Swiped from intertext

[wellinghall]

Things we should remember about the mindset of students entering Uni this year.

Can anyone suggest some British alternatives?

Comments

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

They were around for Margaret Thatcher, but they don't remember her?

I have never driven a car that does not have roll-down windows.

[gramarye1971]

They were around for Margaret Thatcher, but they don't remember her?

Or possibly, going by what I know of how people younger than I am view Ronald Reagan, 'They know she was either (a) Satan Incarnate or (b) the saviour of the nation, but couldn't tell you why.'

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

They can probably tell you why for (a) if they live in an ex-mining area ;-)

They certainly won't have played the "Here is Maggie Thatcher" game with biro'ed palms, or used her name in the alternative lyrics to "On Top of Old Smokey" (which are the only lyrics I've ever actually come across).

They have also never known the UK without IKEA!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

"Here is Maggie Thatcher" game with biro'ed palms, or used her name in the alternative lyrics to "On Top of Old Smokey"

???

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

I don't remember her, and I'm 24! I only just remember John Major.

But my car has roll-down windows too ^_^

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure the American set are all (a)true (e.g., not rolling down a car window) and (b) constitutive of the average US student's mindset in a way that contrasts it with, say, that of a 40-something teacher like me (e.g., knowing or not knowing who the Keating Five are).

But it would be interesting to see a British-oriented set, or even a general European one.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I like that icon.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Who are the Keating Five?

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

They are/were five US Senators-- including John "Campaign Finance Reform" McCain-- implicated in a late-1980s scandal involving failed savings-and-loan head Charles Keating. After the banking industry was deregulated under Reagan, Keating ran his institution into the ground and was declared at fault. The senators in question tried to get the federal agency investigating him to back off, and then it came out that they had received contributions from Keating. This made them the subject of investigation by the Senate ethics committee, and all were criticized despite claiming that their actions were within the letter of the law. The three most deeply implicated retired when their terms were up. Erstwhile spaceman John Glenn was elected for one additional term before retiring. And McCain is still running for President, I think.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

They have decided to go to university despite the certainty of incurring crushing debt.

Personal bankruptcy is a career option not a disaster.

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

Um... a lot of those apply to me. Maybe I wasn't paying attention for those extra 6 years?

Especially the Berlin wall. The only thing I remember about it is that the Chipmunks had a special edition cartoon about it coming down. I even remember the song... >_>

[bouncy-elf.livejournal.com]

They have always had at least 4 channels on the tv. (Hey I remember channel five being introduced!)

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

OK, let's give this a go...


1. They know that arguably the greatest footballer to ever play in this country wore the number 7 shirt for Manchester United and retired too early, only instead of a bearded alcoholic from Belfast, this one was a French philosopher from Marseilles.

2. They've never seen or heard a right-wing comedian.

3. Or a right wing politician.

4. They would never dream of drinking tap water.

5. Nelson Mandela is the name of the block of flats where they grew up and the bar of the student union where they will spend most of the next three years of their life...

6. Wales and Scotland have always had their own pretend parliaments.

7. Football has always been something you watch on television, usually on Sky Sports.

8. Rugby League has always been a summer sport.

9. Rugby Union has always been a professional sport.

10. Seb Coe has always been Lord Coe and wears a suit, not running shorts.

11. They can't imagine a woman ever being prime minister.

12. They're more likely to be blown up by Muslims than Catholics.

13. They've only ever gone on foreign holidays because they couldn't afford to go on holiday in this country. (Except for the bloody public schoolboys that infest northern Cornwall in the summer.)

14. Tesco has always been a larger retailer than seemingly everyone else put together and has always employed more people than ICI.

15. Sky has always been a major network.

16. They drove their parents crazy by asking them "Am I bovvered?", but have never heard of Loadsamoney.

17. They can't imagine being rich enough to own their own house until they're at least 35.

18. Kylie has always been a singer and they have no idea who Charlene Ramsay was.

19. They've never used a search engine other than Google.

20. They complain if their area can only get 2mbps broadband.

21. They don't smoke.

22. Tobacco.

23. Their web browser has MySpace set as their homepage. This will change to Facebook in their first term.

24. They have only a vague idea who Terry Wogan is.

25. They can't remember when eggs were bad for you.

26. Or when they were good for you.

27. They aren't embarrassed about ordering cider in a bar even if the bar is east of Bristol.

28. They've never seen a good programme on ITV.

29. The Good Life is a historical drama.

30. They'll never have a final salary pension.

31. They've never seen a native member of staff in a London hotel.

32. They'll want to do a gap year (or another gap year if they've already done one) before they start work, and they'll passionately believe that nine months bumming around south-east Asia somehow makes them better qualified to be a trainee chartered accountant.

33. Christopher Eccleston was the First Doctor.


I'll try and think up some more.

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Good list!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

[romancinger.livejournal.com]

Great. I particularly like 25, 26, and 32.

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

They have never seen a coal mine.

(I was amazed when I saw one in the Midlands- I'm just not used to seeing them- ironically I live in an old pitman's cottage)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

If you can email me your address, I'll post that book to you.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

34. They'll assume that anyone wearing a tie is a dodgy salesman, an estate agent or a lorry driver rather than a professional.

35. If they don't work hard at school, they'll end up working in a call centre, not a factory.

36. And they'll lose their job to someone called Vikram, who has a PhD in Physics and lives in Bangalore.

37. They'll resent our generation for being lucky enough to get paid to go to university and buying houses before the property boom.

38. They'll think they're clever because they have three good A-level grades, but aren't clever enough to realise that these days practically everyone seems to get three good A-level grades.

39. They have no idea what a 'polytechnic' was.

40. They've never had to change the TV channel on the television set itself.

41. They've never used or heard the phrase 'television set'.

42. They think CDs are old-fashioned.

43. They can't use apostrophes.

44. They never go to concerts, only festivals.

45. They'll either have had children while still at school or will wait until their late thirties (or not have them at all).

46. They'll think that Britain is a 'low tax economy'.


More to come if I think of any.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

47. They can't imagine having only one music television channel.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

OK - these are from a manager in my office who we will call Brighton_Boy:

47. Adverts are something you see on websites as much as on TV.

48. They've always had a PC at home.

49. Children's television was about people dressed up in silly costumes, not about people (or carved wooden bookends in the shape of a woodpecker).

50. They think it's acceptable for men to carry handbags.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

He didn't like Brighton_Boy as a pseudonym apparently...

Brighton Boy

[(Anonymous)]

Would you? I suppose it is one step up from Wrexham Boy.

I guess your average Brighton Boy would also approve of handbags for men and Honda S2000's which are clearly a hairdressers car - short back and sides anyone - you know who to call...

Re: Brighton Boy

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

This could get nasty.

This is what happens when the most senior person in the office is me and the most senior person in the Audit department is our friend from Brigh...sorry Tavistock.

Hairdresser's car? Jeremy Clarkson "The Honda S2000 is the best car you can buy." Nuff said.

And remind me what car you drive again...

Re: Brighton Boy

[(Anonymous)]

A responsible family car.

As for Jeremy Clarkson, I refer you to the website below.

http://www.urban75.com/Punch/clarkson.html

I take it, from your lack of comment, that you agree Brighton Boy is a step up from Wrexham boy?