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Mellen
absentmammoth
15 August 2003 @ 05:41 pm
The Undereducation of America's Youth at a New Low...  
So, I'm sitting here at work when my pal Chris the Security Guard (TM) comes around. He tells me how he just picked up some cool posters for his dorm at the collectibles show we have here today. He purchased a poster of Elvis and another of Eminem. Talking about posters and decorating, I took what I felt was my chance to brag.

ME: Well, my favorite is my 40x60 inch poster of David Bowie
Chris: David Bowie...is he an actor or something...?
ME: You don't know who David Bowie is? Are you serious?
Chris: I dunno, if you tell me something about him, maybe I heard of him...
ME: You don't know who David Bowie is!?!?
Chris: Uh, no. What does he do?

There's no way one can be educated in what "he does" without good speakers and a lot of time. I tried and failed miserably. Not one song I tried rang any bells.

I think I'm gonna cry.
 
 
Mood: Stunned
Music: David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes (in my head)
 
32 comments | comment
 
 
32 comments —
( 32 comments — comment )
Torin/Darren WhoEverwolfieboy on August 15th, 2003 02:52 pm (UTC)
Re: he Undereducation of America's Youth at a New Low...
Is that an updated version of "Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?"
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Mellenabsentmammoth on August 15th, 2003 03:27 pm (UTC)
Re: he Undereducation of America's Youth at a New Low...
You know, I've heard that in real life too, but as Paul is not my favorite Beatle, it didn't hurt my soul quite as horribly
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levgernle on August 15th, 2003 03:31 pm (UTC)
Funny... you're only 21 and you're fretting about the "education" of today's youth.... ask him if he knows who John Lennon is/was. That will surely make your head explode.

No one knows anything anymore. Funny thing is, everyone worried years ago that with the obsession of America's Youth for pop culture, that somehow history would be lost for good... no one wondered what would happen to the history of pop culture....

Bowie? I'd list him in the top ten of all time? That clown doesn't know him? Let him be. It's just sad.
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just johnjustjohn on August 15th, 2003 03:35 pm (UTC)
Actually, the first thing I think about David Bowie is that absentmammoth is such a devoted fan.
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(no subject) - levgernle on August 15th, 2003 03:50 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - justjohn on August 15th, 2003 03:56 pm (UTC) (Expand)
forgive me for my 1.1 nanosecond attention span - levgernle on August 15th, 2003 04:05 pm (UTC) (Expand)
Re: forgive me for my 1.1 nanosecond attention span - justjohn on August 15th, 2003 04:12 pm (UTC) (Expand)
Re: forgive me for my 1.1 nanosecond attention span - levgernle on August 15th, 2003 04:18 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - absentmammoth on August 15th, 2003 05:43 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - levgernle on August 15th, 2003 05:47 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - absentmammoth on August 15th, 2003 06:04 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - levgernle on August 15th, 2003 06:09 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(Deleted comment)
Mellenabsentmammoth on August 15th, 2003 05:28 pm (UTC)
Re: Now...
I believe a year older than myself
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J. Moleneilx on August 15th, 2003 06:48 pm (UTC)
Well technically Bowwie has done some acting so he was right on that.

Who do u think has done the best cover of a Bowie song?

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Mellenabsentmammoth on August 15th, 2003 06:49 pm (UTC)
Beck - Diamond Dogs
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(no subject) - neilx on August 15th, 2003 07:02 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - absentmammoth on August 16th, 2003 07:26 am (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - neilx on August 16th, 2003 04:37 pm (UTC) (Expand)
(Deleted comment)
(no subject) - absentmammoth on August 16th, 2003 07:30 am (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - justjohn on August 16th, 2003 09:33 am (UTC) (Expand)
no one in particularlucifers_girl on August 15th, 2003 07:39 pm (UTC)
whoa. I don't know you, but that conversation breaks my heart. I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now.
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Mellenabsentmammoth on August 16th, 2003 09:44 am (UTC)
Yeah, it made my soul hurt, too. I had to go home and watch my Best of Bowie DVD just to feel whole again.
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Grundoongrundoon on August 16th, 2003 04:42 am (UTC)
>current music: Ashes to Ashes

I love that song! From "Scary Monsters" - an album that parodies Meatloaf, Alice Cooper / Elvis Costello, Joy Division, Talking Heads, and a bunch of others who all owe something to David. But your friend surely hasn't heard of _them_ either. Oh well... probably gets his news from Sports Illustrated.
o
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Mellenabsentmammoth on August 16th, 2003 07:37 am (UTC)
Scary Monsters is a great album..."don't ask me I don't know any hallways".

He knew Elvis, as in "the King"...but after I found out about not knowing Bowie, conversation about other artists was impossible.

I just think this sort of thing happens if you stay at the mall too long.
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JDratsoprizo on August 21st, 2003 05:30 pm (UTC)
I didn't really know much about Bowie before college. I had certainly heard his name, but where would you learn this stuff? Pop Music Appreciation class is not part of the required curriculum. Not one song would have rung a bell then, either. Now I know a few.

I'm not really a fan, but I know a lot of people are, and certainly respect their adoration, although I don't see what the appeal is. *Shrugs* Maybe I'm missing something, but at least I've been exposed.
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Papilleaupapilleau on August 23rd, 2003 10:27 pm (UTC)
Cultural illiteracy...don't you just love it? Thanks for adding me to your list...I can tell I will enjoy following your journal, and what a great Tom Robbins quote. I think I will crib it and enter it into my own journal!
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Mellenabsentmammoth on August 25th, 2003 09:23 am (UTC)
I do hope you own a copy of Still Life with Woodpecker then?

And don't thank me alone, thank the Bibble for the recommendation. He's got good taste in peoples. Thank YOU for adding me back ^_^
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(no subject) - papilleau on August 25th, 2003 10:34 am (UTC) (Expand)
(no subject) - absentmammoth on August 25th, 2003 03:05 pm (UTC) (Expand)