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Why do people on this site pretend to have never heard of people from popular culture

2

Comments

  • #32
    Samaris
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,544 ✭✭✭Samaris


    If I do it (actually, not sure I ever have), it'd be genuine. I've seen a few threads where someone's posted "Who?" and I agree mentally because I haven't a clue either.

    Mind you, when watching TV series' or whatever, my partner will often pause it and say "Hey, it's X, who played Y, Z and C in *insert other shows here*". My response is almost always a blank look, but I was very impressed he recognized the woman who played General Beckman in Chuck bundled into a lot of furs as a redshirt in Enterprise.

    I do not recognise people well. I couldn't name a single One Direction song, but I've probably heard them on the radio.


  • #33
    Squall Leonhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Squall Leonhart


    gramar wrote: »
    That answer is along the lines of:

    'about three fiddy' (whatever the fuq that is about)



    That's where it came from!!


  • #34
    The_Valeyard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,452 ✭✭✭✭The_Valeyard


    I thought most of what was posted in AH usually concerns stuff happening in popular culture.

    Also my car smells of mints


  • #35
    gramar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,045 ✭✭✭✭gramar


    Squall Leonhart wrote: »


    That's where it came from!!

    I now know a little bit more about popular culture.


  • #36
    padd b1975
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭padd b1975


    bodice ripper wrote: »
    I have never heard One Direction, it's easily done.

    I've heard of them, but I'd struggle to identify them in a line up of boyband types.


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  • #37
    poeticmakaveli
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭poeticmakaveli


    Having heard of them is one thing as it can be stuck down your neck by the powers that be... Listening to them is quite embarassing, but everyone to their own as people say,even if it still is crap!
    Not saying I am above anyone or anything but I thank my family now that even when I was as young as 11 they had me listening to Stevie wonder, Sam Cooke,Marvin Gaye, bon jovi,guns n roses and all that other craic:)


  • #38
    Medusa22
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,400 ✭✭✭Medusa22


    I often don't know which famous person someone is talking about, and it's genuine, going to the hairdresser is a nightmare because I don't watch Xfactor/Dancing with the Stars/ I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here or TOWIE etc.

    I don't watch tv very often because I usually watch netflix or I download shows and films so I'm not exposed to many ads and I rarely listen to the radio. I read the newspaper online alright and I browse boards/facebook. However, it means that a lot of celebrities, especially pop singers are completely unknown to me and people look baffled when I don't know who someone is and they think I'm being a hipster.


  • #39
    Paramite Pie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,312 ✭✭✭Paramite Pie


    Tarzana2 wrote: »
    And I subsequently discovered that he was very famous and in the news a lot but at the time... genuinely not a clue.

    It was the same situation with my friend until I played him a video on youtube. He had heard the song on the radio but had no idea who sang it. Conversely I only knew who he was from youtube and had never heard him on the radio.
    bodice ripper wrote: »
    I have never heard One Direction, it's easily done.

    See above. If you've ever been in a shop/cafe where the radio was on then you probably heard them - you just didn't know or care who it was.:)
    Medusa22 wrote: »
    I often don't know which famous person someone is talking about, and it's genuine, going to the hairdresser is a nightmare because I don't watch Xfactor/Dancing with the Stars/ I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here or TOWIE etc.

    I don't watch tv very often because I usually watch netflix or I download shows and films so I'm not exposed to many ads and I rarely listen to the radio. I read the newspaper online alright and I browse boards/facebook. However, it means that a lot of celebrities, especially pop singers are completely unknown to me and people look baffled when I don't know who someone is and they think I'm being a hipster.

    It is getting easier to cut out the mainstream. Reality TV is something I'm absolutely clueless on. The good news is most xfactor & reality 'stars' are forgotten about rather quickly. Those who are remembered are usually remembered for being in a right 'state' outside some club. I learned to stop telling people which shows i've never seen to avoid the 'hipster' label -- everything is on my 'watch' list as far as most people are concerned.


