Being in college oftentimes makes me feel like I live in a box. I'm never up to date on current events, and the only people I associate with over the age of 25 are my professors.
On of the worst result of this phenomenon happens to be my being completely out of touch with pop culture today.
Let's go over the facts first. My roommate and I currently have exactly one channel on our nine-inch television. We don't really watch TV, so we don't really mind. Actually, we might have cable hooked up in our apartment, but we don't have the actual cable that hooks up to the TV. And yes, we are so lazy as to not go out and buy a cable so we could further perpetuate our laziness.
As if never watching TV wasn't enough to propel me into the land of oblivion, the only time I ever listen to the radio is when my alarm clock goes off.
I didn't realize how bad it was until I was sucked into watching the MTV Video Music Awards at a friend's apartment, which happens nearly every year. Only this year I felt way out of the loop. Every five minutes they'd introduce someone and I'd have to ask my friends who they were, and why should I care about them.
I found out that Britney Spears is taking a break from her grueling career of tanning and crunches. Who on earth could fill the Britney void? But I had nothing to fear. Soon I was introduced to the new influx of stringy haired, skinny, attractive, 16 to 18-year-old girl singers who aren't like Britney because they wrote one verse of the crappiest song on their recently gone platinum album. Also, they have a different look than Britney. Like the classy wife beater and necktie stylings of... what's her name again? Arvil? Anvil? Oh, AVRIL. Right.
Well, not knowing about some pop star who is likely to disappear in a few months isn't the end of the world, but I'll tell you what is. You know that Nelly song? \It's getting hot in here?"" I can count the number of times I have actually heard that song on one hand. What I can't count is the number of times I've said something along the lines of, ""Man, it's hot in here..."" only to have a friend, acquaintance, or anyone else in the room reply, ""So take off all your clothes... ."" AGH! You people! Stop singing songs I've never heard!
It doesn't stop at music. Although I have since been enlightened, sometime around midsummer a conversation could have easily gone like this:
Friend: Hey, wanna go see ""XXX"" this weekend?
Me: Um... is that porn?
Friend: No! That movie! You know, with Vin Diesel!
Me: Who?
Oh, and it doesn't stop at movies, either. Remember Mike Jones' column last week about the annoying Dell computer guy? The entire column was wasted on me because I DON'T KNOW WHO THE DELL GUY IS.
Friend: No way, Erica! You don't know who the Dell guy is?
Me: AGH! YOU PEOPLE!
Actually, maybe being out of the loop isn't so bad. Sure, I'll miss out on a few conversations, but I can also front an ""I'm not hip 'cause I don't want to be, and therefore am better than you"" attitude. Sounds like a plan.
