Author: Robert Skuch Published
There is nothing more frustrating than seeing someone refuse to leave a media that no longer serves them. Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 is now airing. My wife has been tuning in every week since season 16 in hopes that it will “get good again”.
Currently, I’m doing the same thing south park. I’ve covered Season 27 extensively, and my main takeaway is that I miss when the show focused on weird local happenings in a small mountain town rather than Donald Trump and his orbit.
We are all human beings with free will (allegedly) and we don’t have to continue consuming media that no longer satisfies us; we can just walk away. No one was injured.
My relationship with The Simpsons is finally back to health
One media property I left in due course was The Simpsons. I was born a year before the series took the world by storm, grew up in the Golden Age, and was spoiled by it. Sunday night is The Simpsons night. Replay content will be looped in the background during homework throughout the week. When I was 12, the show changed and my media preferences changed, so I left.
This wasn’t a dramatic breakup. One week I was listening, the next I wasn’t. My enthusiasm had faded and I accepted that once I left home, I couldn’t go back.
Even now I still compare most animated series to the Golden Age The Simpsons in my mind. My 7 year old daughter is more familiar with the later seasons because it’s new to her and what she enjoys. Surprisingly I’m happy with it.
her subsequent love Horror tree house These episodes brought The Simpsons back into my home in a positive way. I can quote early classics verbatim while experiencing something new with my kids for the first time and see how much they enjoy episodes that I never give a proper perspective on.
Still The Simpsons. I’ve accepted that the later seasons aren’t for me, but they can still exist in my home and be harmless. I can be a tourist. I can come and leave at any time. That feels healthy.
Most long-running programs have completed their tasks
Check for any long-running programs. NCIS, CSI, law and orderall their spin-offs have come to an end. Most people are ready to leave the medium, but shows always find a way to keep fans.
They tease the exit, return, or death of a character, engaging viewers week after week and making the ending “make sense.” Spoiler alert: The payoff is usually a bland cameo or a dramatic twist designed to keep the conveyor belt moving.
Even actors know when to go. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Nothing will ever be the same again after Christopher Meloni left in a pay dispute. He wanted to try new roles in different forms of media, so when the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze anymore, he left.
When Meloni came back a few years later Law and Order: Organized Crimeold viewers rejoiced, while lapsed viewers like me came back out of curiosity. Suddenly, I started rewatching old episodes and readjusted with ease. The media doesn’t care that I walk away. There it was, patiently waiting for my unexpected return.
It’s better than holding on for years, checking out of habit, and meaning nothing but disappointment.
Give it a break, we’re in the age of streaming, baby!
Star Wars and Star Trek are great examples of franchises that many of us feel obligated to keep up with. Their universe is vast, intertwined, and nostalgic. But what happens if more fans leave for a while? Will the creators rethink the direction? Will the focus shift to quality rather than content loss?
I’m thinking of leaving south parkIt has been media in my life since I was 10 years old. This show is reaching a bigger audience than ever, but it no longer serves me.
Based on IMDb reviews of recent episodes, it seems that many viewers who have enjoyed what I do feel similarly. I might hold on a little longer out of hope, but I know what’s coming. One day, I will stop listening. In a few years, after some distance, I’ll come back and see what has changed. If I like what I see, I’ll continue where I left off. In the meantime, maybe I’ll find something new to fill the void.
Staying away from media that no longer serves you sounds like simple math. However, when certain shows live in your home for years, they can start to feel like roommates you don’t want to be apart from. Cutting ties is harder than you think.
Do it no matter what. Go away. Please come back later if you like. If it’s still good, you’ll jump right back in. If not, you’ll be glad you gave it up.
