tuscl

Generation gap

shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
Friday, November 8, 2019 2:16 PM
Yesterday I was talking with one of my favorite dancers. I mentioned that I had just watched "North to Alaska" on Starz. She had no idea who John Wayne was. Anybody else on here not know?

32 comments

  • SerenitySinn
    •
    5 years ago
    Haha!! They don’t know or have ever heard of a lot of things!!!! 🤷🏻‍♀️
  • gSteph
    •
    5 years ago
    Shoulda asked her if she has heard of Gomer Pyle
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    5 years ago
    For people my age, and for my ex-wife, WWII is still the pivotal event in world history. For GenXers it seems to be the 1981 first broadcast of MTV. For Millenials, I do not even know that it would be. SJG
  • Fun_Loving_Fella
    •
    5 years ago
    I’m surprised that she doesn’t know who John Wayne is. I would have never been able to tell you anything about that movie, but at least I know John Wayne is the guy who wears the funny hats.
  • Muddy
    •
    5 years ago
    That’s not that surprising to me shadow. John Wayne died long before many dancers now were born. But yes I have to watch my language sometimes because of all the stuff that just sails right over there heads
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    5 years ago
    In a Viet Coffee shop I once made mention of a zeppelin I had seen flying about outside. Had to explain to the girl what a zeppelin is. Once there were people from the Moonies, Unification Church, they want to abolish sexual desire, the do mass marriages. They were soliciting donations. I had to explain to a girl about the Moonies. Run by Korean CIA, funded by Japanese zaibatsu Mitsubishi. SJG
  • Book Guy
    •
    5 years ago
    Kid (appeared to be roughly 18-ish?) at a recent vid-con in town, "What's USSR?" ... uh ...
  • CC99
    •
    5 years ago
    I consider WWII to be a pivotal moment in history, but it feels like Ancient history to me.
  • Call.Me.Ishmael
    •
    5 years ago
    Sure I know. But I'm not remotely surprised that someone in their early 20s wouldn't know.
  • Cashman1234
    •
    5 years ago
    Why is that difficult to believe? It’s a movie, and it means little to me, and I’m in my 50’s. John Wayne died in 79. He wasn’t particularly memorable to me. WWII was a pivotal event in recent history. It may have been the pivotal event of the 20th century. It is far more important than knowing about a John Wayne movie. The recent pivotal historic event was most likely 9/11. However, the young folks reaching 18 now have only read about it as an historic event. I took my 15 year old - and her friend to the 9/11 museum and memorial, and it was intensely emotional and sad for me. The girls understood it was a somber place - but it is almost impossible to grasp the true emotion of the day.
  • rattdog
    •
    5 years ago
    probably didn't have to go that far back as john wayne. i wonder how many of these young girls ever heard of either stallone or eastwood. out of a sample of 10 maybe 2?
  • EndlessSummer
    •
    5 years ago
    Ya can't have your youth and history too! Part of the reason I enjoy my day shifts so much is that I'm appreciated for being a little older and able to carry on conversations about a vast variety of topics... But, I'll never have that lithe, hard body I had in my 20s either! Rarely gonna get both in the same package, boys. 🌞
  • datinman
    •
    5 years ago
    John Wayne to a twenty something is probably like Harold Lloyd to a fifty something. Yeah, you might have heard the name, but it is not part of your experience. What makes me want to reach for a walker is when I realize they consider Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Nirvana to be the "golden oldies".
  • minnow
    •
    5 years ago
    Realize that the vast majority of 30 something dancers were in jr. high or high school when 911 happened. Even some weren't of legal drinking age when the 2008 financial meltdown occurred. How old does that make us feel now ?
  • EndlessSummer
    •
    5 years ago
    And...some of us are in our 40s and remember those things quite well...😉
  • FishHawk
    •
    5 years ago
    @EndlessSummer, Your body looks plenty good to an old codger like myself. The good thing about someone your age is that you are young enough to be my daughter, most dancers could be my granddaughter. Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at 19 and 20 year old hot bodies. It’s just harder to have a decent conversation with most of them.
  • gammanu95
    •
    5 years ago
    So many of my employees are too you to understand quotes from the Blues Brothers, Hammer Time jokes... some don't know that Jerry Seinfeld had another show besides "Celebrities in Cars Getting Coffee."
  • EndlessSummer
    •
    5 years ago
    @FishHawk Aww, thanks hon... And, really I wouldn't go back to any other age no matter how much money I was offered! So far, I still feel like I get better every year! 🌞
