There is a pervasive meme on social media â most often shared by Gen Xers â which reads, âWhen I was a kid, I thought that quicksand was going to be a much bigger problem than it is.â The text overlays production stills from various television programs and movies showing hapless heroes submerged in lumpy oatmeal up to their necks. The line actually comes from a standup routine by comedian John Mulaney, and it conveys a valid point: Just as cinematic predictions of flying cars, underwater cities and teleportation have yet to be realized, many of the anxiety-inducing perils Hollywood exploited in the late 20th century turned out to be insignificant threats for the vast majority of people.