Moments ago, I was reading this article in the Guardian about how when Dan Brown’s new Robert Langdon thriller The Lost Symbol comes out in September it will save the world, or something. So Dan Brown is a superhero. Why does he look so pissed 1 in that photo, then?
Anyway, this sparked a random thought which I will share with you now:
I don’t really get Dan Brown. Like, I get that he writes books that get turned into movies starring Tom Hanks and all, because that’s fairly easy to understand. I read The Da Vinci Code and it blew, like, a lot, but I even get that there are worse books in the world and I suppose if you somehow managed not to figure out the major plot twist by the middle of the book, reading it could be a not completely horrible way to spend an afternoon. Kind of. But what I don’t get is how Dan Brown is a phenomenon. He’s like the Hannah Montana of literature. 2
But I think we all have these things. Pop culture phenomena that other people are so into that we just don’t get. (Or that we get on some level but don’t give a damn about.) Like LOST. Or Joss Whedon. Or American Idol. Or Lady Gaga. (Is it Lady GaGa?) 3 You get the idea.
So here’s my question: what are some of those pop cultural things that people talk about like they’re so great and you don’t get why? And you’re either not interested enough to check them out, or the more people talk to you about them the more determined you become never to find out what the fuss is about just because you’re stubborn, and SHUT UP ALREADY?
I have others, aside from not getting Dan Brown, so to kick things off, I will admit the one that makes people feel sorry for me, like I’m living in a cave of despair: I’ve never watched Buffy. Not one episode. I feel fine.
Okay, go.
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1. Pissed as in angry, not drunk. Though maybe he’s drunk too. I don’t know what Dan Brown’s drunkface looks like. Maybe he’s all “Oh hell, it’s raining and there are all these people behind me and WHERE ARE MY PANTS?” (Pants as in trousers, not underwear.) Anyway, put some damn pants on, son.
2. Just think about that for a little while.
3. I understand she’s popular and all, but are people really into Lady Gaga/GaGa?
I stopped keeping track of pop culture some time ago, I think. Radio started to suck, tried to read the DaVinci Code, but kept falling asleep, my kid is grown now, so I don’t have to deal with the Hannah thing. LOST was lost on me, and the ex-beau got too annoyed with my MST3k commentary on 24, so he stopped coming over to watch… Well, he stopped coming over for lots of other reasons, too – like the woman he was cheating on me with – but that is another story! Ha!
WTF is a Lady GaGa/Gaga? I get the feeling I am better off not knowing.
I think I may be blissful in my ignorance.
PS: I may have to look at Twitter’s trending topics too comment on current pop culture mysteries.
Wow. Is that ironic?
Reality TV. It’s like an invitation for a the darkest part of everyone’s soul to wallow in other people’s dipshittery, so that the owners of the aforementioned soul will be able to feel better about themselves.
I totally agree about Dan Brown and Lady GaGa and pop culture, but am offended you put Lost and Joss Whedon in the same category!!
Any and all shows involving people meeting total strangers with the expectation that at the end of 10 weeks of serial dating they will have found their soulmate! C’mon, how realistic is that? We all know it takes at least 11 weeks.
My (almost) 12 year old daughter has downloaded a few Lady Gaga songs. Thankfully, her earbugs shield me from that static. On the plus side, she cannot stand the Jonas Brothers, so there’s that.
There was a plot twist?
1) I really dislike Lady Gaga (GaGa?) and yet for some reason I enjoy the song Pokerface…? I don’t get it. But I hate her. No one should be able to sing, “I want to take a ride on your discostick” and get away with it.
2). Oh man, am I judgmental. I hate Dan Brown and make fun of people who legitimately enjoy his books. But the thing is, Dan Brown has written and published several books and IS A MILLIONAIRE. And I have not published one book, not even half of one. Hell, I have not even ever written a full book (I have made many failed attempts). So I should probably judge him a little less. Or just start to be a really cheesy writer and get something published.
3. More to the point of your question about pop culture: I have a twitter account and all, but I TOTALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND TWITTER. I do not even know why I have a twitter account, and yet I do. And I post on it. But I don’t understand why I do it or why other people would want to read what I post, or why other people post things.
I don’t get all the ‘reality’ shows that are so popular. They just seem dorky to me.
That said, a year or so ago I saw an episode of that show where fashion designers compete to create outfits…and became hooked. It was one of those weekends where they were showing all the episodes in a row and I watched almost all of them. The social aspects were pretty unpleasant…all that bickering and stuff…but I loved watching them actually design fashion. Which completely surprised me.
On the other hand, I adore the Buffyverse almost as much as I love Jane Austen.
I’m with you on Dan Brown. Other things? Any reality TV, Sex & The City, and Desparate Housewives. I just don’t understand (although, to be honest, I don’t understand a lot of things).
To agree completely with many folks above – reality TV. Also, leggings. Does that count as pop culture?
Jon and Kate. Hands down.
TV. All of it.
The whole, “Did you see (insert program name here) last night?”
TV doesn’t make me think, doesn’t make my mind work better, or consider things I wouldn’t normally have considered. It just makes me numb. I guess that’s why I unhooked mine. TV that is, not mind.
It was pointed out to me a few years ago that I intentionally run from trends or fads or pop culture things that everyone loves. I am anti-fad. It really wasn’t on purpose originally (but now it is).
I am also one of those people that, when something because crazy popular after I had already discovered it (I’m not saying I am the first to discover things, but some things just don’t take off right away), I often shun it and don’t like to like it anymore.
Things I don’t know anything about and dislike: Jon & Kate
Things I’ve seen and have no earthly idea how people enjoy: Family Guy
I don’t mind hearing about last night’s game but do not care for hours long drivel on how the losing team can improve
I don’t know if the below qualify as pop culture:
1. Celebrity worship.
2. Life’s latest, greatest major unfairness.
While I will happily jump on any bandwagon out there, I really didn’t get the whole sparkly vampire Twilight thing. Couldn’t sit through the movie, couldn’t read the book – it definitely falls in the “rubbish” rather than the “guilty pleasure” category for me!
(And nope, didn’t find Robert Pattinson hot either)
Mad Men! I keep hearing about this show and how I must watch it. it doesn’t sound even a little interesting. eh, I might give it a try, if I get time. see that’s a big part of it for me, how on earth do so many people keep up with all these trends?? don’t they have families, jobs, hobbies, interests, working out, etc. to do?
OMG, sports. I wish people would stop talking about professional fucking sports. FFS, it’s something a CHILD could do, like jumping rope or jacks or something. Not worth millions of dollars, sorry no.
I also have to keep reminding myself that Lady Gaga is a real, actual famous person. Like, seriously? This chick has an actual “singing” career and people know who she is and stuff? Blows my mind.
Things I know little about and want to keep it that way: Dan Brown, LOST, Jon & Kate, the Kardashians.
Things I’ve seen and have no earthly idea how people enjoy: Desperate Housewives, reality TV (especially ones that involve people being mean to each other or ppl being stupid), Coldplay, skinny jeans.