This weekend, I was walking behind two men who were discussing Varsity Blues, one of their favorite "college movies. Read the full post.
Mar 3
2008
09:03 PM ET
Ever correct strangers when you overhear a factual error in their pop-culture conversation?
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All the time. The other day, some woman was asking her friend the name of the bad guy in the Spider Man movies. When her friend replied “William Dafoe” I had to correct her.
Incorrect song titles, messed up actor names and “who’s the guy who played in such and such movie” are all questions that strike me as open ended. So if you hear someone say ‘that was John C Reily yo’, it might be me giving the answer…
I always want to correct people but don’t. But I do chime in pop culture facts to my poor boyfriend when he’s trying to watch TV.
I overheard co-workers talking about American Idol: “Simon has to be mean to the contestants because he owns the show and he’ll lose money if their records don’t sell.” After I blurted out that it was actually Simon Fuller, not Cowell, who does this, I just then realized I had outed myself as an AI fan to everyone. Oh, and I STILL say, “I don’t want your life!” randomly all the time!
At work, I try really hard not to correct people, because it seems so obnoxious. But sometimes I can be pretty catty. In college I once printed out a page from the internet and slipped it under my roommate’s door to show her that yes, the movie “Simon Birch” is based on the book “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” I also know using quotation marks on a movie or a book is incorrect, but there is no option for italics. I’m such a nerd!
I am quite proud of my “if it’s useless, I know it” philosophy, but one day I really should have just shut up. I was sitting in class and my professor says “Like Pink Floyd sings: Money Money Money – Money!” and another student chimed up “That’s not Pink Floyd.” Well, I leapt to the professor’s defense and said, rather snidely, “Uh, yes it is.” Only to realize 20 minutes later that the professor had sung the O’Jays “Money” and NOT Pink Floyd. After class, I ate crow and apologized to the student. I don’t say anything anymore. Wait…it WAS the O’Jays….right?
This is one of those gray areas for me. I can’t stand it when in a casual conversation, I get interrupted and corrected over very insignificant things. However, I also know I’m a total hypocrite b/c I do it too. Most recently correcting my professor (in front of the whole class) saying that Mary Queen of Scots was Elizabeth’s cousin, not sister. What else could I do, though?
Unfortunately I have been correcting family, friends and strangers since I was a kid. My mom used to say “Why can’t you know your chemistry as well as you know all that useless information?” Now I have become the one to call for an answer to a pop culture question.
I once overheard this exchange in a video store.
Man: What’s this? (Picks up a copy of 28 Days Later.)
Woman: Oooh! It’s a sequel to that Sandra Bullock movie, 28 Days. Let’s rent that!
I had the urge to correct the couple, but decided it would be funnier to let them be surprised. I wonder how long it took them to figure out their mistake.
I am that person in the office that everyone comes to when they can’t remember their trivia. And yes you can get in trouble by correcting strangers but I always try and read their mood so there will be no surprises.
I correct people all the time, there is far too much misinformation out in the world!
Ames – wouldn’t they be half-sisters? Same father, different mothers?
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong!
I’m basically the person that my friends and family come to for trivia, facts, and dates of when certain shows or movies are coming out. I also feel the need to watch the beginning credits with my friend who knows nothing about pop culture and tell her what other movies or projects so and so was in. And it usually ends with a blank stare from her. And I am one of those people who listens to others’ conversations and wants to blurt out the answer to “who’s that guy in so and so?” It’s nice to know I’m not alone.
If people are trying to think of something and can’t, I’ll provide the answer. But otherwise, I let misinformed people go on about their lives because it’s difficult to correct a stranger without coming off as a douchebag.
i tend to avoid correcting strangers to their face. i much prefer talking smack about their dumb mistakes behind their back. it’s just polite.