Pop Culture References

From Wikipedia:

The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional broadcast (over the air) TV networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC.

NBC and CBS were founded as radio networks in the 1920's. They gradually began experimental television stations in the 1940's. ABC was spun off from NBC in 1943 when the U.S government found evidence indicating NBC was operating a monopoly.

All three networks began regular television broadcasts in the 1940s. NBC began operations in 1946, followed by CBS and ABC in 1948. The three networks originally only controlled a few local television stations, but swiftly expanded their networks of stations to cover the entire United States.

For most of U.S. television history, the Big Three dominated U.S. television, controlling up to 99% of television broadcasting. During the 1950s and lasting until the early 1990s, every hit series appearing in the top 20 Nielsen Ratings was aired by one of the Big Three Networks. There were attempts by other companies to enter the television medium, but few of these start-ups lasted very long. The prohibitive cost of starting a broadcast network, coupled with active sabotage by the Big Three Networks (particularly NBC and CBS), led to the downfall of almost all new companies. A viable "fourth network" would not become competitive with the Big Three until the Fox Network was founded in 1986.

Today, the "Big Three" control only a (relatively) small portion of the market. With broadcast competitors such as Fox, The WB, and UPN, satellite and cable companies, the Big Three's market share has dwindled considerably.

 

That doesn't strike me as a pop-culture refererence at all.

Just strikes me as a play on words.

"As good as it gets" is a familiar saying that just happend to be the name of a movie.

 

Sirs, Madames,

I had a book editor pull a reference to High Noon the other day. I figured a classic was okay, but he said that nobody knows it. (For some reason he left in a reference to Shane.)

YHS, etc

 

Perhaps the phenomenon FoF describes defines stage three of a writer's passage through the minefield of cultural reference:

1) writer makes reference to popular culture only young people will understand. Editor cuts.

2) writer makes reference to popular culture editor doesn't understand. Editor cuts.

3) writer makes reference to popular culture only old people will understand. Editor cuts.

3a) All references to 'Shane' at all times allowable, because editor really admires Alan Ladd. In fact, editor often adds non sequitur reference to Alan Ladd to random stories as they cross the desk.

 

Of course, there's also the matter of pop culture as it relates to technology. Is "texting" a verb? I say all sorts of ridiculous stuff, such as that I googled someone. If I had admitted to googling my high school buddy when I was still in high school, the result may have been terrifying. Now, however, it's hip to google someone, as long as they don't report it to the police as potential stalking.

While on the subject, be aware that I saw a TV commercial advertising texting as an alternative to phone sex. There were actual women in lingerie pursing their lips and pleading for you to text them. Is there a special font that one should use for that sort of communication?

 

What would Dennis Miller do?

 

Apparently, he has decided to take his dog-and-pony show into the netherworld that is FOX News. Isn't that a full circle move? I mean, he did the news on Saturday Night Live.

 

What bothers me more is when writers use pop culture references that are so dated no one under 60 is going to get them. (Of course, one could argue newspapers don't have readers under 60.)

What, did you cut the roof off yourself? ;D

 

Sirs, Madames,

FWIW, I pulled a feature at random out of my ESPN The Mag clips--not my most recent, something from last year--and remarkably not one pop culture reference. I had to go through it twice because even I was surprised.

YHS, sorta like the guy on Upstairs Downstairs, or, yeah, Sir John Geilgud standing there with Dudley Moore, or maybe Mr French on Family Affair, etc