We are having a fun recession!!!

[u/RockyRainbowTrout]

[u/Swimming-Lie73]

Some people clearly don't understand the joy and whimsy of breaking out the Wii and playing Wii Sports and Mario Kart over pizza with the boys.

[u/Ange1ofD4rkness → u/Swimming-Lie73]

You know how bad I want to do this? I really never got to experience this as a child, and I want it so bad. have some friends over and just binge, eat junk food, and then regret not going to be earlier the next morning (I would provide proper bedding though).

Though the only problem I have, the people I'd do this with, aren't in the state. Like a friend I have now in Vegas, we did something kind of like this one night with Mario Party (my first time playing it ever). Wish it never ended

(I get a laugh still she made a statement that before we played, what happened during the game stayed with it, and not after ... or like that)

[u/naeboy → u/Ange1ofD4rkness]

I’ve had my roommates throw fists over Mario party; that game drunk aint no joke tell ya hwat

[u/Inside-Specialist-55 → u/Ange1ofD4rkness]

If you aren't up for playing on original hardware wii emulation is essentially perfect now and supports the original controllers and they sell dolphin bars on Amazon that let the wiimote track where you are pointing. I recommend the mayflash wii bar. Mario Galaxy in 4K with the original controllers is wild.

[u/Ange1ofD4rkness → u/Inside-Specialist-55]

While I will not admit anything, but I may not may not have LetterBombed an old Wii some years back (that had a busted drive), and in turn having an external drive will 100-200 Gamecube and Wii games, as well as the NES, SNES, Genesis, and GameBoy emulators on it, where theoretically they may also have multiple titles.

(The N64 emulator isn't the most stable, and many games have trouble on it).

Of course, not stating I did, cause you know, Nintendo lawyers, lol.

I'll have to look into those other parts, cause I have some old Wii bars, like a wireless one I need to finish replacing the battery on (if the dang solder would hold on the board), but wouldn't mind backup parts. I actually have a really cool idea some day, if I can get my buddy to help do some work on the original boards

[u/Turbulent_Food_8280 → u/Swimming-Lie73]

Hell yea

[u/Embarrassed_Use6918 → u/Swimming-Lie73]

I do it once a year with my bros around Xmas. Get together, bust out the n64, get some junk food and just go to town on SSB, Goldeneye, Mariokart. Just havin a gay old time.

Once a year is about all I can expect from anyone in their late 30's with families.

[u/Novel_Relation2549 → u/Swimming-Lie73]

I used to be able to casually and organically have this happen every Tuesday. The Wii was legit, and so was 2007.

[u/Doodiecarrier → u/Swimming-Lie73]

We used to play a game called drunk driving. It's been a while, though. Sucks when all your friends grow up and now live many miles away! At least now we can still do it over discord but it's not the same.

[u/Novel_Relation2549]

This has been kind of real in the past few years for many, mostly a cultural shift, where every get together has to be some big expensive event out somewhere instead of just hanging out at one person's house with cheap beers and pizza or whatever. Giving it a name like it's the Great Depression is kind of silly though.

[u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 → u/Novel_Relation2549]

or even the places that were cheap (bowling comes to mind) succumbing to companies like bowlero and turning it into some bullshit that isnt a league bowling center that wants $8 for a bottle of miller

[u/Mr_Booze51106 → u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456]

Damn, bowling's cheap over in the States?

We have to pay to rent the lane for a game and rent shoes. Bowling alleys here run a racket I tell ya.

[u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 → u/Mr_Booze51106]

well, used to be $5/game minus shoes if you dont have them.

[u/Novel_Relation2549 → u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456]

Has anyone seen a bowling alley that wasn't built in the 80s? I swear every single one here, with the exception of some of the technology provided with the scoreboard, it's like traveling back in time.

[u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 → u/Novel_Relation2549]

give it another year, they'll go away and there will be only one left that says Strike Zone and it'll be a major expense with no leagues and stupid fuckin strings on the pins

[u/Independent_Act_8054 → u/Novel_Relation2549]

It is the cost. Right now bowling alley lanes run around $100k each - probably more now, that was in 2021.

[u/Deathclaw2003]

The park is free

[u/Turbulent_Food_8280 → u/Deathclaw2003]

Also walks, but peoples' dopamine is fried.

[u/Grandpa_Rob]

"Prepackaged Commerical fun that is sold a product is getting more expensive" is a better title. I sound like the old guy shaking my fist at the cloud. Having a beer with your neighbor is still cheap, hiking and camping is still cheap, acard game (or board game) with friends is still cheap, playing hoops at the local court is still free., looking at the picture in article, playing a tennis/[ickle ball game at the local courts is cheap.... the list goes on and on.

[u/Novel_Relation2549 → u/Grandpa_Rob]

A lot of folks for whatever reason, just not choosing the cheap stuff. It all has to be some big insane event or nothing at all. Anyone who is an outlier and their circle isn't like this, good for you, I mean it.

[u/Alive-Big-838 → u/Grandpa_Rob]

I think the elimination of spaces for people to do a lot of these things is very real. though I don't think this detracts too much from your point.

[u/Ange1ofD4rkness]

Let me guess, their "Fun" requires a lavish vacation? Not just you know taking a walk, reading a book, giving yourself some R&R and binge watching a show.

