The Power of Nostalgia

[ABED]

And there are numerous academics and intellectuals who are sadly very influential regardless of their obvious bias. I know this sounds cynical, but sorry, being biased doesn't neccessarily mean you won't be taken serious.

Besides, it's not like we're talking research, we're talking something innocuous. Having nostalgia is perfectly harmless and in no way poisonous. The phenomena you and Kunzait are talking about is fear which isn't due to looking back too fondly on the past. That's a symptom.

Depends on what you mean by "influential."

Publically, Bill O'Reilly's "historical" works have given him a decent following. Academically, he's considered a hack. These are different spheres of influence, and I operate in the latter one, therefore I have a different goal and outlook from discussion than someone who doesn't.

Academically, if you are biased to the extent where it affects your work, then you have failed as an academic. If you cannot be objective, then you are not in control over your own work.

I was thinking more like John Maynard Keynes, Paul Krugman, and Thomas Piketty.

Anyway, this is off topic. It's an interesting discussion that I'm willing to discuss privately.

Not living in the present or trying new things isn't a result of too much nostalgia anymore than arrogance is the result of too much pride.

[Kamiccolo9]

And there are numerous academics and intellectuals who are sadly very influential regardless of their obvious bias. I know this sounds cynical, but sorry, being biased doesn't neccessarily mean you won't be taken serious.

Besides, it's not like we're talking research, we're talking something innocuous. Having nostalgia is perfectly harmless and in no way poisonous. The phenomena you and Kunzait are talking about is fear which isn't due to looking back too fondly on the past. That's a symptom.

Depends on what you mean by "influential."

Publically, Bill O'Reilly's "historical" works have given him a decent following. Academically, he's considered a hack. These are different spheres of influence, and I operate in the latter one, therefore I have a different goal and outlook from discussion than someone who doesn't.

Academically, if you are biased to the extent where it affects your work, then you have failed as an academic. If you cannot be objective, then you are not in control over your own work.

I was thinking more like John Maynard Keynes, Paul Krugman, and Thomas Piketty.

Anyway, this is off topic. It's an interesting discussion that I'm willing to discuss privately.

Not living in the present or trying new things isn't a result of too much nostalgia anymore than arrogance is the result of too much pride.

None of whom are historians. Economists are totally different, and inhabit their own world somewhere between philosophers and mathematicians. I'm not informed in the academic economic sphere to speak as to their credibility amongst economics. If a historian cannot control his bias, then he is ridiculed, cast out, demeaned, and, eventually, ignored, by the academic community. It's brutal. Presentism, especially, is a cardinal sin on par with plagiarism.

[rereboy]

The enjoyment of something like a TV show or a comic is a purely subjective exercise.

Someone might like a show purely due to nostalgia... but so what? His enjoyment of it is a purely subjective experience. He can like it for any reason at all, including nostalgia. Critical thought has no bearing on his enjoyment, nor should it have because he is simply enjoying it, not offering a critique on it, and liking something due to nostalgia doesn't mean that the person isn't open to new things or can't be objective in general.

Enjoying something like that is inherently different from a critique because critics will try to be more objective and rate it according to its merits based on more objective criteria. Therefore, there's a disconnect between a pure enjoyment and a critique. The only problem is when people confused the two.

Critical thought on academic fields or science is a completely different topic and has nothing to do with the simple enjoyment of something like a TV show or a comic.

[bigray]

Speak of nostalgia... I grew up watching dbz and I feel like the dub I watched isn't on any of the dvd sets I can find.

Specifically speaking at the end of the episode 'children of cell attack' on the most dubs the narrator starts talking about gohans strength starting with raditz etc. I don't remember that being in there watching as a kid

Is there another dub where the narrator says something different there? I'd love to find it

This is the part I'm talking about.
https://youtu.be/i6JT-p4WIsk

[Danfun64]

There's the uncut singles, cut vhs from Australia and us with original narration, orange bricks redub and all dbz releases made afterwards, kai, and the Westwood ocean dub only available by searching online.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I'm guessing the version you are referring to is the original Funimation dub, which had Dale Kelly narrate the Cell games. This dub was more or less the same as the revised dub found on the home releases with the exception of some cast members redubbing their old lines and Kyle Herbert replacing Kelly as the narrator.

