we don't need no education

[orangerful]

Do you ever realize that you know something intellectual but you got it from a sort of non-intellectual source. Like, you can reference poetry, but you have never actually read the poem, you've just heard a bit of it in a movie.

For example: the quote in the Inara wallpaper I made yesterday from from Yeat's "Ode on a Grecian Urn". Have I ever read this poem? No. Yes I knew that line and what poem it was from. How? Because I've seen Quiz Show. During the little quote off in that movie, Rob Morrow's character throws out the 'truth is beauty' line in the midst of it all and Ralph Fiennes character responds with 'ode on a grecian urn'. And so I know that bit.

Another one I'm fond of is my short short version of War and Peace - a russian novel containing more than 500 characters that is set in the Napoleonic wars.
Have I read War & Peace? heck no! Have you seen the size of that thing? No, I know this because...wait for it...TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: The movie. It's one of the trivial pursuit questions the turtles do while hiding in April's grandfather's farm house. I believe Donatello gives the correct answer.

I know the definition of "tenacious" because of Jurassic Park. I had to look it up after Malcolm calls Ellie "tenacious". Sounded like something I might like to be.

Now I can add 'Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner' to my random knowledge list too, thanks to 'Serenity' - The Operative and Mal discuss the albatross, giving us that great quote "Yes, I have read a poem, try not to faint".

I'll try and think of more. Does this happen to anyone else? Tell me about your random knowledge!

Comments

[blu-harvest.livejournal.com]

I can't come up with any specific examples at the moment, but comic books , historical novels and role-playing games have taught me a lot! Or at least pointed me in the direction of actual knowledge. The problem is when you confuse really good fiction with history. it's easy to seperate the magic, dragons, and giant robots but hard to seperate things like physical descriptions and personal conversations of historical people even if we KNOW we are reading fiction. Oh, and " like one who on a lonesome road, doth walk in fear and dread, and having once turned round , walks on, and turns no more his head. Becasue he knows a frightful fiend, doth close behind him tread." That's from the rime and I learned that from Doctor Who.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've definately gone and read something after it's been referenced enough times in one of my less intellectual sources.