City Slickers

[Virgo76]

There's a bit in this, where Billy Crystal explains how video players work to his friend.
This seemed a bit odd even at the time.
Why didn't he understand how video players worked in 1991?
In Britain, most people had had video players for about ten years by that point. Were they slow to take off in the USA or something?
He didn't even get the basic principal that you use them to tape things which you're not watching. His character wasn't that stupid.
Anyone?

[Glebe]

There's a bit in this, where Billy Crystal explains how video players work to his friend.
This seemed a bit odd even at the time.
Why didn't he understand how video players worked in 1991?
In Britain, most people had had video players for about ten years by that point. Were they slow to take off in the USA or something?
He didn't even get the basic principal that you use them to tape things which you're not watching. His character wasn't that stupid.
Anyone?

I wouldn't say most people had videos this side of the pond in 1981, it took a few years for them to properly take off. I'd say more people had them in the USA first.

[Virgo76]

We got ours in 1983. But either way...1991? And they are American? Why is he struggling?

[hewantstolurkatad]

Various things:
1) He's supposed to be an idiot in a film marketed to a very broad audience (i.e. loadsa idiots)
2) The film was likely shot a year earlier
3) The script could've been bouncing around for years
4) It's possible it's a really dated piece of a standup routine of Crystals that he insisted on including and everyone was too afraid to tell him it was shit

[Virgo76]

2 wouldn't make much difference. Good ideas though.

[Steven]

4) It's possible it's a really dated piece of a standup routine of Crystals that he insisted on including and everyone was too afraid to tell him it was shit

Probably, he stinks and yet they keep letting him present loads of award shows.

[Virgo76]

Am surprised how much underlying hostility to Billy Crystal I've unearthed. Did no one else like Animalympics?
Anyway, my friend says...
"Fraid I don't know too much about City Slickers, especially as I haven't seen it in eons. However, I did just find a thing that said the growth of VCRs was slower in the US than many other countries, and in 1986 only 35% of households had one, rising to about 50% in the early 90s, so while it's tough to believe someone wouldn't know what one was for in 1991, it's not as unlikely that they wouldn't own or have used one. It's also notable that City Slickers was initially distributed by Columbia Pictures, a couple of years after it was bought by Sony, so perhaps Sony wanted a bit of a plug for the technology they co-owned in the movie.
"Now I ask you again, could you please stop emailing me, we have never been friends, indeed I basically despise you..." ]
Er... that was the gist of it anyway!

[checkoutgirl]

I wouldn't say most people had videos this side of the pond in 1981, it took a few years for them to properly take off. I'd say more people had them in the USA first.

Absolutely. Saying they were widespread in 81/82 is mad. I'd say most didn't have them until 10 years later. However his point stands, most Americans would know what a video is by 1991. I didn't get a video until the mid 1990s but I still knew what it was years before.

Have to say the thread title is misleading. I thought it would be a discussion about the film City Slickers as opposed to a nit picky question about a small bit of dialogue.

[Virgo76]

I did exaggerate a bit  (more than I meant to).
Only 10% of people owned VCR players in the UK by 1981 (depends how you define "widespread" really).
Well over 50% owned them by the end of the 80s though which was my point.

Have to say the thread title is misleading. I thought it would be a discussion about the film City Slickers as opposed to a nit picky question about a small bit of dialogue.

I could have put City Slickers question or City Slickers VHS discussion. Anyone interested in the film would have looked at the thread anyway!

[biggytitbo]

The film is set in 1983.

[Kane Jones]

You city folk worry about a lot of shit, don't you?

[Virgo76]

The film is set in 1983.

Eh?

[Bad Ambassador]

In City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold, he shows Bruno Kirby how to watch Gremlins on laserdisc.

[checkoutgirl]

You city folk worry about a lot of shit, don't you?

Nah, I just worry about one thing. One thing.

Ha! I am so clever.

[Kane Jones]

Nah, I just worry about one thing. One thing.

Ha! I am so clever.

I think we both deserve a pat on the back for it. *High five*