Vanity Fair article on The Villages

[Rainger99]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)

[Stu from NYC]

Interesting

[Boston-Sean]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)

But behind its idyllic façade lurks a crisis that the Villages—and the rest of the country—have yet to reckon with.



Finally someone is calling out the nationwide and Villages problem of not enough pickleball courts and Costcos.

[Dusty_Star]

I think the author Philip Bump is just bashing the Villages for profit. He completely neglects to mention the larger population groups coming up behind the Boomers. But I think it is worthwhile for some of us to read in case there are questions from friends or family.

[manaboutown]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

While Bump recited a few well known facts about the already experienced as well as predicted Boomer population bulge effects his was a surly and censorious presentation. He displayed envy, resentment and even a touch of hate toward both The Villages and Villagers.

[Two Bills]

I knew that Boomer was a trouble maker!:icon_wink:

[Aloha1]

Seriously?? Vanity Fair?? Spare me.

[JMintzer]

I think the author Philip Bump is just bashing the Villages for profit. He completely neglects to mention the larger population groups coming up behind the Boomers. But I think it is worthwhile for some of us to read in case there are questions from friends or family.

Yup. The very first sentence in his hit piece sets the tone...

Plus, he fails to mention that Gen X has now reached the "age 55 threshold" to buy in TV... And they are already buying homes...

You're talking about almost 66 Million people vs a tad over 70 Million Boomers...

[Papa_lecki]

Yup. The very first sentence in his hit piece sets the tone...

Plus, he fails to mention that Gen X has now reached the "age 55 threshold" to buy in TV... And they are already buying homes...

You're talking about almost 66 Million people vs a tad over 70 Million Boomers...

Also, didn’t mention the impact COVID had, many 45 to 55 year olds escaped the more restrictive COVID state, moved to FLA bought their retirement place and in the Villages now.

[Aces4]

I thought it lacked substance, felt like a page filler article to me.

[JMintzer]

I thought it lacked substance, felt like a page filler article to me.

Well, it -is- Vanity Fair... :p

[Bogie Shooter]

Waste of time.

[Boomer]

Well, yeah, Boomers are “The Pig in the Python” moving right on through — that highly visible big bump, getting smaller and smaller, ‘til the end. So what else is new.

That sure was a tedious, rambling article. Looked like it grabbed bits and pieces from random sources for a rather pointless hodge-pudge. Maybe it was written by AI.

Boomer

[LAFwUs]

Also, didn’t mention the impact COVID had, many 45 to 55 year olds escaped the more restrictive COVID state, moved to FLA bought their retirement place and in the Villages now.
<- Guilty as charged! :oops:
...and it wasnt just draconian covaids response policies of some states either, the riots, violent crime, taxes, rising cost, homeless camps, decriminalization, city funded heroine injection sites, yadda yadda, I could name 100 other reasons.

Some here in the bubble, particularly those who haven't been outside the bubble in the past 10yrs, often have no idea how truly bad certain "nice areas" of the country have gotten in a number of ways.

[patfla06]

Interesting.

Keep in mind he works for The Washington Post.

[RoyCooper]

There should not be a paywall to read it.



I wish there had been a paywall - and I had never wasted my time.

No sense of humor, no new insights and just the same rehashing of the stereotypical Villager. Boring.

[maistocars]

Vanity Fair is one step below the WaPo.

[MandoMan]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)

Philip Bumpitybump is trying to make money on a book about aging Baby Boomer “dangers” we’ve been warned about for years. (Yesterday the news came out that for the first time in decades, more people died in China than were born. This caused great wringing of hands. Who will support these old Chinese people? When I worked in China forty years ago there were 800,000 people. Now, what, 1.4 billion? It was too crowded then. Now? Yes, a decrease in the population of younger people will cause some problems, but it will be survivable.) Bumpo has a multi-part thesis that is not novel, and he’s hoping a few hundred thousand people will buy his book. His agent managed to place part of one chapter with “Vanity Fair.” The editors chose a section they thought would lead to people reading it.

At least the chapter doesn’t mention the lies about huge numbers of STDs and swingers. (We have wildly more skin cancer and joint replacements than STDs, right?) Apart from that, Bumpy got all his information, as best I can tell, from reading Ryan Erisman’s error-ridden book about The Villages (I offered to proof-read it for free, but he didn’t respond), talking once with him, watching that denigrating movie about some uncommon residents of The Villages, and spending one day here with a rented golf cart. If that is the level of his research throughout the book, I don’t want to read it. Well, actually, I don’t want to read it anyway.

