Last night on jeopardy [Archive] - Mandolin Cafe Forum

JimRichter

Dec-01-2006, 7:55am

This is a bit off topic, but my favorite jeopardy question/answer was the one off of Cheers years ago when Cliff was a contestant.

The final jeopardy "answer" was something like "Harry Truman, Albert Einstein, and Bing Crosby" Cliff's 'question', "Who has never sat in my kitchen?"

I'm paraphrasing, but I've always found that a hoot.

Jim

swampstomper

Dec-01-2006, 8:00am

I teach outside the US to all sorts of students, and I put references to musicians we all know in my examples. "Suppose there are three brothers named Tony, Larry and Wyatt..."; I've included Monroe, Baker, Dr Ralph etc. but no bites yet (in 10+ years).

testore

Dec-01-2006, 10:56am

I was sitting on an airplane reading "Can't you hear me calling" which has a picture of Big Mon on the cover. Out of curiosity I asked the person sitting next to me if she had any idea who he was. She was embarassed to say that she hadn't a clue.It amazes me that his influences aren't more commonly known. I asked her if she knew "Blue Moon of Kentucky", she did, but always thought someone named Elvis wrote it. He was the most important American musician, when you add up his career length, and compositions and the numbers of currently popular musicians who call him their biggest influence.He should be on a postage stamp, or a coin or something.

sunburst

Dec-01-2006, 11:19am

I was once having a casual conversation about fame and famous people, and I mentioned how horrible it must be to be famous and be recognized everywhere and have people aproach you all the time and have little peace in public...

The person I was talking to said "What are you going to do if you become a famous mandolin builder?".
There were about 8 or 10 people in the room, so I asked the question to the room: "Anybody here know who Steve Gilchrist is?".
You guessed it, nobody. I looked back at the person I was talking to and no further words were necessary. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

farmerjones

Dec-01-2006, 11:28am

How 'bout Loyd Loar? There's only a chance that the fiddle player you're sitting beside has heard of him. Let's not mention the banjer player. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

testore

Dec-01-2006, 11:29am

Sure is nice to have a place like this where we know so many things that the rest of the world doesn't. Just reminds us of how small OUR world really is, glad to be a part of it.

swinginmandolins

Dec-01-2006, 11:33am

It suprises me how many people here (Pacific NW) Don't even know what a mandolin is.

sunburst

Dec-01-2006, 12:30pm

I used to work for a well known banjo company. People would often ask; "Do any famous banjo players play your banjos?". http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

hepcat mando

Dec-01-2006, 12:36pm

Speaking of not being famous...one day I hope to be on the VH1 special "Where was he? We never saw him".

AlanN

Dec-01-2006, 12:39pm

Oh yes, we are a distinct underclass. At Christmas last year, I was wearing the cool T shirt Scott Tichenor made up of mandolin chords. About 20 were sitting around the dining room table and someone asked me what my T shirt meant. I proclaimed "They're mandolin chords!"

Dead silence, I mean dead silence.

Elliot Luber

Dec-01-2006, 1:02pm

This should not come as a surprise at all. Half of Americans don't know who Dick Cheney is (I'm not making any political statement about him, just American education).

F5G WIZ

Dec-01-2006, 3:18pm

Makes you wonder what they teach these kids in school nowadays. Was watching this show the other day where they ask young adults, probably around 20 years old, questions pertaining to the 70's. Question to a young lady participating: What war that the US was involved in ended in the 1970's? Her answer: Desert Storm! Amazing.

JEStanek

Dec-01-2006, 4:17pm

For history classes for this 37 year old Mando picker, whether it was Virginia History in grammer school, US history or world history in middle and high schools all history classes pretty much ended with the start of WWII. If it weren't for M*A*S*H I wouldn't have known about Korea until I read about it on my own.

I was hoping for more of the Mando Cafe Aesthetic Dept T shirts to be made to see how many people minds saw the wrong (athletic) word on it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Fame is relative!

