Perhaps listening would be a more appropriate term than snooping. Anyway, try it. Sit down in a booth next to a group of college students. If they are girls they will be talking about boys and if they are boys their conversation will center around girls. Sometimes they will fool you and talk about sports or TV, but rarely about anything significant or important.
Things are different in England. It becomes quite clear, on close inspection, that the endless discussions and debates in the English pubs has had an enormous impact on English thinking, writing, and philosophy in general. Many great English writers have tested their ideas in the give and take of the pubs. And what has come out of the American taverns? Not much.
2 comments:
I'd wondered about that too. In general it seems that dance is just not popular for the average Joe anymore.
Probably to do with the popularity of rock n' roll and then other forms of music that didn't focus on more formal forms of music. Swing was all about dance and feeling the music.
99% of the conversations in the Pubs are crap too. Don't go all 'intellect is greener across the ocean' on us - college students pretty much talk about the same thing in any country. I've heard a fascinating discourse of ideas in a college pizza place and endless nattering about the world cup in the pubs. I think you just need to find a different tavern :) The best conversation to listen to is that of the friend you invited out for a burger (or a fish and chips).
Cheers m8 :)
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