Claire Beauchamp, the culturally literate snob

[Zsofia]

@Thudlow_Boink

Depends on whether you define “culture,” in the sense of “cultural literacy,” to include sports (and I think a case could be made either way). If it does, then yes, that would make someone culturally illiterate. If no, then they’d be some other kind of illiterate.

And by these standards, if you want to call me “illiterate” (or ignorant), I’ll cheerfully accept the label. It’s not an ignorance that particularly bothers me, but neither am I proud of it; and for the most part I’ll humbly keep my mouth shut in discussions of football or basketball.

I just wouldn’t go spouting my mouth off in sports threads, is all. Which I notably don’t. I also don’t correct other people about words I don’t know, either, like two posters in this thread did, either. I’m classy like that.

Wouldn’t you think it was dumb as shit if, say, somebody thought all you needed to know about golf was Tiger Woods, and people like Harry Varden, Bobby Jones, or even Jack Nicklaus aren’t worth your time?

ETA - sorry, that was supposed to be a reply to Contrapuntal, obviously.

ETAA - Algorithm, that’s a fine point - I was more responding to the rest of the OP than the problem in that linked thread, which is that, yeah, plenty of people who have seen plenty of good movies remember Guinness fondly as Obi-Wan Kenobi. It doesn’t make them culturally illiterate - if you were to ask me who he was, I’d tell you “That guy from Bridge Over the River Kwai, and he was Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

[Tapioca_Dextrin]

Will the OP be back to say mea culpa?

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Contrapuntal

Then pick another question. How about “What college coach was instrumental in the introduction of the shot clock?” My main point is that sports is as much a part of popular culture as movies are, and that many folks who could quote chapter and verse WRT Alec Guinness movies know piss-all about sports.

“US college basketball” is a much more specialized topic than “film”.

One is a niche sport confined to one country. The other is one of the two most important expressions of culture in society.

[Zsofia]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

“US college basketball” is a much more specialized topic than “film”.

One is a niche sport confined to one country. The other is one of the two most important expressions of culture in society.

Are you counting out music, or is it literature?

[Frank]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

The other is one of the two most important expressions of culture in society.

At the risk of a serious hijack, I’ll bite. What’s the other one?

[Trepa_Mayfield]

What does ‘eunni’ mean?

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

If I say music, the literati jump on me, and if I say literature, I get strangled to death with an amplifier cable.

Make that “…one of the three…”

[Zsofia]

@pedescribe

What does ‘eunni’ mean?

I’d tell you, but I’m too weary right now. It’s all too, too dreary and tiresome.

ETA - unless I just got a spelling whoosh. In that case, I’m bright eyed, bushy-tailed, and red in the face.

[Frank]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

If I say music, the literati jump on me, and if I say literature, I get strangled to death with an amplifier cable.

Make that “…one of the three…”

Our chief cultural expression is film…film and music…music and film… Our two cultural expressions are music and film…and literature… Our three cultural expressions are music, film, and literature…and an almost fanatical devotion to TV… Our four…no… Amongst our cultural… Amongst our cultural expressions…are such elements as music, film… I’ll come in again.

[Bryan_Ekers]

I suppose if one wanted to be a punk-ass bitch about it, they could report the rule violation in Claire’s post #24 in the linked thread and get her ass all warned and shit.
Not me, though.
I was 8 or so when I first saw Star Wars and had probably never heard of Alec Guinness before. I’ve since seen numerous films like Bridge on the River Kwai (which I didn’t really like) and Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Ladykillers (both of which I liked quite a bit), for what that’s worth.

I wonder if Christopher Lee is going to be remembered as Count Dooku more than anything else he’s done. Prolly not.

And as yet another minor side note, I remember when Laurence Olivier and Mel Blanc died the same week and the greater attention paid to the former. My father pointed out that probably far more people had been entertained by the latter.

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Frank

Our chief cultural expression is film…film and music…music and film… Our two cultural expressions are music and film…and literature… Our three cultural expressions are music, film, and literature…and an almost fanatical devotion to TV… Our four…no… Amongst our cultural… Amongst our cultural expressions…are such elements as music, film… I’ll come in again.

Aw, shit, and I’m hungry.

[Freddy_the_Pig]

@pedescribe

What does ‘eunni’ mean?

I think that’s the guy who performed at the Pyramids and the Acropolis.

[Zsofia]

@Bryan_Ekers

And as yet another minor side note, I remember when Laurence Olivier and Mel Blanc died the same week and the greater attention paid to the former. My father pointed out that probably far more people had been entertained by the latter.

I’d bet you good money that it’s Mel Blanc’s work that will stand the test of time.

[AHunter3]

::comes into thread to defend Jamie’s sassenach lass from allegations of English snobbery::

::reads a bit::

Never mind!

[PoorYorick]

@Contrapuntal

Here’s a thought experiment for the stuck-up elitists here abouts. Can anyone deny that sports is huge part of our culture? I mean tremendously, staggeringly, blindingly huge?

Does not knowing who won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship last year, or the names of the last three Super Bowl MVPS, make someone culturally illiterate? Here’s a clue. There is more to culture than movies. Much much more.

I don’t know. If someone mentioned Bart Starr or Babe Ruth, and I responded with “Who the hell are they and what have they done lately?”, I’d pretty much expect to get my ass handed to me.

I mean, sure, not everyone knows who they are, but I wouldn’t brag about it.

[Bryan_Ekers]

quickly googles Bart Starr

[Gyrate]

He’s Brenda’s dad, right?

[Tamerlane]

@Bryan_Ekers

I wonder if Christopher Lee is going to be remembered as Count Dooku more than anything else he’s done. Prolly not.

Pfft. That’s just ridiculous.

He’ll be remembered as Saruman ;).

As an aside my own favorite Christoper Lee role is still Lord Summerisle. And I own Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and the original The Ladykillers on DVD, so I expect a partial pass on accusations of cultural illiteracy at least through this weekend.

[wolfman]

@Tamerlane

Pfft. That’s just ridiculous.

He’ll be remembered as Saruman ;).

Sadly when I first think of Lee’s roles , the first role I think of him not being Saruman in ROTK.

[eleanorigby]

Kind Hearts and Coronets is obscure? Fie on all of you! It’s my favorite Alec Guiness movie of all time.
I don’t see what basketball has to do with culture. That’s sports and while it has its own culture (and one should know at least something about it or keep one’s mouth firmly shut), I don’t class it with the arts: film, literature, music and the visual arts etc.
YMMV.