Weird reaction a while back...

[johnpalmer]

There's an organization (a department in a university, I think) that publishes a list of things that today's 18 year-olds haven't known/seen/done directly, because they were born 18 years ago.

I've seen the list mocked, but I had a weird realization about it, one that kind of stunned me.

I was thinking of writing an essay, and I was going to use an example of Snoopy.

And I realized that, wow, it's been *13 years* since Charles Schulz died. The time will come when a great many young people won't have any reference, especially since the example I was going to use was a relatively old, obscure Peanuts comic (i.e.: it wasn't Snoopy dancing, being a World War I flying ace, etc.).

On that day, I had a bit of a better understanding of why one might want to publish such a list. (Especially a university, who might want to make sure its "ivy covered professors" are at least thinking about whether their allusions might work.)

Comments

[onyxlynx]

Some newspapers still run "Classic Peanuts." But yeah, the average young person is probably not reading it.

<aside> No wonder most of my jokes fall flat! </aside>

[caltastic]

That's Beloit College's Mindset List, which they put out every year for the faculty and staff to put the incoming freshman class in perspective. It's fascinating and horrible all at once. XD

[wordweaverlynn]

Fascinating and horrible sums it up quite well. I'm an antique.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Our local newspaper has "Peanuts" in reruns.

[irish-horse.livejournal.com]

Wow. I had no idea it had been so long.

The thought that people will someday not understand the WWI Flying Ace and his faithful Sopwith Camel, going down behind enemy lines and drinking the demon root beer... that's just sad.

[pernishus.livejournal.com]

Alas, we who are allusive often come across as being illusive...

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

I'd heard a lot of them kept it going - but wow, that shows how long it's been since I got a newspaper, I haven't seen a comics page in forever!

I also keep thinking of getting some of the big collections. I used to love the little collection books I would find around various houses (family and friends) growing up.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Yes, it will be sad. But there are probably also people who think it's just as sad that we don't know Little Nemo (http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/display/111). It's weird how time and culture passes.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you're professors; you're allowed to make students think "what the heck does s/he mean by that?"

And if you do it right, you might make them interested in finding out. Alas, it is a difficult skill.