  • #40
    Son Of A Vidic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,370 ✭✭✭✭Son Of A Vidic


    osarusan wrote: »
    There was a thread recently about worst comedians, and I didn't recognise the names of a good few people mentioned

    You weren't the only one, I noticed a lot of Boarsdies didn't like this Al Porter chap. I hadn't a clue who he was until I did a quick google search. Never watching Irish TV channels probably didn't help my cause.


  • #41
    RayM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,973 ✭✭✭RayM


    I make a conscious effort not to know anything about certain things (celebrities and almost all sport). If you asked me to name an Irish rugby player, without Googling, the only one I could think of is Brian O'Driscoll (and I don't even think he plays any more). It's a childish reaction to what I see as the overexposure of stuff I'm not interested in, and I'm not proud* of it. I absorb things quite easily, and I kind of resent it when stuff I think is worthless finds its way into my brain, so I switch off, turn the page or change the channel as soon as it's likely to happen.

    *Ok, I'm slightly proud of the fact that I don't know who 'the Kardashians' are, how they became famous or what they're famous for.


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  • #42
    the_syco
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,310 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Sanity_Saviour wrote: »
    Every time a thread comes up about someone that everyone in the world knows (the Justin Biebers, One Direction, Rihanna etc.), the first comment is "Who?"
    Because The Who are excellent!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdLIerfXuZ4


  • #43
    asherbassad
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭asherbassad


    Sanity_Saviour wrote: »
    Every time a thread comes up about someone that everyone in the world knows (the Justin Biebers, One Direction, Rihanna etc.), the first comment is "Who?" or "I've never heard of them".

    Is it a point of pride not to be involved in popular culture? Do these people think that appearing as if they are isolated from the popular stratosphere will actually provide them with an elevated social standing (on the internet)? Or, is it just pure unfettered smugness?


    As an engineer and mathematician I am hardon over LaPlace Transforms and Lagrangian Motion. Others would say whah?


  • #44
    RDM_83 again
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,116 ✭✭✭RDM_83 again


    I think celebrity culture is probably even quicker than the 15 minutes of fame that it used to be, loads of reality/scripted reality TV shows and each of the participants is a celebrity so the churn rate is faster.


  • #45
    Paramite Pie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,312 ✭✭✭Paramite Pie


    RayM wrote: »
    *Ok, I'm slightly proud of the fact that I don't know who 'the Kardashians' are, how they became famous or what they're famous for.

    By their own admission they don't actually do anything or are famous for anything. They had money and could buy publicity and buy 'scandals' to keep in the media. It was a sex tape that started it all.


  • #46
    Whitewinged
    Closed Accounts Posts: 935 ✭✭✭Whitewinged


    I sometimes hear of "bands" and they are realising a greatest hits and I don't have a clue of anything they sing.

    TV and The Charts have changed a lot. Years ago you only had a certain amount of channels so the majority of people saw the same things I guess.


  • #47
    Irish Guitarist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,736 ✭✭✭Irish Guitarist


    If someone doesn't watch the likes of MTV or has no interest in whatever the latest teen craze is then it's perfectly understandable how they might not have heard of these people.

    I've heard of One Direction but I couldn't name a single song of theirs. I have absolutely no clue about what's happening in the world of sport either.

    I once read a thread to see what the hell a 'broken Rihanna' was and made the unforgivable error of saying that I had no idea who Chris Brown was. I think I've since heard one of his songs.


  • #48
    cml387
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 9,427 ✭✭✭cml387


    There is no popular culture any more.
    The audience is so fractured that nothing commands the audience who would have bought Bohemian Rhapsody or watched Dallas.

    Here the thing...all the Christmas songs are old..OLD.
    Merry Christmas everybody.!! That was 40 years ago,

    I can guaranteee you (because I was around then) that they weren't playing songs from 1935 in 1975 on the radio. There is no more popular culture, just a rehash of the original.


  • #49
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    What exactly is this Pop Culture? Should I have jumped on some band wagon that's been and gone? I don't watch football, I don't care that much for music and I find the current line up on TV to be somewhat mind numbingly dull and drab, rehashed and beaten to death. Should I follow the zombie hoard to be cool?


  • #50
    HalloweenJack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,574 ✭✭✭HalloweenJack


    I live in Spain, I don't watch telly, I don't have twitter so don't follow celeb updates, I'm not interested in chart music, I don't follow any telly shows religiously and ditto for films or film series

    It's perfectly possible for me to not know who certain pop culture figures are.

