For something that happened 100 years ago it seems like we hear something about the Titanic fairly regularly. The past two months though seem to be all Titanic all the time. Whether it is the 3D re-release of the movie or selling things that were aboard the ship or more photos everything has been leading up to today which is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship.
Anything to make a buck!
ReplyDeleteThe movie definitely left me with a sinking feeling.
ReplyDeleteFor those of us who haven't seen the movie yet, a "spoiler alert" would've been nice Enty! Jesus.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ chopchop
ReplyDeleteMy BFF just saw the 3D version; she'd never seen the original. All the hype had thoroughly turned her off.
ReplyDeleteThe Titanic? Its a ship? It sank? So funny because I havent seen anything about it.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazes me is that I've read lots of comments elsewhere that people had no idea it was a real event and not just a movie!
ReplyDeleteAbout 10 years ago I went to the Titanic exhibit and it was very intense.
I've never seen the movie and don't have any intention of seeing it.
Here's a list of Twitter comments from idiots who didn't realize the movie was based on a real ship. Reminded me of the comment I read on YouTube (sigh, I know) wondering why Ann Boleyn was killed off The Tudors since she was such a popular character.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, here's the list. If you haven't seen this site before, it's rather amusing.
@anita_mark I saw that site and as a History grad going for teacher training in September, it made me want to weep for the youth of today. On Friday night I was up at a gig on the slipway where Titanic was built and even being there the tragedy resonated with me. Gave me chills (and not just because we were right beside the sea!)
ReplyDeleteThe thing that kills me is the Titanic was not the only ship that sank. There were other famous ships that sank. The Empress of Ireland was a WAY sadder story. I mean the way the Titanic gets played out, you would think it was the only cruise ship that sank
ReplyDeleteHenriette- good point!
ReplyDeleteAlso, all this talk about how some of the younger generations dont know about the Titanic being a real event that happened (and not Hollywood produced) reminds me of this failbook post:
Had a student ask me if the singer from Nickleback was Kurt Cobain. I failed the entire class and set them on fire."
This is the EXACT reaction I have when I hear that people apparently get their history from IMDB.
How on earth with all the technology we have that we are producing stupider and lazier people as the years go by?
shittttt.
I've been watching all the docu's all week. Saw the 3D movie last Tues. I'm fascinated by this ship!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the other day how something like the Titanic disaster would play out if it happened today, with twitter and stuff. That would be quite interesting, in a morbid way =/
ReplyDeleteThat has to be a joke right? I refuse to believe that kids are that stupid to think the Titanic was fiction. I wonder what they would think of The Hindenburg.
ReplyDelete@Basil, unless they make a movie of it and star Robert Pattison, they won't know it.
ReplyDelete@Mark B It kinda did with the Costa Concordia a few months ago - Channel 4 in the UK ran a programme about it the other night, in abit of bad taste timing-wise imo.
ReplyDeleteRIP to all those people, what a scary way to go.
ReplyDeleteDon't write off the younger generations. It's not soley their fault. They have parents and teachers to inform them about these things too.
ReplyDeleteRenoblondee, glad I am not the only one. I have been fascinated by this story since I was a kid. I remember a time before the ship was found, and the movie 'Raise the Titanic' was filmed - well a little bit later...lol In my childhood innocence, I so hoped this would happen. One of my relatives is doing a genealogy search and is excited that the captain may be a distant relative...Lol
ReplyDeleteThere's a touristy-Titanic museum in Branson, MO that's kinda cool. (I think it's in other cities, too.) Your ticket has a real passenger's name on it, and you find out at the end if the passenger survived or died.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a tank of water that you can submerge your hand in and feel how cold it was at the time of the disaster. There's some props from the movie, and a replica of the famous stairwell.
Also want to say my kids are teens, and know about the Titanic and other bits of history.
@Mark B
ReplyDeleteIt did the ship that went off the coast of Italy last summer AND the one off the Antartic about a month ago.
Geez, again, the Titanic is not the ONLY ship that has sunk in history.
I had bought some replicas from the Titanic on ebay a few years back. My daughter is fascinated by the story. I ended up with a bunch of different menus and tickets from the various classes, and some other assorted stuff. It really is such an emotional story.
ReplyDeleteI've been fascinated by it since I was a kid (and even gave a talk on it in 4-H once, God help me...). I suspect it's a combination of the human interest factor, Victorian/Edwardian optimism and sense of mankind being able to control everything including nature coming to a crashing (sideswiping?) halt, and the changes made in maritime law as a result (needing enough lifeboats for everyone in particular) that keep it going in the public mind. I did see some of the James Cameron special on NatGeo the other night; he seems to be turning his research on the ship and its sinking into a second career of sorts, and more power to him, although I'm never going to be able to look at a banana again w/out thinking of the ship. (You need to see the clip to appreciate it...) Yes, it's certainly not the only shipwreck out there, and plenty of them had many more casualties (Google Wilhelm Gustloff for starters; estimates run upwards of 10,000 lost in weather far, far colder than Titanic's), but the cross-section of the population, from celebrities and the impossibly wealthy to the middle-class in 2nd class to the crew and everyone in steerage, and all the stories surrounding them, does seem to have a unique pull on the popular imagination.
ReplyDeleteExcellent assessment Robin. Some tragedies more than others capture our imagination.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only time I'll ever wish to be back in my old apartment. I used to live across the street from one of the Titanic cemeteries in Halifax, NS. I've always been fascinated by the story and I wish I could be there today for the centennial ceremonies. Sadly, I live across the country now.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is convinced I was on the Titanic because I practically hyperventilate when I see cruise ships up close. All kinds of cruise ships. But it first started when I saw the Queen Mary in Long Beach. The smoke stacks creep me out so much.
ReplyDeletePerhaps one of the reasons the sinking of Wilhelm Gustloff is not so broadly talked about in mainstream culture is at the very least because it's namesake alone raises controversy- Wilhelm Gustloff was the assassinated German leader of the Swiss Nazi party.
ReplyDeleteAnd the people on board were over a thousand SS Nazi German naval officers and men, not to mention women.
I for one am more inclined to be facinated with the Titanic than the Wilhelm Gustloff ship that sunk during war times.
What about the good old Edmund Fitzgerald?
ReplyDeleteI became obsessed with this story as a kid, too. My nephew (who is 8) is also, so hopefully there are more like him out there. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Edmund Fitzgerald only had a few dozen crew members on board, and when you sign up to work on an ore boat plying the Great Lakes, you sign up for the risk of an accident. Like the contractors on the Death Star.
ReplyDeleteWait, wait, wait, wait a minute... The Titanic WAS REAL!?!?!?!?!?!?!
ReplyDelete*snicker* but yeah, it's kinda weird that it's like the ONLY ship that ever went down.
LOL at "Like the contractors on the Death Star"!!! My parents live by the locks at The Soo. You're so right about taking your life in your hands working the Lakes.