There is nothing in the article that we don’t know, but the difference is that we are here because we love it, while he mentions these things as if they are embarrassing or sad or abnormal. (I’m a frog—here until I croak.) Yes, we’ve heard that The Villages is 97% white. Well, a lot of us have spent our lives in neighborhoods like that, and it seems normal, not wrong. So what? Yes, we are old and getting older. We know that. It can’t be helped. So it goes. Two people I did activities with have died already this year. It’s a shock, but it’s life. Or death. Yes, 70% of villagers are said to be registered Republicans. Most of us have the good manners to not talk about politics or religion or money in public. (We are more likely to discuss our bowel habits and doctor appointments.)

This is my Paradise. I assume it is also yours. Is this the most scenic place in America? No. But it is beautiful here, and safe, and familiar. It is filled with people who understand where we are coming from (literally and figuratively) and share our likes and dislikes. There is loneliness and sadness and pain for thousands, but there would be elsewhere, too, and there is happiness if we look and try a little. Honestly, for me, even though I’m an introvert, The Villages is a wonderful place to live. I’m very happy to be here, whatever Mr. Bump-in-the-Night may insinuate.

[MX rider]

Philip Bumpitybump is trying to make money on a book about aging Baby Boomer “dangers” we’ve been warned about for years. (Yesterday the news came out that for the first time in decades, more people died in China than were born. This caused great wringing of hands. Who will support these old Chinese people? When I worked in China forty years ago there were 800,000 people. Now, what, 1.4 billion? It was too crowded then. Now? Yes, a decrease in the population of younger people will cause some problems, but it will be survivable.) Bumpo has a multi-part thesis that is not novel, and he’s hoping a few hundred thousand people will buy his book. His agent managed to place part of one chapter with “Vanity Fair.” The editors chose a section they thought would lead to people reading it.

At least the chapter doesn’t mention the lies about huge numbers of STDs and swingers. (We have wildly more skin cancer and joint replacements than STDs, right?) Apart from that, Bumpy got all his information, as best I can tell, from reading Ryan Erisman’s error-ridden book about The Villages (I offered to proof-read it for free, but he didn’t respond), talking once with him, watching that denigrating movie about some uncommon residents of The Villages, and spending one day here with a rented golf cart. If that is the level of his research throughout the book, I don’t want to read it. Well, actually, I don’t want to read it anyway.

There is nothing in the article that we don’t know, but the difference is that we are here because we love it, while he mentions these things as if they are embarrassing or sad or abnormal. (I’m a frog—here until I croak.) Yes, we’ve heard that The Villages is 97% white. Well, a lot of us have spent our lives in neighborhoods like that, and it seems normal, not wrong. So what? Yes, we are old and getting older. We know that. It can’t be helped. So it goes. Two people I did activities with have died already this year. It’s a shock, but it’s life. Or death. Yes, 70% of villagers are said to be registered Republicans. Most of us have the good manners to not talk about politics or religion or money in public. (We are more likely to discuss our bowel habits and doctor appointments.)

This is my Paradise. I assume it is also yours. Is this the most scenic place in America? No. But it is beautiful here, and safe, and familiar. It is filled with people who understand where we are coming from (literally and figuratively) and share our likes and dislikes. There is loneliness and sadness and pain for thousands, but there would be elsewhere, too, and there is happiness if we look and try a little. Honestly, for me, even though I’m an introvert, The Villages is a wonderful place to live. I’m very happy to be here, whatever Mr. Bump-in-the-Night may insinuate.

Well said!

[defrey12]

I thought it lacked substance, felt like a page filler article to me.

Basically a long advertisement for his book is what we got out of it.

[Remembergoldenrule]

He is trying to make money from his new book. What better way to boost book sells than to create controversy. He is Washington Post writer that is trying to make people upset that the American dream works - if you work hard and instill a work ethic in your children so they are self sufficient, then you can retire and have some fun for 10-20 years before you have to be put in the “old folks” home. As far as jab at like people wanting to be together. That starts in 3/4 grade. This is why there are hundreds of clubs including the villages democrats and the villages African Americans.

