Justin Bieber. Spongebob Squarepants. Ben 10. These are all things that I don't understand. Is it just me? Yes and no.

 

 

 

I think back to my childhood, and I remember my favorite TV shows. Of course, "The Price is Right" topped the list, but I also liked some shows that were geared towards my age bracket. Nickelodeon was a treasure trove of shows that I loved. "You Can't Do That On Television." "Double Dare." "Salute Your Shorts." If you're around my age, mentioning those three shows just brought back a wave of nostalgia.

 

 

 

If I were to turn my television to any sort of youth programming today, I'd be lost. Sometimes, I'll turn my TV on, and it's still on Cartoon Network (from watching "Family Guy" reruns the night before). I try watching a few minutes of these new cartoons, and I don't get it. I don't love the humor, I don't like the animation, and the characters don't appeal to me. It's not bad. I just don't get it.

 

 

 

I scroll through the songs in my iPhone, and find some newer stuff mixed in with a massive army of classic songs that are standards of American rock, pop, blues, and jazz. If I were to tune my radio to the local Top 40 station, I'd be lost. With all of the synthesized hand claps and the of Autotune to morph a singer's voice, I'd quickly be longing for The Beatles or some BB King. It's not bad. I just don't get it.

 

 

 

You can look at these comparisons all day. The same goes for toys, games, movies, and hobbies. It's not bad. I just don't get it.

 

 

 

Here's the secret: I'm not supposed to get it. How do I know? Because my parents didn't get it when I was a kid. They couldn't understand why Nickelodeon captivated me every afternoon. They didn't find it as easy to groove to MC Hammer as I did. The toys, games, movies, and hobbies all seemed inferior to those of their childhood.

 

 

 

The moral of this blog? The next time you start to complain how the TV shows, music, toys, games, movies, and hobbies of today pale in comparison to those of your childhood...don't. You're starting to sound like your parents.

 

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