[Deathbringer]

The first time I saw Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z all the way through was indeed with the Funimation dub (with Japanese OST though) however I didn't watch the series as a young kid, I saw it like 2 or 3 years ago so throughout the whole thing I knew it was cheesy and the lines were corny but I just assumed that was just how the show is rather than thinking that the Japanese version might be better. Then after watching the series I can't remember exactly how but I started to look up clips of the Japanese version and immediately noticed that the actors took it more seriously and really put their all into it I eventually decided the Japanese version was better.

As for the faulconer score I just don't think it fits with the anime and even though I haven't heard all of it I don't like most of what I've heard, I like some songs like SSJ3 Goku theme but it still sounds like it would be better off in one of the video games. I have no problem with the dub as it is now though, like Kai, Battle of Gods and Resurrection F those have really great dubs but for the original DB and DBZ (and GT I guess) I never had to struggle with any nostalgia to conclude the Japanese version was better.

[ABED]

The question was never which version was better.

[fadeddreams5]

Yeah, I definitely feel nostalgic watching old shows like, for example, Tenchi Muyo. I definitely get that warm feeling like "wow, I remember this" and flashbacks of watching the show with my sister as a kid.

In the case of something like DBZ, I actually don't because I have never stopped watching portions of the original dub. Dub, sub, Kai...I've never spent years not watching something related to this show. It's actually pretty crazy when I think about it.

[bigray]

There's the uncut singles, cut vhs from Australia and us with original narration, orange bricks redub and all dbz releases made afterwards, kai, and the Westwood ocean dub only available by searching online.

I'm having a hard time understanding your reply. Which dub are you suggesting is different than the video I linked?

I've already tried the uncut singles, orange bricks, dragon boxes. They all have the same dialog where the narrator speaks about gohan. Is there any that's different

P.s

The video I linked was from the dragon boxes

[Danfun64]

Look for both US and Australian censored VHS tapes from the Cell Games. They should have the original narration.

[8000 Saiyan]

I wasn't at all referring to you. I was making a general statement about people who insist that something is good just because they watched it as a kid. You said that nostalgia is bad for critical thinking, and I was suggesting that it can be, but if one separates things they legitimately like, and things they like only like out of nostalgia, then there's no problem.

I mean that, instead of trying to convince themselves and others that it's definitely good, they shouldn't be afraid to admit when they like something just because it reminds them of their childhood. That's pretty much how I am with the old DIC Nintendo cartoons. I watch the Super Mario Super Show every once in a while, but I'm well aware that even in its day it was a very simple and flawed cartoon, but I love it to death because it brings back memories.

Of course, quality itself is entirely subjective, but that's just my take on things.

To be fair, is there a cartoon that doesn't have any flaws? I struggle to think of one cartoon that doesn't have them.

Speaking of DiC, I think the only stuff I ever liked from them was the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Inspector Gadget and COPS. I hate what they did with G.I. Joe. Yeah, the Sunbow G.I. Joe cartoon was cheesy, but it had a charm to it and there were surprisingly good stories in some episodes. Besides, I think the voices for many of the characters were perfectly cast (Duke, Scarlett, Flint, Lady Jaye, General Hawk, Cobra Commander, Shipwreck and Cover Girl are some examples). Whenever I read a G.I. Joe comic, it's with those voices.

It's a pity they never made Season 3 instead of DiC. From what I've read, it sounded like it would have been the best season of the series.

[samuraix123]

Maybe it's because I've become much more reflective after turning 30, but does anyone else get really nostalgic about the old dubs from the 90s? I do even though I'm well aware, and was so even then, if the quality wasn't up to snuff. I read all about Dragon Ball Z and read Curtis Hoffmann's manga summaries, but I hadn't seen the entire series, so seeing even season 3 was a great time for me as a fan.

I haven't read all of the others responses but me personally, Yes! I was looking through some old VHS Tapes the other day(not my Toonami broadcasts but Funi's official tapes) and was happy rewatching some. For some odd reason I have started trying to collect back old crappy quality footage of the movies and some of the series for really...no reason at all? lol I guess it just reminds me of the old days and what it was like trying to find Dragonball content online *The Struggle was real back then* LOL but I don't hate the dub or the US music. I just enjoy watching the show both subbed and dubbed.