Jamie

Cedartop

Dec-01-2006, 4:25pm

I was telling the guys at work this morning (who had never heard of Bill Monroe till I started working there) about the question on Jeopardy last night. They said, great we knew you were strange, but bluegrass music and you watch Jeopardy, are you some kind of physco?

kww

Dec-01-2006, 6:15pm

Swampstomper
I teach outside the US to all sorts of students, and I put references to musicians we all know in my examples. "Suppose there are three brothers named Tony, Larry and Wyatt..."; I've included Monroe, Baker, Dr Ralph etc. but no bites yet (in 10+ years).

I sympathize. I've tried to get the Dutch to appreciate zydeco, but I finally gave it up as a lost cause.

chopaholic

Dec-01-2006, 6:24pm

It suprises me how many people here (Pacific NW) Don't even know what a mandolin #is.
I bet if you remind them that Tiny Tim played one, they would know! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

bluegrassplayer

Dec-01-2006, 6:43pm

[quote=F5G WIZ,Dec. 01 2006, 14:18]Makes you wonder what they teach these kids in school nowadays. quote]
One of my friends from work said that when she was in 8th grade (two years ago) she couldn't remember if there were 48 or 52 states.

Now that's public schools for you. Of course I'm homeschooled so I knew that there are 45 states since I was #3yrs. old. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

hellindc

Dec-02-2006, 1:14am

Kids, what's the matter with kids, today?

mandomick

Dec-02-2006, 1:31am

About 14 yrs ago at the ripe old age of 35 I sat in my 1st college Psych class. After introductions were made the Prof declared that anybody who could tell him who wrote "Blue Moon of Kentucky" would automatically receive an A for the semester, no strings attached. It only took me about 5 seconds to realize that I owned the A, as none of the other students bothered guessing.

I went to class regardless and should've pulled a B, but when grades came out, I had my A.

Moral of the story? The Prof's word was good. I still have a red neck and since I didn't finish school, A blue collar. Life is good!

Alex Fields

Dec-02-2006, 1:40am

Steve Carell was on Conan O'Brien's show just now and when Conan asked what music he listened to he said "everything from Beethoven to Bill Monroe." I was pleasantly surprised.

C. Carr

Dec-02-2006, 8:06am

so...then...Jimmy Martin would be the wrong answer?

Just kidding; he's just 'King of Bluegrass' not the father........

Which begs the question,"Who was Buddy Bolden"?

Regards,

Charlie Carr

fishdawg40

Dec-02-2006, 10:18am

Dead silence, I mean dead silence.
Sounds uncomfortable. I find that when people ask what's in my case and I say Mandolin, there's often a weird vibe that comes about. It's as if it I was carrying around a dead fish or something...That's it next time someone asks I'll say it's a dead fish...

Jim Rowland

Dec-02-2006, 10:48am

A few years ago,I set up a booth at a local "Sorghum Festival",smack in the middle of the foothills of Appalachia,mind you. I had several finished and partly finished mandos displayed,along with some basic building materials and tools and one guitar in the back just for eye candy. Every other person,it seemed, asked what those little instruments were. Frankly,I was amazed, as the questioners represented pretty much all age groups. I took only one order...you guessed it..for the guitar.
Jim

Landgrass

Dec-02-2006, 12:58pm

At work, on my computer I have the desktop picture of Bill carressing his mandolin (From the cafe home page). Several people said "Who's that? Johnny Cash?" I also would switch to the watercolor closeup of the F5 (also from the home page) and folks would constantly ask what the heck it was. Oh well...we can't all be worldly wise hillbillies. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

garyblanchard

Dec-02-2006, 3:56pm

It is funny how we can have a specialized knowledge and assume that everyone else should have it. I for one never assume that people would know Bill Monroe or John Hartford let alone Will Shade and Gus "Banjo Joe" Cannon. Nor do I think their education is lacking. People talk sports to me and they might as well be talking a foreign language. It is all a matter of what interests us.

As far as whether Bill Monroe was "the most important American musician" that is also a matter of personal perspective. I can think of four or five people I would give that designation, depending on the day and the mood I'm in. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

It is nice, however, that Bill Monroe and Bluegrass music got some mainstream attention. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

JeffD

Dec-03-2006, 12:45pm

It suprises me how many people here (Pacific NW) Don't even know what a mandolin #is.
That kind of ignorance is not regional my friend. Its everywhere.

