Monday, December 6, 2010

What Does "Old" Mean Anyway?

About a month ago, I overheard a small group of my students talking about television shows.  Here's how it went:
Student 1:  "Yea, so my mom was watching Friends last night.  It's so funny."
Student 2.  "Oh, I hate that show!  Those people in it are SO old."
Student 3.  "No kidding.  That one lady is in that Cougar show?  It's so lame."
Student 1.  "I know they're old, but I still think that show is funny."
Student 2.  "Yea, but it plays on TBS!  Any show in reruns on TBS is old."
Student 3.  "Besides, the way it's filmed is so old fashioned. Did you know that show started like when I was born?!?"
Me:  *Horrified and sobbing at my desk!*
After hearing that conversation, I had a bit of a moment.  Friends was one of those shows that frame worked my 20's.  To me, Ross and Rachel were the bomb, and who didn't listen to U2's The Joshua Tree religiously after Season 2? 

Thanks to this conversation, I started watching the seasons again, and all of a sudden things had changed for me. Listen, I still love me some Friends and am reliving all the moments from my 20's that I wish I could get back, but...am I old?!? Nah!  Really, I'm just feeling a bit nostalgic, but who knew Friends would be something to be nostalgic about already?

9 comments:

  1. I never watched Friends, but I don't consider it "old."

    This reminds me of something that happened in my high school newspaper class. One of the guys was talking about The Cure, and the teacher glared at him and said, "I was listening to The Cure before you were even born!" And we all like, Wow, The Cure must be really old, then? :) You have to admit she set herself up for that one....

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  2. LOL. I was never that into FRIENDS, but this post still makes me laugh! And, I have to agree with your students, COUGARTOWN really is awful.

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  3. Ack! I love Friends! I have all the seasons and I still watch it from time to time. I think that show had some of the best dialogue I've ever seen in a television show. So funny and witty. *sigh*

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  4. Ok well my teenage kids love friends too! We quote it all the time! I was going to make a triffle for a potluck and all of us knew to make it: you take a layer of lady fingers then a layer of jam and custard followed by beef sauteed with peas and onions... funniest show ever!

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  5. Sometimes I'll hear a song by a favorite band that came out late in their career and I'll think, That's one of their new ones. I then have to remind myself that the song's been around for nearly a quarter century.

    Ah, the passage of time...

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  6. Oh wow this post makes me feel old too. I cringed when I started reading the conversation part. OH well, little do those kids know their best years are yet to come.

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  7. One day I was sitting in my college sociology class and they began talking about the Berlin wall fell. The girl next to me was like when did that happen? I said I think it was 1989. She was like oh that's why I don't remember it. I looked at her and she's like I was born in '92. I almost fainted. I was in middle school in '92. All the sudden I felt very old.

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  8. LOL!!! I loved Friends! Just reading this makes me feel old though!! If Friends is old, then the important events from my childhood are definitely old!!

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  9. Heidenkind--I know!!! It's NOT old. *sigh* Even if my students think so!

    Susan--LOL. How funny about Cougartown.. I haven't watched it, but my students were pretty emphatic about it. :)

    Emily--Yay! I'm glad others can attest to the greatness of Friends!

    Laura--How cool of your kids! You're a good mom to have shared the joy of Friends!

    Don--Too funny. Yes, it's scary when you have to ask yourself how long something has been out!

    Bree--I know what you mean. Hearing them talk made me realize I'd come full circle and could remember never thinking I'd be in the spot where things were "old" by others! It's crazy!

    Rebecca--Yikes! You're kidding!?! Yes, there are those defining moments when people remind us how old we are. *sigh*

    Tif--I'm so glad I have good friends who agree with me about the genius that is FRIENDS! :)

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