2008 Woodie Awards
The Rise of Gen Pop
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 5/6/08 Section: Opinion
Study after study reveals that more Americans know more about pop culture than they do about their government, their history and (especially) the environment.
A survey by the McCormick Tribune Museum in Chicago revealed that only one in four Americans could name more than one of the five fundamental freedoms granted to them by the 1st Amendment, while almost double that could name more than one member of Homer Simpson's fictional household. One in five Americans could name the entire five-character family, while only one in 1,000 could name all five fundamental freedoms.
The museum also discovered that 41% of Americans could name two out of the three "American Idol" judges, while only 8% could name two of the first three freedoms. 58% can't even name one of the executive-branch Cabinets.
During his lecture several weeks ago, best-selling author Derek Jensen related the fact that more people can identify the text on Angelina Jolie's crotch tattoo than can name even 10 edible plants in walking distance of their homes, and resident OU philosopher Nikola Ristic is famous for his "Why do you know this crap?" surveys.
The proof is out there and we, as the next generation of difference-makers, need to seriously reexamine what these numbers mean to our collective futures … because we might just be riding the apathy train to a very scary place (and taking everyone we know and love right along with us).
Pop trivia isn't the kind of knowledge people talk about when they say that "knowledge is power." Trivia is exactly that, and if we start over-charging our Escapist Card™ with impulse buys, the interest is going to catch up and bury us before we can say "Britney Spears' next massively important upskirt photograph!"
Knowledge of ourselves and our surroundings, of where we came from and where we're going … now that's power, and it's power for the taking - knowing how and where to vote isn't information exclusive to one class over the other; it's out there for everybody.
A survey by the McCormick Tribune Museum in Chicago revealed that only one in four Americans could name more than one of the five fundamental freedoms granted to them by the 1st Amendment, while almost double that could name more than one member of Homer Simpson's fictional household. One in five Americans could name the entire five-character family, while only one in 1,000 could name all five fundamental freedoms.
The museum also discovered that 41% of Americans could name two out of the three "American Idol" judges, while only 8% could name two of the first three freedoms. 58% can't even name one of the executive-branch Cabinets.
During his lecture several weeks ago, best-selling author Derek Jensen related the fact that more people can identify the text on Angelina Jolie's crotch tattoo than can name even 10 edible plants in walking distance of their homes, and resident OU philosopher Nikola Ristic is famous for his "Why do you know this crap?" surveys.
The proof is out there and we, as the next generation of difference-makers, need to seriously reexamine what these numbers mean to our collective futures … because we might just be riding the apathy train to a very scary place (and taking everyone we know and love right along with us).
Pop trivia isn't the kind of knowledge people talk about when they say that "knowledge is power." Trivia is exactly that, and if we start over-charging our Escapist Card™ with impulse buys, the interest is going to catch up and bury us before we can say "Britney Spears' next massively important upskirt photograph!"
Knowledge of ourselves and our surroundings, of where we came from and where we're going … now that's power, and it's power for the taking - knowing how and where to vote isn't information exclusive to one class over the other; it's out there for everybody.
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