Unenlightened people

[Metheawsome]

This is the wierdest thing ever. In today's society, you think of the average teen as a movie-goer and some-one who knows a fair bit about technology. After all, it's only reasonable considering the amount of media and technology we are surrounded by on a daily basis.

But this is not the case. I go to a public high school and have tried to talk about movies and actors only to find myself deeply dissapointed. 9 out of 10 students in my school don't even know who Harrison Ford is or the difference between Macs and Windows. This makes conversations almost unbearable. Don't even get me started on books or music (some don't even know the Beatles).

The question is, what are we to do with the ignorant masses?

[Xack24]

yes........sigh........ it's very sad. People have come to expect me to be always talking about movies they've never heard of. Thank god for my friend Don, he watches good movies.

[Squeek]

Maybe you surround yourself with knowledge of people you consider "celebrities", but most of us couldn't care less.

I don't know actors, directors, producers, etc. I also do not care. I only care if a movie is good or not.

[AriesMalvis]

idno i've never had to deal with that...even with technology...my parents, and even my grandpa are intelligent in that department...
and on other subjects...idno, i guess some ppl just don't care. i mean ive had a few friends that were clueless about certain things, but the one i knew best, it's cuz she was mainly jap so certain things were foreign to her...to we were in japan...i guess idno lol

[Kit-]

Well well, aren't we pretentious today. Ignorance about movies and computer software makes people unenlightened.

[jewpinthethird]

Originally Posted by Metheawsome

(some don't even know the Beatles)

Blasphemy.

But it's true, anything that falls outside of the mainstream spotlight is often forgotten about. A majority of the population is uncultured, artistically dense and incapable of forming an opinion of their own.

Just be thankful you are one of the select few who uses their brain.

[Xack24]

Originally Posted by Squeek

Maybe you surround yourself with knowledge of people you consider "celebrities", but most of us couldn't care less.

I don't know actors, directors, producers, etc. I also do not care. I only care if a movie is good or not.

I don't mean actors so much as movies themselves. I like to watch movies that are considered to have laid the foundation for what came later. Or movies that are just considered some of the best of all time. Very few people know who my avatar is a picture of. He is a character from some of the greatest comedies ever. I don't expect people to have commonly watch older movies like I do, but I do wish the knew OF the Marx Brothers.

[Metheawsome]

Originally Posted by Squeek

Maybe you surround yourself with knowledge of people you consider "celebrities", but most of us couldn't care less.

I don't know actors, directors, producers, etc. I also do not care. I only care if a movie is good or not.

But that's just it, they don't watch good movies. I've met people who have never watched Star Wars, Jaws, Psycho, or anything from Mel Brooks. Instead they're watching stuff like "Bring it on: All or nothing". And then have the gall to say it was better than "Ghandi" because that movie was boring. That's an actual argument I have had.

My point is that even if they don't know the actors or producers or anything, they should still know a good movie from a bad one. Or good music from bad. But still, they don't and that's what I'm talking about.

[Squeek]

And you're the authority on what is good and what isn't good, right?

ps - Not only do I not know the band members of The Beatles, but I also very much dislike the music they played. On top of that, I dislike The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings.

I'm entitled to my opinion just like you're entitled to yours. The best part about opinions is that they are constantly changing and completely immune to debate.

I agree that it seems a lot of kids these days have horrible tastes in compared to my own and I cannot understand how anyone could like rap music, but I don't go out and call people unenlightened or uneducated as a result.

[FRANKKK]

Originally Posted by Squeek

I'm entitled to my opinion just like you're entitled to yours. The best part about opinions is that they are constantly changing and completely immune to debate.

Exactly, just because some people dont know/like the same things as you doesnt mean that they are uneducated or unenlightened. They may just have different taste. Everyones different.