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    5 years ago
    WWII, Kennedy Assasination, Watergate, Iran-Contragate, these are the things which have set up the parameters of the present era. Younger people do not have enough understanding. SJG
  • joatmon
    •
    5 years ago
    If people don't know about WWII or Watergate, etc, it is not because they are young it is because the American school system sucks. I know of a great many things that happened long before I was born and I think my education was severely lacking. I guess it must be that much worse now.
  • shadowcat
    •
    5 years ago
    Tonight I watched an Old Western titled "Stage Coach" One of the lead actors was Bing Crosby and he didn't even sing. It also had a very hot looking, young, Ann Margaret. I'll bet they don't know who she is either. :)
  • Hank Moody
    •
    5 years ago
    So you guys get evidence that you’re old, and all you can think to say is that the education system is bad? SMDH. Embrace your age. You were the same way when you were in your teens and early twenties.
  • mark94
    •
    5 years ago
    John Wayne was born in 1907. That’s just 42 years after the Civil War ended. He died in 1979, nearly 41 years ago. The fact that some millenials don’t know who he is shouldn’t be surprising.
  • ClassicRocker
    •
    5 years ago
    I was in the breakroom at work a few weeks ago and there was on the was on one of those retro channels and we had to explain the the premise of the Beverly Hillbillies to guy in his early 20's. The has never been off the air in some form of syndication so it's not surprsing for one of them not knoe of John Wayne.
  • Cashman1234
    •
    5 years ago
    If we go back to the op’s statement to a dancer - about watching The Great White North - many folks might not know about this movie. Mentioning John Wayne might be more recognizable - but still very much in the past. The current world is very different. Movies and stars have very short shelf lives. Add to that a dancer with a high awareness of self tanners and hair care products - and little else - and John Wayne (Bobbit) is possibly the John Wayne she knows...
  • Jascoi
    •
    5 years ago
    pilgrim...
  • herbtcat
    •
    5 years ago
    If I was talking to an 18-24 year old dancer, I'd be much more concerned that she knows who Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra are than John Wayne. And while were at it, I don't really want her to know anything about John Wayne Bobbitt, either.
  • rickdugan
    •
    5 years ago
    Well, I'm pushing 50 and I can barely tell you anything about him. His last movie hit the big screen when I was still a little tyke. Back in the 70s we didn't have cable tv, online anything or even Blockbuster video stores, so actors didn't get the constant recycled exposure that they do now.
  • rickdugan
    •
    5 years ago
    But I hear you on the general note that there is a chasm in terms of cultural context and references. Shit, I'm now double the age of a number of dancers that I deal with and I avoid pop culture discussions just so that I'm not on the giving or receiving end of that same look of incomprehension.
  • DandyDan
    •
    5 years ago
    With all the young people at work, I don't have any sort of pop culture discussion, which gets frustrating considering lately, those are the only people I work around. I honestly believe the only movie they ever watched from before they were born was Star Wars. To explain to them John Wayne is a waste of time.
  • rickdugan
    •
    5 years ago
    But I'll also say that you might have some common ground if you have young kids or are very involved with your grand-kids. I got a late start myself, so I still have young kids and many of the strippers I deal with have kids of similar age or younger. Kids movies, schooling and other kids activities have been a surprisingly good way to find common ground with these girls. For example, how many of you know that Frozen II is now in theatres? I can assure you that any dancer with a young girl knows and has probably already taken her to see it. Kids sports, extra curricular activities and other topics can also be good topics in the right circumstances.
  • Book Guy
    •
    5 years ago
    "What makes me want to reach for a walker is when I realize they consider Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Nirvana to be the "golden oldies"." Gaw ... Here's a worse one ... many of this year's incoming freshmen at major North American colleges and universities were not born for the 9/11 attacks. Do the math: if born on September 11, 2001, plus 18 years ... you'll be a freshman or sophomore in September 2019. When I figured that out I just about shit myself. Glad I was wearing my Depends brand adult diapers ...
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