Director, John Hughes died at 59 yesterday. Hughes wrote, directed, and/or produced seemingly every iconic movie from the 80’s:Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, National Lampoon’s Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation, Pretty in Pink, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, and Uncle Buck.
And, remembering all of these movies reminds me that, at 30, I’m already old...but this isn’t the first time I’ve realized this.
One of my friends made a joke at the expense of his 15-yr-old nephew by referring to him as “the new Ferris Bueller.” With simultaneous boredom and disgust, his nephew looked at him and said, “What’s that…Is that some band from the 90’s?”
Earlier this week, I sat down with a 20-something to watch Unforgiven (Best Picture 1992 starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, & Gene Hackman). We are not that far apart in age, but he had never even heard of the movie, and he missed every reference or comparison to other movies I tried to make.
Everything worth hearing from me is stolen. So, admittedly inspired by questions raised in another blog (much more clever than this one) and an article by Chuck Klosterman (also referenced by said blog), I want to know what cutural content is required for you to be fluent among your own peer group.
Klosterman’s article and the related blog argued that ignoring cultural phenomena such as Harry Potter today is a conscious choice to become culturally illiterate and irrelevant tomorrow.
Now, all discussions of Potter aside, I want to know two things:
First, what pieces of pop-culture (music, movies, and TV) form a baseline for cultural literacy among your peers?
And second, what are the new classics? What recent releases (broadly recent; in the last 5-10 years) are the new pop-culture musts?
Kara commenting: Our peers are as old as we are, so I'm thinking your responses will be a little behind the times. But I feel like you have to watch "the office" and "sex and the city" and "sopranos." It also seems important to stay on top of the reality tv buzz even if you cheat and use "the soup!"
ReplyDeleteCinema: all things Wes Anderson.
ReplyDeleteMusic: Arcade Fire, M Ward, Sufjan, and Bruce.
TV: Office, 30 Rock, Flight of the Concords.
Literature: Cormac McCarthy, Dave Eggers, Paul Theroux, and Wendell Berry.
If you don't have a working knowledge of these, you might not keep up (with my tiny circle).
Some New Classics: Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, You Shall Know Our Velocity!, Jonathan Strange, the 30 Rock with Oprah.
I have to admit, I consciously avoid most pop cult stuff (minus Lost, Dexter and some music). But I do have some observations based on the rise of the "indie scene". For a quick swig of all things indie, just read Wired or Paste. Indie use to be all things non pop but has slowly become all pop, so I will offer less iconic symbols and more axiomatic subtleties. To name just a few, indie pop culture is:
ReplyDelete*the new 60's
*painfully self conscious
*elitist yet hides behind a false humility
*clever
*integrative and experimental
*willing to start over
*DIY
Anyone agree, disagree? I live in a bubble so I am probably just describing myself.
Hannah Montana and Jonas Bros all the way....got to keep up with the times....jk....
ReplyDeletemy culture doesn't have much pop in it but my peer group would suggest "the office" "friends" "seinfeld" "the simpsons" "star wars" i'll think of more
good topic
I made a Seinfeld joke the other day and some one responded, "Does anyone watch Seinfled anymore!" Beside the fact that I was personally offended, it was just another sign that we are getting older.
ReplyDeleteBut on the Harry Potter issue, even old Harry is so last year! Sure they still have to make two more movies (one is in the theatres now), but no one is reading the books anymore.
Twlight is the new Harry! If you are not reading the Twilight series and caught up in the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob, you are out of touch!
Which raises a significant issue with PC. It is a treadmill and im not sure we can (or should) keep up...
New Classics:
ReplyDeleteNapolean Dynamite, American Idol, Twilight, come to mind. One of our college babysitters went to a Harry Potter movie in-costume. (This is a SMU sorority girl, mind you, not some Trekee) I think it finally hit me how "big" Harry Potter was in its time.
I think you have to include new mediums into what defines the new pop culture as well. This would include Facebook, Twitter, Texting/iphones. "The medium IS the message" ---McLuhan
On another note, I would argue that Wes Anderson is too fringy to be pop culture. My son carries the name and very few people ever make the connection with his name and the director.
Good points & observations, all; several lead to other questions. TheWritist moved us to the idea of our own pop-sub-cultures with his "tiny circle," and Stephen asked if we should be trying to keep up with pop-culture, given its high refresh-rate.
