Sent This Meme To My 40-Something Friend...He Didn't Get It

 The other day I texted the above meme to my friend, Steve. On any given day either he or I will send a meme or two across the digital highway. Sometime I send more, sometimes it's Steve. It's mostly harmless...memes about work, the government, current events, hipsters. Rarely is the humor not understood, but every once in a while, you'll get a different reaction.

I can't speak for everyone, of course, but when I find a meme I think is funny and want to share, rarely do I consider the person to whom I'm sending the meme will not understand. This time, he didn't.

Yes, my friend did not get the meme. This surprised me. He's a least a decade younger than me, but I thought the reference--even though it's from 1976--was fairly universally known. The Wild Cherry hit has been used in advertising, in films, TV shows. 

I guess my friend didn't see those ads, those films, those TV shows. 

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, many of the cultural references were understood by pretty much everyone. We all watched network TV shows, even though cable was a thing during that time. Up until the internet became a household medium, most Americans listened to the same music, watched the same shows.

In 1976, America turned 200 years old. It was an Olympic year in Canada and Austria. I entered my second decade. Wild Cherry released Play That Funky Music White Boy, My friend wasn't born.

Still...

I thought he'd get it. It's a pretty good meme.