Popular culture vs. niche culture

[nightwind1]

I knew kids who couldn't name all four Beatles. "John, Paul, Ringo, and .... Larry?"
*Sigh* Poor George.
That was back in 1987. Granted, the Beatles had broken up earlier than any of them had been born, but it was still pretty funky and I'll bet the number who don't know is wider-spread now.

I frequently see various Facebook Fail-style posts where people display their ignorance of otherwise widely-known stuff. I generally boggle that someone would go to the trouble of posting a status update or tweets their ignorance when a fast Google search will probably get them that information. What ever happened to intellectual curiosity?

An 18-year old sailor I was stationed with in the Coast Guard in '92 (I was 31 at the time) didn't know that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings.

 

[Deset Gled]

An 18-year old sailor I was stationed with in the Coast Guard in '92 (I was 31 at the time) didn't know that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings.

I had a professor tell a joke/story about that same phenomenon, sometime around '02. It fell a little flat because some of the students didn't know who Wings was.

 

[Jhaelen]

I had a professor tell a joke/story about that same phenomenon, sometime around '02. It fell a little flat because some of the students didn't know who Wings was.

Yeah, I never heard of Wings either... ^^

 

[Zombie_Babies]

I wish I'd never heard of Wings.

 

[billd91]

Don't be hating on Denny Laine. He and the McCartneys put out some pretty good stuff. Band on the Run, for example, is an excellent album.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Don't be hating on Denny Laine. He and the McCartneys put out some pretty good stuff. Band on the Run, for example, is an excellent album.

No, Wings is terrible. I know cuz I have ears and now I hate you because that awful, awful song is stuck in my head.

 

[billd91]

No, Wings is terrible. I know cuz I have ears and now I hate you because that awful, awful song is stuck in my head.

BAND on the run. BAND on the Ru-u-uuun.
And the jailer man, and sailor Sam
Were searching everyo-o-one
For the Band on the Run...

 

[Zombie_Babies]

BAND on the run. BAND on the Ru-u-uuun.
And the jailer man, and sailor Sam
Were searching everyo-o-one
For the Band on the Run...

Too late. Muzak's even greater awfulness has saved me from Wings ... until it plays Wings ... which it won't ... today.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

What horrific North Korean labor camp do you work in?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Sir Paul recounted in an interview that the first time he felt old was when he encountered a young fan on a subway train. She recognized him, and claimed to be his greatest fan. She tried to prove the point by rattling off a bunch of facts about his career with Wings.

Impressed with her encyclopedic knowledge of his second major band's career, he asked her which of his Beatles songs was her favorite.

With an expression of pure shock, she replied, "You were in a band before WINGS?!?!?!?!"