Maybe they saw the story headline, but by next month they won’t remember which celebrity it was and probably won’t recall her name in particular. The story is news only because of her celebrity, not because it is of any serious political or other importance. Even if it were on the front page of the NY Times, this is still essentially entertainment news, not what they would regard as “real” news. If it was in the newspaper, they probably would not have read that article, and if it were online they wouldn’t have clicked on it. You overestimate the significance of the story.
I know and I would say it is uncommon not to know in the sense that I would expect about 70% to know. However, not knowing would not strike me as really unusual, either.
Here is what Wikipedia says, but I’m sure it’s hard to prove what his reasons actually were other than taking him at his word.
The citation goes to his biography on Allmusic, which doesn’t seem to include anything about the J/Z subway lines and who knows where they get their information.
Perhaps not, but that’s moving the goal posts. I’m not saying that a well-informed person will remember every news story about Beyonce long afterward, only that someone who’s well-informed about current US news must be at least vaguely aware that Beyonce is a famous pop singer because she’s been in the news quite a bit recently. (And for the past 10-15 years.)
I’m pretty sure I do not, because I didn’t read any of the stories about Beyonce’s trip to Cuba either. I just saw the headlines. But although I don’t care about Beyonce as an individual or a musician, the knowledge that she made a controversial trip to Cuba, or that she exists, wasn’t promptly wiped from my brain. Being well-informed about US news – and I wouldn’t even describe myself as particularly well-informed, I just don’t live under the metaphorical rock – requires knowing things that one doesn’t necessarily care about.
Jay-Z.
It’s probably common knowledge among people under 40 in the US. I only know because my wife makes me watch the MTV video awards. 
I can appreciate where you are coming from, but I really think what annoys me about this (your) attitude is that it that I often find the people who feel this way are predominately, entitled, elitist, rich, and White. And I don’t think that being any of those things makes you necessarily a bad person, I just tend to find that people like that feel it’s acceptable to “not care” about anything that they are not personally affected or entertained by, while simultaneously elevated their own interests above everyone else’s in terms of value and worth. Many, if not most of the people outside those aforementioned groups can not afford to be willfully ignorance of what the people around them like and do. They can’t afford to wall themselves off from others to create a space where only things they love and enjoy can penetrate.
I am doubly annoyed because a lot of these same people are more intellectually curious, and generally intelligent than average, yet they feel no compunction about expending little to no energy reading up on the things that large swaths of the public love. It’s one thing to be ignorant. I am sure there a plenty of Asian stars I have never heard of for example. However, it’s entirely another matter to actively avoid news presented to you on a regular bass, AND feel no urge to find out more about it just for your own edification.
Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone, due to time constraints and other practical concerns, whittles the world down to a more manageable and digestible size by narrowly focusing their interests. But to have no idea who two of the more popular people in the US (and most likely world) is just strange to me. It’s kinda shameful in a way not only because you are missing out on (IMHO) a lot of good music, but also because you are failing to fully understand the culture most of the people around you are influenced by.
Beyonce went to Cuba?
And knowing who Jay-Z is or who he’s married to is something to brag about or be proud of?
So I opened the link to give it a listen. Meh, that’s the kind of crap I turn at the first indication it’s on the radio. I’ll listen to commercials over that. No, I don’t know who that is, and I don’t want to know. I’ll promptly try to forget everything about that song and that guy.
So why do those frogs, or lizards, or amphibians, or whatever they are, have boobs?
As I have already posted,* I didn’t even know myself.*
This is so bizarre that you are posting this as if anyone said that knowing who Jay Z is married to is cause for bragging? What in the…?
Of course I knew who Beyonce is married to.
Slight hijack, but I can top the OP here. I spent the first seven months in my current job without knowing that two of my own colleagues were married to each other! (And this is a small organization within our institution, less than 20 people and we all chat a fair bit.)
I knew indistinctly that both of them were married, but it wasn’t till one day in a meeting when I happened to notice that their wedding rings were the same design that I finally acquired a clue. Wasn’t any secret or anything, and everybody else had known for years, I just hadn’t picked up on it.
Tying this back in to the Jay-Z/Beyonce thing, I think marriage is paradoxically one of the things that it can be easy to miss noticing about people who are both well known as individuals. I had actually heard of both Rhea Perlman and Danny DeVito long before I ever heard that they were married to each other. Same thing, though in a somewhat different context, with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (author of Frankenstein) and Percy Bysshe Shelley (famous Romantic poet).
That might be true if they watched TV news, where which what stories you are exposed to is determined by the media. But if they didn’t know who Beyonce was before, there is no reason they would necessarily read or click on a story with the headline “Controversy over Beyonce’s Trip to Cuba.” That doesn’t mean they’re not well informed about current US news.
I will concede, however, that it’s possible they might recognize the name.
Knowing them, though, I wouldn’t bet two dollars on it.
This is the only Beyonce song anyone needs to know and it’s only because of Justin Timberlakes’ dancing in this SNL skit. (He’s the guy on the left. In case anyone does not know who he is.)
Hey, I’m rich, white, and perhaps elitist. But I’m equally uninterested in rich white artists as much as rich nonwhite artists. I don’t think I’ve elevated anything over anyone else. I don’t care that other people care. Hell, members of my own family, who I love without reservation, care more about these things than I do. I don’t find that my “willful ignorance” of music other people enjoy makes my lilfe any less rich and interesting.
What is it I’m going to get out of learning more about Jay Z or his wife? I don’t want to sound rich, white and entitled, but I doubt any more edification about their lives or profession will really make an impact on me. Nor would my life be much different if I had never heard of the Beatles. They’re great, and all that, but life without Rocky Raccoon is still pretty sweet.
Shameful? That hurts.
Funny, my wife asked me just last night who Beyonce’ was married to. We made a few guesses then she looked it up. Our guesses were wrong. So, until last night I did not know who she was married too.
Well I’m certainly white, so I’ll give you that one. I don’t think I’m elitist or entitled or rich, but what do I know? I probably am rich compared to many people. I’m single with a decent professional job and no kids. I live in America.
So how much time and effort to you put into paying attention to things you don’t enjoy? Country music, hockey, fishing, car mechanics and souping them up, modern art, wine tasting, microbrewing beer, professional poker players, the Real Housewives of wherever, Mad Men, Big Band music, Robot Combat League? Surely there’s something on that list that you don’t pay attention to and only have the vaguest idea of what is it, but don’t care enough to find out more about it to see why someone else enjoys it?
Why? They’re just celebrities. I know enough about rap to know I don’t like most of it. What makes it important I learn about Jay-Z, that I know what songs he’s performed, know what he does with his life?
You’re the one who brought bragging into the conversation. Whereas above I’m being accused of being entitled and elitist for not caring who Jay-Z is.
Drunky Smurf, now that was funny.
Pretty much everything in Indonesian art has boobs.
Posting without reading: No.
I have no knowledge of who or what “Beyoncé” is married to, or indeed what a “Beyoncé” is.
It’s my go to introduction of Beyonce to people.
Ummm..what?
Thing is, you’re not the person I was talking about. You’re aware of these people. I’m skeptical of someone who has claimed to never even heard of someone like Beyoncé. That’s pretty hard to do while living in the USA.