I thought a lot about this issue over the summer and I think a number of things are going on.
1. Last year was a lackluster season, not giving us much TOO much to talk about. Add to that the long wait for THIS season to begin.
2. I think that the board has become incredibly young. I don't mean this a direct criticism, per se, but it seems as if young people don't want to DISCUSS things, but rather just want to be 'agreed with'. And if you DON'T agree, then it's taken as criticism or an attack.
3 Thanks to fb, twitter and the fact that 'stagedooring'
is part of the theatrical experience, WHAT they want to talk about is more about the social rather than the artistic. It's more about documenting experiences rather than living them.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.