What is missing from today's entertainment?

Speaking as an older person and at the same time not wanting to put younger people down, I think you've hit the nail on the head when you say that a lot of entertainment in more recent years (for me I noticed the decline begin in the late 1980s and it accelerated fast through the 1990s and the early part of this century) lacks soul. As far as music is concerned, I think a really good example would be to listen to a couple of tracks of what they call R&B these days, then listen to say a couple of Otis Redding tracks from the 1960s and the difference is very apparent - Otis Redding positively screams soul and gets right down inside our feelings, our hearts etc., whereas today's stuff just scrapes the surface of the human condition. I can't really speak for other forms of entertainment as music is my love, but will choose one film example - compare something like Midnight Cowboy from 1968 to Bridget Jones's Diary from the 1990s and I feel sure the difference would be immediately apparent. I'm not sure that the issue of money and producing rubbish just to cash in is the sole driving force behind today's entertainment, because I think that's how it's always been - well the money issue - but for some reason what the writers/artists etc. were offering back in previous times contained a depth which seems largely lacking today. It's odd that even the throwaway stuff from the past is still good, despite little thought probably having been put into its production. It's great for me to see someone of the younger generation having a consciousness about the lack of depth of a large part of what is available today for entertainment, and I feel that you will be very successful in your project. Good luck!! Incidentally and as an aside, I use YouTube a lot and have noticed huge numbers of younger people make comments on the clips of old music, old films etc., in the same vein as what you've said here, so maybe there is a huge hole in the market for something more solid to be produced in the entertainment world as if other young people are aware of it, then you've immediately got an audience.

Heart. I think people in today's society do everything for the almighty dollar. Many people don't do what their heart desires. They do things to make a good income. That being said, people really need to go for their dreams instead of money. Then the entertainment industry would be a lot better off.

I think that you are trying to say that the media today is lacking in substance. The techniques might improve, the technology might be helping in terms of telling the story of giving information faster than before or the media is now a tool for social integration. However, in the majority of today's entertainment, it is easily to substitute substance into anything that makes a ton of dollars at the shortest time possible. Which is logical for the entertainment industry. The industry sells itself to feed itself. It plays on society's bad points, adds a little drama here, there and everywhere, add exaggeration and sells it to the public like hot pancakes. They're not serving substance here, that's the news and current affairs' job. This only means one thing for me - change is not always for the better and change do not always signal progress(in substance, that is). there are some things worth hanging into even though they may be old and not exactly the 'in' thing.

Honestly, if you want to make money then the entertainment industry is fine just the way it is. But as for just being human and enjoying quality of great music, movies or entertainment I'll say that the modern music industry is missing soul, art, originality and ability to influence emotions in many ways. Almost every songs that hear has pretty much the same rhythm with the same story. I took humanities and jazz in college, when i heard the voice, sound and soul of the pioneers of today's music they had the power of moving my soul. Everything was so original, their vice so in tune. In tune with anger, happiness, love, bitter, which ever and they made. I watched Casablanca for the first time in college, it was a simple movie but wow the originality was amazing.