Victor, I'm afraid you are acting exactly like the white, Christian local government officials in the UK who decide that official Christmas cards should have no reference to Christ because it will offend people of other religions - even though none of those people have ever felt offended. "Seasons Greetings", "Happy Holidays"

I guess it's a difference between attitudes east and west of the pond.
I can't imagine anyone here in Blighty would see that video as degrading. All it does is show the all too rapidly disappearing British Spirit of being able to laugh in the face of adversity.
They are REAL people, having a bit of a laugh, whilst using it to promote a serious issue.

Using aging "real" talent would be self defeating as those singers you mention (or the British equivalent) will have done very nicely, thank you, and it would be somewhat less effective to show multi-millionaires complaining about how badly off they are.

"We are the World" needed the world famous as did the original idea ("Do They Know It's Christmas" ) because something needed to project the plight of the starving and suffering onto a world stage.

Instead of big names, "My Generation" uses novelty value to achieve similar aims (though I'm sure the target was no more than the UK stage)

You use whatever method you feel is best to get your message across.

Just to touch on one other of your arguments - using a song from the 40s would be nowhere near as effective. Why? Because My Generation is a song familiar to people of my age, people who still have a good while to go before retirement, people who can still do something to help. Surely that's better than whinging among their peer group?

If someone can prove to me that anyone in "The Zimmers" was duped into doing it or taken advantage of, then I'll change my stance.

And please don't tell me you seriously thought that the audience was meant to believe that the old folk shown playing the instruments really were playing the instruments.

Sadly I'm not 80, but I'd be more than happy if I reach that age for a similar type of video to include close-ups of me.

Unless, of course, you are a master of irony and having a joke at my expense :)

I believe they chose this song because the video is targeted to people of MY GENERATION who have parents of the age portrayed in the video. I am of that generation and my parents would be in their early 80's if they were alive. I didn't find the portrayal of that age cohort demeaning at all. They seemed to enjoy themselves.

If this video inspires anyone of THAT GENERATION to do something positive to help the members of their parents' generation, then great! Vic pointedly said that nobody will do that. I wonder how he knows that??

Vic, I still have to disagree.

These are REAL people, not hand-picked "beautiful" people. That would truly come across as propaganda.

You're saying these people aren't "worthwhile"? I find that to be a very disturbing remark. So if someone doesn't fit within the American ideal of a commercial talent, they aren't worthwhile?

This really bothers me. I can't put into words how shocked and disappointed I am at what you've said.

I couldn't disagree with you more.

... but take another look at that video - the crappy quality - the lousy lip sync - choice of song - all of it.

Yet you raved about a "crappy" video--with crappy quality--of a guy doing nothing but jumping up and down at various locations around the world.

Go figure.

I had sent that video on to about 20 of my friends when it first came out. I got only 1 negative feedbacks and that was from one of my best friends who said it sucked. Not because of any exploitation, he just thought it sucked.

I thought it was a hoot as I used to live by that song, esp. "hope I die before I get old" . Of course, now since I'm in my 50's, I don't buy into that theory any more. I just thought it was great fun.

I'll forward this thread on to my best bud, as he will now have some company that doesn't like it.

Speaking for many of my other friends who liked it, we still like it regardless of the possible hidden meaning or political statements.

It's good to be part of a forum that has members that can express differing points of view without everyone going nuts and throwing
rocks at each other. You just never know what will get someones dander up.

That being said.....Neat bit.

Sorry Vic.

Terry

Vic, you're a lovely guy, and I've read and re-read everything you wrote, and to me it seems you just don't get irony. I think you're taking the production values far too seriously.

Of course the song didn't belong to their generation - its use is ironic.

No, the lead singer did not have a full set of teeth - that's ironic too.

No, the guy who kicked the drums over wasn't the real drummer - that's ironic.

I suggest this video has moved countless people to reconsider their attitude to the elderly, and hopefully such changes of attitude will lead to changes of official policy and a better deal for them, which is really us a little way down the road ....
Peter

Vic,

I think you are illustrating the point of the video. You don't want to look. These are old folks who don't have their teeth and use canes and walkers to get around. What is your reaction? You turn away. You don't want to look. Someone pointed out the use of irony in the video, not mockery. I think it's getting people to look at these edelry people in a new light. The point of the video is that society turns away from these people. I really think you should examine your reaction to this piece.

My guess is, of course, since these people are British, they are pretty aware of this song and who Pete Townshend is even they were never Who fans.

VIDEO: OLD PEOPLE TRYING TO BREAK UP THEIR ACOUSTIC GUITARS - AND FAILING MISERABLY - TOO WEAK AND FRAIL -
This was not done to to mock the old folks, this is because the whole video was low budget and they couldn't get prop guitars. Perhaps the guy who made this video isn't $%#@&* Quincy Jones. Hell the guy from the Arcade Fire couldn't break his guitar on Saturday Night Live on the first try. Hell, I'm too old to be into the Arcade Fire.

Not one of you was moved to do one positive thing to help an older person.
Vic, that is pure BS. Don't presume bad faith on my part and don't presume that video didn't elicit sympathy in the audience.

Buster -

>>I think you are illustrating the point of the video. You don't want to look. These are old folks who don't have their teeth and use canes and walkers to get around. What is your reaction? You turn away. You don't want to look. Someone pointed out the use of irony in the video, not mockery. I think it's getting people to look at these edelry people in a new light. The point of the video is that society turns away from these people. I really think you should examine your reaction to this piece.