Having recently re-entered the dating world, I always feel a bit of dread when asked what music I like, or what activities I like. You explain who Bill Monroe is, and they ask you what a mandolin is, and eventually I get to feeling like I just landed on this planet.

The best you can hope for is that they are not mandophobic.

Judge by those little market survey thingies we all fillout and send it to register our new cameras and CD players - playing any kind of musical instrument is never listed. It doesn't even make the noise level - its below stamp padding, devotional reading, and scrapbooking.

And that minority, those who actually play a musical instrument, is undoubtedly dominated by guitar players. Sheeesh!

As a friend of mine says, "we are so far out of main stream it takes light several minutes to get here from there."

mandolooter

Dec-03-2006, 1:41pm

I was at the park with my F style this summer, a passing couple stopped for a second, then said, "can you play Tiptoe thru the Tulips" I said no but it might sound nice on a mandolin...their response, "yea, (haha), but you have a ukulele" I just smiled and returned to my version of St Annes Reel as they walked off smiling...me in my world, them in there's.

ShaneJ

Dec-03-2006, 2:04pm

Steve Carell was on Conan O'Brien's show just now and when Conan asked what music he listened to he said "everything from Beethoven to Bill Monroe." I was pleasantly surprised.
Steve who? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif (seriously)

Alex Fields

Dec-03-2006, 3:37pm

The comedy actor. From 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, Little Miss Sunshine, and the show The Office. Along the lines of Will Ferrell if you know who that is. If not, suffice it to say he's a very well known comedian/actor.

mounmon

Dec-03-2006, 7:44pm

I find that when people ask what's in my case and I say Mandolin, there's often a weird vibe that comes about.

My usual response in my best gangster voice is: "I came to play youse a tune on my Strativarius" http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif

Bob Simmers

Dec-04-2006, 8:26am

AlanN

Dec-04-2006, 8:34am

I have the Gibson catalog reprint ad picturing the F-5 on my office wall. If the words 'The Master Mandolin' were not prominently right there, I know I would get the dreaded "What is that thing?"

Ah, civilians...

JimRichter

Dec-04-2006, 8:36am

It is a bad assumption to think that everyone should know what we think is elemental. I'm not very PC, but I am in the social work business, and that is where multi-cultural diversity training comes in handy.

My wife, who is a Latina, grew up in the harbor of East Chicago, Indiana, which is predominantly African-American and Hispanic. After my wife started college at IU, she got into the Beatles. During her first summer back home, she was playing "Yesterday" in their apartment. One of her younger sisters said "who's that you're listening to?" My wife said "the Beatles." Her sister said she'd never heard of them. My wife told her that they were one of the most influential pop bands ever, everybody's heard of them. Her sister said, "I can name you 10 people right now who have never heard of them."

Point is, her sister knew all about the Sugar Hill Gang, Public Enemy, Prince, various House artists, etc., but didn't know the Beatles. You would think, everybody knows about the Beatles, but you would guess wrong. There's a significant percentage of the population who can't tell you who the vice-president of the US is--why do we expect them to know anything about Bill Monroe or that little ukelele thing we play?

Jim

mythicfish

Dec-04-2006, 9:21am

Without sporting events, MTV, or late night talk shows, there's just nothing worth talking about.
But on a more inquiring note: Since no one talks about the Mother of Bluegrass, are we to assume that all of Bill's progeny are clones?

Curt

blacksmith

Dec-04-2006, 10:09am

Tiny Tim played a ukalaylee.

fatt-dad

Dec-04-2006, 10:39am

Somebody just needs to make a real movie about Bluegrass music - tell the story, etc. Just last night I watched Amadeus with the family and it was amazing that my 16 yo son (really into hard core music) was drawn to the story and the drama of Mozart. There is a story to tell of Bluegrass and it would open the minds of many to the legacy. I often wish for Scott's parody movie (April Fools Day 04). . . . .

f-d

Jonathan Peck

Dec-04-2006, 2:50pm

Alright...who used to end their TV show each night by saying

"and that's the way it was"

otterly2k

Dec-04-2006, 3:22pm

[Steve Carell was on Conan O'Brien's show just now and when Conan asked what music he listened to he said "everything from Beethoven to Bill Monroe." I was pleasantly surprised.]