[rade0110]

It's not so important to know/like what everyone else does. I just find it sad that basically the only forms of media/art that get any attention now are Film, Television, music, and literature. Who here has heard of any recent photographers or painters or sculptors? Probably slim to none. I have a very strong connection to the arts and obviously have my own opinions. I just wish I could talk to more people about Kara Walker or Brower Hatcher or other really amazing and skilled artists in their own (barely noticed anymore) media.

[Squeek]

I think you'll find better venues for those sorts of things on other places on the Internet.

This website's forum members are primarily interested in video games. I'd say on a scale of media most visited by our regulars, video games are the top at maybe 40% of weekly use, TV is maybe 30, music is 20, movies are 10. Of course, this is just speculation.

[rade0110]

Originally Posted by Squeek

I think you'll find better venues for those sorts of things on other places on the Internet.

This website's forum members are primarily interested in video games. I'd say on a scale of media most visited by our regulars, video games are the top at maybe 40% of weekly use, TV is maybe 30, music is 20, movies are 10. Of course, this is just speculation.

Yeah I agree, I really only have a few friends that I can talk to about any of that. I just wish it was as appreciated now as it has been in the past. A million people will go see a movie on it's opening weekend, but I doubt A million people would go to an art exhibit that's open for 3 months.

[Lamoc]

Originally Posted by Metheawsome

This is the wierdest thing ever. In today's society, you think of the average teen as a movie-goer and some-one who knows a fair bit about technology. After all, it's only reasonable considering the amount of media and technology we are surrounded by on a daily basis.

But this is not the case. I go to a public high school and have tried to talk about movies and actors only to find myself deeply dissapointed. 9 out of 10 students in my school don't even know who Harrison Ford is or the difference between Macs and Windows. This makes conversations almost unbearable. Don't even get me started on books or music (some don't even know the Beatles).

The question is, what are we to do with the ignorant masses?

How is not knowing anything about movies or computers make you unenlightened? I don't watch T.V. and I very rarely read books. I have no idea who Harrison Ford is. Could be an astronaut for all I know. Computers? Why would I care about computers? I have my basic computer I bought at the store. It can burn cds and play video games, thats all I need to know. As for the beatles, I had no idea who they were until 5 min ago when I asked a friend. I don't listen to that kind of music. Most of my friends and family is the same way on this. I don't watch T.V. Any news I get is from the radio or my friend tells me. Correction on the reading, I do read the comics in the newspaper everyday. But I can so much more without knowing who Harrison Ford is. I live a full life, how does that make people unenlightened? Do you know how to replace the engine of a car? Can you build a house? Hell, can you even drive a car? Can you make a living? Can you support a family? Can you cook meals? Can you rock climb? Have you ever gone skydiving? Can you do the tango? But heck you can always ask Harrison Ford on how to do these things.

[TT Jafar]

Originally Posted by Lamoc

How is not knowing anything about movies or computers make you unenlightened? I don't watch T.V. and I very rarely read books. I have no idea who Harrison Ford is. Could be an astronaut for all I know. Computers? Why would I care about computers? I have my basic computer I bought at the store. It can burn cds and play video games, thats all I need to know. As for the beatles, I had no idea who they were until 5 min ago when I asked a friend. I don't listen to that kind of music. Most of my friends and family is the same way on this. I don't watch T.V. Any news I get is from the radio or my friend tells me. Correction on the reading, I do read the comics in the newspaper everyday. But I can so much more without knowing who Harrison Ford is. I live a full life, how does that make people unenlightened? Do you know how to replace the engine of a car? Can you build a house? Hell, can you even drive a car? Can you make a living? Can you support a family? Can you cook meals? Can you rock climb? Have you ever gone skydiving? Can you do the tango? But heck you can always ask Harrison Ford on how to do these things.

Burned...

