"Before the Movie"

[RoundTower]

The Fischer-Spassky world championship match in 1972 made chess huge in the USA. On a smaller scale, the Short-Kasparov PCA championship did the same for British chess in the early 90s. Both matches were heavily covered on TV.

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
But a lot of these folks have no common sense or bike etiquitte.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is the main drawback for most activities affected by a singular event that catapults its popularity. in my fly fishing example, the orvis outfitted freaks had no idea that you shouldn't immediately rush to the same hole that a guy was currently fishing just because said guy had caught a fish out of it. I can see this kind of thing playing out in all fields where the newbies rush into an activity without learning or even wanting to learn the tacit rules that apply. fortunately for me and probably for most other activities, a few years down the road and the newbies who are still there have learned the ropes while the ones who weren't all that committed in the first place have moved on to the next great new thing (I'm sure some of those guys crowding you on the bike paths have a couple of sage 5 wt rods and abel reels in the back of their closets, just behind their meucci cues).

[bellytimber]

[ QUOTE ]
The Fischer-Spassky world championship match in 1972 made chess huge in the USA.

[/ QUOTE ]

and the movie Searching For Bobby Fischer probably caused another spike in popular interest twenty years later.

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Not a movie, but CSI has triggered a significant increase in the number of people studying to become forensic investigators.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've also heard that it has made jurors expect to see forensic evidence and to be skeptical when there is none.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard this works both ways. an aquaintance who's an actual CSI told me that her work is accepted in the courts more now (it's not seen as "voodoo" anymore), but some jurors expect a full dna profile and every shred of evidence they see on thursday nights.

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
The Food Network has resulted in a ton of gourmands who enjoy making elaborate meals at home. Before the Food Network, it was basically Julia Child and Yan Can Cook.



[/ QUOTE ]

I remember trying to watch Yan because he was an alumnus of my school (UC Davis), and just thinking that he was total cheeseball. Julia was cool, but I couldn't help but think of the drunk aunt who everybody has (although her food rocks). the one I used to watch was the frugal gourmet, although I'm not sure what that says about me.

[ElSapo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Everyone became a wine expert after seeing Sideways.

[/ QUOTE ]

weird because that character was so pathetic

[/ QUOTE ]

When I first watched the movie, I was surprised at how popular it was because the two main characters were so horribly sucky at life. It was very hard to get emotionally invested or root for anyone in that movie.

That said, I wonder if it actually had an effect on Merlot sales.

[/ QUOTE ]

It did, but more importantly the movie was a huge boon to makers of Pinot Noir.

From the IHT:

[ QUOTE ]
Tourism has boomed, particularly in the Santa Ynez Valley, where most of the action takes place, about 40 miles, or about 64 kilometers, north of Santa Barbara.

The county has distributed almost 40,000 copies of a "Sideways" map, detailing the wineries, restaurants, motels and other sites that appear in the film. It has printed a pamphlet which arranges tours, particularly in Napa and Sonoma...

[/ QUOTE ]

Offhand I can't find the figures, but I know I read about a boom in the sale of Pinot Noir.

[jesusarenque]

The Fab Five and baggy shorts in basketball.

[Ed I]

After A river Runs Through was released there was a big increase in the number of fisherman. Not good for a grumpy selfish guy like me though it did create more advocates for cold water fisheries. I did notice that new did not share the same river etiquette as I did. Elitist attitude, I don't know, I'm still more comfortable in a sporting goods store than a fly shop.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The Fischer-Spassky world championship match in 1972 made chess huge in the USA.

[/ QUOTE ]

and the movie Searching For Bobby Fischer probably caused another spike in popular interest twenty years later.

[/ QUOTE ]


I don't think this is a fair comparison.
Maybe a really modest spike after the movie. But it's not like it was a huge box-office sensation or anything.

The Fischer-Spassky match was a BIG freaking deal.
Fischer was on the cover of Time magazine and it was a U.S. vs. the USSR type thing.

My Dad already knew how to play chess but I consider myself to be a product of the Fischer-wave because he taught me to play in 1976 when I was 5.


This isn't a movie (but neither was the Fischer/Spassky match): but the biggest wave of all that I can think of is Pele's influence on soccer in America.
Before he came over the N.Y. Cosmos were practically a semi-pro team getting 1k fans or fewer for some games.
They were selling out Giants Stadium to 70k+ just a few yrs later after getting Pele.

Great documentary titled, "The Time of Our Lives" about the NY Cosmos and the NASL in the 70's was on ESPN a few months ago.

It could be argued that a lot of Americans who currently play soccer (including me) may very well never have learned to play at all if it weren't for Pele's influence.

[MicroBob]

Another one might be Minor-League baseball's popularity following the movie Bull Durham.

It wasn't just the movie. there were better stadiums being built with better management in prime locations too.
But there was a surge in attendance at minor-league games in various cities for a few seasons following the movie after a rather lengthy dead period.