Twitter is a magnificent window into modern society.

But every so often, when one peers inside too closely, it’s easy to feel gloomy about the prospects of our long-term survival. Consider the tweets of a few young and clueless Grammy Awards viewers who flocked to the micro-blogging site on Sunday night to ask the world an urgent question: “Who is Paul McCartney?”

?Who Is Paul McCartney?? asks Twitter - Toronto.com (http://www.toronto.com/article/713657--who-is-paul-mccartney-asks-twitter)

Seriously, why should they know about some dude who last recorded noteworthy hits around 30 years ago? And that song really does suck!

While I agree the song does suck, I know Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and others who were active last well over a century before I was born... He is in The Guinness Book Of Records as the most successful musician and composer in popular music history. I'm not really a Paul fan, but...

Ignorantia juris non excusat.

Those of us who are high school teachers are used to these questions. I try to provide brief yet satisfactory answers.

While I agree the song does suck, I know Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and others who were active last well over a century before I was born... He is in The Guinness Book Of Records as the most successful musician and composer in popular music history. I'm not really a Paul fan, but...

Ignorantia juris non excusat.

Many of the kids I know have an idea about Beethoven and Mozart too--but McCartney isn't in that league. They also know who the Rolling Stones and Beatles are as a group, but not the individual members of the group. My kid knows who Lennon and McCartney are because I've made pains to explain it when their songs are played at home or on the car radio.

I've also had to explain what a typewriter is.

"My kid knows who Lennon and McCartney are because I've made pains to explain it when their songs are played at home or on the car radio.

I've also had to explain what a typewriter is."

This is my quote of the day. Thanks, Macfury!

“Who is Paul McCartney?” Well that's a sign of time moving on. If kids are truly interested in music history, they'll find out. But it isn't 1970 anymore and a name on every kids mind.

Then there's those dang Depression-era kids who didn't know who Ole Bornemann Bull was. Tsk tsk.

I know who Paul McCartney is. But I have a hard time remembering who the heck Chris Brown is....

If your teenager does not know who Paul McCartney is, you've failed your job as a parent.




;)

I make sure to tell all my students that Paul McCartney is more than a rock musician, he has actually written classical music

If your teenager does not know who Paul McCartney is, you've failed your job as a parent. ;-)

Or they have a better taste in music than their parents. ;)

If your teenager does not know who Paul McCartney is, you've failed your job as a parent.




;-)

Can't fine the darn "Like" button!

He's changed over the years. Looks like the plastic surgeon has had a go or five on his face.
I was stumped by the 2nd wife he chose.

Well he outlived John.

Or they have a better taste in music than their parents. ;)

You don't have to personally like Paul McCartney's music, but if you don't recognize and respect the man and what he means to music, you have no business commenting on music.






;)

He's changed over the years. Looks like the plastic surgeon has had a go or five on his face.
I was stumped by the 2nd wife he chose.

Well he outlived John.

The legend is turning 70 this year. Give him a break on the looks department.

As for his 2nd wife. Looks like he's happy and has done quite well.

http://imgsrv.560wgan.com/image/WiresGraphic/2012-01-25T213548Z_1_BTRE80O1NZQ00_RTROPTP_2_USREPORT-US-MCCARTNEY-WIFE.JPG

I've always liked Paul, but he was really out of his element at the Grammy's with that white sports coat and trying to croon. He ought to leave that stuff to the pros like Bennet or Buble.

MacFury I, like MLeh will also have that as my quote of the day....but this brings an interesting point. Hirsch talks about Cultural Literacy and that, in simple terms, is the knowledge that the national literate should know...expressed another way, it is the knowledge that one expects the next generation to know. Usually highlighted by the gap in generations we all experience as we go through life. So, is not knowing who McCartney is a gap and a segment of Cultural Illiteracy or is it just a piece of information that we no long deem worthwhile passing on to the next generation.

The legend is turning 70 this year. Give him a break on the looks department.

As for his 2nd wife. Looks like he's happy and has done quite well.

http://imgsrv.560wgan.com/image/WiresGraphic/2012-01-25T213548Z_1_BTRE80O1NZQ00_RTROPTP_2_USREPORT-US-MCCARTNEY-WIFE.JPG

Although, looking at this photo again, I couldn't help think of the song... "I don't care too much for money, money can't by me love." :) ;)

The legend is turning 70 this year. Give him a break on the looks department.

As for his 2nd wife. Looks like he's happy and has done quite well.

http://imgsrv.560wgan.com/image/WiresGraphic/2012-01-25T213548Z_1_BTRE80O1NZQ00_RTROPTP_2_USREPORT-US-MCCARTNEY-WIFE.JPG

Showing my age here, but isn't that his 3rd wife...........

Showing my age here, but isn't that his 3rd wife...........

Yep, you're right, he married three times, to Linda Eastman, Heather Mills and Nancy Shevell.

Showing my age here, but isn't that his 3rd wife...........

Yep.

MacFury I, like MLeh will also have that as my quote of the day....but this brings an interesting point. Hirsch talks about Cultural Literacy and that, in simple terms, is the knowledge that the national literate should know...expressed another way, it is the knowledge that one expects the next generation to know. Usually highlighted by the gap in generations we all experience as we go through life. So, is not knowing who McCartney is a gap and a segment of Cultural Illiteracy or is it just a piece of information that we no long deem worthwhile passing on to the next generation.

I believe that a segment of parents no longer deem it worthwhile to pass on. A kid who doesn't know about the Beatles probably knows of no 1950s or 1960s acts at all, unless a movie about the act is released (Johnny Cash, for example).

