I was in a meeting today where a new employee was introduced as Fletcher Christian. Unfortunately instead of thinking ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’ I said it out loud.
The entire meeting stopped and looked at me dumbfounded. I slunk down and gave a halfhearted ‘Well, it’s the name of the main guy from Mutiny on the Bounty’. This didn’t help at all because apparently no one at my meeting had seen the movies or read the book. All I got from my boss was the comment ‘Well, I guess he’s a movie buff’ as he turned the meeting back to the task at hand.
Afterwards I asked a couple of the people if they had any idea what I was talking about and not a single one had even heard to the movie, to be fair they were all under 30.
What I’m wondering is if the book is really the classic that I was brought up to believe it was? I read it for the first time when I was 11 or so and loved the tale. I even enjoyed the old Clarke Gable version of the movie but I haven’t seen the remake with Brando. But I figured with a true story, a classic novel and town movies the name Fletcher Christian would be more common knowledge. What am I missing?
I don’t think the book is considered a “literary” classic, but it is a classic in adventure and maritime fiction. Similiarly, you won’t find any of the films (there was a third with Mel Gibson & Anthony Hopkins) on Best Ever lists, but the first did win a Best Picture Oscar and still holds its own thanks to some fine performances. But given that the most recent film is 25 years old and the book is unlikely to be required reading in high school or college, it doesn’t surprise me that it would be so unknown among the age group you’re talking about.
What they need is a MotB video game! That’ll increase its visibility!
You didn’t mention if the new employee himself had heard of the tale or not. I find it incredibly unlike that he would have made it to adulthood and not been made aware of it at some point (that is, if his name wasn’t inspired by the story in the first place, something else I’d find quite coincidental if true).
Depressing cultural ignorance is what you’re missing, OP. Of course Mutiny on the Bounty is famous. This isn’t an obscure reference by any means. Even if they didn’t read the book or see the 1930s version, or the 1950s version, how about the 1980s version with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins?
33 y/o here. Didn’t know of it until looking it up within the last few years or so after having heard references to it (the movie, not the character) many times in my life. While I haven’t seen the movie, I did instantly remember the old Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes spoof where Bugs takes on the persona of the captain(?). I really only remember him turning on the accent and saying what sounded like “Mistuh Tristad!!” over and over. Now realizing he was saying “Mr Christian!!” :smack:
the third movie (the one with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins) wasn’t the Mutiny on the Bounty. It wasn’t based on Nordhoff and Hall’s sea trilogy of that name, but on the book The Bounty (after which it was named) and was more factual that Nordhoff and Hall’s novel. So there are three version of the story of the Bounty, but only two that are based on the novel.
All three novels were adapted as Classics Illustrated. Doesn’t that qualify them as classics?
It’s not like Fletcher Christian is a common name either.
But some people are just not paying attention. I met a co-worker a couple of years ago who was named Robert Heinlein. I asked him if he was related to the author. He said “what author?”
Okay, I have no problem accepting the fact that the average man on the street might not recognize the name Robert Heinlein. But you’d think most people would have at least heard the name mentioned at some point in their life. And if it coincidentally happened to be their own name as well, you’d think they’d have noticed.
The new employee wasn’t in the meeting; we were just getting a overview of the new hire as part of an operations summary. I would have to agree with you though Fletcher isn’t exactly a common name in recent history so I would think his parents did it on purpose and probably told him. If not a teacher or two along the way probably mentioned it.
I didn’t know the Mel Gibson version existed I think I might have to rent it. If nothing else the 80s version has to be more explicit about the beauty of the local women.
Not only would it go over everybody’s head, you’d get vehement disagreement from anyone who happens to know a lot about the historical events of the Bounty.
Hmm. I know of Mutiny on the Bounty but have never seen the movie or read the book. Not purposefully, it just never happened. I would not have recognized it.
Well, I am going to the library tomorrow anyway. Time to rectify my ignorance.
All of what Anaamika said, barring the “going to the library” part. I’d have recognized a Captain Bligh reference and maybe had an inkling that there was some question about whether it was accurate, but “Fletcher Christian” wouldn’t have rung a bell - previous exposure to Kids In the Hall or Warner Brothers aside.
I’ve never read the book (or the comic), and I just watched the movie (Brando version) for the first time about a month ago. But I’ve certainly known all my life who Fletcher Christian was.
No shit?! I thought everybody in the civilized world had heard about the mutiny on the HMS Bounty and knew the names of Fletcher Christian and Captain William Bligh.
I’ve seen two of the film versions, but I knew about the incident and the parties involved from grade school history class.
I talked to all of the younger engineers in my office and out of 6 of them only 1 had heard of the movies or the book. I wonder if there are other novels that the people have heard of them think they are universal classics but a lot of people have never heard of them.
I would guess they would all fall into the same category that ArchiveGuy put this one into; Classic adventure. Maybe the Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, or Treasure Island?
My Mother went on a trip recently to Norfolk Island, and met a lot of the descendants of Fletcher Christian who had been shipped there. That was kind of weird to hear how what seem like should be fictional literary characters were actually real.
