Reading and Watching below your age group

Is it just me or do people seem more and more interested in fiction for younger age groups? Nickelodeon for example recently put up some of their kid shows from the 90's back on air between midnight and 2 a.m. (for the college students on Facebook asking for it). Novel series like Twilight, Hunger Games, and Harry Potter intended for kids and teenagers attract older audiences. A show based on a series of toys called 'My Little Pony' intended for 6 year old girls has a visible grown male fan base. Hollywood movie lineups are eager to adapt children's series for wider audiences: G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles.

I haven't been observing media for decades. Am I just imagining this trend or have adults always been drawn to shows for younger people?

You're not imagining things. Many of my older family members read Harry Potter, Twilight, etc: Aunts, Uncles, cousins. The font is just so big that its easier to read =/ I understand the nickelodeon thing though, wanting to relive the toons that helped define the decade. The same might be said for GI Joe, Transformers, etc. Properties designed for kids, but actualized over 20 years ago.

Groovy Metal Fist said:

A show based on a series of toys called 'My Little Pony' intended for 6 year old girls has a visible grown male fan base.

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I did not know this

GI Joe, Transformers and TMNT aired while some of us were growing up and that's the novelty behind interest in those. I don't know about the rest as much. But, if I had a kid and he wanted to see Cars, I'd watch it too, hence it would add to my interest.

I wouldn't let my kid watch Cars. It was horrible.

As for me, though, I watch Adventure Time and The Regular Show. WAY below my age bracket, but who cares? I laugh my ass off to both of them.

Johnstantine said:

As for me, though, I watch Adventure Time and The Regular Show. WAY below my age bracket, but who cares? I laugh my ass off to both of them.

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I'm not sure I'd say Adventure Time is for kids. In spite of the cartoonish aspect I think a lot of its humor is aimed at a grown up audience.

As for the actual topic, for one thing there's the nostalgia factor. Wanting to rewatch series from your childhood is mostly that I think. Regarding the interest in "teen literature" though... No idea. I usually attribute it to people having bad taste.

I know what you mean about shows or books directed to kids ( and by that I mean below adolescent ), but anything that is at least for teenagers can be enjoyed by anyone ( excluding some kids that haven't entered puberty yet and can't understand certain things )

It's a current trend; that's indisputable. What I was wondering was if this has always been the case. Were adults in the 1980's eager to re-watch their favorite shows from the 1960's? Where adults in the 1970's latching on to the latest books and TV shows for children, for example?

I did check out a few shows from my childhood out of curiosity. I came back and found out that most of these shows were incredibly disappointing. Yet some people make a habit of watching what they used to watch 15 years ago.

frankencowx said:

I did not know this

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I didn't know about it until a few days ago because I never ever ever ever go to 4chan and avoid it like the blast radius of a nuclear explosion.

Not only that, but they made their own convention. I never thought I would see something like this, but after hearing almost every adult male brag about crying at the end of Toy Story 3, I suppose anything is possible.

Groovy Metal Fist said:

I did check out a few shows from my childhood out of curiosity. I came back and found out that most of these shows were incredibly disappointing. Yet some people make a habit of watching what they used to watch 15 years ago.

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Maybe it's just you then? I mean, I go back to watching Doogie Howser MD or The Wonder Years or cartoons and I have fun with it, a lot.

Groovy Metal Fist said:

I never thought I would see something like this, but after hearing almost every adult male brag about crying at the end of Toy Story 3, I suppose anything is possible.

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I haven't watched any of the Toy Story movies, just know the characters. But hey, I got a bit teary eyed towards the end of Wall-E the first time I saw it, or when I re-re-re-re-re-reraisedtothepower20-watched Land Before Time. What's the point you're making?

IncantatioN said:

Maybe it's just you then? I mean, I go back to watching Doogie Howser MD or The Wonder Years or cartoons and I have fun with it, a lot.

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Depends on the show. For example, I liked watching Scooby Doo as a kid, but now it looks completely insipid and formulaic; I would not recommend watching episodes of Scooby Doo to anyone over the age of 11. I also went back to re-watch an episode of The Magic School Bus and was amused and intrigued that I could revisit a moment of my childhood with a much clearer perspective. The show, however, was nowhere near as good as I had remembered it, so going any further would have felt like a waste of time. When you're a child your impressions of things can be grossly inflated. I feel like I should look for things that I genuinely appreciate instead of seeking out something nostalgic, or bad enough to be enjoyed 'ironically'.

'Is it just me' was referring to my impression that adults seeking out children's entertainment is an expanding trend nowadays and it was referring to nothing else.

IncantatioN said:

I haven't watched any of the Toy Story movies, just know the characters. But hey, I got a bit teary eyed towards the end of Wall-E the first time I saw it, or when I re-re-re-re-re-reraisedtothepower20-watched Land Before Time. What's the point you're making?

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Sometimes tearing up can't be helped. But it's odd that every single positive review went out of their way to mention that they cried; that's traditionally something people try to hide, especially men. The point I was making was that adults today sometimes behave in ways you would traditionally expect a child to behave. I wasn't trying to belittle anyone for tearing up or crying.

I didn't get teary eyed at the end of Wall-E, but thought it was a nicely done ending to a movie made for everyone to enjoy.

I'll try to write my posts more clearly next time.

Aazealh said:

Regarding the interest in "teen literature" though... No idea. I usually attribute it to people having bad taste.

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That, and because they want to be trendy (Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games). Unless I'm completely wrong and those people want to pretend they're intellectuals.

Vampire_Hunter_Bob said:

Unless I'm completely wrong and those people want to pretend they're intellectuals.

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That wouldn't make sense. Those books are pop culture and most people think of pop culture as anti-intellectual, especially teen pop culture.

Groovy Metal Fist said:

That wouldn't make sense. Those books are pop culture and most people think of pop culture as anti-intellectual, especially teen pop culture.

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Unless you consider reading any book to be an intellectual activity, which is why I said "pretend".

Groovy Metal Fist said:

Sometimes tearing up can't be helped. But it's odd that every single positive review went out of their way to mention that they cried; that's traditionally something people try to hide, especially men.

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I understand it's considered manly today for men to admit, often around women I've seen, that they can cry at non-manly things. Men in-touch with their emotions or something.

frankencowx said:

You're not imagining things. Many of my older family members read Harry Potter, Twilight, etc: Aunts, Uncles, cousins. The font is just so big that its easier to read =/ I understand the nickelodeon thing though, wanting to relive the toons that helped define the decade. The same might be said for GI Joe, Transformers, etc. Properties designed for kids, but actualized over 20 years ago.
I did not know this

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Never look up "Bronies" on google. Do so and probably be scarred for life.

Vampire_Hunter_Bob said:

Unless you consider reading any book to be an intellectual activity, which is why I said "pretend".

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I mean that those books have a bad reputation and therefore aren't a good way to make yourself seem intellectual to other people.

Groovy Metal Fist said:

I mean that those books have a bad reputation and therefore aren't a good way to make yourself seem intellectual to other people.

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I guess it's my fault for not mentioning I wasn't really being serious when I suggested that.