On who are The Who?

This is a blog I never thought I would have to write. I don't expect everyone to know every band. I will admit that I could not tell you the name of any band who has had a debut CD in the last 5 years. But old music? Classic Rock? That I know. Which is why I was so offended to open up Facebook after the Super Bowl last night to see this is a "friend's" status message.

"Who the hell are The Who?"

Seriously? That would be like me saying, "Who are The Beatles?" or "Who is Elvis?"

Of some 22 comments, here is a sampling of the answers she was given.

"They SUCK."

"A group of guys in their 50's."

"No, a group of guys from the 50's."

"The guys who sing the CSI song." (IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TO REFER TO THEM AS SUCH.)

"At least they didn't blow up the drums this time" (That's because Keith Moon died in the 70's, idiot.)

"They spent too much on the Super Bowl and this was the only entertainment they could afford." (Really, because acts play the Half Time Show for free. And if they were going to go cheap, they would have gotten Britney Spears or some other half-a** act like her, because it would cost a heck of a lot more to get a name like The Who.)

For the record, none of these are acceptable answers. I had a dilemma. I could make a truthful response and offend 22 people. Or I could ignore the question and offending answers all together. If you know me, you're probably assuming I did the first. Instead, I took a different approach. I simply said:

"They are actually only 1/2 of The Who. The 2 greatest members have been dead for years. John Entwistle was one of the greatest bass players to ever live."

But this, dear readers, is what I really wanted to say:

"Have you been living under a rock your whole life? I completely expect this kind of inane question from a teenager, but from a 30 year old woman? This is unacceptable. Let me ask you - Who are The Beatles? and see what kind of dumb a** you think I am. While they may not be the greatest rock band ever, they have been a consistent member of the music scene for more than 30 years. It is completely unacceptable that you haven't even heard of The Who. Did you ask the same question last year when Bruce Springsteen performed? Or Tom Petty the year before? What person hasn't heard of My Generation? Come out from your cave and learn something. Ask your mom, I bet she can tell you who they are. Hell, even my nine year old knows The Who."

This was my rant when I walked into work this morning. My co-worker, who is the same age as my mom, said: "I've heard of them, but what do they sing?" Which is a valid question. My reply, "My Generation." Because I think that's a song most people have heard. She says, "Oh yea, didn't The Monkees do that first? No, you dimwit. Pete Townshend wrote My Generation. It was #11 on the list of Rolling Stone's Greatest Songs Ever. Do you really think The Monkees made that list?

And the topper for the whole day of The Who disappointment? My own mother. Who says, "I never knew they sang the CSI song."