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Is Cable TV Still Relevant?

Okay, hear me out. Since everyone has streaming these days, everyone is asking the same question. What’s the point of cable? The trend of unplugging and ditching cable has been happening since streaming platforms became mainstream with Netflix and Hulu. Smart TVs have become the norm and the big back TVs I grew up with are the new fossils of television. Since streaming is the new norm cable TV offers little to be desired compared to streaming platforms that have endless possibilities. No more channel surfing hoping for something good to watch.  You miss a show? You can stream it with no commercials. Even live sports has made the switch to streaming. Somehow cable tv has managed to stick around for those that are resistant to making the big change and prefer the familiar cable box we’ve known since I was in grade school. Streaming hasn’t helped the cable TV era come to an end either thanks to prices. 

If anything is preventing people from taking the cable box to the dumpster it’s the prices. Thanks to its growing popularity streaming has become just as expensive as cable. With multiple services offering different shows and deals the customer has the freedom to be more selective. It may cut costs but at the expense of customer sacrificing shows that they may have already gotten in a basic cable package. In the big picture, cable is still managing to hang on in places where it’s most useful(hotels, hospitals, etc). Like the rental stores of old and DVDs cable still has some fight and demand. Networks and film studios are still learning to navigate the growing market of streaming platforms. So they’ll have to adjust to the times which shouldn’t take long. So for now, cable is still here.  

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Superhero Movies: From Cringe to Cash Cow

When you think of superhero movies today one might think of the Avengers franchise that’s brought in billions of dollars for Disney. Or they may think of Justice League and the various DC comics films that have been a guaranteed cash cow for Warner Bros. Compared to the superhero movies of old they seem like a major step up. But some may argue the old ones are better. 

The first Superman movie (1978) starring the late Christopher Reeve is extremely dated with cheesy special effects and a corny costume that wouldn’t work by today’s standards. Still, it’s awesome! There are no huge over-the-top battles like the modern superhero movie to show you just how “heroic” they are. You just sat back and watched. You saw Christopher Reeve on screen and thought, “That’s Superman.” The powers looked low budget, you may even go back and laugh at it, but the wonder is still there. That feeling of ‘Oh man he’s flying.’ Is still there when you see it on screen. The same can be said for Batman. 

            Batman has always been an easy selling point for fans. The costume, the gadgets, and that car! Since the 60’s show starring Adam West what kid didn’t love Batman? There’s not a person alive who can’t name their favorite Batman movie car, or action figure. For every success, there’s been a handful (or pile) of failures. Spawn, Steel, The Phantom, Fantastic Four (2015), etc. Like most movie genres it’s been a series of trial and error. Now the genre of Superhero movies has reached its peak. Every service is offering a superhero movie hoping for a quick cash cow. While some people argue that there’s superhero fatigue when done properly fans will always want another superhero flick.