Sunday, October 29, 2006

whippersnappers

Give me a sec while I adjust my wire glasses, settle in my comfy chair and put down my cross-stitch...my rant will be starting with "Kids these days...":

Kids these days...wtf?

Apologies to those I know, and I do respect you on many levels...but wtf?

Why is it that today's twenty-somethings seem to believe that whatever is not current is beyond their sphere of knowledge? Anything that pre-dates 1983 seems to be unknowable...and I'm being generous in saying 1983. Listen:

Last night I went to a pub close to the theatre to pick up some dinner. I walk in. I notice (in order):

- inflatable palm trees at the door
- seems to be some sort of 80s theme..but more specific
- the bartender is in white pants, white jacket, and light blue t-shirt underneath...
- ...he also has those armpit gun holsters under his jacket
- Miami Vice is playing on every TV in the joint (that alone may have started some major pukage)

I point to the bartender (from whom I intend to collect my order) and say, 'hey Crockett'

'huh?', he says

I, thinking he just didn't hear me over the din, repeat myself, 'hey Crockett'

'what?', he looks confused

I look confused

His friend makes that sweeping gesture with his hand that means, 'your outift'

'huh?', he says to his friend.

He looks more confused.

I look more confused.

His friend looks more confused and says, 'she means your costume'...or something like that. I couldn't hear.

'OOOhhh!', he says when the penny drops, 'yeah!. ha ha.'

The penny should not have taken that long to drop. I didn't know quite what to do other than giggle nervously and try to continue on with my business. Nervously, you ask? Well, because I was fighting so hard to not ask him why he forgot what his costume was. I fight these things because I intend to come back for their buffalo chicken wrap and it is a rule of mine not to piss anyone off that handles your food.

But that's just one of a myriad of examples I have of 20'ish year old people not knowing anything beyond what has happened in their lifetime. Pop-culture-wise, that is. I mean...jesus christ. The fact that it was 'before your time' is no excuse. I understand about obscure references, but c'mon.

This 80s thing is starting to freak me out, too. I watch the young girls on campus dressing like I did when I was 12.

This post is lacking it's ooomph because I'm avoiding some very specific things about specific people that I really like. So I'm going to change the subject slightly:

Another pet peeve...

I know this is nothing new, but I heard it again last night. "But you really only push a button, don't you? That can't be hard."

Some jackass was asking my male coworker this last night AFTER it was understood that I was the projectionist. And I was standing right there. Honestly, I try (really..I do) not to make things about gender, but things like this are really irritating. So, I said, 'why are you asking him when I'm the projectionist and I'm right here?'

"uh," he said, "because he probably does it when you're not around."

"no. He doesn't."

He still turns to the guy and still discusses it.

Jesus.

It's funny. I'm not sure what people think is up there. Do they think there's a big DVD player? If not...if they realize we run 35 mm...do they think that fairies come and set up and maintain the film before I go and press that button? Do they think that in all the cogs and wheels and spokes that need to turn properly in order for that film to go on screen just magically ~do~? Everytime? And if it all goes to crap, do they think that the fairies return and fix it for me?

If it's so easy, why have I wanted to quit so much because of all the things that stress me out about it?

On that front, though, I may be experiencing a small change of heart. Last night we had a packed house. This sounds trite and sappy but honestly...when you've got a group of people working together to deliver a quality product, in this case that product is entertainment, there's nothing like the feeling when it all comes out well. After the pre-show and then starting Rocky Horror last night...I walked through the theatre and saw 370 people in and out of costume laughing and smiling and enjoying themselves, that feeling that I once had about projection returned for a second.

Yeah...I just reread that. I think I'm lame, too.

2 comments:

Rjak said...

I never watched a single episode of Miami Vice, so I wouldn't have known who Crockett is either.

I'd like to say that's "because I'm cool and I didn't give a shit about that stupid show", but it's more likely that I missed it because I spent all that time in high school drumming along to Rush records and thinking that somehow, some day, the ability to play Neil Peart drum riffs note-for-note would grant me the ability to bang any girl, or group of girls, I pointed at and chose.

Man.

I'm SO cool.

Himbly said...

I actually never saw a single episode of Miami Vice, either...I just know from 'hearing around'.

hey! I ~am~ better than you! hahahaha...totally kidding.

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