Typical hypocrite as he is trying to make money to live his own retirement dream through selling half truth journalism.

[midiwiz]

I think the author Philip Bump is just bashing the Villages for profit. He completely neglects to mention the larger population groups coming up behind the Boomers. But I think it is worthwhile for some of us to read in case there are questions from friends or family.

That's pretty narrow focused, our kids have all visited and not one of them has any care to move here. Our oldest is 40 and all they care about it buying a few to rent. So I'd have to say that looking at the next generations as "they will just come" is over-reach at best. They should cap the growth as that will drive the home prices higher rather than keep on building....but that's all about immediate greed and nothing more.

[Romad]

Another terrible writer desperate for clicks. He would get more of them if the article wasn’t full of half truths and outright lies. When all else fails, write a hit piece on The Villages. Too lazy to even talk to actual residents to get the inside scoop.

P.S. I wish the roads were that free of traffic.

[Jillbugg]

Pretty cynical. This author seems to be a very unhappy person. He should move to The Villages and find some happiness!

[GATORBILL66]

Maybe if enough people read the article and believe it, The Villages won't grow so fast. He should have told them about he love bugs, the terrible traffic, the no see ems and the man eating alligators!

[JWGifford]

Yup. The very first sentence in his hit piece sets the tone...

Plus, he fails to mention that Gen X has now reached the "age 55 threshold" to buy in TV... And they are already buying homes...

You're talking about almost 66 Million people vs a tad over 70 Million Boomers...
Exactly. My wife and I are Gen X and looking forward to moving to The Villages someday (hopefully sooner vs. later).

[Dlbonivich]

Maybe some people’s children would not be interested in The Villages, but more than likely they would not be interested in moving to Florida at all. My kids live in Florida and yeah right now neither want to move here. But they love coming here and I think it maybe a place they would consider. My kids are in their mid thirties and are not married nor have they started a family yet. I imagine they will not move here at 50 like me, but your priorities change, your politics change and your needs change. I have lived all over the country. I moved 19 times. I have lived in large cities in downtowns, and I have lived in small backwater towns , this is the right place for me now. I have been here 5 years. It is not perfect, but I like it!

[MX rider]

That's pretty narrow focused, our kids have all visited and not one of them has any care to move here. Our oldest is 40 and all they care about it buying a few to rent. So I'd have to say that looking at the next generations as "they will just come" is over-reach at best. They should cap the growth as that will drive the home prices higher rather than keep on building....but that's all about immediate greed and nothing more.

Thats painting with a broad brush.
We have 4 kids, 37 to 45.
Atlhough they're not even talking about retirement, someday they will. Attitudes change drastically as you get older and closer to retirement.

We looked into TV about 12 years ago, we were early 50's. We both said no way, not for us. Fast forward to last January.
We took a lifestyle visit to give it another look, since we're retiring this summer.

We fell in love and bought a home there in March.

My point is, saying Gen X isn't going to be interested in TV is premature.

I looked at life totally different in my 40's and early 50's.

[Mrfriendly]

Disappointed in the article. I actually read it hoping to find out where the good happy hours are in The Villages

[LuvNH]

I did not have a problem with this article. I read it through thoroughly and thought it was a very honest picture of TV. I think some of you feel that any article written about TV is a slight to your beloved TV and you overact much as a parent would if the neighbor criticizes your first born.

I saw this article as geared towards the need for retirement living and is this the only way to do it. One of my sons is a developer in the Northeast and the growing trend in his area is for multi-generational living. Whether we understand it or not, many people do not want to leave their home, their friends, their roots to move to live in the sun belt and there has to be a way to do this which will help all ages. It is a very interesting concept. When we grew up it was not unusual to find an elderly grandparent living with their children and helping with the children and other easy chores.

[oldtimes]

It was a long and boring piece I couldn’t even read the whole thing

[LuvNH]

Disappointed in the article. I actually read it hoping to find out where the good happy hours are in The Villages

My home is on a championship golf course. We spend many happy hours watching the golfers go past our home. You make your own happy hours in TV.

[ThirdOfFive]

I think the author Philip Bump is just bashing the Villages for profit. He completely neglects to mention the larger population groups coming up behind the Boomers. But I think it is worthwhile for some of us to read in case there are questions from friends or family.
Agreed.

"If it bleeds, it leads", and all that. An article about the Foster Grandparent program in TV just wouldn't attract many readers.