ReplyDeleteAnd, since clever is most easily recognized in obscurity today, Casey's list also brings to light the newest cultural value: being counter-cultural. We like to pretend that it could, but can counter-culture ever become a cultural norm?
It seems that valuing counter-culture is and will continue accelerating our need for re-invintion. Yesterday's obscure bands quickly become todays mainstream...at which point they cease to be clever. Take your pick, today's Shins, Death Cab, and Neutral Milk Hotel are tomorrow's Green Day and Nickle Back. What does popularity's decidedly unpopular status mean for our ability to navigate the new pop-culture? Thoughts?
I guess I should also add some of my personal favorites in our fading pop-culture. In addition to excellent choices and new classics already named:
ReplyDeleteArrested Development
The Wire
Mad Men
Sopranos - that's just worth saying again
Brian Regan
Ron White
Ricky Gervais
Daniel Tosh
Fight Club
Crash
Slumdog Millionaire
What an excellent topic. I remember the Klosterman article when it was published, good stuff.
ReplyDeletePopular culture has such a high rate of turnover that I don't think it can be defined, especially by us old folk, because it is constantly redefining itself. The new pop culture seems to be evolving into whatever style, media, entertainment, belief system, etc. you appreciate, that becomes your culture. Whether we like it or not we are all influenced by pop culture and that is why we are all just a little bit similar. It's our personal tastes that provide individuality. I saw Cormac McCarthy on one of these lists. They are releasing the film version of The Road in October. It was produced by The Weinstein Company who also about to release Inglorious Basterds which was made by one of the largest popular icons of the 21st century. So is the pop status defined by concept or how, and by whom, it is presented?
So no, Chuck, I don't think your self imposed societal doom will ever come. Maybe you just have to look around the room for a minute until the discussion shifts to the new Camaro.
I also think that tangibles are influencing popular culture and the way it is produced. Ipods, Iphones, laptops. You can access whatever you enjoy at the touch of a button. Personally, I think it's awesome.
Although I must say that a healthy balance of thought provoking, out of the box material is essential.
Surprised that there are no video games on these lists. Here's the short list.
Sopranos
Weeds
Deadwood
Entourage
Dave Chapelle
Bret Easton Ellis
Elmore Leonard
Donna Tartt-films of her books will be made soon, watch
Fight Club-i know that's twice but i love that movie
Wall E
Into the Wild
Grand Theft Auto
Call of Duty 4
Great call on the games...I think we just dated ourselves by leaving them out this long.
ReplyDeleteCrap, what I realized from your post is that I am indeed culturally illiterate! I am always behind whatever pop culture I'm supposed to be in, and am either a) leetle bit older or b) leetle bit younger than others who make up the groups I am currently 'circuiting'. This has inspired me to consider getting with it. Fo tha reals yo
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say that not a day goes by when I don't whip out a "Big Lebowski" reference. There shouldn't be a day like that...should there? Mark it zero, Donny.
ReplyDeleteThe popular culture, among my peers, is to fear pop culture. Conversatons that used to begin, "Have you seen...?", now open with, "Do you let your kids watch...?" So, I find myself in a sort of pop-purgatory. Those less fearful talk about The Office and 30 Rock. As for me, I think that Sponge Bob should be watched to rear well-balance children, Flight of the Conchords to raise cultural awareness, and 24 to just kick a**.
ReplyDeleteShows that influenced me from childhood to college: Hogan's Heroes, Bugs Bunny, Family Ties, Cheers, The Simpson, SNL, Friends.
When it comes to pop music, I have to admit, listening to the graveling 3 chorded songs of Nickelback or Mylie's "it's the climb" chorus leave me uninspired. Whatever happened to the lyrical depth of Vanilla Ice and Debbie Gibson? For my peers pop music is past pop. Nostalgia reigns. Personally, I like Pink, the Decemberists, and I hate that I love U2.
Recent movies that have increased the chatter? I would have to say... Napolean Dynamite, Harry Potter, Slumdog Millionaire, An Inconvenient Truth, and W. For me, when in comes to movies, nostalgia reigns: Airplane, Fletch, Star Wars,The Holy Grail, Raising Arizona, and Citizen Cane, of course.
Good call listing Airplane and Citizen Cane...both exceptional in their own spheres. It's like the delicious pairing you might find with an expensive bottle of wine and aerosol cheese. Mmmmmmmmm; aerosol cheese.
ReplyDelete