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Remember when TV was interactive... (3D glasses)

posted 16 years ago by Kelea7
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I just came from the living single board and someone posted talking about how no one believed the ep where you could call in and vote on who would date a guest star.

I didn't remember until then and it made me think of how interactive sitcoms etc used to be. I guess a better word would be inclusive.

I grew up in the 90s and I remember 3D Sunglasses, Scratch and Sniff, TGIF, the characters talking to the audience (in that particular episode of Living Single, Hanging with Mr. cooper etc...) and it just seemed the audience was a bigger part of everything.

The movies as well, especially when you think of movies like the Ninja Turtles movies and the cereal with the turtle bowls.

When movies like Aladdin and Little Mermaid came they had all types of things. Somewhere I even recall cups with scenes from the movie (Aladdin?) that changed color when they were cold or something to that effect.

Happy meal and toys that came in meals and cereal boxes were worth buying.

Some of this is a bit sketchy for me and I guess I've drifted a bit from my initial point but does anyone understand what I'm trying to say?

I'm not necessarily for product placement or selling a movie with gimmicks and toys but I think it seemed like they considered their audiences more back then.

Now it kind of seems like they think we're mindless drones who will take anything they send our way. Not that everything is bad these days, but am I just reaching in the dark here?

I'm as single as Jesus Christ.
NO.1 LDA

[–] Kelea7 16 years ago

Interesting. But just in case you thought so in no way was I suggesting that interactive television first started in the 90s. I'm not that naive. It's just for me as a child that's one of the things I remember the most. And compared to now even with the reality shows, well it seemed more harmless and fun. I think the 90s is going to be the last decade that really embraced that sort of advertisement the way it did.

Thanks for your response!

I'm as single as Jesus Christ.
NO.1 LDA

[–] Kelea7 16 years ago

Great reply! I was thinking about that myself, who knows what will happen in the future? And while I agree that every decade or generation are going to connect in some way I still think though that the 90s and the years before that, while trying to make money still actually somewhat cared about their audiences. Maybe not.

Thanks for getting me though!

You mentioned a Christmas Story and the decode ring. That's exactly what I mean, seems like the 80s and 90s were the big years for that kind of thing.

You know I showed my mom that Winky Dink and You thing and she remembers it! Anyway, I 'm glad you shared your interactive memories, it's just that so many people actually can't think past their own knowledge of things (like younger kids thinking fashion and slang started in their decade etc), so I thought maybe you figured I was one of them.

No doubt as the years go on things will get more interactive, now that I think about it, but I guess it seems it will be in a different way. Again, maybe it is just because I was a kid in the 90s. We didn't grow up in the instant age of today and tomorrow so it seems different.

I'm as single as Jesus Christ.
NO.1 LDA