Consumerism and Entertainment
From Zanecorpwiki
I wonder what the relation between "consumerism" and the changing nature of entertainment is. I like plays, musicals, theater, but I don't go that often. When I do, it's a big deal... it's expensive, parking is usually a problem, if something comes up, you lose the money. In other words, it's a hassle. Two hours of refined entertainment starts at $20 for a ticket alone, and can easily run over $100 per seat. The seats and concessions are universally worse than a movie theater.
Last time I tried to go to a play, we showed up 5 minutes late and I lost $60.
Also, the modern concept of staying quite and not talking has it's pros and cons. It probably makes for a better show, but in Count of Monte Cristo, the description of the opera as a place where the well to-do go to hang out and meet and greet sounds pretty appealing. I would certainly go to a lot more classical concerts if I could hang out with my friends and drink coffee with a full orchestra playing in the background. That sounds much more appealing than sitting on terrible benches for 2 hours stock still and being forced to listen to a play list where half the pieces are just not very good.
Hanging out the mall, buying a DVD, renting a movie, all these things are clearly preferred and it's easy to see why. Not that I'm calling for the end of theater as we know it (which is, as I say, a fairly modern idea), but it would be nice to see more diversification. Invest in good seats. Get decent concessions. Accept that you'll make more money if you make it a social event.
Honestly, the shows aren't that great. I've seen some really good performances, and the live, real 3d nature of it all is worth quite a bit, but most plays just aren't that good. 10 actors drawn from a small local pool on a tiny budget and limited rehearsal time just aren't going to put on an exceptional show all that often. The idea that we should all sit in rapt attention to anything just because it's on a stage is foolish. I'd like to see diversification.