[oneclickplus]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)

article attached

[JGibson]

I'm an introvert and do just fine thank you, nobody bothers me and I’m cordial to my neighbors without being over-friendly.

The guy probably spent a weekend here and has it all figured out. Live here for a year and then write an article.

Of course, no Vanity Fair article would be complete without lecturing us about racism.

[srswans]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

While Bump recited a few well known facts about the already experienced as well as predicted Boomer population bulge effects his was a surly and censorious presentation. He displayed envy, resentment and even a touch of hate toward both The Villages and Villagers.

Agreed - the article has a negative tone which the author never explains. Kinda like a Windows user bashing a Mac - jealousy?

The author got somethings wrong - Sawgrass Grove is not a square and repeatedly typing “the Villages” instead of “The Villages” - check with the USPS please.

[airstreamingypsy]

It's funny to see so many people be so defensive about an article that is quite accurate. Except for a few factual mistakes, it's actually quite true. It didn't disparage The Villages, yet so many of you saw it that way. I wonder why.

[srswans]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)

Agreed - I run into the paywall many times while surfing the ‘net. Authors need to get paid tho. I wish there was a system for paying by article - perhaps $0.01 per read. Should be free in this case because the author is trying to sell a book.

[srswans]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)

It’s not just The Villages or even the USA - the entire world is a demographic time bomb. The USA is better off than many countries though.

TV may be half abandoned in 20-30 years due to this bomb. Or, perhaps, TV is the best retirement community in the USA so it stays populated while the other communities are empty. Big shift coming.

[Malsua]

Also, didn’t mention the impact COVID had, many 45 to 55 year olds escaped the more restrictive COVID state, moved to FLA bought their retirement place and in the Villages now.

I bought here at 51 in 2019, and moved here in 21 to get away from NJs Covid BS and taxes. I'm GenX and I can spot other Xers all over the place. It's not like TV is going to be this vacant wasteland after all the boomers "move on". Demographic replacement is ongoing and won't ever stop as long as it's attractive to retire here.

[Spalumbos62]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

While Bump recited a few well known facts about the already experienced as well as predicted Boomer population bulge effects his was a surly and censorious presentation. He displayed envy, resentment and even a touch of hate toward both The Villages and Villagers.

? Please explain

[chrissy2231]

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/the-villages-is-a-boomers-utopia-and-demographic-time-bomb)
For me, it's Paradise & much cheaper than LI, NY. I would never have become an Improv actress if it were not for moving here!

[collie1228]

I didn't hate the article, but it's easy to see the anti-boomer bias. It's really popular for the pre-boomer generation's "journalists" to blame the majority of our society's ills on the boomer generation, but it's lazy and disingenuous. I've come to expect that kind of reporting today. The article has a downer tone, as if the author has an axe to grind with the boomer generation. No mention of the overall happiness most of us feel about this place, in spite of its shortcomings. Note to the author: I'm a boomer, worked for over 40 years, served my country in Vietnam, went to college on the GI Bill, never took a dime of welfare, and I'm happy to be a resident of The Villages. I think my story is pretty ordinary here.

[LuvNH]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

While Bump recited a few well known facts about the already experienced as well as predicted Boomer population bulge effects his was a surly and censorious presentation. He displayed envy, resentment and even a touch of hate toward both The Villages and Villagers.

surly and censorious presentation. He displayed envy, resentment and even a touch of hate toward both The Villages and Villagers.



Would very much appreciate learning where you find "surly", "censorious" and "envy" and even "hate" in this article. Did you really read the article, or just throw in the usual comments?

[Laker14]

It's funny to see so many people be so defensive about an article that is quite accurate. Except for a few factual mistakes, it's actually quite true. It didn't disparage The Villages, yet so many of you saw it that way. I wonder why.

I am generally not one to shy away from the warts that come with the things I love about living in TV. I do think that the author uses language that intends to sound neutral, yet imparts a negative tone to his comment. Some examples taken from the article,

“Small ranch houses that differ little from one to the next”. Ehhh......not all are small, I guess they are "ranch" houses since they are generally one story, but I don't think the sentence conveys accurately the ambiance.

“Easy to get lost…..because of the similarity….and everything is shifted ‘off-kilter’ because of the golf courses”..... I guess it would be nicer if all of the streets ran north-south and east-west, like a checkerboard. you know, "on-kilter"....without those pesky golf courses making everything so ugly. Here he takes what is essentially a positive, and tries to express it as a negative, twice.

