In the popular kids’ movie “Meet the Robinsons,” a quote by Walt Disney himself trails just before the credits roll that profoundly states, “…we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new thing.”
The world is constantly changing, and it must in order to continue to function—whether one likes it or not. While many pursuits of this nature prove noble, much of today’s growing society is effervescently and continuously clawing for the “next best thing,” which requires companies or people in general to step up their game and outdo the previous competition. However, somehow satisfaction is yet to be reached.
Beginning this fall, new changes in various aspects of the media are sure to cause a ruckus amongst its patrons, some of which have already been implemented. Along with these revisions come fresh reboots of classics.
For starters, CBS premiered the ninth season of the popular sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” on Monday, Sept. 19, to a massive audience of nearly 28 million. After Charlie Sheen got the boot from the show’s producers for his embarrassing misconduct this past spring, much controversy floated to the surface when pompous Sheen’s replacement, Ashton Kutcher, was announced in mid-May. While much of their fan base was compromised in the big switch, the show earned its biggest ratings in its history that night, proving Kutcher’s worthiness and ability to fill such high expectations.
On a different note, Facebook underwent a major facelift on Monday, Sept. 19, and has since caused a stir in its ever-growing membership. While the company tweaks its database frequently, this particular change has even sparked the media’s attention. However, the change will no doubt fail to lose its 800-million strong members. According to Digg.com’s founder Kevin Rose’s prediction, the expectations are sure to follow the same Facebook-change cycle: “A volcanic freak out, followed by gradual acceptance.”
Another aspect of change coming this October is the long-awaited unveiling of Apple’s iPhone 5. Though many have speculated its actual significant difference from the previous generation, the new model allegedly has features that are almost futuristic in nature.
On Oct. 5, new Apple CEO Tim Cook will take on his first assignment of announcing the iPhone 5, which to no surprise, is already hyped up by perspective and curious buyers alike.
Adding to this recent atmosphere of change and progress, a new reboot by MTV of the 1985 film, “Footloose,” hits theaters Oct. 14, 2011. While the fresh take on this classic may seem great to a younger generation, to most it is completely unnecessary to re-do such an iconic film.
Taking the role that shot Kevin Bacon to fame as Ren McCormack is Kenny Wormald, and his female co-star is the two-time “Dancing with the Stars” winner, Julianne Hough. Jen Chaney of the “Washington Post” comments that the remake will make the movie-goers “count the ways you miss Kevin Bacon.” Until its upcoming release, only assumptions like hers can be made of its quality and faithfulness to the original.
With all these renovations and reinterpretations appearing this fall, many people act like change in these particular areas is a new concept. However, like Walt Disney urges, it is essential to keep moving forward in ordear to better ourselves as a culture and for all the generations to come.
