Saturday, September 1, 2012

Basic pop-culture knowledge.

Sometimes I forget what a different world I live in, than other people my age.

I was mentioning H.P. Lovecraft at the family dinner, and Klaus, my German born brother-in-law asks, "Who?"

"You know, Cthulhu and the Old Gods and all that." I look to my siblings for help, but they all look at me blankly. At first I think they're all just putting me on.

"Seriously?"

They all shrug it off.

"No, really," I insist. "You need to know this...look it up on Google."

Anyway, H.P. Lovecraft is everyday knowledge to me. I'm not talking about my siblings not knowing who the current makeup of the Avengers is -- I'm talking Necronomicon! He's even a character in the book I just wrote!

It kind of reminds of the time about 10 years ago that I realized that none of the younger people could tell me the first names of the Beatles ---"Uh.....John? Oh! Ringo! Ummmmmm.......Oh, yeah, wasn't Paul McCartney a Beatle?

What are they teaching kids in school nowadays!!! John, Paul, George, and Ringo. In that order. Memorize it, dammit!

I've not been teased by my family about my nerdiness in a long time. No one comments on the big Frazetta, 'Frost Giants" sculpture in my office. After all, I've made a living out of it, and the overall culture has moved more in my direction than I've moved toward it. So, who's the winner here?

I'm filled with arcane knowledge, I tell you.

That is of no use.

It might explain all the blank looks I get in my store when I talk to middle-aged people. We have completely different frames of reference.

3 comments:

H. Bruce Miller said...

"I'm filled with arcane knowledge, I tell you. That is of no use."

I know the feeling.

shopping monkey said...

Pop culture? Quick (no googling), name the Kardashian sisters. Uh huh – thought so (not that I could name them, either)... In their case, however, I would remove the word "culture."

Duncan McGeary said...

nerd culture?