Art / culture that unites generations

It sounds like you understand it better than I do. From my limited experience, it seems like the problem is the culture of consumerism we're immersed in.

I was very fortunate to grow up around people who were anti-consumerist and valued making and discussing art. I developed an appreciation for bad art and a toolset to find the good in it.

That was in the days before social media. Before the corporate internet. Before native advertisement. I feel like it's harder for young people to even recognize and discuss consumerism. Trying to discuss consumerism with them is like trying to talk to a fish about drowning.
I spend a lot of time talking to first year college students about topics like this and I think they are more jaded towards the corporate advertising they are deluged with than most people assume. Not that it doesn’t have an impact, but there are openings to get them to see past it
 
Homer's getting another adaptation this year. How many generations is that?

I give Christopher Nolan a lot of credit, because he understands that there's a hunger out there for quality. People want fun entertainment, but they also want quality. They want to be challenged. His movies are great entertainment, and they're also challenging. You can see the intelligence at work. I'm really looking forward to The Odyssey this summer. Audiences that are not familiar with the story will be introduced to it.
 
We all like good music
I know plenty of families (and other unrelated small groups of individuals) who share this in common. As a broader culture thing, though, there are sooooo many people who do not like good music at all, or, they do not like good music outside of their narrow set of genres of interest.

On the other hand, there are certain specific works of music which do seem to have much broader appeal than most others. Just for one example, a Hamilton performance will be attended by a very mixed-ages audience.
 
Food.

We all need it. And I think almost all of us enjoy it.

And this is one way in which the world is indisputably better than it used to be. There's more food than there ever was, and the variety and quality of it that's available to the normal person is light-years beyond what it was when I was a kid.

It speaks to all of us. Sit down and have a good meal with someone, and you can have a friend for life. Or a lover.

You can learn about other cultures and peoples by trying their foods.

It's a source of endless metaphors. It's practical, but also sensual and artistic.
You know what, I think you really nailed it.
 
Food.

We all need it. And I think almost all of us enjoy it.

And this is one way in which the world is indisputably better than it used to be. There's more food than there ever was, and the variety and quality of it that's available to the normal person is light-years beyond what it was when I was a kid.

It speaks to all of us. Sit down and have a good meal with someone, and you can have a friend for life. Or a lover.

You can learn about other cultures and peoples by trying their foods.

It's a source of endless metaphors. It's practical, but also sensual and artistic.
I agree in general, them some damned fool started putting beans in his chili and any sense of unity went straight to hell.
 
Oh good lord no, a Texan.

I won't argue with a Texan about how to do chili or barbecue, because they do it best, but I will say, as a Californian . . .

I sometimes like beans in my chili.
My wife grew up in Carolina. I think not declaring any other barbecue best was one of the things I promised to do at the altar.
 
I'm not from Texas, but I'm on board with beanless chili. I love chili, regardless of where it's made (with the possible exception of Cincinnati, Ohio), but to my tastes the beans aren't bringing much to the table.

Also something that unites generations and cultures: fart jokes.
Farts need no translation.
 
My wife grew up in Carolina. I think not declaring any other barbecue best was one of the things I promised to do at the altar.
Same order, Artiodactyla , different suborder, family, subfamily, etc. Carolina can claim what it wants for pork BBQ, but Texas will always be the King of Beef.

FWIW, pulled pork is amazing on a bacon cheese burger.
 
I think the kids still like the Beatles and Nirvana, even if most other 20th century music has lost its universal appeal!
That's it, we're fighting! A new feud! Grunge and (early) 90s alt live forever! Damn millennial😤.

Anyway, folklore and fairytales live forever. Those books with the artwork from the 18th/19 th, early 20th century- yes before my time, no sarcasm😆- they span generations.
 
Kids🤨🧐

STP, Alice In Chains ( NOT A LIT STORY!). Radiohead tho. PearlJam, Smashing Pumpkins... and on and on and on... Oh I KNOW you've heard of Oasis. Garbage.
I know most of those! I guess most of those bands just sound like "Rock," to me. If it makes you feel better, maybe you could reframe it and say that "Grunge won!" 😍
 
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