“Most residential streets….were empty, treeless …”. Just plain wrong, and misleading. Treeless? Empty of what? Circus clowns? A cappella groups singing doo-wop on the corners? Organ grinders? What exactly was he expecting to find, mid-day on a residential street? Again, turning a positive (i.e. quiet) into a negative ("empty").

Referring to Spanish Springs..”it resembles what a southern border town would look like if everyone was white”… Did he mention seeing a sign outside of the square that said "People of Color Not Welcome", or perhaps he's suggesting The Villages should hire darker hued actors to stand around and give the place more of an authentic southern border town ambience. I'm sure he'd have had a lot of positive things to say about that approach.

“This is the most important thing to understand about the Villages. Spanish Springs was built….by the same company that designed ….Universal Studios them park”...Wow! That's the "Most important thing to understand"?? Way overshadowing ideas like providing easy access to a multitude of ways to stay active and fit in one's senior years? Or ways to stay socially connected with others, after maybe losing your marital partner of decades? Sure, much more important to understand who designed it, rather than acknowledge what it was designed for, and whether or not it succeeds in that design effort.

“The idyllic consistency is in The Villages is maintained through the control of the holding company that owns it”…. No mention that bit-by-bit, other than the squares and championship golf courses, the amenities and maintenance thereof and common areas is now overseen by the CDD system, as the developers sell off their ownership interests to the various CDDs. Much more interesting to portray it, however inaccurately, as a big corporate entity micro-managing all of the details in order to maintain "idyllic consistency"

The term that runs through my mind repeatedly as I read these comments is "passive-aggressive"... an attempt to disguise denigration in flowery language. As for the rest of the article, he segues from his conversation about TV, into a morass of not very interesting statistics about how the aging population has affected economies and employment opportunities as markets have been created as the Baby Boomers have aged. Not exactly earth shaking in its originality or concept.

Including the comments about TV was nothing more than having a pretty girl standing next to an automobile tire you want to sell. "Now that I've got your attention....."

[Escape Artist]

I think The Villages ownership that keeps expanding it’s horizons understands demographics better than a “journalist” who may have negative biases.

[Laker14]

I think The Villages ownership that keeps expanding it’s horizons understands demographics better than a “journalist” who may have negative biases.

To paraphrase Dear Old Dad, "Oh yeah? If they're so smart, why aren't they rich?"

Oh, wait.....

[tvbound]

I've read it twice now and have yet to see where the author has said a single thing...that isn't actually true. Understanding of course, that some people just like to take offense and act wounded/attacked - from simple facts. Oh well, no one is forced to move here, nor are they forced to leave based on one persons observation.

So really, what's the big deal and why is such great umbrage being exhibited? It doesn't make any sense to me.

[JMintzer]

My home is on a championship golf course. We spend many happy hours watching the golfers go past our home. You make your own happy hours in TV.

What course/hole? I'll call when I'm nearby so you can have drinks ready!


P.S. I had a friend that actually did that when I lived on a golf course 20 years ago...

My wife would bring out drinks when we passed my house and his would do the same at his house...

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

1. If you think the OP's statement that "it should not be behind a paywall" means "it IS behind a paywall," then you didn't actually read the article. It's not behind a paywall. Everyone has access to one or two Vanity Fair articles every month. After that they're asked to subscribe. I read it for free, and I'm not a subscriber.

2. It looks like the author visited while Sawgrass was still in its early stages of construction, and perhaps he visited the "newer" areas of the Villages. I agree - the neighborhoods in the newer areas were - and still are - empty and treeless. Unless by "tree" you mean a few trees still supported with wood beams and rope, which won't be mature for another 10 years.

3. In many parts of the Villages, all the houses look similar. In fact, each "village" has its own style, and every home in that village conforms to that style. No they're not identical. But if you're visiting for the first time, and come from an area where homes are a mixed bag no matter where you are, then yes - it can be disorienting. Especially if you're visiting the courtyard villa villages.

4. It IS designed to make boomers feel happy in their retirement. If you get defensive learning this, then you have problems. There's no shame in being a boomer wanting a place to live that makes you happy.

5. It IS marketed primarily to higher-income white conservatives. Again - if your hackles are rising when you read that, then it's a "you" problem, not the author's problem.

