rantspace.org - Do we have original ideas? or are we just quoting TV?

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No we don't just quote tv, let me give you the best example of non TV related quoting.

Wedding celebrant : You don't want to get all woofy at your wedding.

Posted by: Decay on September 17, 2004 09:18 AM

oh, i can't quote tv but I can quote quite a few (rahter stupid and rude) comments coming from the two drama queens in my lab...

DQ1: "Who left the buffer empty? I'm gonna crack some skulls!"

DQ1: "Your perfume that you are wearing I am allergic too" (meanwhile, how many smelly stuff and chemicals are in a lab and how can she pin point it to someones perfume? *roll my eyes*)

DQ2 to a PhD student who is planning her wedding: "Yeah, wedding rings and inscriptions are sooo boring!"

I am sure there are more, but somehow, the effect of these comments will not be fully understodd by rantspacers....

Posted by: b on September 17, 2004 11:41 AM

There are exceptions to the rule of course - Droidy only watches TV cause it is on while she is in the room, and the wedding celebrant was not not a gen X'er.

Posted by: Guru G on September 17, 2004 12:22 PM

*grin* Maybe the wedding celebrant was trying to be all hip and happening with the woofiness (:

"If my memory serves me correctly... "

Posted by: [0-0] on September 17, 2004 12:49 PM

I will dare to utter the phrase...

"In My Mouth"

There I have said it.

Posted by: Decay on September 17, 2004 04:09 PM

"Hi, I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from such automated information kiosks as "Welcome to Springfield Airport" and "Where's Nordstrom?"

Interestingly, based on our age, Droidy, b and me are associated more with Generation Y, according to about half the material that describes differences between Generation X and Generation Y...just to make you buggers feel old :P

(But quoting The Simpsons is nevertheless a necessity in my life)

"Sorry lady, show's over!"

Posted by: Em on September 19, 2004 05:53 PM

UM, what are the differences between generation x and y? (and do we wrap around to a in a few decades time?)

Posted by: Sparker on September 20, 2004 08:59 AM

No, I think it all comes to an abrupt end after generation Z.

Posted by: M34tb4LL on September 20, 2004 11:26 PM

i think all this is open for debate and interpretation. i just did some googling.

Generation Table

Cyber Generation Born 2002 -2025:

Generation Y also known as the Millennial Generation and the i.generation Born 1982-2001: A civic generation, inner driven within the information revolution, striving to get ahead.

Generation X also known as the 13th Generation Born 1960-1981: A reactive generation, street wise. Examples - Madonna, Tom Cruise.

Baby Boomers Born 1943-1960: An idealist generation, often stressed out. Some sources suggest true baby boomers were born between 1946 to 1964 after World War II to experience the pop media revolution and the ideal of peace in our times.
Typical boomers include Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Cher.

Silent Generation Born 1925-1942: 95% of this generation is retired. They are an adaptive generation because they have had to be. This generation includes beats and beatniks. This generation were technically born too late to be war heroes.

G.I Generation Born 1901-1924: Concerned primarily with a civic outlook within society.
Lost Generation Born 1883-1900 Many fought and died in World War 1.

Posted by: b on September 21, 2004 01:48 PM

To get back to the original question, I think people have quoted other people since speech first appeared (and maybe before). The many have parroted the few, be it plays, radio, books or film. Groups of people work hard to come up with phrases or images to convey a feeling, and we use these as they are good. Some become used because people wish to associate themselves with the source, not because the phrase is particularly good, while others are just brilliant and say things so well.

So I don't think it is a criticism of this age that we quote television, it's just that TV is such a prominent media. If there is anything that can be seen as negative, it is the habit of many to use ideas and concepts from all sorts of media as if they were their own, without having any real idea what they are talking about. Examples of this are the quoting and belief in the shit that comes pouring forth from many of the "Current Affairs" programs people subject themselves too: "They said eating sugar makes your ears drop off, so we all better stop!". But, once again, this is nothing new. People have been doing the most stupid things, often involving the deaths of many others, because an "authority" spat forth some well edited crap that sounded convincing.

My little people are now 2 and 5, so the subject of television and how it turns them into mindless zombies who eat small rodents has been debated hotly for the last six years. Many I have spoken to advocate the total abstinence from television (at least for the little ones, it's okay for the parents, they have better taste in rodents). As far as I can see it is not whether television is good or bad, this is as fruitless as arguing whether books are good or bad, it is all about learning to question. Nothing (NOTHING) should be taken as fact. Everything (EVERYTHING) should be questioned. Which brings me to the nasty paradox of my life. Everything should be questioned, even the unfailing belief that everything should be questioned........

I think I'll wipe my screen off and go have a lie down now.

Posted by: Sparker on September 23, 2004 12:00 PM

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