OK-- what's really funny is that I SAW that interview and said to my partner "Oh, that'll be on Mandolin Cafe tomorrow!"

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

MandoGeek and proud of it...!

mandolynn4u

Dec-04-2006, 3:37pm

It is sad for the general public to not know the look and sound of a mandolin . I had a waitress at a steak and shake here in Richmond Indiana have the name Mandolynn . When she came over to wait on us I could not believe my eyes. The first thing i asked her was do you know what instrument your name is. She had not a clue??? I told her what it ment . She was hearing it for the first time . She was in her 20`s Her parients where not musicians. I told her that I made some mandolins and it just added to her confusion. True story after that day her name tag was Mandi
Dale Danowski http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Scotti Adams

Dec-04-2006, 3:45pm

Alright...who used to end their TV show each night by saying

"and that's the way it was"
Walter Cronkite

JEStanek

Dec-04-2006, 3:47pm

Alright...who used to end their TV show each night by saying

"and that's the way it was"
Cronkite.

Not bad for a 37 year old... Was that the Daily Double Stop?

Jamie

Jonathan Peck

Dec-04-2006, 5:06pm

Yessir' Walter Cronkite. The only reason I know that is because I was on an elevator one day when my Mom turned to a very well dressed gentleman and said "comon' give it to me one time....and that's the way it was". The elderly gentleman just ignored her. When we got off the elevator I looked over and asked "what was that?". She explained that the gentleman was Walter Cronkite.

Here's a guy who was as mainstream as it gets, yet I'll bet that alot of us here don't know who he is. I'm not surprised at all that most people don't know who Bill Monroe is. My Mom certainly doesn't know who he is, but when I played Tenessee waltz, she was able to sing all the words from memory.

-jonathan

Jim MacDaniel

Dec-04-2006, 5:30pm

JD Cowles

Dec-04-2006, 5:54pm

Come y'all let's head out to the porch where we can set on some rockin chairs and really let them youngin's have it! I'm fetchin my cane and some mint juleps...don't know what a mannalin is? Who's Bill Monroe? That's the kinda stuff that's wrong with this country (shaking fist in the air to no one in particular)!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

blacksmith

Dec-05-2006, 10:14am

Actually, what Walter really said was "..and that's the way it is.", not "..way it was.". Check it out http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cronkitewal/cronkitewal.htm

Super400

Dec-05-2006, 12:01pm

If someone were to ask most of us "Who is the father of the Corvette?" we would wonder what they were asking. Why would a car have a father? How does the first Corvette relate to me? Aren't vehicles just made? Who cares? Some might even ask "What is a Corvette?"

However, in the world of automobile collectors/fans that is a perfectly easy question to answer. And, all of peripheral ideas would be as clear as a bright sunny day. Of course, many would bow their heads in homage. Same thing here with the Bill Monroe question. We know the details because they are important to us. Not bad, not good. Just who we are.

It's all a matter of what is important to each of us.

If you would like to know, Zora Arkus-Duntov is considered the "Father of the Corvette."

JEStanek

Dec-05-2006, 12:03pm

Thanks for the Cronkite correction. #

Think how the poor piccolo player, or bassoonist must feel. #The people on timpani or playing viola. #Mellophone (trumpet has bell cancer!), concertina (cute little accordian!) #I bet with a qick glance many people would mistake an electric bass for an electric guitar. #Certainly would mix up the tenor guitar.

This is a fun thread but there are bigger issues like not knowing who your Congressman, Senator, VP is or illiteracy. #

THe interesting thing about America is a lack of cultural history and knowledge by the masses. #Most people know a little about their immediate family and what happend immediately around them historically.

Our job, as mandophiles, is to spread the word and awareness to as many as we can in the hopes that someone will fill our shoes in carrying the richness of mandolin tradition on. #Play to your kids and their friends. #Let them hold the instrument. #Take them to live music.....

