Today, VH1 is running its “I Love the 70s” marathon. If you’ve never seen one of these, it goes year by year through the decade, with various celebrities talking about different pop culture moments from that year.
Now, when we were in school, the nuns always made a big deal about not watching TV, not going to see movies, and not knowing anything about pop culture. Anything that happened after 1950 was a mystery to them, and that is how they liked it (considering our history books at the time didn’t go past the Truman Administration, that’s the way the state of Ohio liked things as well, apparently).
We think teachers or parents out there must still think like this, because we routinely encounter guys just a few years younger than us who have no idea who Laura Branigan was, or don’t know that President Reagan was shot, or have no idea why we mock Jimmy Carter’s sweater (or his swamp rabbit).
The world is a much funnier place if you know about things that happened in the last 30 years. You “get” a lot more jokes, and appreciate more irony when things repeat themselves (as in, Carter = Obama).
If you don’t know how Hope! and Change! and A New Kind of Politics! worked out the first time, when a media darling peanut farmer came out of nowhere and was crowned president by a fawning press, then you are in for surprises these next four years that, thankfully, we won’t have because we’re watching “I Love the 70s” for a recap, of sorts.
Part of the reason the Kool-Aid was guzzled by so many this year is because those thirsty followers still don’t know what the “Kool-Aid” reference even means.
Just another case of history repeating…
January 11, 2009 at 3:58 pm
On that kool-aid, Nancy was DNC chair for Northern CA during the same years Jim Jones was in SF, which means they were both recruiting alienated young people into their respective far left movements of the time. Cheap shot, yes.
January 11, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Diane,
Don’t believe everything you see:
January 11, 2009 at 5:17 pm
We’ll be lucky if Ohblahblahblahma is only AS BAD as Jimmy “My Name Is Earl” Carter. Carter was incompetent but he wasn’t evil. I’m afraid that ObeyMe is BOTH.
January 11, 2009 at 6:19 pm
diane, i think it is wrong u said jews made a 9 year old blind,
it was the Ireali army, and a few members of that army, plus the army is under the command of the Government,
I think what is going on is terrible, i think both sides should stop, but don’t blame a whole religion for the acts of a few members.
today i found out that 55% of white people backed Palin in the election.
January 11, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Best. Photoshop. Ever.
January 11, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Has anyone seen the “wendys” commercial using Mccains “the fundamentals of the economy are strong” statement? They’re selling some special by say the fundamentals of the threeconomy are strong. What has this country come to when a fastfood joint can’t come up with an original slogan, they have to steal it from respected Senator/Pres. candidate? There’s another one about an ex wall street employee, that’s no where near funny, it’s sad actually.
January 11, 2009 at 10:21 pm
HB, I know you don’t endorse the comments on the blog, and it’s your perogative and chore to screen them. I appreciate the partisan debates I see from time to time. But what is running currently on poorrichards is straight up anti-semitic, on a complex and volatile subject. There are other items there that are racist. I know it because I feel it, just as you feel homophobia when you experience it. I’d like to know if this is your voice and perspective. Seriously.
January 12, 2009 at 2:16 am
Three Wickets,
Those poor richards people are a real pain in the neck. And so is this comment feature, to be honest. We started this site back in February 2008 and didn’t allow comments because we do not have the time or resources to read everything that is posted….so we kept comments off. We started allowing comments because people kept asking us to allow them, so we did. We have no idea who these poor richards people are, and have never been to their site. We get hundreds of comments a day on here — and we all work full time jobs, most of us working for ourselves, and REALLY having to hussle and work hard in this economy. It is not easy.
Especially not because we feel this weird obligation to post an enormous amount of original content every day. There’s a few of us here, and writing essays every day and keeping up with the news is really, really hard. We do it because we enjoy doing it, and because it seems people out there like what we do.
The one thing about the internet that we have never understood is people who cry out for board moderators…frankly, Three Wickets, grow up.
There is no “Board Momma” here, and we will never, ever become one of those people. Go to http://www.TelevisionWithoutPity.com and see what Board Mommas are like. Those are some seriously messed up people. If you do not post a message according to their intricate rules, and your grammar is not perfect, and you do not voice an opinion that agrees 100% with the Board Momma, you are banned for life. It is the craziest and most pathetic thing we have ever seen. There is not a bone in our bodies that is like those lunatics.
For some reason, it seems that’s what you want from us, and we’re telling you that you are never going to get that. WordPress is an imperfect site. Some of those crazy poorrichards things get caught in spam, and we delete them instead of approving them. Some of them get posted for whatever reason and don’t end up in spam. We don’t know why WordPress allows some and not others. For every single post from poorrichards that gets posted, there are at least 30 that are deleted. Those nuts are relentless.
Every time we see their stuff, we delete it. And then we take their IP and email address and ban that in WordPress’s spam filter. Then those nuts just use a different email and IP.
If you don’t like what they write, don’t read it. You are a grown adult. You should not need a Board Momma, and if you think you want one, we dare you to go to http://www.TelevisionWithoutPity.com for one week and try posting your opinions there for one week. Seriously. You took the time to make this an issue, so we ask you to go there and start posting in forums and see what dealing with a Board Momma censor is like.
We expect your report on the experience one week from now…on January 19th, to relate what dealing with a Board Momma is like. In life, don’t ever complain about something without accepting a challenge in return. Post on any forum there that you like, and you will soon know what we are talking about.
PoorRichards are the only spammers we have not been able to stop. They are well-organized and relentless. WordPress is not an effective medium to eliminate their postings…so perhaps, if this is an issue that keeps you up at night, you should address this with WordPress.
We are truly disappointed in you. We’ve always enjoyed what you have to say, but find this to be very childish of you to complain about. Once in a while, spam posts for Viagra and other nonsense get through WordPress’ filters — which we have set on the highest levels available — and clearly we are not trying to sell Viagra here.
Like we said, we didn’t allow comments until a few months ago, and maybe should go back to that if you are going to carry on the way you are. There is not enough time in a day to run this site, write original content, research new essays, and go to our jobs and live our lives — with the added burden of ensuring you, Three Wickets, are not offended by something those nuts at PoorRichards get by spam filters.
Grow up. And take your battle up with them.
January 11, 2009 at 11:02 pm
LMAO, on the cover pic!
January 11, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Diane, ditto what Grail said..
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2009/01/video-hamas-exploitation-of-civilians.html
Important piece of film.
January 11, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Ms. magazine is once again sending the wrong message to girls in this country. What an outrage!!
http://thenewagenda.net/blog/
January 12, 2009 at 5:40 am
Well said guys.I go all over the web,checking it all out but that doesn’t mean I agree or believe every thing I read.Just skip over it if you are offended.
Some times a lot of these sites are hilarious they are so bogus.You just have to roll with the flow and take it with a grain of salt.Use your noggin as my Grandma used to say.lol
You guys are doing a hell of a job and I hope you keep the comments.I enjoy reading them.Keep up the good work.
January 12, 2009 at 9:41 am
Sharon, thanks for that link. That is the best explanatory piece I have seen to date.
January 12, 2009 at 5:22 pm
HB, you underestimate the power of your voice. Just checking to see if these guys were a proxy in any way. It’s not as obvious as you might think from this side of the screen. With or without comments, you are doing something truly important here, even more so since the election in my opinion. I hope you’ll be able to find a way to continue.