I found it an interesting fluff piece which will no doubt attract the interest of some of the youngest boomers looking for a place to retire.

[JMintzer]

It's funny to see so many people be so defensive about an article that is quite accurate. Except for a few factual mistakes, it's actually quite true. It didn't disparage The Villages, yet so many of you saw it that way. I wonder why.

The thing is there are many factual errors and "errors of omission" in the article. Many have been listed here...

[JMintzer]

I've read it twice now and have yet to see where the author has said a single thing...that isn't actually true. Understanding of course, that some people just like to take offense and act wounded/attacked - from simple facts. Oh well, no one is forced to move here, nor are they forced to leave based on one persons observation.

So really, what's the big deal and why is such great umbrage being exhibited? It doesn't make any sense to me.

1: There were more than a few things that weren't "factually true". They have been listed, several times in this thread...

2: I see no "great umbrage" being exhibited. Disagreement? Sure. But I've seen more passion on the "dog poop" threads...

[JMintzer]

2. It looks like the author visited while Sawgrass was still in its early stages of construction, and perhaps he visited the "newer" areas of the Villages. I agree - the neighborhoods in the newer areas were - and still are - empty and treeless. Unless by "tree" you mean a few trees still supported with wood beams and rope, which won't be mature for another 10 years.

He must not have visited Marsh Bend, Fenney or Duval... Plenty of mature trees and landscaping...

5. It IS marketed primarily to higher-income white conservatives. Again - if your hackles are rising when you read that, then it's a "you" problem, not the author's problem.

Where does this "white marketing" take place? My office manager is African American and she's visited TV several times. Her sister lives in a smaller community closer to Ocala. She looked at TV but preferred the other place (I can't remember the name...). My office manager said it only has one pool and one golf course, but the clubhouse is nice...

I found it an interesting fluff piece which will no doubt attract the interest of some of the youngest boomers looking for a place to retire.

I agree on the "fluff piece" comment."Interesting"?... Errr, not so much...

[manaboutown]

Frankly I had never heard of Philip Bump so I did a little research and discovered he is not an objective writer, but a WaPo operative. That explains his uncalled for disparaging comments regarding The Villages and Villagers.

[jimjamuser]

I wish there had been a paywall - and I had never wasted my time.

No sense of humor, no new insights and just the same rehashing of the stereotypical Villager. Boring.
Personally, I thought the article about Mr. Bump's was pretty NEUTRAL - it neither heralded The Villages as awesome and wonderful nor put it down as something pathetic and terrible. I got the feeling reading the posts so far that The Villagers are unhappy with any article that does NOT paint Village life with superlatives. To me the TV Land bubble has many good features like safety from robbery and violence while having lots of structured activities - there are a few negative features, but nothing is EVER perfect.

[jimjamuser]

I did not have a problem with this article. I read it through thoroughly and thought it was a very honest picture of TV. I think some of you feel that any article written about TV is a slight to your beloved TV and you overact much as a parent would if the neighbor criticizes your first born.

I saw this article as geared towards the need for retirement living and is this the only way to do it. One of my sons is a developer in the Northeast and the growing trend in his area is for multi-generational living. Whether we understand it or not, many people do not want to leave their home, their friends, their roots to move to live in the sun belt and there has to be a way to do this which will help all ages. It is a very interesting concept. When we grew up it was not unusual to find an elderly grandparent living with their children and helping with the children and other easy chores.
That is a good post and about the way I felt about the article.

[Aces4]

Personally, I thought the article about Mr. Bump's was pretty NEUTRAL - it neither heralded The Villages as awesome and wonderful nor put it down as something pathetic and terrible. I got the feeling reading the posts so far that The Villagers are unhappy with any article that does NOT paint Village life with superlatives. To me the TV Land bubble has many good features like safety from robbery and violence while having lots of structured activities - there are a few negative features, but nothing is EVER perfect.

I don’t know that it painted anything. It was a boring read in that it reminded me of lukewarm coffee that has been sitting on the counter a long time. What was the point of it?

