# When did you get your first vuvuzela? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 5, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384 "2026-01-05T23:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/21 "2026-01-06T02:12:00Z")
What would I do with one? I don’t even own a foam finger My dream band consists of a mellotron, a theremin and a glass harmonica. No room for a vuvuzela. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/22 "2026-01-06T02:14:38Z")
I had one, briefly, in probably ‘85 or ‘86. Or at least one of the plastic horn types that you play like a trumpet. TBH, I’m not sure if that’s exactly the same thing or not\*. I bought it at a minor league hockey game in Indianapolis. Like the dumb male teenager I was, I blasted it until the usher took it away. Easy come, easy go. \*Just looked it up: per Wikipedia, they’re the ‘zact same thing ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/23 "2026-01-06T02:16:55Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Oh please, tell me about the Great Vuvuzela Controversy of 2010. It was all over the news, even for those like me with zero interest in sportsball. > **[The sound of South Africa's 2010 World Cup](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/world-cup/2010-world-cup-south-africa-vuvuzelas-a9563661.html)** > > The blaring three-foot horns became a phenomenon of their own as they drowned out commentary, distracted players, and left a lasting legacy of sight and sound, writes Callum Rice-Coates [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bKCIFXqhLzo/hqdefault.jpg "Vuvuzela sound at Cape Town Stadium- world cup 2010") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKCIFXqhLzo) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/24 "2026-01-06T02:21:17Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Oh please, tell me about the Great Vuvuzela Controversy of 2010. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sDuBjUcLxaI/hqdefault.jpg "Will Ferrell Jeff Vuvuzela ESPYs 2010") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDuBjUcLxaI) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/25 "2026-01-06T02:29:15Z")
> [@mtnmatt](#): > > rending my vuvuzela mute. Finest kind. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/26 "2026-01-06T02:45:24Z")
I don’t know yet. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/27 "2026-01-06T04:20:02Z")
As the drone, maybe? That’s if your hurdy-gurdy is in the shop. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/28 "2026-01-06T04:55:05Z")
> [@](#): > > The blaring three-foot horns became a phenomenon of their own as they drowned out commentary, Louder than bagpipes?!? We hates it, Baggins, we hates it. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/29 "2026-01-06T05:50:21Z")
Vuvuzela? Isn’t that the country in South America the US just bombed? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/30 "2026-01-06T05:52:49Z")
Have never had one and will never buy one; my only experience with them is ruining the SA world cup broadcasts. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/31 "2026-01-06T20:07:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I think I got my first one at the San Diego Fair in the late-’60s or very early ‘70s. Not possible. You got _some_ kind of horn, but it was definitely not a _vuvuzela_. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/32 "2026-01-06T20:11:06Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Not possible. You got _some_ kind of horn, but it was definitely not a _vuvuzela_. OK, I got a long plastic horn, that has been available in the United States since the 1960s, that I got at a city right next to a Latin-American country, and that was shaped _exactly_ like a vuvuzela and is called a vuvuzela. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/33 "2026-01-06T20:12:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > and is called a vuvuzela. Now. It _definitely_ was not called that when you got it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/34 "2026-01-06T20:14:20Z")
And…? It could have been called a winklesnorter then, but it’s called a vuvzuela now. Therefore, it was a vuvuzela. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/35 "2026-01-06T20:15:25Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I had no idea what that was and after Googling Be careful about typos when Googling at work. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/36 "2026-01-06T20:19:59Z")
Naah. That’s not how names work, especially cultural properties. Even the genuine South African _vuvuzela_ wasn’t called that until the 90s. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > When you blow your nose, do you use a kleenex? No, I use a tissue. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/37 "2026-01-06T20:21:31Z")
When you blow your nose, do you use a kleenex? Let’s drop the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/38 "2026-01-06T20:22:38Z")
You say hijack, I say calling out cultural appropriation…but I’ll drop it. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/39 "2026-01-06T20:33:48Z")
I had not heard of them until the World Cup (2010?). There _was_ one in my childhood home since before I was born in the late 70s. It was being used as a sheath for a fencing foil. The foil’s 12cm guard fits perfectly into the instrument’s business end. I had no idea it made noise. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384/40 "2026-01-06T22:21:44Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > I bought it at a minor league hockey game in Indianapolis. Like the dumb male teenager I was, I blasted it until the usher took it away. Easy come, easy go. Why would they sell them at the game if they don’t want you doing that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-get-your-first-vuvuzela/1026384.md?page=3)