# Your Most Recent Experience with the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331 "2015-01-30T15:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/1 "2015-01-30T15:32:12Z")
We’ve discussed it on the SDMB before, the [Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon](http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/theres-a-name-for-that-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon-59670). So, yesterday I ran into the word “dramaturg” while reading about the [Lynn Thompson Controversy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_(musical)#Lynn_Thomson_controversy) with Rent. Not a man of the arts, I thought to myself, “Wow, I’ve never heard that word before. Definitely not something I will run into everyday…” BAM! I ran into it again today while reading an article in The Atlantic “[Rethinking One of Psychology’s Most Infamous Experiments](http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/rethinking-one-of-psychologys-most-infamous-experiments/384913/)”. _Milgram was a fantastic dramaturg. His studies are fantastic little pieces of theater. They’re beautifully scripted,” said Stephen Reicher, a professor of psychology at the University of St. Andrews and a co-editor of the Journal of Social Issues’ special edition._ According to my brain, I have never noticed this word for 30+ years. One day I see it and look it up, and then I run into it the next day? It sure does FEEL like someone is playing with my mind. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/2 "2015-01-30T16:53:46Z")
I recently saw “My Cousin Vinny” for the first time and loved the scene in which Vinny’s love interest, Mona Lisa Vito, is revealed as the world’s greatest expert on automobiles. Just this week, in the ridiculous “deflationgate” saga, I overheard a press conference on the subject, containing this: > [@](#): > > In stating that he was not an expert on football deflation science, Belichick said, “I’m not an expert in football measurements, I’m just telling you what I know. I would not say that I’m Mona Lisa Vito of the football world as she was of the car expertise area.” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/3 "2015-01-30T20:56:35Z")
I’ve never seen it spelled exactly that way. And now you’re seeing it all over the place with that spelling? I’ve always seen it is _dramaturge._ (with final e). Have you also see the word “thaumaturge”? (A practitioner of [thaumaturgy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaumaturge) of course.) [Now](http://www.merriam-webster.com/scrabble/finder/thaumaturge) [you’ll](http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dbml3UtHTkBs&sa=U&ei=UO3LVJSoGYGkgwTnw4OYBw&ved=0CBkQtwIwAQ&usg=AFQjCNE-SxgW1abQZb_tNr5o_OBBE2S7Sg) [be](https://usedinasentence.com/ex/thaumaturge) [seeing](http://lalafellofthedunes.tumblr.com/post/97722766289/sentence-meme-leverage-season-1-edition) [that](http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Thaumaturge) [everywhere](http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/07/ionarts-in-santa-fe-tempest.html) (yeah, it’s in there somewhere) [too](http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Thaumaturgy_%28VTM%29). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/4 "2015-01-30T23:48:43Z")
A few years ago, in one day, I encountered three entirely unrelated references to Mark Twain’s scathing review of _Last of the Mohicans_. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/5 "2015-01-31T00:16:44Z")
> [@JWT\_Kottekoe](#): > > Just this week, in the ridiculous “deflationgate” saga, I overheard a press conference on the subject, containing this: > [@](#): > > “I’m not an expert in football measurements, I’m just telling you what I know. I would not say that I’m Mona Lisa Vito of the football world as she was of the car expertise area.” Although if Belichick was engaged to Tom Brady, but Tom Brady was only going to marry him if he won The Super Bowl, it would be news. I’m not sure if Joe Pesci would be offended by that analogy; he might be though. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure Marisa Tomei would be. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/6 "2015-02-08T21:40:01Z")
Bump. There it is again! I just saw an article containing the word “dramaturg” (spelled thus). As I noted several posts above, I’ve seen the word before, but never spelled exactly that way until this thread. [One of psychology’s most infamous experiments on the dark side of humanity is back under the microscope](http://www.businessinsider.com/rethinking-one-of-psychologys-most-infamous-experiments-on-the-dark-side-of-humanity-2015-2), Cari Romm, Business Insider, Feb. 7, 2015. (Article discussing some current thinking about Stanley Milgram’s experiment.) ETA: Oh, wait a minute. How about that. This is just the very same article that OP cited in the first place, but republished on a different web site. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/7 "2015-02-08T22:49:57Z")
So, it looks like the concept of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon may one day be obsolete, replaced by the Buzzfeed Phenomenon, yeah? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/8 "2015-02-08T22:57:11Z")
I’ve had this recently with smells. I had an appliance start to smoke a couple weeks ago at home, and then I smelled old smoke in a couple specific places at work all the time I’m in there (and it’s getting fainter so it’s not like it’s an imminent problem). Also, I walked nearby an indoor waterfall yesterday and I could smell the chlorine from the falling water and today I could smell the chlorine from the pool next to the laundry room at my apartment when I walked past it, which I had never smelled consciously before. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/9 "2015-02-09T02:25:15Z")
I’ve noticed that at work I won’t see someone from the other side of the compound for months, then I’ll see them 3 times in a day. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/10 "2015-02-09T04:18:42Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > A few years ago, in one day, I encountered three entirely unrelated references to Mark Twain’s scathing review of _Last of the Mohicans_. I think you may be referring to his essay [Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences](http://grammar.about.com/od/essaysonstyle/a/twaincooper.htm), which discusses _The Deerslayer_ rather than _The Last of the Mohicans_. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/11 "2015-02-10T11:21:07Z")
Not exactly what you’re describing but weird none the less (and kind of related). A couple of days ago, i voted for **Nazareth** ’ s _Love Hurts_ in Smapti’s “What was the best year-end Top 40 single of 1976 to not reach #1 in the US” thread ([http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748527](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748527)). The next morning, I was listening to the radio for a couple of minutes before getting up and heard the **Roy Orbison** version that predated it by 15 years. That’s how I discovered that this song that I’d known for at least 25 years was actually a cover. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/12 "2015-02-10T21:01:04Z")
Years ago I heard (on the radio) a single word that describes this phenomenon with respect to words (learn word brand new to you, see it all around afterward). It has been extended to other facets of life (like noticing lot of cars on the road of the same make as the car you just bought). I can’t recall it for the life of me. Everytime I try to google it, I just get ‘Baader-Meinhof phenomenon’ or variants. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/13 "2015-02-10T23:35:53Z")
There is a hilarious example of this in **John Dies at the End** ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/14 "2015-02-11T01:47:53Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I think you may be referring to his essay [Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences](http://grammar.about.com/od/essaysonstyle/a/twaincooper.htm), which discusses _The Deerslayer_ rather than _The Last of the Mohicans_. I dunno, the essay namedrops Magua, Alice & Cora… I think he’s slamming the whole of Cooper’s _oeuvre_. ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-recent-experience-with-the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/711331/15 "2015-02-11T20:08:58Z")
A few weeks ago, I listened to the audio book version of The Hunger Games. I liked it, so I got Catching Fire and started listening to that, too. Not long in, I saw on television that they were going to broadcast The Hunger Games on Feb. 8th. It was the only commercial I saw for it, but then, I’ve trained myself to not pay attention to commercials whenever possible.