Over on Volokh.com, Ilya Somin posts about her (I think it's a her, I'm never sure with Russian names. Sasha, for instance. [I think Ilya is Russian, anyway. I'm never sure with East European names. {Ilsa for instance. I think Ilsa is East European. I'm never quite sure with She-Wolves of the SS}]) rational ignorance of the 100 top pop culture icons. (according to Forbes magazine) Honestly, it comes off a bit obnoxious and superior, particularly since she ends it with:

The lesson to be learned, if there is one, is that rational ignorance is a universal phenomenon, not limited to the "stupid" unwashed masses. We are all inevitably ignorant about a wide range of topics. Unfortunately, however, popular ignorance about politics probably causes more social harm than academic geeks' ignorance about pop culture.

Thereby saying that her ignorance of pop culture, while still ignorance, isn't as bad as some slack-jawed yokels inability to name any of the current Cabinet members of the current administration. Now, don't let my tone throw you off - I completely agree with the sentiment. It just got me wondering how many of the top 50 I didn't know. Here's the list:

12 - Grey's Anatomy cast: Actually, that's not true; not only do I know what this is referring to, but I would probably recognize them if I saw them on TV. I blame my friend Neil for this. It's also his fault that I know what one of the doctors on Nip/Tuck look like. Damn you Neil!

16 - Phil Mickelson: Wouldn't know him from a hole in the wall.

24 - Michael Schumacher: Sounds like a football player. I have a sinking suspicion that all the of people I'm not going to recognize are going to have carried a ball professionally at one point.

31 - Ronaldinho: I assume that this is a soccer player, but that's only because I'm reading something clearly ethnic, and it's not trailed by a surname.

33 - Brian Grazer/Ron Howard: I know the latter, not the former. I'm confused as to why they are put together like this. Are they the same person?

37 - Tim McGraw: I got nothing. I just realized that as hard as it is to be funny about things you know, it's even harder to do it about things you don't know.

38 - Roger Federer: Tennis player, maybe?

41 - Kimi Raikkonen: This person comes right before Jerry Seinfeld. Who?

Well, that was a fun game. I scored a 7 / 50. do I feel good or bad about that?