Things Younger Americans Should Know

[wickedwritah]

Who is Scott Baio?

Is that a serious question? Because if it is, and there really is a new generation of working sports writers unaware of Scott Baio, then it makes me feel nearly as old as when I went to a show the other night and none of the youngsters in the crowd knew "Interstate Love Song."

What?!? That song is from the bloody '90s.

Not knowing Scott Baio? Understandable. Isn't 'gola like 25 or something?

But not knowing STP? Oy. Generations mutate every 5 minutes now, it seems.

Dammit, Xan, I am 27. Based on the picture a couple of posts up I know who Scott Baio is, just didn't know him by name.
I also don't know the name of Interstate Love Song, but if I heard it I would probably know it.

The above post from the Scott Baio thread got me thinking: How pathetic is it that some kids just don't know what they should?

Bad parenting, perhaps?

A former co-worker of mine, her husband worked as a PM drive DJ at the local rock station. So one day a few months back, he plays "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A young kid calls in and asks, "Who sang that?" She apparently thought it was from some cool new band.

I mean, how can you NOT know Nirvana's work?

 

[Angola!]

Thanks Zeke, thanks a lot. You aren't that much older than me, if at all. For a man that doesn't own a foreman grill, I expected more out of you.

Oh well.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Everybody has something they don't know until they know it.

That said, this thread will be fun.

Sincerely,

Old guy who'd never heard of Chris Benoit until he died.

 

[wickedwritah]

Neither had I. But Benoit was not a friggin' rock legend.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

True, but I was an adult through Benoit's entire career. The kid who didn't know who sang the song possibly wasn't born when it came out and probably wasn't old enough to read when Cobain died. It's not like he's been in the news a lot in the last 10 years.

I'd never heard of Otis Redding until I heard of Otis Redding.

 

[Angola!]

Neither had I. But Benoit was not a friggin' rock legend.

Scott Baio is? It better not be me being called out for not knowing a rock legend.

 

[Angola!]

Nevermind, I am an idiot. Wicked, I assumed you were referring to the first post in the thread?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

I usually give the young kids on the beat a lot of grief about what they don't know. Because I'm on vacation, I'm being the kinder, gentler me.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I have a teenage cousin who has never heard of Beverly Hills 90210... The kid grew some sideburns and I said, "Hey, look at Brandon Walsh over here..." everybody else laughed and he looked at me like I was crazy...

About an hour later he came up to me and said, "Who is Brandon Walsh?"

Christ, you would've thought I made a 1960s reference...

 

[FileNotFound]

I have a teenage cousin who has never heard of Beverly Hills 90210... The kid grew some sideburns and I said, "Hey, look at Brandon Walsh over here..." everybody else laughed and he looked at me like I was crazy...

About an hour later he came up to me and said, "Who is Brandon Walsh?"

Christ, you would've thought I made a 1960s reference...

And to him, it was.

I was in a roomful of newsroom people the other day, none of whom knew what a "composing room" was. "Is anybody in here 30??" I asked. The answer: No.

 

[alleyallen]

I have a teenage cousin who has never heard of Beverly Hills 90210... The kid grew some sideburns and I said, "Hey, look at Brandon Walsh over here..." everybody else laughed and he looked at me like I was crazy...

About an hour later he came up to me and said, "Who is Brandon Walsh?"

Christ, you would've thought I made a 1960s reference...

To be honest, I pride myself on the fact that I never ever saw an episode of 90210, so unless I'd heard someone watercooler talk about Brandon Walsh an hour before, I probably wouldn't have known to whom you were referring either.

 

[wickedwritah]

I have a teenage cousin who has never heard of Beverly Hills 90210... The kid grew some sideburns and I said, "Hey, look at Brandon Walsh over here..." everybody else laughed and he looked at me like I was crazy...

About an hour later he came up to me and said, "Who is Brandon Walsh?"

Christ, you would've thought I made a 1960s reference...

Perfect example.

There are plenty of pop culture references to 90210. I really watched the show just once -- when I was in eighth grade, because I thought it was the "cool" thing to do; then I realized that I had a manhood still left to conquer -- and I knew who Brandon Walsh was.

 

[writing irish]

There are tons and tons of TV and movie references that I should get but don't. I've amazed people with my obliviousness to actors, famous shows/movies, etc. I rarely watch non-sports TV and don't go to many movies. While I'm not proud of my ignorance in those regards, I'm not ashamed, either.

Here's what I wish younger Americans knew:
the English language, including the difference between logic and rhetoric
U.S. history, especially since 1900
at least some world history as well as current international relations (I know, I know, dream on)
how to prepare a meal
the basics of social etiquette, esp. professional etiquette

The list could go on, but that's good for starters.

 

[Cosmo]

Bob Loblaw is crying.

 

[buckweaver]

U.S. history, especially since 1900
at least some world history as well as current international relations (I know, I know, dream on)

****, I'll just say ... any history. Anything at all. Or, at least (and this is the hardest to develop, I'd say), for more of my generation to develop a sense of history. That something actually came before us, and that it affects how things are today.

 

[dreunc1542]

U.S. history, especially since 1900
at least some world history as well as current international relations (I know, I know, dream on)

****, I'll just say ... any history. Anything at all. Or, at least (and this is the hardest to develop, I'd say), for more of my generation to develop a sense of history. That something actually came before us, and that it affects how things are today.

Agreed, one of the best decisions I ever made was to double major in history. It was useful just yesterday, as I told the people I was with all about Roger Williams as we drove around Newport, RI.

 

[alleyallen]

U.S. history, especially since 1900
at least some world history as well as current international relations (I know, I know, dream on)

****, I'll just say ... any history. Anything at all. Or, at least (and this is the hardest to develop, I'd say), for more of my generation to develop a sense of history. That something actually came before us, and that it affects how things are today.

Agreed, one of the best decisions I ever made was to double major in history. It was useful just yesterday, as I told the people I was with all about Roger Williams as we drove around Newport, RI.

Very little of what I learned in school has failed to make the useful transition to real life. History, science, math, even English (duh!) have all been important in the 18 years since I graduated. I just wish I'd paid more attention to the math part because my lack of knowledge even now is evidenced in numerous situations.

 

[Cansportschick]

Something Younger Americans Should Know: Canada is NOT the 51st state. :

 

[EStreetJoe]

There's a wide spectrum of things could apply here...
-- pop culture references like lines/references to Animal House, Blazing Saddles, Blues Brothers,etc.; who certain characters are (the Fonz, Brandon Walsh, Mork, etc.), musicians and songs, etc.
-- social etiquette ("thank you", "you're welcome", holding a door, not talking on the cellphone while someone at the counter is trying to take your order/help you at the bank/etc., not talking on the cellphone while in the bathroom, not talking loudly on a cellphone while in a nice restaurant, etc.)
-- this next one applies to some adults as well ... if you're a cashier, how to make change (without the register telling you how much to give back) and the right way to count change back to the customer (start at the price and count up to the amount the customer gave you; just don't count out the amount showing on the register)
-- history and how it effects what's going on today.. a sense of where we've been as a nation and where we're heading.

 

[spnited]

Younger Americans need to learn to read, write and think.

We're concerned about them not knowing Nirvana or 90210 references when half of them come out of high school as functional illiterates.

The problem is all they know is pop culture and video games....as long as they don't have to spell "culture."