Jamie

August Watters

Dec-05-2006, 1:50pm

A couple of years ago while visiting Nashville I took the Ryman Auditorium tour from a guide who stopped by an old photo in the upstairs lobby, taken in the 1930s or '40s. The guide knew a few of the Opry cast members and pointed them out. . . .but was unable to identify the funny-looking round instrument. I told her it looked like a banjo, which she carefully repeated, as if memorizing. . . . .

otterly2k

Dec-05-2006, 2:04pm

This is a fun thread but there are bigger issues like not knowing who your Congressman, Senator, VP is ...

Well, if any of them played mandolin they'd be worth knowing!!!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Only kidding, Jamie... I couldn't agree with you more. I'm sure that all of us are missing pieces of information that are of total obviousness to someone else... and even some that are of critical importance to our own well-being or that of those around us.

Mandoe

Dec-05-2006, 4:39pm

Not long ago a co-worker, who saw me play mando somewhere, patted me on the back and said proudly: "Man, you sure can play the heck out of that ukelele!". I didn't correct him. Just thanked him and went on. At least he thought I played well.

A couple of years ago, my then second grader needed to dress up as a famous American. Having brought him up right, he wanted to dress up and go as Bill Monroe. So we put a suit on him and a big hat and strapped a cheap A-style mandolin around his neck and sent him on. He did well thankfully. None of the other kids or teachers had ever heard of Monroe. He educated them a bit.

beanbass

Dec-07-2006, 1:30pm

Because of this thread, I have to tell what happened at a non-bluegrass friend's 50th birthday party this past weekend. When I was introduced to my friend's twenty or thirty-something son, he said to me "You're the one who plays dobro, right?". I did a double take and almost fell over. I asked him if he played and he said "No, but we are big Alison Krauss fans". Then his wife came over and he told her, "He plays dobro", to which she said "Oh, I love that", as she mimicked the horizontal sliding motion. That made my day.

Most people usually say "What did you say it was called, a dojo?".

Ted Eschliman

Dec-07-2006, 2:14pm

This is a fun thread but there are bigger issues like not knowing who your Congressman, Senator, VP is or illiteracy. #

THe interesting thing about America is a lack of cultural history and knowledge by the masses. #Most people know a little about their immediate family and what happend immediately around them historically.
My understanding is they do teach about the Monroe Doctrine in High School history, but there is no mention of G-chops, triplet arpeggios, or tall hats.

JeffD

Dec-15-2006, 1:23pm

Jim MacDaniel

Dec-15-2006, 1:40pm

I was in one of those home decor shops where you buy all that stuff that makes it look like you have had a life. They had a gold colored bowl back mandolin there - it looked like an old beater bowlback that was spray painted or something. I asked the sales girl about it and she said, "oh, you mean the small guitar."

I bet there are people that purchase decorative mandolin items without knowing what they are.
Sort of the opposite in this example -- one of those shops near my house had both an old beat-up lute and a poorly built oud, both of which were labelled as mandolins. (Nice to know some instruments are even more obscure to the general public than ours. ;)

allenhopkins

Dec-15-2006, 11:39pm

Interesting thread -- there are all kinds of specialized knowledges that are very important to their aficionados, and irrelevant to everyone else. I hear people who are into firearms talking learnedly about the characteristics and design of this or that shotgun, and it goes right by me. Playing at a variety of private functions, I can kibitz on the conversations of chiropractors and realtors and entomologists; each group has its own vocabulary, its own important figures, its own hot topics, its own unique paraphernalia. I don't expect to become very knowledgable about network servers or non-slip differentials, and I don't take it personally when someone in my audience calls my mandolin a "ukulele," or vice versa.

We think Bill Monroe is important, and the mandolin is important, and bluegrass music and the "chop" and the difference between A models and F models. These things are all important to us, which, of course, is why we have this website -- to exchange bits of esoterica, and feel part of a community, an "in group" of people who share our knowledge and our interest. If the rest of America can't tell an F-5 from an RB-3, or a D-28 from a 5-K, it's probably because their lives don't need to include such information.

I just hope, that when I get done playing my mandolin (or my ukulele, usually a '30's Regal taropatch), they enjoy what they hear and appreciate their brief visit to "my world."