# Have you met someone who didn't know a really well-known pop or historical reference?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 22, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658 "2013-03-22T17:57:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 10
### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/181 "2013-03-27T04:01:58Z")
> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> Not at all the same thing, but I was in a university literature class, and mentioned “The Admirable Crichton” and nobody knew what it meant.
>
> (James Barrie’s second most famous play!)
>
> I later turned it into an awful pun: knowing this is an admirable criterion.
A handfull of sc-fi geeks might take that as a reference to Michael Crichton. No one else will have a clue, unless they have a particular interest in plays. I’ve taken several university literature courses, and I didn’t. It’s been a long time so my memory may be failing, but I don’t think I’ve even heard of the author before, though in my defense I wasn’t an English or a lit major.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/182 "2013-03-27T04:26:22Z")
I also knew a South African lady here in Bangkok who thought Harvard University was 100 years old. She reasoned this because nothing in America could possibly be older than that. Really, I am not making that up. And also really, she ended up being committed to a psychiatric hospital and not exactly deported, but her family was persuaded to take her home.
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/183 "2013-03-27T04:47:21Z")
> [@OurLordPeace](#):
>
> The person I referred to earlier who had never heard of the SS also had never heard the phrase “[something]- industrial complex.”
>
> _Star Wars_ and alternative rock have played huge roles in my life. About the latter, I should stop being surprised when I encounter reminders that it actually is alternative. It’s not just about people not knowing of certain artists (does anyone know the origin of my username?)
> (snip)
Our Lady Peace?
As for Mary Higgins Clark, I know she’s an author because my wife reads her books. I know she’s written a ton of books because she’s always reading a different one. Knowing this, I would assume she’s pretty successful and wealthy due to the sheer number of books she’s written.
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### Author:  [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/184 "2013-03-27T04:50:03Z")
I met a guy working in a Walmart electronics section who’d never heard of Paul McCartney.
I personally have never seen the _Lord of the Rings_ films, not because of any aversion to the genre, but just because it seems so dang _time-consuming_ to get into at this point.
While living in Indianapolis during a time the Pacers were quite successful, I dated a girl who honestly didn’t know if they were the basketball team or the football team. (Ironically, long after we’d split up, our high school class had its commencement ceremony in the Pacers’ new arena, Conseco Fieldhouse).
Probably the biggest example I can think of, though, of the top of my head, is that at Blockbuster, I was once approached by an American customer of about 19 or 20 who had literally never seen a movie his entire life. His parents didn’t allow television in the house, or let him watch TV at friends’ houses, or (presumably) even allowed him to watch movies at school, I guess. Now living on his own, he looked to me for advice on what movies to watch to get him started. (I think I suggested a few of my personal favorites, spreading through multiple genres).
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/185 "2013-03-27T06:32:07Z")
> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> Not at all the same thing, but I was in a university literature class, and mentioned “The Admirable Crichton” and nobody knew what it meant.
>
> (James Barrie’s second most famous play!)
>
> I later turned it into an awful pun: knowing this is an admirable criterion.
😃
Of course, in “The Germans” episode of “Fawlty Towers”, Basil sarcastically refers to Manuel as TAC.
They didn’t draw a blank at “Fawlty Towers”, did they?
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### Author:  [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/186 "2013-03-27T07:55:07Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#):
>
> Probably the biggest example I can think of, though, of the top of my head, is that at Blockbuster, I was once approached by an American customer of about 19 or 20 who had literally never seen a movie his entire life. His parents didn’t allow television in the house, or let him watch TV at friends’ houses, or (presumably) even allowed him to watch movies at school, I guess. Now living on his own, he looked to me for advice on what movies to watch to get him started. (I think I suggested a few of my personal favorites, spreading through multiple genres).
A “no-TV-background” encounter: in the early 1970s, I was acquainted with a girl whose parents were devout Catholics, and intellectuals: they had always forbidden television in their home, reckoning it both morally dodgy, and a purveyor of, mostly, mindless trivia and garbage. Their daughter seemed inclined to follow that lead. This was in the UK: at that date, “Monty Python” as a TV show had been established and well-known there for several years, and raving over it was de rigeur for any self-respecting young trendy person.
