Cultural References

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im 63 and I’m increasingly notice that people don’t get some of the things I say, the metaphors and analogies I use or the sheer genius of my imaginative wit and intelligent humour.

I was with a group of 12 people today and I made a reference to Lemmy. I had to tell them all who he was: Nothing. So I mentioned Motörhead: Nowt. I googled a f***ing photo of the twat: still not a clue.

I’ve had similar experiences referring to a whole range of things like famous actors, tv shows, films, books, phrases, historical characters, battles... I mean one person I was talking with once had no idea that there had ever been an English Civil War.

Is it just me?
 


George Kaplan said:
im 63 and I’m increasingly notice that people don’t get some of the things I say, the metaphors and analogies I use or the sheer genius of my imaginative wit and intelligent humour.

I was with a group of 12 people today and I made a reference to Lemmy. I had to tell them all who he was: Nothing. So I mentioned Motörhead: Nowt. I googled a f***ing photo of the twat: still not a clue.

I’ve had similar experiences referring to a whole range of things like famous actors, tv shows, films, books, phrases, historical characters, battles... I mean one person I was talking with once had no idea that there had ever been an English Civil War.

Is it just me?
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No, not just you, pal. Last year I was doing the facility tour for a group of new hires and we have one room that from the outside looks like it's a janitorial closet but it's actually a tech lab that is huge. When I opened the door and we went inside one of the new hires remarked, "Wow, it's a lot bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside". I laughed and said ,"Yes, I know, it's our very own Tardis". No-one in the group knew what the heck I was talking about. They hadn't even heard of Doctor Who.
 
George Kaplan said:
My Dad was old. But when he talked about Al Jolson or Arthur Askey or the Second World War, I usually had some sort of clue what he was talking about.
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It has nothing to do with age. I don't know about the UK but the educational system here in the US is pathetically lacking. A friend of mine that does International Sales was telling me that he asked one of his new, young, assistants to call their office in the UK and the assistant asked him, "Wait, do they speak English in England?" :lol:
 
The Lonious Monk said:
No, not just you, pal. Last year I was doing the facility tour for a group of new hires and we have one room that from the outside looks like it's a janitorial closet but it's actually a tech lab that is huge. When I opened the door and we went inside one of the new hires remarked, "Wow, it's a lot bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside". I laughed and said ,"Yes, I know, it's our very own Tardis". No-one in the group knew what the heck I was talking about. They hadn't even heard of Doctor Who.
Click to expand...

You’re American man! I know there’s a reasonable following over there but it’s not a cast iron cultural reference everyone should know like... Elvis, probably.
 
Charmless Man said:
You’re American man! I know there’s a reasonable following over there but it’s not a cast iron cultural reference everyone should know like... Elvis, probably.
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During the time that David Tenant and Matt Smith played Doctor Who, it became huge here in the States and there was a large following. You would find Doctor Who merchandise everywhere during that time.
 

The old Mattesons advert (tag line: ‘you must be Hank Marvin’) had been on for a while when my 18 year old (at the time) stepdaughter (no) asked me, in truly astonished tones, if I was aware that ‘Hank Marvin’ was a REAL person??!!
 
The Lonious Monk said:
During the time that David Tenant and Matt Smith played Doctor Who, it became huge here in the States and there was a large following. You would find Doctor Who merchandise everywhere during that time.
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Ah well. It’s shite anyway so whee gives a shit?

George Kaplan said:

The old Mattesons advert (tag line: ‘you must be Hank Marvin’) had been on for a while when my 18 year old (at the time) stepdaughter (no) asked me, in truly astonished tones, if I was aware that ‘Hank Marvin’ was a REAL person??!!
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I didn’t know he was from Newcastle until recently mind.

Nor did I suspect that Hank Marvin might not have been his real name.
 
The Lonious Monk said:
It has nothing to do with age. I don't know about the UK but the educational system here in the US is pathetically lacking. A friend of mine that does International Sales was telling me that he asked one of his new, young, assistants to call their office in the UK and the assistant asked him, "Wait, do they speak English in England?" :lol:
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I was in Houston last year and a lass asked me "I know it's a silly question but what language do you speak in England?"

