Even in this day in age, with the Internet and 22,000 channels on the tv, hulu etc, etc, etc...it's still surprisingly easy to be completely unaware of cultural icons, or as they say "living under a rock". I for one have no idea who Justin Beiber is or what he looks like, save for that he is a singer of some type. I also have no idea what Glee is. A TV show or something? Focus: What in pop culture are you blissfully ignorant of? Anti-Focus: What are you possibly a liitle too familiar with?
One pair of my grandparents decided to stop being aware of anything going on in the world of pop culture in the mid-70s, and that was that. While they both lived well into the 2000s, they had no idea what a "Darth Vader" was, who "Madonna" was (in the non-Classical sense) and so on. It was pretty amazing, and I vowed not to become one of those people and at least remain vaguely aware of "what the kids are up to." However, there are so many retarded trends now I don't even know how to track half of them. Do I just watch Disney channel all the time or something?
Alt-Focus: Jersey Shore, up until I moved in September I had seen every single episode more than once. I even spent a whole Saturday watching a marathon. Blasphemy!
Focus: For me, also Justin Bieber. Is he a singer or a "movie star"? I didn't even know he was male until it was explicitly told to me. He could easily pass for a 20-something lesbian. Alt Focus: Kim Kardashian. I really try to avoid any of the pop culture nonsense as much as I can, but god damn every time I turn around this bitch is popping up TV or in magazines. I really don't give a shit about what's she's up to or who she's dating but it's fucking shoved in my face non-stop. What exactly did she do to become famous besides being in a sextape? I hare myself for knowing who she is or anything about her.
Focus: I can't count the number of times I've asked "What the fuck is a meme?". I still haven't gotten a real answer, a pronunciation for the word, etc. Everybody talks about this gay fucking ceiling cat shit, but can't tell me what a meme is.
Focus: Anything vampire related. I've also never heard Justin Bieber sing once (at least that I was aware of) but I do know who he is and what he looks like. Other than that, I'm pretty much up on pop culture things that people past the age of 18 know about. Alt-Focus: I really don't watch much reality TV, but I have this bizarre weakness for anything relating to New Jersey. I am obsessed with Jersey Shore and Real Housewives of New Jersey and I have NO IDEA why. I just can't get enough. Whenever I watch it I have to turn it down really low so my roommates won't hear what I'm watching because it's so embarrassing. It's my guiltiest pleasure. On a similar note, I'm the only person I know who still watches America's Next Top Model. I also have no idea why I still do. I've stopped watching all the other similar creative competition-y shows I used to watch that I always thought were much better, but for some reason when I hear they're having a new season I. Must. Watch. This is also embarrassing.
Focus: Avatar or Inception. All I know about Avatar is it features blue people, and Inception is apparently about dreams. I have no desire to see either of these movies, and haven't been to a theater since Watchmen came out. It's unbelievable the number of people who appear genuinely offended when I inform them of these facts.
Focus: One visit to the "What I'm Currently Listening to..." thread shows how out-of-touch I am with the present-day music scene, even with two teenagers (thanks to iPods and earbuds). But I'm fine with that, fo' schizzle.
Twilight, Vampire Diaries, etc. - It's well documented in the All-Star threads how much I dislike the Twilight series, I also hate any and all things vampire in this generation. Maybe it's my age but I just don't get it. From every preview I see it's all the same. Edward, the "vampire" who looks perpetually constipated, pines for 2x4 Bella, who came from the Keanu Reeves school of acting. Oh and then there's Jacob, a werewolf who spends his days walking around shirtless. I can handle Anne Rice's vampires all day, at least they adhere to the tenants of vampirism, I secretly hope that that Keifer Sutherland as David shows up in the next Twilight sequel and does some good ole Skull noshing. That's right, The Lost Boys, even with this guy, is still less gay that Twilight.
It's pronounced meem, as in, "rhymes with beam." Basically, it's just a unit of cultural information, or something that spreads naturally through an environment. On the internet, it's usually some sort of viral video/picture/saying. An apropos one: <a class="postlink" href="http://lesbianswholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://lesbianswholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com/</a> Anti-Focus: I accidentally watched 1/3 of an episode of The Vampire Diaries while trying to figure out what it was a commercial for. I consider this to be overly familiar.
Snookie Confuses me. In one image she's a smokin hot fox and in the next she looks like a middle aged bag lady. WTF is up with that? FOCUS: For the most part American culture these days sucks and I'm blissfully ignorant of most of it.
FOCUS: Music, in general. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy music and listen to it almost nonstop. I just don't love it nearly as much as everyone else seems to. All those posts in the Christmas Drunk Thread with YouTube links to music videos? I scrolled past them so fast I barely saw the song titles. I'm not a big fan of any artist, at least not to the point I follow tour schedules or know album release dates. I go to maybe one live show a year, if that. I can't remember the last time I bought a full album -- all of my music purchases are on iTunes, usually following the discovery of a new song I like on Pandora. I don't understand the allure of music award shows and couldn't give a shit about the recent doings of Kanye, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, Rihanna, etc.
In what image is she a "smokin hot fox"? Were you high? Are you from The Shire? She's built like an exercise ball, orange, and has a snout. Even from behind she's heinous. Focus- Reality TV in general seems to drop to new lows every other season. My wife loves Kate plus 8. I can't stand her because a) she's a cunt and b) she's a talentless cunt who's famous for pumping a few kids our her vadge and let's it go to her head. Fuck her for making me watch that shit. You should at least have to be aesthetically pleasing to have a reality show. Kate and the Kardashian heifer need to drive off a cliff.
When it comes to "wholesome" pop culture phenomenons, i have this sick line of thinking : what if there was a counter-action made against the symbols ? Perfect example : Imagine a world where Bieber gets abducted for a week by 3 hardcore fetish pornstars.... would the new Bieber be sporting piercings and tats? Would he have fun ? I think this is why the cult of celebrity sextapes and of other indiscretions is so strong. People crave for the fall. they can't help it.
I'm from North Carolina. Better call in the Mystery Machine, we've got a hell of a case on our hands.
Focus: MTV is one of the few channels I get in English. Until recently, I was unaware that Justin Bieber made music, that Will and Jada Smith let their 11-yr-old daughter make a ridiculous and age inappropriate music video, or that La Roux is trying to bring back the Flock Of Seagulls hair cut. After weeks of exposure, I'm beginning to think techno is kind of catchy. Someone kill me now.
I stand corrected. I was actually looking at a pic of the other chick from that show. I'm an idiot, that's why I come here, and that's how blissfully ignorant I am.
I personally think that she looks like she is from Melmac, and if left to her own desires would eat my cat.