I really think you should examine your reaction to this piece...

So I did - very carefully.

You all are right!

Mea Culpa...
I have turned my head rather than reaching out - and so I guess the video worked it's magic on me - although I was obviously kicking and screaming all the way.

I'm glad I lit a little fire here, but in the end, I'm afraid my 40 years of polished teeth and "virtual perfection" projected an immediate reaction...

And since I feel that creative inspiration must come from deep-rooted experience, I have actually started to write a comedy about older people. Something warm and funny and positive. There are more ways to look at a problem, and I have "seen the light".

I hope you all will accept my honest apology - but it was a hell of a good debate, wasn't it??

:>))

v

Victor,
I did see where you were coming from, the line between exploitation and exposing an issue is a very rubbery one. This debate goes back to almost the beginning of cinema and still continues today.

However as I think you've now realised this wasn't an exploitive work at all although seeing it out of context it could well appear that way.

Bob.

Vic,

Completely accepted. Your mea culpa shows the class and good humor I associate with you.

I think sometimes if you misconstrue someone's intentions, it colors your view of the entire issue. If I thought the video was a piece of mockery I would have been upset too.

Buster

Vic, if your, ever, EVER needed to stack-up your cred, your last reply just PUSHED it through the ceiling, the roof and was last seen hurtling towards VEGA.

You ARE a mench! A mench of the highest order.

Gawd bless yah guvnor!!

Best regards,

Graham "Grazie" Bernard

Victor, so you've been "born again." Now that's good news!

You are entitled to an opinion just as much as you are to the changing of it. Everyone knows that, yet it takes a lot of guts to go out and say 'I changed my mind'.

It is no great mystery how someone can react as you did. The cross-genereation acceptance of rock music in UK and Ireland must be unique. Visiting from Norway in the sixties and seventies it was truly amazing to see "old women" (they could'a been our mums) fire up the jukebox with current hits, screaming guitars, what have you. It wouldn't have happened in Norway, and probably not in the US either. But there you go. Sociologically speaking, the people in that video have danced to that music before, in pubs, at wedding receptions etc. They may not remember what they were wearing when Sgt. Pepper came out, but they are familiar with the hits of those times. They will have seen clips of Keith Moon tipping his drum kit over and Pete Townshend smashing his guitar. Mind you, many of them will also have danced to a band led by Pete Townshend's father.

It is this kind of community backdrop that makes the video possible. Makes England possible, I should say. Being unaware of the close and special relationship between British generations and rock may well stop someone from immediately grasping what the video actually does.
Tor

Although this video is good, it would be better suited if the charactors were in their late fifties or early sixties. Not as old as they were depicted.

I can see the idea of the "My Generation" theme, but please, these people were not a part of the generation this song was intended to depict.

It's like watching these same people doning "The Electric Slide" or the "Macarana" on a wedding video.

BLA BLa Blaaaa

Tom

Good on you Vic - I look forward to hearing more about your comedy about old people. Once you get hold of an idea you have a great capacity to follow it through. My late wife used to be in charge of a nursing home, looking after and loving many characters, most of them with dementia. Some of the stories she brought home were classic.

After completing her evening's caring, Doreen would sit in her office quietly doing her paperwork, and one character, Stan, would sometimes come and join her. Once, imagining himself to be at home with his wife, he completely disrobed, folding his clothes neatly, then began lifting up the back of Doreen's cardigan. Whereas some of her colleagues would have been outraged and made an "Incident Report", my dear Doreen defused the situation by simply saying "Not now, Stan", and gently took him back to his room.

Peter -
you touched me.
v

As Vic pointed out, that is a really great story. Thanks for sharing.

Seeing Vic's name on the thread I came in to see what he had to say (always valuable). I watched the video when it was first posted, and I thought then it would have been nice to have elderly musicians (there are plenty around) rather than young rockers. The piece does seem to me rather uncoordinated, but nevertheless thought it worthwhile and the reactions of others here shows that it communicates a good message. The Brits make quite a lot of comedies around the elderly, "one Foot in the Grave" being one that comes to mind. There was a beautiful drama series called "All Passion Spent", which you should check out if you didn't see it.
But I can see Vic's point. A lot of problems for the elderly in today's youth culture is that there is no respect. In various cultures the elderly are respected for their wisdom and guidance, but when the kids know it all they don't want interference from those who know better. Many people grow old without growing decrepit, but our society equates being passed 65 with sticks, zimmer frames and loss of mind. And whilst that is the image, we get the attitude of leave them in the corner because they're useless and dying, but we ought to put ourselves out for the occasional visit. This video points out that these people can still move and enjoy themselves and switched-on to our music, but I'm not sure that it does much to promote the idea that the old are valuable. Maybe that's Vic's point. And when you get into that age group, you like people to have a positive expectation of you.
We have a TV series running here called "The Choir of Hard Knocks", where anyone who is disadvantaged (old, blind, druggies, homeless, schizophrenic, out-of-work, etc) can participate if they wish. Not bad at all, and they sing in time and recognizably in tune. It creates a very positive image of these people, gives them self-confidence and a great sense of self-worth. I reckon old-timers can do just as well too.