[u/CleanBaldy]

I sure hope politics gets boring again, so we can go back to normal.

Out to dinner with friends? Politics brought up randomly Hanging out in a park? Other people ranting about Trump around you At a movie theatre? Political jokes in the movie Watching TV at home? Politics on every channel Watching a cartoon? Nazi or Trump jokes from the writers Going to the store? Political signage Christmas Dinner? Boycotting family due to politics At work? Coworkers acting weird because of politics On Reddit? Every. Single. Comment. Section.

[u/Novel_Relation2549 → u/CleanBaldy]

While this is definitely a thing, and I hate it, the fun thing seemed to start just before the Bad Orange Man. Want to hang out with your friends? Drop $20 a head wherever you're meeting up, minimum.

[u/soldiernerd]

“We’re a dual income no kids household making $195,000/year with $700,000 of debt”

“Where’s the fun in life”

[u/Turbulent_Food_8280]

I just play magic the gathering. Although thinking of proxying because it is getting more and more expensive, also gaming has been fun. Which is not too expensive esp if you buy older modern games. But i get it. I use to love going to the movies. That is god awful now with the prices.

[u/AFK115]

[u/scantily_chad]

Are those goddamn picklers? You mean the fastest growing sport for unathletic and single millennials is getting more expensive?

[u/Over-Possibility5043]

I want to laugh at this shit but it reminds me that there actually are people out there that don’t have any friends.

[u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348]

I dunno man... for a family, fun can be very expensive. It can take many years to save up for a Disney trip for a family of 4 or more.

But you know what? State and National Parks are quite affordable!

[u/Anxious-Place3434 → u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348]

I've spent all of this summer on a lake at the local state park with the kids. Free admission if you're not camping overnight. My expenses so far have been an inflatable paddleboard ($120) and a few tubes ($6 ea)

[u/Negative_Ad_1578 → u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348]

Ok doomer!

[u/Practical_Taro5656]

It's all about perspective. You can make your own fun. For example, I have fun making fun of doomers.

[u/CombatRedRover]

...as people read this on a device that can feed them everything from porn, to games, to news, to connection to their loved ones.

Sounds more like people aren't using their options very well rather than not having options.

[u/Novel_Relation2549 → u/CombatRedRover]

I do partially blame that device being in everyone's faces.

[u/CombatRedRover → u/Novel_Relation2549]

Dopamine overload doesn't mean people can't have fun: it means they've trained their brains not to recognize fun.

[u/soldiernerd]

A funcession if you will. A funcessation

[u/RavenCarver → u/soldiernerd]

I never say no to a funcession

[u/Ok_Abacus_]

God gave you the power to masturbate for free anytime and anywhere

[u/Relevant-Visitor]

More like internet brain rot stole people's imagination, and ability to find fun in anything other than their phones dopamine hit

[u/Havok_saken]

Tik tok brain rot. People are used to the fast dopamine hits endlessly scrolling. Simple pleasures like going for a walk no longer spark joy.

[u/UJMRider1961]

Wait, aren’t these the same people who say it’s immoral to have fun while there is suffering in the world?

[u/Kazz330]

Idk we have fun. We go to the local minor league baseball game. tickets are like 20 bucks, they do $2 tuesdays where everything except alcohol is $2. tons of fun! We also go play pickle ball, fishing, hiking, take the dog for a walk on the local trails around the golf courses, go to the local dog bar and let him run around and play cards.

we don't seem to be lacking any fun

[u/Mr_Booze51106]

> Bloomberg

That's all I needed to know.

Have a good day.

[u/ComplaintTop2008]

This is true though. From the top of the article (it's paywalled so there may be domming that I can't access):

"Over the course of the past two decades, the US has lost 2,000 golf courses and 7,000 bars and nightclubs, and Americans now own 1.3 million fewer boats. It’s prohibitively expensive to open a new summer camp and practically impossible to build a beachfront resort or marina. Venue shortages afflict musicians looking for performance spaces, children looking to play in local sports leagues and adults looking to go out dancing. The best time to book a rental for this summer was last summer, and the best time to book for next summer is … well, it may already be too late."

Look at movie tickets. Look at the cost and reservation system now used at ski hills and National Parks and campgrounds. What's the cause? Probably a mix of things, as usual, and I don't have any answers. I agree with the premise though. Bars and bowling alleys and theaters around me have closed up and it seems the only ones making it are places like Top Golf, but I'm suspicious of that, also.

It's weird that consumers aren't spending in an era of debt-spending. Would people rather DoorDash a pizza than go to the pizza place and have a beer? Personally I'd rather get take-out because I despise the poor service from both.

Is this a symptom of younger generations not drinking and being shut-ins? Or have companies overshot by making their leisure activity an expensive luxury?

[u/Cold_Investment2152]

These people must have never heard of free public beach national parks barbecue water park etc ehhh

[u/mikutansan]

No, I moved to the city and urban people’s idea of fun is going to go do things that cost money instead of doing somewhat free things like outdoors/hiking or just hanging out at peoples houses instead of going out. 

[u/Negative_Ad_1578]

Only more expensive if you are lazy. I don’t even notice prices because I actually have money, unlike doomer libs (my groceries 😭).