# Pop Culture Pulse Check **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559 "2010-10-18T15:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/1 "2010-10-18T15:52:01Z")
In another thread, someone asserted that Neil Gaiman was part of “pop culture.” In order to get some feeling for whether this is the case, I’ve established the following poll, with the understanding that the SDMB isn’t necessarily representative of culture at large. I put it in Cafe Society because to me pop culture is defined by the media. Please select any and all options that apply to you. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/2 "2010-10-18T15:54:02Z")
Ack! Option 4 should read: \*Neil Gaiman: I know who \*\*he \*_is and what he’s famous for._ Hopefully a mod can fix it for me soon. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/3 "2010-10-18T15:55:37Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Ack! Option 4 should read: \*Neil Gaiman: I know who \*\*he \*_is and what he’s famous for._ Hopefully a mod can fix it for me soon. Done. Now, was that Lady Gaga one supposed to say “she,” or should I correct that one, too? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/4 "2010-10-18T16:09:27Z")
I dunno about these two being bellwethers for pop culture awareness. I consider myself mostly out of touch with current pop culture, but I’m a fan of Neil Gaiman (and _Sandman_ is 15-20 years ago now) and I’ve at least seen and heard a few Lady Gaga videos/songs. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/5 "2010-10-18T16:11:56Z")
Rats…didn’t notice the multiple choice part of the poll. :smack: I am aware of both Gaiman and Gaga, and why they are “famous”. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/6 "2010-10-18T16:15:35Z")
One caveat on Lady Gaga: I’ve seen her, I know she sings, and I know she dresses outrageously, but I couldn’t pick out any of her songs at all. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/7 "2010-10-18T16:15:53Z")
Hmm…I’m stuck on Gaiman. I know he’s a writer that lots of nerdy people like. Couldn’t tell you what titles he has written or what he’s written about. Not sure if I would check option 1 or 2. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/8 "2010-10-18T16:20:37Z")
Nope. Not gay. He’s dating Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls and was in a long-term marriage before that, if I remember correctly. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/9 "2010-10-18T16:28:22Z")
I don’t know who Neil Gaiman is. I know that Lady Gaga isn’t her real name (duh). I also know that she dresses strangely, she’s not known for her looks, she’s a supporter of same-sex marriage, and she recently was caught in the locker room of some sports team. But I wasn’t sure whether she was a singer or actor or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/10 "2010-10-18T16:28:41Z")
I’m probably not a great data point since I generally stay out of pop culture. I’ve only known who Lady Gaga is and what she does for a handful of months, but only because I saw her getting made fun of randomly in some places (like failblog and South Park) so I looked her up just so I knew what the hell they were talking about. I have no idea who Neil Gaiman is. I even looked him up before responding and I don’t recognize any of his most notable works except for Coraline. And even with Coraline, I only recognize as a movie that I didn’t see, and I had no idea it was a book first. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/11 "2010-10-18T16:32:40Z")
Lady Gaga: Well, I have her two albums (or however you want to count them, _Fame_ and _Fame Monster_ is what I mean), so of course I know who she is. Neil Gaiman: I voted the last option (_Who?_), but I think he might be a writer of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/12 "2010-10-18T16:35:52Z")
And I feel like an idiot. :smack: I looked up his bibliography, and I actually have bought and read at least one of his books (co-authored with Terry Pratchett): _Good Omens_. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/13 "2010-10-18T16:41:08Z")
Pratchett? Never heard of him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/14 "2010-10-18T16:56:20Z")
I know who Lady Gaga is, and I quite like her song “Telephone.” Especially when it’s combined with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” 🙂 And I’d have to turn in my geek card if I didn’t know who Neil Gaiman is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/15 "2010-10-18T17:06:33Z")
Of course I know who Lady Gaga is. As for Neil, I only know who he is because I have a Sandman comic. Haven’t bought any others because I didn’t particularly care for the first one. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/16 "2010-10-18T17:07:53Z")
I know who both of them are and what they do. I’m a fan of Gaiman’s. Lady Gaga is not my generation or musical taste, but it’s all but impossible to not have any idea who she is. I think I once saw Neil Gaiman at the Barnes & Noble in Roseville (he is a Twin Cities resident), but I wasn’t sure and I didn’t want to ask and look stupid. He had a British accent, though (I heard him talking to a store employee), so I’m pretty sure it was him. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/17 "2010-10-18T17:08:58Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Of course I know who Lady Gaga is. > > As for Neil, I only know who he is because I have a Sandman comic. Haven’t bought any others because I didn’t particularly care for the first one. His novels are better. Try _American Gods_. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/18 "2010-10-18T17:27:39Z")
I know who Neil Gaiman is and I also enjoy [his movies](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0301274/) too. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/19 "2010-10-18T17:41:10Z")
Why are they in the same poll? Gaiman’s been well known for about twenty years. Gaga’s been hot for–what, a few months? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559/20 "2010-10-18T17:56:08Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > As for Neil, I only know who he is because I have a Sandman comic. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > His novels are better. Try _American Gods_. _American Gods_ is very good, but I personally would place _Sandman_–the whole series considered as a single work for the same reason I would consider _Lord of the Rings_ a single book–in the top ten of 20th century literature. I can easily see being unimpressed by a single issue of the comic taken out of context. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-pulse-check/557559.md?page=2)