[Metalwario64]

I wasn't at all referring to you. I was making a general statement about people who insist that something is good just because they watched it as a kid. You said that nostalgia is bad for critical thinking, and I was suggesting that it can be, but if one separates things they legitimately like, and things they like only like out of nostalgia, then there's no problem.

I mean that, instead of trying to convince themselves and others that it's definitely good, they shouldn't be afraid to admit when they like something just because it reminds them of their childhood. That's pretty much how I am with the old DIC Nintendo cartoons. I watch the Super Mario Super Show every once in a while, but I'm well aware that even in its day it was a very simple and flawed cartoon, but I love it to death because it brings back memories.

Of course, quality itself is entirely subjective, but that's just my take on things.

To be fair, is there a cartoon that doesn't have any flaws? I struggle to think of one cartoon that doesn't have them.

Of course, I just mean in an obvious and very cheesy, riddled with production issues kind of way.

[Chuquita]

I'm like "this is a fascinating thread, why have I not posted in it" and then I see it's a year old and was mostly going on around the time I was busy recovering from almost-dying. That explains it.

The all-encompassing love affair with nostalgia that's gripped pop culture is something I feel exempt from because what I want more than anything right now is move forward and make a future for myself that I can be happy with. I don't see the past as a better or worse time than the present. It's both; it's just different.

Maybe those who are in love with nostalgia were lucky (or unlucky depending on how dependent on it they are) to have a brief period of their lives where everything seemed perfect and everything was going well. Maybe their present pales in comparison to that. The whole "peaked early" concept.

The past was hard. The present is hard. Life in general is hard and the challenges you face are ever-changing. The only reason I would ever want to go back to the past is if I could do so with the knowledge I've gained due to what I've experienced and make more informed choices to see if I'd get a better result; but that wouldn't be fair. The me I am now only exists because of the choices my younger self made, and while my situation isn't yet where I want it to be, I still like who I've become as a person. It's what drives me to try as many new and different things now as I can in hopes for the future. If there's one piece of advice I could give 11 year old me and have that me take it to heart, it'd be that.

[ABED]

The all-encompassing love affair with nostalgia that's gripped pop culture is something I feel exempt from because what I want more than anything right now is move forward and make a future for myself that I can be happy with. I don't see the past as a better or worse time than the present. It's both; it's just different.

I think nostalgia in small doses is perfectly fine, but yeah, I don't want to live in the past. In the art and pop culture that I watch or read, I would prefer it to consist mostly of new moments and images and not a constant series of call backs. Create new moments that I will fall in love with. One of the biggest issues I have with the plethora of series revivals is that they don't take the story somewhere new.

[Chuquita]

The all-encompassing love affair with nostalgia that's gripped pop culture is something I feel exempt from because what I want more than anything right now is move forward and make a future for myself that I can be happy with. I don't see the past as a better or worse time than the present. It's both; it's just different.

I think nostalgia in small doses is perfectly fine, but yeah, I don't want to live in the past. In the art and pop culture that I watch or read, I would prefer it to consist mostly of new moments and images and not a constant series of call backs. Create new moments that I will fall in love with. One of the biggest issues I have with the plethora of series revivals is that they don't take the story somewhere new.

I agree. I've got no problem with nostalgia, I wouldn't want to overly rely on it though. One of my biggest issues with the manga for Super is Toyotaro does too many callbacks when he could create new iconic moments or powers of his own.
It's why I prefer Toei's Gokû Black and Merged Zamasu; because of how unique and fresh their powers are where their manga selves borrow powers from callbacks.

[8000 Saiyan]

I'm like "this is a fascinating thread, why have I not posted in it" and then I see it's a year old and was mostly going on around the time I was busy recovering from almost-dying. That explains it.

The all-encompassing love affair with nostalgia that's gripped pop culture is something I feel exempt from because what I want more than anything right now is move forward and make a future for myself that I can be happy with. I don't see the past as a better or worse time than the present. It's both; it's just different.

Maybe those who are in love with nostalgia were lucky (or unlucky depending on how dependent on it they are) to have a brief period of their lives where everything seemed perfect and everything was going well. Maybe their present pales in comparison to that. The whole "peaked early" concept.

The past was hard. The present is hard. Life in general is hard and the challenges you face are ever-changing. The only reason I would ever want to go back to the past is if I could do so with the knowledge I've gained due to what I've experienced and make more informed choices to see if I'd get a better result; but that wouldn't be fair. The me I am now only exists because of the choices my younger self made, and while my situation isn't yet where I want it to be, I still like who I've become as a person. It's what drives me to try as many new and different things now as I can in hopes for the future. If there's one piece of advice I could give 11 year old me and have that me take it to heart, it'd be that.