:lol:
 
The Lonious Monk said:
It has nothing to do with age. I don't know about the UK but the educational system here in the US is pathetically lacking. A friend of mine that does International Sales was telling me that he asked one of his new, young, assistants to call their office in the UK and the assistant asked him, "Wait, do they speak English in England?" :lol:
Click to expand...

The education system is to blame for young people not knowing who Lemmy from Motorhead is?
 
George Kaplan said:
My Dad was old. But when he talked about Al Jolson or Arthur Askey or the Second World War, I usually had some sort of clue what he was talking about.
Click to expand...
Arthur askey was still current when you were a kid, was on all the time. Puts me in mind that I was born 30 years after the jazz singer was released and they often showed silent movies that's the contemporary equivelant of a 10 year old watching close encounters of the third kind now :lol::eek:
 
Horatio Pugwash said:
I was in Houston last year and a lass asked me "I know it's a silly question but what language do you speak in England?"

:lol:
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:lol:

When my friend told me the story I thought he was pulling me leg because I couldn't believe it to be true - but one of his coworkers that was with us told me that it did happen, so I'm not surprised that you were asked that. It's f***ing mind blowing

double maxim said:
The education system is to blame for young people not knowing who Lemmy from Motorhead is?
Click to expand...
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George Kaplan said:
im 63 and I’m increasingly notice that people don’t get some of the things I say, the metaphors and analogies I use or the sheer genius of my imaginative wit and intelligent humour.

I was with a group of 12 people today and I made a reference to Lemmy. I had to tell them all who he was: Nothing. So I mentioned Motörhead: Nowt. I googled a f***ing photo of the twat: still not a clue.

I’ve had similar experiences referring to a whole range of things like famous actors, tv shows, films, books, phrases, historical characters, battles... I mean one person I was talking with once had no idea that there had ever been an English Civil War.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...
Some (many) years ago a young trainee lass -nice girl, we got on well, but I was about ten years older than her - asked about the bloke I’d been on a couple of dates with. “How’s it going?” she asked. I replied “he’s great, he swims like a fish”. She looked totally blank. I never bothered explaining.
 
The Lonious Monk said:
:lol:

When my friend told me the story I thought he was pulling me leg because I couldn't believe it to be true - but one of his coworkers that was with us told me that it did happen, so I'm not surprised that you were asked that. It's f***ing mind blowing


Logon or register to see this image
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To be fair she was just a kid (20ish) and I think it was my accent she was struggling with but even so......
 
George Kaplan said:
im 63 and I’m increasingly notice that people don’t get some of the things I say, the metaphors and analogies I use or the sheer genius of my imaginative wit and intelligent humour.

I was with a group of 12 people today and I made a reference to Lemmy. I had to tell them all who he was: Nothing. So I mentioned Motörhead: Nowt. I googled a f***ing photo of the twat: still not a clue.

I’ve had similar experiences referring to a whole range of things like famous actors, tv shows, films, books, phrases, historical characters, battles... I mean one person I was talking with once had no idea that there had ever been an English Civil War.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...

Not just you. I'm sure that when I was a kid, with 3/4/5 TV channels and a few radio stations I got an education in the music of the recent past via Radio 1. That doesn't happen now. Contemporary radio rarely looks backwards...
 
janiep said:
Some (many) years ago a young trainee lass -nice girl, we got on well, but I was about ten years older than her - asked about the bloke I’d been on a couple of dates with. “How’s it going?” she asked. I replied “he’s great, he swims like a fish”. She looked totally blank. I never bothered explaining.
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Was he called Mike?
 
janiep said:
Some (many) years ago a young trainee lass -nice girl, we got on well, but I was about ten years older than her - asked about the bloke I’d been on a couple of dates with. “How’s it going?” she asked. I replied “he’s great, he swims like a fish”. She looked totally blank. I never bothered explaining.
Click to expand...

Was he called Charlie Sez?
 

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