[jimbomaybe]

Cannot be serious or insightful without acknowledging important issues like "dog poop" and lack of nude pools

[JGibson]

Let's see who Phillip Bump really is....
Philip Bump Thinks He's Smart, So Why Did He Write This? | Newsbusters (https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tim-graham/2020/06/28/philip-bump-thinks-hes-smart-so-why-did-he-write)

[Laker14]

Cannot be serious or insightful without acknowledging important issues like "dog poop" and lack of nude pools

Some issues are too volatile to take on. Better to stick to fluff.

At least there was no mention of STDs.

[Bay Kid]

Most news articles are done by jealous authors. Not much faith in media anymore.

What a great place to live, like no other place.

[golfing eagles]

All I can say is that anyone who thought this article was "factual", "unbiased", and inciteful must be living elsewhere.

[Smalley]

I agree with your point. This author, like the previous article on TV, don't do interviews with Villagers. This guy didn't seem to get the feel of TV at all. It was statistics, inuendo and complaints. We have an African-American Club and a Korean-American club. Those would have been places to start to get some opinions. Ditto for many other of our groups. That work takes time and effort. Disappointing piece.

[tvbound]

All I can say is that anyone who thought this article was "factual", "unbiased", and inciteful must be living elsewhere.

"All I can say is that anyone who thought this article was "factual", "unbiased", and "inciteful" must be living elsewhere."



I couldn't help but laugh at the obvious 'Freudian Slip' here. Between renting for many years and now owning, not only do I believe the article was "factual" and "unbiased," simply by the many angry, knee-jerk responses to the truth - it's patently obvious that it WAS very "inciteful." lol

I also believe the fact that it was "insightful,"...is why so many are up in arms. LOL

We are still 'frogs' though...warts and all.

[golfing eagles]

"All I can say is that anyone who thought this article was "factual", "unbiased", and "inciteful" must be living elsewhere."



I couldn't help but laugh at the obvious 'Freudian Slip' here. Between renting for many years and now owning, not only do I believe the article was "factual" and "unbiased," simply by the many angry, knee-jerk responses to the truth - it's patently obvious that it WAS very "inciteful." lol

I also believe the fact that it was "insightful,"...is why so many are up in arms. LOL

We are still 'frogs' though...warts and all.

You thought my pun was a Freudian slip????? At least you caught it, even though you mischaracterized it.

So now, you think that the reaction to a pack of lies and innuendos was "the truth" because Villagers know better and responded??? Classic tail wagging the dog.

[Bill14564]

All I can say is that anyone who thought this article was "factual", "unbiased", and inciteful must be living elsewhere.

I felt it was factual, written with a viewpoint, and pretty much boring.

factual: While not perfect, what facts did he get wrong?

unbiased: The man is trying to sell a book - of course it is biased

inciteful: I think he tried but there just isn't much there - perhaps he does better in his book.

[JGibson]

I felt it was factual, written with a viewpoint, and pretty much boring.

factual: While not perfect, what facts did he get wrong?

unbiased: The man is trying to sell a book - of course it is biased

inciteful: I think he tried but there just isn't much there - perhaps he does better in his book.

Is factual like mostly peaceful?

[golfing eagles]

I felt it was factual, written with a viewpoint, and pretty much boring.

factual: While not perfect, what facts did he get wrong?

unbiased: The man is trying to sell a book - of course it is biased

inciteful: I think he tried but there just isn't much there - perhaps he does better in his book.

OK, here are some excerpts of the lies, half truths and innuendos with my comments. This was only from the first 1/2 of the article and I left out the blatantly racial and political references:

there are clearly no rules for the golf carts.

****Really, perhaps we should all crank our carts up to 40 and drive on the Turnpike

The machines are littered with political stickers

*****probably less than 10-15%

It was mid May, so already fairly hot. Presumably due to the combination of age and weather, there weren’t many people out.

*****Must have also been during a thunderstorm, unless people stayed in due to “age”

Most residential streets that morning were empty, treeless

*****In some of the newer areas

nearly every house was shut up tight

*****probably hiding from this idiot

This is the most important thing to understand about the Villages. Spanish Springs was built in 1994, by the same company that designed the nearby Universal Studios theme park.

*****That’s the most important thing?????

primarily centered on letting older people grab a cocktail and manage their assets.

