Many years ago, when our dad was about my current age, there was a discussion around our house and Oprah Winfrey came up in that discussion. My dad said at the time, “Oprah who?”
Now, even back then, Oprah was a household word and had been for years. Famous to just about everyone except our dad. We were stunned when he showed a total lack of recognition, “Dad, where the heck have you been the last 10-15 years?”
Who knows? He wasn’t following popular culture.
Scarily, I can now relate to him. There are several examples that demonstrate how culture is passing me by.
One is the brouhaha over Bad Bunny playing at the Super Bowl. Let’s backtrack. Bad Bunny gets announced as the halftime musician. My response, “Who is Bad Bunny?”
Perhaps I have vaguely heard the name. Most likely, because he didn’t pertain to my life, I flushed that data. Not enough brain space to let him in.
All the hoopla followed with people taking sides on patriotism. I had no frame of reference. Since 2021, I have never heard of three of the Super Bowl halftime performers: BB, Weeknd and Usher.
Does the Super Bowl make them culturally relevant? I’m not sure, but there are certainly a lot of testy people who think it’s the biggest deal on the planet when it’s not.
I don’t know any of those three bands. I don’t know their songs. I couldn’t sing along with the lyrics. Couldn’t imitate the guitar solos or drum rolls (if there were any). This doesn’t diminish their talents or elevate any of them to stardom. It just means popular culture is passing me by.
This happens to many people once you get past the age of 60 or so. You have other things to focus on, perhaps your health, a hobby or grandkids. You may still be working your butt off to pay the bills and not have time to focus on music or movies or sports to divert your anxieties.
I caught a bit of Green Day opening before the Super Bowl. I know them. I can sing (badly) some of their refrains. I like the beat. If they were given the halftime show, yeah, I would know them. But all that means is I know of a band from my limited cultural forum (mostly from my past; I don’t listen to much new music).
Your brain fills up with age. Perhaps that’s why we hark back to the music we know. It’s familiar. It provides good memories. We know the riffs and lyrics. We stick with the culture we know. It’s a familiar refrain.
And that, I believe, is what revved so many engines about BB on social media. One side doesn’t want new culture. The other side embraces it.
I like new culture. It invigorates our society, pushes us, forces us to examine assumptions and beliefs. That’s extremely healthy for an individual and for society at large.
Others want to stay mired in the past. I like my old music. When new music comes along that gets me singing the refrain and imitating the drum solos, tapping my knees, I buy in. Please let me know when you hear the next J. Geils Band enter the scene. I’ll be their biggest fan.
The Super Bowl is probably the single most over-hyped event in the United States. We turn it into a battleground. It’s not. It’s a professional football game. We should take that for what it’s worth: entertainment. Turn it on or turn it off. Your choice. Stop ranting and frothing at the mouth.
Now, even back then, Oprah was a household word and had been for years. Famous to just about everyone except our dad. We were stunned when he showed a total lack of recognition, “Dad, where the heck have you been the last 10-15 years?”
Who knows? He wasn’t following popular culture.
Scarily, I can now relate to him. There are several examples that demonstrate how culture is passing me by.
One is the brouhaha over Bad Bunny playing at the Super Bowl. Let’s backtrack. Bad Bunny gets announced as the halftime musician. My response, “Who is Bad Bunny?”
Perhaps I have vaguely heard the name. Most likely, because he didn’t pertain to my life, I flushed that data. Not enough brain space to let him in.
All the hoopla followed with people taking sides on patriotism. I had no frame of reference. Since 2021, I have never heard of three of the Super Bowl halftime performers: BB, Weeknd and Usher.
Does the Super Bowl make them culturally relevant? I’m not sure, but there are certainly a lot of testy people who think it’s the biggest deal on the planet when it’s not.
I don’t know any of those three bands. I don’t know their songs. I couldn’t sing along with the lyrics. Couldn’t imitate the guitar solos or drum rolls (if there were any). This doesn’t diminish their talents or elevate any of them to stardom. It just means popular culture is passing me by.
This happens to many people once you get past the age of 60 or so. You have other things to focus on, perhaps your health, a hobby or grandkids. You may still be working your butt off to pay the bills and not have time to focus on music or movies or sports to divert your anxieties.
I caught a bit of Green Day opening before the Super Bowl. I know them. I can sing (badly) some of their refrains. I like the beat. If they were given the halftime show, yeah, I would know them. But all that means is I know of a band from my limited cultural forum (mostly from my past; I don’t listen to much new music).
Your brain fills up with age. Perhaps that’s why we hark back to the music we know. It’s familiar. It provides good memories. We know the riffs and lyrics. We stick with the culture we know. It’s a familiar refrain.
And that, I believe, is what revved so many engines about BB on social media. One side doesn’t want new culture. The other side embraces it.
I like new culture. It invigorates our society, pushes us, forces us to examine assumptions and beliefs. That’s extremely healthy for an individual and for society at large.
Others want to stay mired in the past. I like my old music. When new music comes along that gets me singing the refrain and imitating the drum solos, tapping my knees, I buy in. Please let me know when you hear the next J. Geils Band enter the scene. I’ll be their biggest fan.
The Super Bowl is probably the single most over-hyped event in the United States. We turn it into a battleground. It’s not. It’s a professional football game. We should take that for what it’s worth: entertainment. Turn it on or turn it off. Your choice. Stop ranting and frothing at the mouth.