The lass concerned, had barely heard of “Monty Python”: she confused and conflated it with the goofy comedian Marty Feldman, who was popular at the time (and whom she considered to be rubbish). I honestly envied her as regards “Monty Python” – I being a heretic who has from the very first, loathed MP and almost everything about it.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/187 "2013-03-27T08:30:15Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> When I heard the Pope’s choice of a name, the first thing I thought of was “Does this guy know how many people associate that name with a mule?”
That one is both age and location linked. I’ve heard about it - from my mother, who’s 3 years older than you. I’m reasonably sure that if you polled my HS class of 200 you’d not find more than 10 who even know the name, and those will have heard it from their parents. And the pope’s name gets localized; the mule usually wouldn’t.
A lot of the references in this thread are linked to age.
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/188 "2013-03-27T11:57:32Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> When I heard the Pope’s choice of a name, the first thing I thought of was “Does this guy know how many people associate that name with a mule?”
Actually my first thought was of the uptight character from the movie Stripes.
“Any of you homos touch my stuff, and I’ll kill ya.”
“Lighten up, Francis.”
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/189 "2013-03-27T13:27:52Z")
Sometimes it is an age thing. A couple of years ago I met a college professor who constanly had to tell her younger students what 9/11 was.
Last night I was hanging out with someone who has met quite a few people who were under the impression that Edgar Allen Poe grew up in Baltimore. Apparently it’s a Raven thing.
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/190 "2013-03-27T13:39:57Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Last night I was hanging out with someone who has met quite a few people who were under the impression that Edgar Allen Poe grew up in Baltimore. Apparently it’s a Raven thing.
This is a joke, right? Because he really did have family ties in Baltimore.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/191 "2013-03-27T14:23:50Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Last night I was hanging out with someone who has met quite a few people who were under the impression that Edgar Allen Poe grew up in Baltimore. Apparently it’s a Raven thing.
He lived there for most of his adult life and died there. The Ravens football team was named that for that reason.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/192 "2013-03-27T14:27:08Z")
Really? Wow, consider my ignorance fought.
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### Author:  [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/193 "2013-03-27T14:44:00Z")
My husband didn’t know what the “Harlem Shake” is until last night.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/194 "2013-03-27T14:46:53Z")
I still don’t know what the Harlem Shake is. 😃
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### Author:  [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/195 "2013-03-27T14:48:15Z")
Anything like a Glasgow kiss?
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### Author:  [@Saraya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saraya)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/196 "2013-03-27T15:28:06Z")
I met a child that didn’t know whom John Wayne was.
This generation, I tell you…
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### Author:  [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/197 "2013-03-27T16:16:04Z")
> [@JohnT](#):
>
> I still don’t know what the Harlem Shake is. 😃
Interesting. I know it’s a dance, and I understand that many videos exist where people are doing it in various odd places, but I have never seen these videos and do not care to.
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### Author:  [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/198 "2013-03-27T16:20:31Z")
Some time in the late 80s or early 90s I overheard a young man (ca 20) in Brighton who had seen a very funny skit that he was telling his equally young friends about and apparently none of them had seen it or heard about it before. It was about a man who complained about his dead parrot. I and my friend suddenly felt very old.
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### Author:  [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/199 "2013-03-27T17:25:48Z")
> [@StusBlues](#):
>
> Interesting. I know it’s a dance, and I understand that many videos exist where people are doing it in various odd places, but I have never seen these videos and do not care to.
Me too, I understand that the Harlem Shake is a dance and that people are posting videos of themselves doing this dance. I don’t really need to know more than that. It was the same with that Gangman Style (or whatever) video.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-met-someone-who-didnt-know-a-really-well-known-pop-or-historical-reference/653658/200 "2013-03-27T18:01:52Z")
For a while there I thought Gangnan Style was some form of clothing.
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