Pop Culture as Cultural Literacy

According to E.D. Hirsch, "cultural literacy" is the basic foundation of knowledge that Americans should know in order to succeed in American cultural, both socially and professionally. I once read an article by him and he listed things that should be common knowledge if one was educated in the American school system. If you know these, then you are considered "culturally literate" in American culture and hold the key to succeeding in American society:

[looks into her old college reader]

1. Name the important events that happened during these years: 1066, 1492, 1776, 1861-1865, 1914-1918, and 1939-1945.

2. What is important about this year: 1984? (Hint: don't think of events, think of literature)

3. The meaning of these expressions or the origin of the quote:
-- Read between the lines.
-- Remember the Alamo!
-- Alas, poor Yorick...
-- All's well that ends well.
-- Beggars can't be choosers.

4. Defining words: bas-relief, aficionado, red tape, realpolitik, adagio, al fresco.

I used to proudly know all these things, but now that I haven't been in college for at least a year, nor have I seriously studied like I was a college sophomore, most of these things I have forgotten.

I write this because something struck me one evening as I was hanging out with friends. At this moment, I'd like to point out that many of my friends graduated college and have pursued professional careers. So, one evening, while drinking up beers and Smirnoffs, conversation topics varied from personal daily activities to TV episodes and pop music. Now, everyone has a different taste when it comes to watching television and listening to music, but I was surprised to discover that many of my friends can make references to the random everyday things, like television and music, and still maintain the fluidity of discussion and conversation as though it were a college lecture hall. Knowing the joke of a certain South Park or Seinfeld episode is just as important as knowing the politics of the California gubernatorial recall election, yet no one ever alluded to Hamlet or MacBeth and their similarities of characters usurping power.

Cultural literacy sounded good to me seven years ago, but I question its validity now that I am a teacher. Not only that, I found it to be pointless at times because then you just sound like a person with too-much-random-information-who-has-too-much-time-on-your-hands-so-you-read-up-on-random-American-historical-tidbits-so-you-can-sound-intelligent. I never liked watching TV too much, but it seems that knowing pop culture is just as important as knowing current events.

I better start watching the tube.