02-08-2023, 08:54 PM
(02-08-2023, 07:59 AM)Guest Wrote: [ -> ]I don't see Western Cartoons and Animation as having a chance to recover. Even what the audience considers "the good old days" is far-removed from Disney at his peak. Much of this audience is also involved in training for the next generation. They sincerely believe that the 2000's style is an aesthetic triumph. On the animation side, many have odd judgements based on technical "goods". So they will say "The animation is good, even if the designs are bad." And so on. You will see the same type praising some ugly thing for some technical reason. Is it willful? I doubt it. They simply can't tell the difference between good art and bad art, beautiful and ugly. Such is an unfortunate consequence of Art schools accepting and credentialing non-artistic people. The most dangerous credential being the delusion given to the graduate or student.
Rigor in all artistic fields is also drained away by "For fun". It's a fun song, a fun movie, a fun cartoon, a fun game. Etc. Even if there is something to a piece of work which leads to someone using this term...That something is quickly confused as other like creations are made. The judging apparatus fails, as it compares like to like, and one was good and so the other must be good too.
It would not be a problem if this was contained only in the passive audience. But it is entrenched in the critical audience, as well as the productive audience.
I think you're right, recovery isn't possible. If there's a future it's something entirely new. I don't think another John K is possible. Or even desirable at this point. There's too much taint embedded in the industry and people.
I've been thinking lately about /co/ brain, which I think ties into both "fun" and thinking the 2000s was good. I think there's a certain kind of taste that's developed which has these weird, almost racist blinders on. Really ideological I believe, where people seek to please themselves, but within rather strict lines. I think western animation is pretty only watched by people who feel like they owe it something and ought to have something against anime. They (rightly) feel like it's something they ought to disagree with. And instead kind of loyally and patiently cheer on western animation, getting excited over every minute improvement in entertainment value. There's the issue of not knowing what's good, there's also I believe an element of aversion. "Fun" media I think is not enjoyed by pure hedonists. "Fun" is a kind of ethical restraint and self-denial/cope.