[Metheawsome]

Originally Posted by Lamoc

How is not knowing anything about movies or computers make you unenlightened? I don't watch T.V. and I very rarely read books. I have no idea who Harrison Ford is. Could be an astronaut for all I know. Computers? Why would I care about computers? I have my basic computer I bought at the store. It can burn cds and play video games, thats all I need to know. As for the beatles, I had no idea who they were until 5 min ago when I asked a friend. I don't listen to that kind of music. Most of my friends and family is the same way on this. I don't watch T.V. Any news I get is from the radio or my friend tells me. Correction on the reading, I do read the comics in the newspaper everyday. But I can so much more without knowing who Harrison Ford is. I live a full life, how does that make people unenlightened? Do you know how to replace the engine of a car? Can you build a house? Hell, can you even drive a car? Can you make a living? Can you support a family? Can you cook meals? Can you rock climb? Have you ever gone skydiving? Can you do the tango? But heck you can always ask Harrison Ford on how to do these things.

Actually, I do drive, I am planning on making a living in the field of technology, and I can dance. I also play 3 musical instruments, go to the Gym occasionally, and have several friends I like to hang out with. But since I was raised with media since birth and have enjoyed countless hours of entertainment from it, I am shocked at the number of people who are completely oblivious to such a central part of my life. It's like the equivilant of never reading a book to me.

And I am not saying that if you don't like them you're unenlightened, I'm saying if you've never heard about them you are. I probably didn't make that very clear.

And unenlightened isn't their fault, or even a bad thing, it just means they don't know about it. If I talked about Dr. Hook and the medicine band and you didn't know about it, it would be safe to say you were ignorant of it. In cases like that I don't blame the person, but it still would be sad. Now if you knew about them and didn't like them, I'm also entitled to my opinion that you're wrong.

*Looking back*
Man, I should really write a script if I'm going to ramble like that.

[doodlesthebear]

I find it slightly odd that some people have never heard of the Beatles. It's not that they're... stupid, exactly, but more like... I don't know, more like their missing a very big part of culture. I agree with rade0110, but you've also got to consider... hundreds or years ago, paintings and things were very popular. It's just what is popular now. And you don't need to know who Harrison Ford is to live a good life (I only know because my whole family loves him as an actor)... in fact, you don't need to know any of that to live a good life. But it seems like that if you spent ANY time at all reading, or watching TV, or if you've seen a movie, or had conversations with people, or anything like that, the Beatles would have to pop up eventually. (That's not saying I like them. I hate their music.) Not that I'm trying to make anyone mad. Just saying.

[chrristielee]

hmm, big controversy about being unenlightened from not being a certain way & doing certain thingss.
can't we all just get alongg? haha.
okayso, everyone has there own opinions, can't we just leave it at that?
as everyones been saying, so some people haven't heard of some things you have,
not a big deal, everyone might not know, & they have their own opinions on things.
In my opinion, i don't really care.
i like lots of music people have never heard of, i've watched tons of movies, but i won't call them "unenlightened" if they haven't watched it.
& computers, whatever. if it's fast & compatable for games & ffr, it's good for me.
i'm juust saying, we shouldn't think lower of someone just because they don't like/know the same things you do.
everyones got their own mind, no limits,
they like what they like & they know what they know, & they keep learning.

[Metheawsome]

Yeah, but it's not just that SOME people in my school don't know SOME things I do... It's that nearly EVERONE at my school knows almost NOTHING I do.

At first, I wasn't so bad about this. I'd have a conversation and would invariably come to some sort of movie. When the person I talked to didn't know... say... Chevy Chase, I let it go. I mean I can't hold everyone to my standards.

But soon I realized that every time I talked about some actor or movie, almost everyone around me was completeley clueless. It became that I stopped even trying to talk about anything. This whole thread is more frustration than anything else.

I mean really, is it too much to ask that ONE other person in a school of 1500+ would know something about movies?

[beaner692]

yeah but if everyone is unenlightened, that means that everything is the way it should be. Were not all supposed to be the same were supposed to be unique and know stuff that other people don't know.

Wouldnt life be boring as hell if we didn't know a bunch of crap that other people didn't?

I cant tell if im making sense or not its too late lol