You almost died? From what?

[Chuquita]

I'm like "this is a fascinating thread, why have I not posted in it" and then I see it's a year old and was mostly going on around the time I was busy recovering from almost-dying. That explains it.

The all-encompassing love affair with nostalgia that's gripped pop culture is something I feel exempt from because what I want more than anything right now is move forward and make a future for myself that I can be happy with. I don't see the past as a better or worse time than the present. It's both; it's just different.

Maybe those who are in love with nostalgia were lucky (or unlucky depending on how dependent on it they are) to have a brief period of their lives where everything seemed perfect and everything was going well. Maybe their present pales in comparison to that. The whole "peaked early" concept.

The past was hard. The present is hard. Life in general is hard and the challenges you face are ever-changing. The only reason I would ever want to go back to the past is if I could do so with the knowledge I've gained due to what I've experienced and make more informed choices to see if I'd get a better result; but that wouldn't be fair. The me I am now only exists because of the choices my younger self made, and while my situation isn't yet where I want it to be, I still like who I've become as a person. It's what drives me to try as many new and different things now as I can in hopes for the future. If there's one piece of advice I could give 11 year old me and have that me take it to heart, it'd be that.

You almost died? From what?

I felt like I was going to drown in a room full of air.

Below's an abridged version; to explain all the details would be to write a grimly comedic novella involving strawberry pop-tarts, Yoshi's Island, and "beautiful veins" (which someday, somewhere I might, but not here or today).

I was in an accident last June; I fell, hit my neck and unbeknownst to me injured my left vocal cord. The swelling in my throat made breathing incredibly difficult and I took my first and hopefully last ambulance ride to the ICU where I stayed for 6 days before transferring to a regular hospital room for 4 more days. Then I went home and it took all summer to build my strength back up. For 8 weeks I had a temporary trach and it was hell. The trach was removed after that and all that's left is a small scar. The scar took several months to fully heal. It took almost an entire year for my voice to heal. I still sound a little scratchy due to the scar tissue on that cord, but I've got my volume and about 95% of my vocal range back (there's a few super high notes I can no longer hit, but have old recordings of that prove I once could). The way it is now I could voice "generic shounen jump protagonist" real well, haha. (I laugh because comedy is what helps me cope.)

I don't usually bring real life stuff into online postings, but at the time since there actually was a chance I was going to die (from asphyxiation I suppose), I posted about it at the time on my deviantart (though they don't archive status updates so that message is gone now) and a shorter version on my tumblr about having to go to the hospital for a while.

I was gone for 5 days straight from this forum last June; that's rare for me. I vaguely recall checking in on my phone from the hospital, but I kept myself from posting because they had me pumped all full of drugs. My family brought my laptop to me in the ICU and I watched episode 48 of Super in the hospital; unfortunately the drugs I was full of wiped my memory of the entire episode and I realized that when I went to go re-watch it several months later. I recalled the event clear as a bell, but none of the episode's contents. Only three posts I made from in the hospital and miraculously only one of them reads like there's something wrong with me:

Yay ssjg!! That was a great hospital treat! Can't wait to buy the tankoubon.

Only three hours later from the same hospital room:

i misssed ssjg goku and was thrilled to him in the f and Champa dougi. when i get out of here there will be mini comics.

I'm shocked no one called me out on that mess of a post at the time. Grammatical horrors aside, I never talk about my deviantart/tumblr stuff on kanzenshuu because this isn't the place I post my fan-art.

Wow I get a fake/imitation vibe from Gokû Black in Toriyama's drawing. Very threw a wig on him.

This one's 5 days after the first two posts; I was out of the ICU and in the regular hospital room by this point so it sounds the most like a normal post I'd write.

[floofychan333]

I already feel nostalgia for some things though I'm only 17. I actually find that one of the best ways to connect with other people my age or to strengthen connections with my friends is to talk about stuff we experienced back when we were in elementary school. We had cartoons we watched that are entirely different from what kids like my little cousin are watching today, and we had to use clunky technology that was way less advanced than what's used today. For example, every class now has Smartboards but I never had one in elementary school.