the network will just opt to do the upteenth reboot intead… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/150 "2016-09-08T01:00:55Z")
I’d like to see all my favorite Harry Hausen films with the animation upgraded with blur motion. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/151 "2016-09-08T08:46:24Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I’d like to see all my favorite Harry Hausen films with the animation upgraded with blur motion. I’m going to assume you mean Ray Harryhausen, and hope nobody ever does anything of the sort. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/152 "2016-09-08T12:11:00Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > I’m going to assume you mean Ray Harryhausen, and hope nobody ever does anything of the sort. I woke up in the middle of the night last night and said “did I really do that?” :smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![Alfishius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Alfishius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alfishius)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/153 "2016-11-24T02:51:57Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Dracula has appeared in my head. Guess that means there’s not any Dracula fiction in the real world, just what’s in my head, right? :rolleyes: That argument is weak! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/154 "2016-11-24T13:59:52Z")
We watched a season 1 episode of _The Simpsons_ the other night: [_Homer’s Night Out_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer's_Night_Out). The one where Bart takes a picture of Homer dancing with Princess Jasmine. Egad. How antiquated. First, Bart orders a “spy” camera. One with film. He takes pictures of various things including the infamous Homer and Jasmine one. He temporarily joins the school photography club so he can get it developed. The picture gets copied and handed around. (Most using a photocopier, which doesn’t work for this, btw.) It ends up being posted on bulletin boards and such. Wow, just wow. Today: Bart would use his smartphone, post it online, people would email/tweet/etc. it to friends. It’d be on the Internet not a bulletin board. Etc. (Plus it would be considered too tame and actually be of little interest. Image what kind of photos Bart would be sharing with his friends today.) This is how long _The Simpsons_ have been on the air. A complete changeover of technology. ---
**Author:** ![Alfishius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Alfishius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alfishius)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/155 "2016-12-24T02:20:22Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > We watched a season 1 episode of _The Simpsons_ the other night: [_Homer’s Night Out_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer's_Night_Out). The one where Bart takes a picture of Homer dancing with Princess Jasmine. > > Egad. How antiquated. First, Bart orders a “spy” camera. One with film. He takes pictures of various things including the infamous Homer and Jasmine one. > > He temporarily joins the school photography club so he can get it developed. The picture gets copied and handed around. (Most using a photocopier, which doesn’t work for this, btw.) It ends up being posted on bulletin boards and such. > > Wow, just wow. > > Today: Bart would use his smartphone, post it online, people would email/tweet/etc. it to friends. It’d be on the Internet not a bulletin board. Etc. > > (Plus it would be considered too tame and actually be of little interest. Image what kind of photos Bart would be sharing with his friends today.) > > This is how long _The Simpsons_ have been on the air. A complete changeover of technology. Hmmm is Simpsons actually in that kid’s head? I can’t remember if Simpsons is tied to St. Elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/156 "2016-12-24T03:39:03Z")
This is a kids show, but Nickelodeons The Rugrats has some pretty dated stuff in it. The computer the parents have, the game system Angelica has in one episode, the size of Charlottes cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/157 "2016-12-24T14:48:33Z")
I remember an episode of Room 222 that I only saw twice. The students were ragging on an effeminate boy they thought was “queer.” The teachers and principal got together and had this dialog: Principal: Are we dealing with one or two problems here? Teacher: What do you mean? Principal: Is the boy a homosexual? When I saw this episode years later in syndication, that scene was cut. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/158 "2016-12-28T21:27:02Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Another thread reminded me of _Chasing Amy_ recently. And the scene at the train station where Banky and Holden are going to go to a Con. > > Banky has a bag full of porn mags. Now it would be just a cell phone full of it. Maybe a couple extra microSD cards. Not nearly as good for the visuals. > > Holden is paged on a beeper by Alyssa. That’s right, paged. He then goes over to a pay phone to call her. Again, it’d be all cell phones now. > > Most of that scene would be quite different if done today. Lesbians were so edgy back in 1997! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/159 "2016-12-28T21:42:21Z")
> [@Alfishius](#): > > Hmmm is Simpsons actually in that kid’s head? I can’t remember if Simpsons is tied to St. Elsewhere. [According to this chart,](http://i.imgur.com/UyNxJiv.jpg)pretty much everything is in that damn kid’s head: ---
**Author:** ![Alfishius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Alfishius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alfishius)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226/160 "2017-03-31T00:18:08Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > [According to this chart,](http://i.imgur.com/UyNxJiv.jpg)pretty much everything is in that damn kid’s head: I know! Maybe even the entire real world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-etc-moments-that-seem-really-dated-now/128226.md?page=9)