Cultural Literacy And The Younger Generation: How I Relate To 'Hey Nineteen'

I fell off the grid a little bit lately, mostly because I started teaching a couple of classes and had to get all the ephemera inherent in that pursuit together. The second section of the course started this week. This morning's edition reminded me of the great Steely Dan tune "Hey Nineteen": "Hey Nineteen, that's 'Retha Franklin/She don't remember the queen of soul ...." Every cultural reference I made fell on uncomprehending ears.

There was Neil Gaiman, "The Princess Bride," Ray Bradbury and others. I pepper my classes with these to illustrate points; for example, "The Princess Bride" elucidates knowing the meanings and subtleties of the words you use: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." None of the 22 students in the class registered recognition.

It might have been the hour. This section meets at around 9:30. I recall when I was in college, and 9:30 was an early course. The school I teach at is totally a commuter college, so the hour may be early for them. I know the class I teach at 4:30 is, for the most part, engaged.

I have three kids. We spent a lot of time instilling cultural literacy in their lives. We exposed them to Gilbert and Sullivan, Seurat and Shakespeare. They can tell the difference between "Citizen Kane" and Herman Cain and have heard the Beatles, Beethoven and Bird. They have a broad base of cultural reference.

I don't like to think of myself as an extraordinary parent. I want what all parents want for their kids: the best I have the ability to give. This includes the knowledge of how to do their laundry, how to cook a meal, how to drive, how to eat right and how to get along. We do not ban video games, watch far too much TV and occasionally indulge in junk food for the sheer pleasure and comfort of it.

But these kids made me feel like I came from another planet. Is this a cultural literacy problem, or do Seurat, Shakespeare and Gilbert and Sullivan matter? For that matter do Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, and "The Princess Bride"?

Ironically, when I mentioned "Fahrenheit 451" later in the class, about half a dozen of them knew the book. I pointed out that it was by Ray Bradbury, the old guy we saw in that video earlier in the class. They hadn't made the connection, but at least they knew the work.

I felt myself defossilize, albeit only for a minute.

 

Follow Hank Bordowitz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankaim

Comments

[Michael Cozart]

11:28 PM on 03/01/2012

As a 52 year old who just started going back to college last year, I completely understand this article.. I take a full load (13 credits this semester) and I am older than 2 of my professors. I go to a very good community college in southern California, planning on transferring to a 4 year school next year.. The professors constantly make references to things that no one in the class (expect me) has any reference too. The strange thing is this has allowed me to make social connections with some of the other students in my classes. My fellow students have come up to me and asked about some of the references made and it has been kind of enjoyable to point them to a web site or just talk about the reference with them. It has allowed me to open up and not be so conscious of the age difference. For Hank I would say keep up the references. Some of those kids are inquisitive and will head to the web to watch or (better yet) read the Princess Bride, pick up a Gaiman or Bradbury book or watch a video of Monkees music (RIP Davey). As a teacher its part of your job to show them what they are missing. I know its cliche, but get one kid to care about them and you've accomplished something.

[rivergirl301]

10:12 PM on 02/28/2012

I was huge on cultural references when my kids were growing up (they are now 18 and 22). The older one is about to graduate with a BA in anthropology!

[Anne Siperek]

09:04 AM on 02/28/2012

Because their parents didn't think certain things were all that important. Now we have the finished product. Pretty sad, isn't it?

But don't stop teaching or sharing. The world needs you!

[Debby Carroll]

12:26 PM on 02/27/2012

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Then again, maybe you do. And if you had a weatherman, he'd tell you that the wind blows by quickly and the kids who are connected to today will be you tomorrow and just as out of it. Here's the thing to remember, the young are only young for a bit, then they're like everyone else. But, everyone does get that one chance to be young. Then, they move on to make room for the current crop of young. One thing is consistent, though. Those who are young look to those who are older to find out what's no longer cool. Some things never change, nor should they. Quality bits of culture, though, have long shelf life and even the young will learn of those in time. It's why Dylan at 70 still has some name recognition in the under 30 crowd. In that way, the times are not a 'changin.
deborahdrezoncarroll.com

[mightbesane]

12:14 PM on 02/27/2012

By its very nature, teen pop culture excludes blue heads - and you're a blue head if you aren't a teen. By the time that a a youtube sensation makes its way onto adult radar, the teen world has moved on. Deal with it. Ray Bradbury, John Brunner, Robert Heinline, Moby Grape, Savoy Brown, Carlos Castaneda, Ken Kesey, Maynard G. Krebs...all belong, to quote Trotsky, on the dustbin of teenage history.

Trotsky...you know...the jockey in that movie about that horse...