    But at the same time, I don't see the need to go round mentioning that in every thread.


  • #51
    Azalea
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,796 ✭✭✭Azalea


    I can sometimes genuinely think "Who?" in relation to teenybopper stuff, but I'd google it. As others have said though, it's probably meant tongue-in-cheek when the subject is universally famous.
    Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »
    People's IQs are higher right now than at any point in human history.

    It's also worth pointing out that every generation thinks the next one's music and popular culture is complete nonsense in comparison to their own. It requires a very selective memory about what was popular when that person was a kid themselves. Have a gander at the top ten charts for any random time in the 80s or 90s, it was complete and utter pabulum, not one iota different from now.
    It's significantly different in my opinion. Sure, there was crap in the charts in the 80s and 90s, but nowhere near to the same extent as today, due to the X Factor et al. Chart music of the late 70s/early 80s comprised a lot of stuff that is considered absolutely classic now.


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  • #52
    haveringchick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,380 ✭✭✭haveringchick


    I've been hiding in a cellar since 1984
    Every now and again I peep out but I don't like what I see
    It's very nice here


  • #53
    beks101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,802 ✭✭✭beks101


    i usually think of the "Who?" Thing as being like "yer ma" or "blast her with piss" on AH threads. You know like, incredibly witty and original kinda stuff.


  • #54
    Flippyfloppy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,746 ✭✭✭Flippyfloppy


    HalloweenJack wrote: »
    I live in Spain, I don't watch telly, I don't have twitter so don't follow celeb updates, I'm not interested in chart music, I don't follow any telly shows religiously and ditto for films or film series

    It's perfectly possible for me to not know who certain pop culture figures are.

    But at the same time, I don't see the need to go round mentioning that in every thread.

    What do you DO during siesta etc?


  • #55
    dudara
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    I'm getting older (let's say 40'isnt very far away) and I simply don't care to stay current much any more. Combine this with the fact that there are rakes of "celebs" out there who have never done anything to merit their fame, and I just can't be bothered. Genuine talent will always be noticed, but I have less tolerance of mediocrity and no-talent.


  • #56
    RayM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,973 ✭✭✭RayM


    Azalea wrote: »
    It's significantly different in my opinion. Sure, there was crap in the charts in the 80s and 90s, but nowhere near to the same extent as today, due to the X Factor et al. Chart music of the late 70s/early 80s comprised a lot of stuff that is considered absolutely classic now.

    There's an awful lack of catchy tunes in the charts nowadays. Even the truly shite songs in the 80s and 90s had a tendency to get 'stuck' in your head (whether you wanted them to or not). Chart music now just seems over-produced and bland. It's all about the money (money... money).


  • #57
    Azalea
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,796 ✭✭✭Azalea


    RayM wrote: »
    There's an awful lack of catchy tunes in the charts nowadays. Even the truly shite songs in the 80s and 90s had a tendency to get 'stuck' in your head (whether you wanted them to or not). Chart music now just seems over-produced and bland.
    Absolutely. The blandness is the thing. You don't even have to look as far back as the 90s for catchy tunes - there were plenty of them 10 years ago too IMO (and I was way way past teenybopper stage then).


  • #58
    Irish Guitarist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,736 ✭✭✭Irish Guitarist


    Years ago Boyzone were on television and my father said "is that the Gallaghers?". He thought they were Oasis.


  • #59
    RobertKK
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,782 ✭✭✭✭RobertKK


    RayM wrote: »
    There's an awful lack of catchy tunes in the charts nowadays. Even the truly shite songs in the 80s and 90s had a tendency to get 'stuck' in your head (whether you wanted them to or not). Chart music now just seems over-produced and bland. It's all about the money (money... money).

    Shake it off, man.


  • #60
    HalloweenJack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,574 ✭✭✭HalloweenJack


    Flippyfloppy wrote: »
    What do you DO during siesta etc?
    Sleep.


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  • #61
    The_Minister
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,255 ✭✭✭✭The_Minister


    I still don't know why Vogue Williams is famous.


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