*****That’s the focus here???

a rash of sinkholes

*****How many sinkholes in a rash?

Interaction with the outside world is possible in the way that extravehicular activity is possible in space

*****Didn’t know it was that hard to drive out of here

No one in the complex’s administrative offices (located in one of those pseudo historic houses) was interested in talking to me

*****Smartest thing they did that day

Florida’s Trump-loving retirement community

*****Some do, some don’t

[Bill14564]

OK, here are some excerpts of the lies, half truths and innuendos with my comments. This was only from the first 1/2 of the article and I left out the blatantly racial and political references:

NOTE: Removed quoting from the rest to make it easier to comment.

there are clearly no rules for the golf carts.

****Really, perhaps we should all crank our carts up to 40 and drive on the Turnpike
---- Within the bubble, who would stop you if you did? Over 20 is illegal for most and over 25 for the rest yet when was the last time you heard of a citation for that? Is there a discernible difference between a lack of rules and a lack of enforcement of whatever rules might exist?

The machines are littered with political stickers

*****probably less than 10-15%
--- "littered with political stickers and mentions of families and countless expressions of support for various sport teams" Probably greater than 80%

It was mid May, so already fairly hot. Presumably due to the combination of age and weather, there weren’t many people out.

*****Must have also been during a thunderstorm, unless people stayed in due to “age”
--- I'll have to pay more attention this May when the temps reach 85

Most residential streets that morning were empty, treeless

*****In some of the newer areas
--- Even in the newer areas there are trees. Take this as a relative statement and most residential streets are treeless compared to the Fenney area, Leesburg, or my hometown in upstate NY.

nearly every house was shut up tight

*****probably hiding from this idiot
--- Will have to remember to look at this in May too. Though I'm pretty sure nearly every house I passed yesterday was shut up tight.

This is the most important thing to understand about the Villages. Spanish Springs was built in 1994, by the same company that designed the nearby Universal Studios theme park.

*****That’s the most important thing?????
--- Judgment call or matter of opinion, the man has a book to sell.

primarily centered on letting older people grab a cocktail and manage their assets.

*****That’s the focus here???
--- Stereotypes almost always have a basis in fact. Besides, what came first the homes or the squares with the bar huts? When the homes *do* come first there is a clamoring for the squares with the bar huts. I'll absolutely agree that "primarily" is most likely not accurate (I wasn't privy to the planning process) but if the stereotype misses the mark it isn't by much.

a rash of sinkholes

*****How many sinkholes in a rash?
--- Some number more than the single one that was reported (and then called something other than a sinkhole)

Interaction with the outside world is possible in the way that extravehicular activity is possible in space

*****Didn’t know it was that hard to drive out of here
--- Nope, you're observation is absolutely correct, you don't need an airtight environmental suit to leave the bubble. I didn't take the comment quite that literally.

No one in the complex’s administrative offices (located in one of those pseudo historic houses) was interested in talking to me

*****Smartest thing they did that day
--- Was that statement an example of a lie, a half-truth, or an innuendo?

Florida’s Trump-loving retirement community

*****Some do, some don’t
--- "Some do, some don't" makes it sound so evenly balanced. Anyone who believes there is not a vocal, Trump-loving majority must be living elsewhere. (I'm assuming you were not taking exception to "Florida" or "retirement")


I'm not disparaging the Villages, it is what it is and I like it here. I'm just willing to accept that there are things to complain about. And honestly, while I believe all of those points you mentioned are factual (within some reasonable degree of generalization), I'm not personally troubled by any of them - it is what it is and I like it here.

[Flyers999]

I wish there had been a paywall - and I had never wasted my time.
...........


I stopped at "Trump-loving."
Haha....you will never get that time back.

Nyah, Nyah, Knee, Nyah, Nyah! 😄

[Aloha1]

It's funny to see so many people be so defensive about an article that is quite accurate. Except for a few factual mistakes, it's actually quite true. It didn't disparage The Villages, yet so many of you saw it that way. I wonder why.

Because it was a drive by story by a guy who came in late May when 55% of Villagers go elsewhere, spent a couple days here, and pontificates that he now knows everything about our community.

[Byte1]

It’s not just The Villages or even the USA - the entire world is a demographic time bomb. The USA is better off than many countries though.

TV may be half abandoned in 20-30 years due to this bomb. Or, perhaps, TV is the best retirement community in the USA so it stays populated while the other communities are empty. Big shift coming.
What??? I have to wait 20-30 years for some elbow room? Not sure I will make it. :mornincoffee:

[MrFlorida]

If it's so bad here, why are so many moving here ? The story doesn't say anything about that !