Pointlife
Students more “new school” than “old school” at UW-SP
Pointlife Reporter
Most everyone today has heard catchphrases like “Here’s lookin’ at you kid,” but not all Pointers are certain where these sayings originate.
Whether students know it or not, the media plays an important role in keeping pop culture alive. Shows like “Family Guy” make constant references to other past events or literary works. If students aren’t knowledgeable about these things, however, the inside joke is lost.
Take a recent episode “Blue Harvest” when Peter Griffin tells his family about the greatest story ever told, the story of “Star Wars”.
As this example shows, unless students are familiar with pop culture dating back 20 years or more, all meaning of jokes are lost.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point students’ knowledge of movie stars, quotes, cartoons and catchphrases seem to be lacking. Although some recognize certain pop culture references, it is most likely they are hearing it from other people. Many can’t identify where the quote is from or what movies the famous actor was in.
Robert Rubino, a UW-SP student, mentions that knowledge from media is dependent on being in on what friends talk about.
“How we consume popular culture is dependent on the forms of media we consume, such as CD’s, DVD’s, the Internet and television,” said Rubino.
So, if listening to music or watching a movie or television show leads us to research a reference made, do students intentionally remember these things? This form of “learning” pop culture from decades of past seems to be what people rely on.
There is an exception to this rule and that is the current love of “vintage” movies. Rubino notes that movies like “Top Gun” provide several favorite quotes of his that include “I feel the need…the need for speed” and “Your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash.”
Unless students are watching an old movie with a bunch of friends, they typically need to hit YouTube or some other Google search to figure out old pop culture references they hear or see. Of course, there is no better way to kill time and avoid doing homework than by watching “Top 100” shows on VH1 such as “Awesomely Bad Love Songs” or “80s Hair Metal Bands.”
But aside from finding information after hearing about it through media, or coming across it by accident while watching a movie with friends, there are other reasons people seek to learn about pop culture from yesteryear.
One of the most popular reasons is the excitement of reciting a funny quote that’s too good to pass up. Students see this as a good icebreaker at any party.
Of course, the popularity of games like Scene It or Trivial Pursuit seems to show there is still an interest in popular culture from other time periods. Playing games like these are educational in themselves and most students agree that they are fun to play.
The understanding of past trends and movements may serve to link today’s information in a minute culture with those that came before them. It may only be through a sustained effort of gluing ones’ eyes to Turner Classic Movies or TV Land that will send this slogan-crazed generation to say “Hey there, Meathead” so they can truly be “hip to the jive.”
