My generation embarrasses me

Third Place

Editorial/Column

Division 2

My generation embarrasses me

Matt Shea

Grade 12

Hi-Lite

Manheim Township HS

Adviser: Marty Pflieger

I first said the quote that attracted you to this story in Mrs. Luther’s English class last year. I had been asked to identify one of the great American actors, I responded with “Jimmy Stewart.” To my shock are awe, my class had no idea who that was.

It is this exact type of ignorance that my generation displays for culture which causes me to hate it. For example, Charlie Chaplin is the greatest actor to ever walk this Earth (there is no argument) and yet I could stroll through the halls of this school for hours before finding on student in Township who has heard of him, let along seen one of his masterful works.

My generation has become fixated with idiotic TV series and movies (talking to you Hannah Montana) that make no contribution to the art of filmmaking. They simply do not understand what a great actor is, or what it means to win an Oscar. They seem unable to comprehend what a movie is capable of doing in this world.

“But aren’t movies supposed to entertain, Matt?” I can hear some of you asking. Obviously this is true, movies are meant to entertain, but is that their main purpose? No! You can tell a great movie by one simple defining question: “What is the message the filmmakers are trying to say?” If your answer is “To see how many times a shopping cart can flip on it’s way down an icy hill,” thank you are not witnessing a great film.

“Now what’s wrong with a good ol’ screwball comedy every once in a while?” Nothing! Nothing is wrong with the Zoolanders of this world. Just because a movie is funny, does not mean it is a great move. With that said, however, there are other comedies that are great films and screwball movies. A great example of this is Airplane!. What’s different about Airplane! Is that it is a comedy which proved to be a great influence for every comedy that followed.

Where it is affecting a genre for years to come, or the actual art of filmmaking, movies just need to make some sort of impact. The American Film Institute, as well as myself, regard Citizen Kane as being the greatest movie ever made, and it is easy to see why. Citizen Kane introduced dozens of film techniques as well as revolutionized make-up, lighting, and script writing in film, not to mention the film itself raised all kinds of political and social controversy when it debuted.

Rodney Dangerfield said it best: it’s about no respect. My generation simply has no respect for filmmakers. This is clearly evident in every movie theatre across the nation…when the credits start to roll. When the credits appear, most people stand and sprint out of the door as if the white letters were going to eat away at their soul. I, on the other hand, understand what the credits really are… a curtain call. In live theatre when the play has ended, the cast members come out and take a bow, the audience claps and stands in appreciation of what those actors were able to do. It is no different at the moves. The closing credits are just one big curtain call for the cast and crew of the film. You would never walk out of a live theatre when the actors take a curtain call, so why would you do it at the movie theatre!

Despite my best efforts, I know I cannot change my generation. I can’t stop them from paying money to see monstrosities like Napoleon Dynamite and naming their homecoming “Urban Underground.” My generation has no respect for the Marlon Brandos of the world, nor will they ever be able to understand the depth of a silent film. My generation will always be to blame for the demise of shows like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and the rise of Gossip Girl, the OC, and that insult to television Friday Night Lights. There are a few out there who realize what film is capable of, and to you I tip my cap. We stand tall against our generation, and sit alone as the credits roll.