Finding New Ways to Amuse

Answer 1

With new digital technologies piping endless content into our eyes, ears, and consciousness every second of every day, it is hard to determine when we are being entertained or just yelled at by our TVs and computers.

The best way to do that is to find slower, more analogue forms of entertainment. All of a sudden, away from the surround sound explosions, the psychadelic lights, and the psychopathic, shocking imagery, there are no more covers. You can see if a person has talent. You can see if an act has been honed to perfection.

Many of the movies of today which are not superhero based are actually derived from successful stage plays. Stage acting requires much more raw talent than does film acting; stage actors must get it right on the first take, and play the entire thing through without special effects and visual trickery. Therefore, they are much more adept at bringing an audience into their world through the inflections in their voice and movement, which can be incredibly entertaining to watch.

Try it sometime. See the play first, then the movie. Compare the skills of the two actor sets.

Another way to slow down the entertainment barrage without actually leaving your computer is to look for the next big thing. Amateur YouTube video artists are hot now, with some of the bigger names being offered TV shows on Nickelodeon (Fred) and starting their own web sites (The Angry Video Game Nerd) and companies (hotdamnirock).

Amateur videographers have access to tools that make what they do professional without being over the top. So if you want a polished, but not brazen, entertainment option, try some of the up and comers. Look in comments and in blogs to see who has the buzz of the people.