I happen to have a personal interest in old-time radio which predates me by decades. However, I've heard people in the past in a lather because the kids didn't know who Charlie McCarthy or Fibber McGee and Molly were. As someone once noted, some day Waterloo and Watergate will be interchangeable terms. Everything compresses and the sheer weight of popular culture notations will mean that more and more of them will be getting short shrift.

Macfury that is an excellent point. If we use a sports metaphor...take Hall of Fames....there is always a debate on who should go in, but it's the " in the day" argument that is the main stay...the prior generation players who were excluded would have little chance of getting in if there is a generation of voters skipped....it's the same with all things, as you so rightly pointed out. Maybe what we need is a "fixed" amount of knowledge to pass on as core....to some degree we have this, but not so much in the cultural area. So if we had only 100 spots in the Hockey Hall of Fame, someone would have to be voted out before a new person goes in.....subtle though it is....I think social media is serving this purpose, but is less selective as to what should be excluded

Paul McCartney sings? I though him and his second wife were seal hunt activists prancing around on iceflows.

Funny, I don't recall seeing McCartney and his wife at Moody's Bay?

My daughter knows who Paul McCartney is. She took a 'Beatles' course at UVic as part of her BA. There are some advantages to a liberal arts education. When she traveled to the UK she spent a day in Liverpool and we have pictures of her at 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields', as well as the Cave and the Cavern. (She also knows who Billie Holiday and Cole Porter are, but that's from playing Fallout.)

I was stumped by the 2nd wife he chose.

I'm assuming this was simply a poor choice of words, rather than a reference to the appendage-challenged Ms. Mills.

I'm assuming this was simply a poor choice of words, rather than a reference to the appendage-challenged Ms. Mills.

It was a poor joke.

I'm assuming this was simply a poor choice of words, rather than a reference to the appendage-challenged Ms. Mills.

Obviously a leg man!:D

Yep, you're right, he married three times, to Linda Eastman, Heather Mills and Nancy Shevell.

I'm sure he'd like to forget the 2nd. :)

I'm sure he'd like to forget the 2nd. :)

That marriage never achieved a proper "footing", or grounding. It was doomed from the start.

That marriage never achieved a proper "footing", or grounding. It was doomed from the start.

Not funny. Certainly not newsworthy on JNN.

That marriage never achieved a proper "footing", or grounding. It was doomed from the start.

Snorted my coffee on that

On a more serious note , as serious as this thread can get, if I think back to the day and the bands that were there, it was Beatles Forever.

among the "flashes in the pan"

Rolling Stones
Led Zepplin
Jimi Hendrix
Beach Boys
Steely Dan
Frank Zappa

Interesting to see which ones get present day iPod play.

On a more serious note , as serious as this thread can get, if I think back to the day and the bands that were there, it was Beatles Forever.

among the "flashes in the pan"

Rolling Stones
Led Zepplin
Jimi Hendrix
Beach Boys
Steely Dan
Frank Zappa

Interesting to see which ones get present day iPod play.

My son recognizes Led Zeppelin, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones and Steely Dan primarily because I've identified them for him--Hendrix out simply because I never play or hear him. I just played "Nanook of the North" for him as an intro to Frank Zappa.

Zappa's "Montana", Christmas morning, as my daughter opened her stocking and found, among other things, dental floss.

Zappa's "Montana", Christmas morning, as my daughter opened her stocking and found, among other things, dental floss.

Going to Montana soon
Going to be a dental floss tycoon....


Zircon encrusted tweezers a gleamin' in the moonlight...

Says Christmas to me

The Beatles last studio album was in 1970... over 40 years ago.

If I make the great assumption that a large part of this audience came of age between 1970 and 1990 - say 1980 on average, that's the equivalent of someone throwing a 1940'ish artist in front of us at that time and us being a little clueless about them. This is probably much like when I was a kid watching Ed Sullivan and every one and awhile he would have Sophie Tucker on. Heck, how was I supposed to know she had her own radio show in 1938 and 1939.

When I was in school from 1950 to 1962 our music classes taught us all about the music of days gone by right up to the current rock n' roll that broke through with Elvis mid way through that period. We sang many of those old favourites in weekly hour long musical sessions and sing-a-longs held for the entire school in the gym. In public school that included grades one to eight, all in one room singing together.

We sang and listened to such great songs as Down By The Old Mill Stream, Oh, You Beautiful Doll, I Want A Girl Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad, If You Were The Only Girl In The World, Zuyder Zee, Moonlight Bay, Waiting For The Robert E. Lee, Ballin' The Jack, Peg O' My Heart, Ol' Man River, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Yankee Doodle Boy, Oh, You Beautiful Doll, It's a Long Way to Tipperary, Aba Daba Honeymoon, Mademoiselle from Armentieres, Pack Up Your Troubles, Over There, Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny and I could go on, the list is endless.

We listened on radio to the likes of Al Bowlly, Chick Bullock, Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Annette Hanshaw, Al Jolson and Helen Kane.

This was ALL 40 to 50 year old music at that time, just like McCartney is today, but there is one big difference. We were taught it in school, unlike today where schools no longer teach the history of entertainment or have all grade group sing-a-longs.

If they did, every teen out there would not only know McCartney, they might even know Doris Day or Patsy Cline or Robert Goulet or Howard Keel or Mario Lanza or, well by now you get my drift.

I'm not saying today's schools are bad, just different. Blaming teens for not knowing such things is pointing the finger at the wrong group. If the will was there, they too would know and have a greater appreciation for all music.