Contextually Speaking

we borrow a lot of classic references from our pop cultures.  And we invariably use and often over use them.  we try to know enough to quote.  We don't care about the context or the whole of it.  Just a copy pasted piece of reference is fine for us.


  Out of context is a term that is thrown around a lot these days.  It is a convenient shield for people who spurt things in the spur of the moment.  From a particular standpoint, every quote, when repeated is out of context.  For everything is said in moments, and beyond moments, from the standard transitional viewpoint of us lowly humans (as opposed to the holistic view points of the aliens in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 and the Heptapods in Ted Chiang's The Story of Your Life), things happen in moments that lead to other moments.  So once the moment has passed, the reference is out of context.

  But even realistically, we are quite fond of twisting things to meet our needs.  And references fall prey to the same phenomenon.  We quote and misquote and gleefully so.  Even when no translation is required, our references end up lost in translation.  WE just like the snippets,the snappy one liners and not the entire story before or after it.  We want that one pine tree to take home for Christmas, and we don't give a damn about the beauty of the rest of the forest.

  It actually matches how we view most things, this perspective.  Take people for example.  We take a few observable cliches and certain quirks and create a template in our mind for said human being.  That is all he/she is to us, a template of quirks and observed instances, often taken out of context to create a quick view file of the person.  Inaccurate, but convenient  And it helps show off the fact that we know that other person.  Same with references, you see.

  A funny thing about references, much like our philosophies, we are particular about our sources.  We need to keep up appearances and seem cultured and well read.  So we can only refer to classics or universally acclaimed sources, or little known cult references that we feel are obscure enough to appear awe inspiring.  If one must quote sources which their peers tell them are to be panned or ridiculed, it must be done ironically.  Those are the rules of the game and thou shalt abide by them.  Because that's what it is isn't it? A game of oneupmanship.

Another repercussion, a catastrophic one is that future generations will have no culture.  No new original material to quote.  Because everything these days is in reference to something else already.  All jokes are inside jokes, the kind where you need to know the reference to get the punchline.  All sitcoms quote older classic sitcoms/movies.  In a bid to be smart and catchy, they are becoming unmemorable and largely unquotable.  Its a lot like trying to bring balance to the Force by misusing and abusing the Force (yes, yes, Star Wars reference and inside joke).