Where Are the People Over 25?

Based on the “How Old Are You” thread, there really doesn’t seem to be that many people over the age of twenty-five? What’s the deal with that? The obvious answer is that older people aren’t into the internet, but surely that doesn’t apply to people in their late twenties and early thirties, right? My next guess would be that the older crowd doesn’t have the time or energy to post. That seems like a more convincing explanation, but maybe there’s something else going on. For example, when the site switched names and allowed access to the site via video game consoles, did that draw a lot younger participants and turn off older ones? I’m not sure. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great that we have teenagers and twenty-somethings posting here, but I admit that I would like to see more older people like myself. Any thoughts about this?

or younger people love to say how old they are to feel mature and older people don’t feel like they must wear their age as a badge of honor, something to show they have made it through the wars so far

Raises hand shakily

I just hit 50 – and proud to almost share a birthday with Ray Harryhausen!!

Some of us responded on the Old Man/Old Woman Cinema thread…

@Uli

But you’re not suggesting that there are a lot of people over 25 that post regularly, are you?

@Dark

Cool! Great to have you here!

@Odi

About this issue? Dang. I must have forgot, but I’m getting old, so…;)

What i find amazing is all this Internet era and how people from 14-17 start watching Cassavetes and Fords so early, when i was 14 i hardly even know the name of ANY director, i use to go to the cinema with my friends no matter what was the movie, sometimes i liked it, sometimes not, but we were Hollywood victims anyway, we couldn’t choose, it was Hollywood or Hollywood.

Almost 30. I try to post regularly but I’m not a constant presence on the net. So if someone has already posted something resembling my thoughts on a given subject, I don’t post. I wonder if life keeps older people from being a larger presence (if that’s true, we are just going off a series of forum posts). I’d be on Mubi more if it weren’t for my job, family, home maintenance, etc. That only leaves me time to check Mubi maybe once a day on a good day.

I’ll raise my hand here since I love you House. :-)

careful tommy!

I am sixty-nine, and saw my first movie (Anchors Aweigh) when I was 2 years old. Every day I read through the posts that attract my attention. However the gist of most of the discussions, while engaging and at times extremely perceptive, are the same ones I was passionately involved in when I was in college and graduate school. While that statement may sound condescending, these present echoes of times past, in fact, are frequently more thoughtful, more honest, less pedantic and less pretentious than the ones I remember being involved in. I enjoy reading them. And yet around the age of forty-five, I realized that the joy that I had once anticipated while watching films was draining away as I consciously analyze them from a quasi-pseudo-intellectual point of view in order to overcome arguments that my friends defended. This was my weakness. So while I enjoy reading the comments and am frequently led to films I would never have seen, I now just enjoy what I enjoy with little thought as the why.

Don’t work your dark arts on me lady.

@ Jazz:

I’m 44 but I haven’t wanted to admit that since the demographic on here skews younger……and I’m just a dinosaur….LOL.

tommy, i don’t think harry was trying to seduce you. but if it works……i’m older than you and i don’t like arguments either?….

(well, i’m assuming i’m older than you. unless you liked biker mice from mars in your late teens or something , weirdo)

don’t be hatin’. I still watch cartoons.

I always just assumed that MUBI was primarily 25+. Not sure why. Now go to IMDB, and it’s probably a different story.

Anyways, I am 30.

Alright Jazz, you started this thread, so own up. How many years you got behind ya?

Why did I think House started this thread? Anyways, I still love him.

don’t be hatin’. I still watch cartoons.

no tommy, you have to call it ‘anime’ or they get pissed off.

I watch old cartoons, I imagine its only the over 25s who watch Popeye and Flintstones

haha, I bet they do. I don’t touch that stuff.

I watch old stuff too. There are only a few new ones I watch, but there’s not many.

We’ve definitely got a contingency of “mature” (however you want to define that) members here, but I think most of them just didn’t want to answer the question. So yeah, the 18 year olds chimed in right away, but those of us celebrating the anniversary of our 29th birthday, not so much.

Lurking.

I’m 46. In that part of my charge in this life right now is the molding of many young minds in the art and craft of filmmaking, I love to hear the input of all people, here on this site and elsewhere. Of course I have my own personal complaints, and the “get off my lawn” moments here and in real life always make me smile, but the love of cinema and the fervent desire to see it continue override all of that silly stuff.

@Harry

You’re post resonated with me because I’m 43 (there you go, Captain :), and I find it harder and harder to find films I enjoy. Your post implies that your critical approach to films sapped your enjoyment of movies. Is that correct? Personally, I don’t think that’s the reason I’m enjoying films less and less, but I’m open to hearing your thoughts and insights that you have gained over the years.

As an aside, I think talking to people older than you is the closest thing we have to taking time machine into the future. My sense is that this is especially true for something like films, as interest and experience with films tend to evolve and grow in similar ways.

@Den

My son watches (and loves) the old Popeye cartoons (on netflix).

@Brad

But what’s the ratio of older to younger? It feels like 1:5 (but that’s probably too high).

RGrimes — we’re the same age. Dammit, we’re NOT dinosaurs. Just hitting our stride.

I like to call Jazz my older brother even though he’s younger than I by 1 year because he’s more mature than I am. :D

Odi, you’re younger than my sister so definitely no dinosaur :)

Oh dear, I take it your sister is? LOL, Bijoux….!

I’m 65

Hahaha. Yeah, but she’s been a dinosaur forever ;)

Oh, I get it — she’s what my hubby would call a “stiffy.” ha ha (as in a stiff/corpse, not the other thing ;) )

That’s a good one!! She really isn’t a dinosaur, but she sixteen years older than I am and when I was a little kid that felt sooooooooo much older. Now not so much.