[LateDave]

02:28 PM on 03/01/2012

Good . . . grief . . . I am a blue head. I knew every one of your references, and I *have* something by every one on a shelf except maybe the Moby Grape, not having been a big collector of the San Francisco Sound (but I do have Amboy Dukes). That's Heinlein, btw.

Work! The kids know Squirrel! but may not know Moose and Skvirrel . . . That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop:

[Akla]

11:23 AM on 02/27/2012

The young will say you have to keep up with their interests to understand them, others point to obscure names or other "information" to point out you are out of touch, and still others will comment that it is not relevent to the present or that you can use the internets

[Roseberry]

10:06 AM on 02/27/2012

What gets me the most is, as a musician and music fan in general, the young folk seem to only learn about the surface, or, at worse, less-than-stellar musical representatives of our past. Sure, they learn about the Beatles, but then as The Representative Group of the Seventies? Pink Floyd. Oh, pa-lease...And the Eighties? Yes, MJ was all that, but for God's sake, there was more to the 80s than MJ! These folk all are lauded to the tenth degree while fabulous bands like Steely Dan from the 70s or Pixies from the 80s are completely ignored....

[Starbro]

11:38 AM on 02/27/2012

Rose, you said a mouthful! Don't get me started on Sparks or any of the many other bands that no one has heard of but deserve much more clout!

[workingmansblues]

06:16 AM on 02/27/2012

The great thing about the age we are in is that within 30 seconds you can find out about almost anything with a Google search. You used to have to take a couple of hours or more to go to a real library. Now if you don't know the difference between Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas, or between Lenin and Lennon you can find out in about one minute on the internet. There is no longer any excuse for cultural illiteracy.

How many of you now the difference? The connection between the two Dylans?

[mightbesane]

12:03 PM on 02/27/2012

I'm still hung up on Marx and Lennon - if anyone has sufficient little gray cells to remember Firesign Theater.

[LateDave]

02:31 PM on 03/01/2012

Just checked the cover. Yep. Marx has the cigar, Lennon the long hair.

[LateDave]

02:35 PM on 03/01/2012

The great answer is in "Simple Desultory Philipic" by Simon. "The man ain't got no cultcha!" And that was in, what, '65? Same complaint then!

[suennui]

03:04 AM on 02/27/2012

I find the reverse is happening to me now that my kids are in their twenties and out of the house. I have lost touch with contemporary culture. I have no idea what the latest trends are - unless I hear about them on NPR. I always prided myself on both introducing my kids to great art, music, literature, and cinema from the past and keeping current, now I find that I have fallen behind.

[zenju2]

02:32 AM on 02/27/2012

I used to die inside a little when some adult sat on the desk to "get down" and "rap" with us students. But even in middle school I was exploring music and film and television and literature that predated my own time and have stayed current ever since. So though I can understand the author's point of view, I also find teens who are like I was. Usually their parents or friends have extensive music collections. It's refreshing to find people whose tastes aren't formed by the pop industry so much, or "Top 40s" pablum, or hip hop/R&B/whatever. We thrive on Nirvana, Soundgarden, PJ Harvey, Jimi Hendrix, Mudhoney, Motown, Led Zeppelin--in short, REAL music!

[Vintage59]

01:44 AM on 02/27/2012

You're not from another planet. You are from a different century. You can do anything you like with your own kids but if you want to be able to relate to students you have to make the effort to find out what has happened over the past decade.

It's fairly simple to introduce things from the past once you've established a rapport and piqued their interest.

[acumenguy]

12:26 AM on 02/27/2012

About 10 years ago, I was teaching a reading unit on poety to a class of black 7th graders. I pointed to the differrent styling of the staccatto like rythem of Big Daddy Cane, versus the free flowing paths of Public Enemy.

One kid looked up and asked "whose Big Daddy Cane?'
Hair fell out. I got a hump in my back. And since then, I've had to gum my food.

In all fairness. If you had asked me about the Flamingoes when I was in 7th grade (1969) I would have had the same reaction.

Another funny story.
In 1983, and excited 7th grader ran up to me and challenged Mr. Teacher .... Did YOU know that Paul McCarthy used to play for the Beatles ....?
I went to stage 5 ..... Acceptance

[goodmandown]

11:10 AM on 02/27/2012

Unless you're talking about King Kamehameha, it's Big Daddy Kane. :))

[jessjesskk]

12:23 AM on 02/27/2012

That's life. What generations adore, next generations ignore. And it is quite sane...

[Absolon]

04:48 PM on 02/26/2012

Like the kids all asked: "WHO is Paul McCartney?"
"WHO is Steely Dan?"
For that matter, "Who is Steeleye Span?" :)