It’s so much worse than we thought.
from The Gothamist
We used to worry that kids were learning their history from the movies and picking up all sorts of misinformation from mushy biopics and overblown epics.
The situation is worse than we thought.
* * * * *
On the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the “unsinkable” Titanic (No, it was not brought down by Celine Dion’s singing, Billy Zane’s eyebrows or James Cameron’s ego), the History Channel presents Titanic: Mystery Solved, documenting the most recent expedition to the wreck site and the most thorough study of the wreck ever made. Premieres on Sunday, 15 April, exactly 100 years since the tragedy (which also kicked off the plot of Downton Abbey), at 2000 on the History Channel.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
April 12th, 2012 at 09:06
This is a result of technology and good ol’ laziness.
Kids, that paper weight you’re using, that’s a BOOK. You read it. Then you learn something new. Then you get more curious so you read some more. Quickly, before NoKor decides to blow us up into smithereens.
April 12th, 2012 at 11:18
The age of smart phones and stupid people. Bleh.
April 12th, 2012 at 13:07
They didn’t know? Then how could they watch Downton Abbey?
Seriously though, they should put a limit on Twitter. Unlike in real life when you can choose to ignore people, it’s tiresome to see tweets like, “Who is Paul McCartney and why is he on the Grammys?”
April 12th, 2012 at 13:59
What are other examples of modern-day (sometimes movie-inspired) illiteracy?
1. Someone named “Da Vinci” painted the Last Supper (which included Mary Magdalene).
2. The American Founding Fathers abolished slavery.
3. Rizal declared independence against Spain and became our first President.
Any others?
April 12th, 2012 at 21:16
My goodness. So I suppose they don’t know the novel Futility, Or the Wreck of the Titan, and its uncanny coincidences with the real Titanic either? Course, not. Sigh. How do they ever get by. Now I feel smug.
April 12th, 2012 at 23:30
*shudder* i’m afraid one day they’ll also tweet their shock that Schindler’s List (or any other WWII movie) is real.
April 13th, 2012 at 22:22
Funny, they seem almost proud of their own ignorance. To be fair, I’d probably wouldn’t know myself that it was an actual event if it wasn’t for my parents. I think I was 5 or 6 when I first watched the movie and I remember my parents telling me there was a real Titanic. Of course back then I’ve always thought every movie I see was real anyway. But I did remember looking up Titanic on our Encyclopedia. And of course doon ko lang na realize na hindi naman talaga sina Jack and Rose ang dahilan kaya lumubog yung barko. Hehehe. Silly, silly me..
April 15th, 2012 at 14:53
It’s ironic to have so much ignorance in this day and age where information is overabundant and cheap. I guess when the supply is too much, there will always be less demand, &c, &c.
It makes me feel a bit sad thinking about this kind of generation my daughter will grow up in.