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familiarity vs novelty

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    familiarity vs novelty

    Watching the World Snooker coverage, with 2010s sportsmen dressed like 1950s music hall entertainers, it occurs to me that the reason people flock to it (and its TV coverage) is precisely because it hasn't really changed in 40 years. Yes, there are subtle differences, but effectively it's a throwback to to an earlier age. Same with another of my favourite events, the US Masters, I guess. Which couldn't be more evocative of 1950s America unless they reintroduced black caddies.

    That service at the cenotaph, today, too. Queenie's been doing that pretty much the same way for 70 years now. And it seems to be set in stone that William will be doing it the same way when he's 80, too.

    Some things, though, we seem to want to change. Restaurants. TV shows. Music. They all have to be new, innovative, different, to the extent that restaurants can now be "pop-up" (!) to maximise the excitement about their novelty.

    What other things do we want to stay the same, and what do we crave to change constantly? And why do some things fall into one space and not the other?

    #2
    familiarity vs novelty

    Great Britain:



    Little England:

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      #3
      familiarity vs novelty

      Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: Watching the World Snooker coverage … it's a throwback to to an earlier age.
      Well, it's really a throwback to the 1970s.

      Snooker (and particularly snooker halls) had such a seedy reputation that the promoters told the players to wear black tie as part of a strategy to clean up its image.

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        #4
        familiarity vs novelty

        The weather. That pretty much splits the population down the middle.

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          #5
          familiarity vs novelty

          I like new places, but also many places that haven't changed in decades: Bar Italia, Sheekey's, Rules, the 100 Club, the St Moritz club. Cafe Opera in Barcelona, although they now have tacky wipe-clean menus with English, which they didn't in the 80s. Cafe Literaturnaya in St Petersburg.

          I'm seeing performers I first saw in 76 and 77 this weekend - Mr Ant last night, Mr Lydon tonight - and all of us are recognisable from our 77 selves. But I like new music too.

          Generally - love some familiarity, don't like novelty for the sake of it. Love to see somewhere that was nothing, unloved and derelict, transformed into something new and interesting.

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