Question about Sherlock Holmes

[Miss Chicken]

Last year, someone I know who has the last name Holmes, was bitching to my sister and me that shop assistants often misspell his name i.e they spell it as Homes.

I said that I thought that was ignorant of them as Shelock Holmes is such a famous character that people, at least in the English speaking world should know how to spell his name. My sister disagreed with me saying she wouldn't expect young people (i.e. teenagers and young adults) to know who Sherlock Holmes was nowadays.

This was before the release of the Sherlock Holmes movie but even so I would still think that Holmes is, even without the movie, still iconic enough for young people ro know who he is.

What do you think?

Also what about other characters such as Robin Hood, King Arthur, William Tell etc. Do you think they are well-known by the younger generation?

EDITED TO ADD - my sons know who Sherlock Holmes is but they were avid TNG viewers.

 

[RoJoHen]

The only reason I was familiar with Holmes as a child was from watching TNG. Otherwise, until this new movie, I never had a single bit of exposure to the character. It would not remotely surprise me if young people today didn't know who he was.

 

[Canadave]

I honestly can't comment... I grew up watching the Jeremy Brett TV show, so I've always known the character.

 

[Venardhi]

I knew about Holmes from such a young age I can't even remember what my first exposure was. "Elementary, my dear Watson" is one of those lines in pop culture I can't imagine anyone hasn't heard at least once. There was a Holmes cartoon when I was a kid, as well as "The Great Mouse Detective", a movie featuring a mouse detective that lived under Holmes' house IIRC.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I would be extremely surprised if someone haven't heard of Holmes before: with hundreds of titles among novels, movies, tv series, cartoons, comics, whatever, I would say he as such iconic status that it would be almost impossible not to have heard of him (at least, in the expression: No shit, Sherlock!)

It would be truly horrible to contemplate.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I would hope that everyone would know who Sherlock Holmes is, but with the constantly declining literacy rates and cultural standards, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he was fading into the dustbin of literature. I would also hope that most people know Robin Hood and have some idea about King Arthur; William Tell seems to me to have always been a lesser-known character.

 

[RoJoHen]

but with the constantly declining literacy rates and cultural standards

While I agree that these are certainly issues, I don't think they can really be blamed for people not knowing these characters. There is no rule that says that these "classic" characters need to be popular forever, and the only reason older people get upset about it is out of nostalgia.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I would hope that everyone would know who Sherlock Holmes is, but with the constantly declining literacy rates and cultural standards, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he was fading into the dustbin of literature. I would also hope that most people know Robin Hood and have some idea about King Arthur; William Tell seems to me to have always been a lesser-known character.

I would hope that most young people would have heard the William Tell Overture even if they don't know its name.

When I was young I recognised it as the music from Lone Ranger but one day my mother told me it was the William Tell Overture. I already knew who William Tell was because of the TV series.

Also hasn't the scene of William Tell shooting the apple off his son's head made it into many comedy skits over the years etc.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooIz5UEAal4&feature=related[/yt]

 

[Jadzia]

I've been familiar with the character since I was a very young. The 'elementary' joke was also popular in junior school, and my dad would say it too.

Also, one of the Sherlock Holmes stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles seems like it's always on tv in England. But surprisingly, every time I watch it, I haven't the faintest clue what it's about.

All I could tell you is that the cast walk around in the dark, and that something is most definitely afoot.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Another take on the William Tell story

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlPYGwTJzbM[/yt]

 

[Kirkman1987]

Possible, but I would think unlikely. Even if you've never read a Holmes story or seen an adaptation, it's referenced so often in our culture.

 

[Data Holmes]

Sad to say it's become one of those things which people "know" but at the same time are unfamiliar with the details.

I think the biggest problem is people mispronouncing his name. I find many people who say his name as Homes, dropping the l from it all together. It's one of the things that I'm always correcting people on.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I was very familiar with the character of Holmes as a young child, although I can't really pinpoint where I became familiar with him. (It most certainly wasn't through TNG. )

In later years I became familiar with the story of Joseph Bell, the lecturer on whose meticulous methods, young medical student Arthur Conan Doyle partially based the character of Holmes.

Jeremy Brett is for me still the definitive Holmes.

 

[Purdy Bear]

I think Sherlock Holmes will never fade away, but I might a tad biased, Iv done a lot of research into Sir Arthur Conan Doyles life. For me Basil Rathbone was Sherlock Holmes, I know Jeremy Brett was a better character portrail, but Basil was awesome for me.

 

[Count Zero]

I started reading Holmes stories as a child. I've also been familiar with Robin Hood and Wilhelm Tell since childhood. While there may be people who don't know them, I think that generally they're known by young people today, too.
The only one whose publicity surprises me is Wilhelm Tell. I guess I knew very early that he's a folk hero but to me he always was the guy from Friedrich Schiller's play first and foremost. But then again, I probably was a peculiar child.

 

[cultcross]

I have 'always' (i.e., since I can remember) been familiar with the name and the character as a brilliant detective. I read the literature only when I was about 16 though. But with someone like Holmes, you'd hope that word of mouth would have allowed most people to be familiar with the character even if they hadn't gone anywhere near one of his books. Like you don't have to have seen a Bond movie or read a Fleming novel to know who James Bond is.
And if nothing else, as iguana said, the phrase 'No Shit, Sherlock!' is common enough here!

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Sadly I am often surprised at what people don't know about the world around them. Kids don't seem to have a broad knowledge of anything anymore. They are not exposed to anything they don't have to be exposed to. Any music beyond the top 40 is alien to them. When I was a kid I was always reading those general knowledge books about the world. I don't think kids read a lot today that isn't assigned in a classroom.

 

[Emher]

I've known about Sherlock Holmes for quite some time, but then again I've always been the kid that have been interested in finding out stuff about...well everything really.

 

[RJDiogenes]

but with the constantly declining literacy rates and cultural standards

While I agree that these are certainly issues, I don't think they can really be blamed for people not knowing these characters. There is no rule that says that these "classic" characters need to be popular forever, and the only reason older people get upset about it is out of nostalgia.

Well, we're not talking about old TV shows; these are characters and stories that have been around for centuries and are part of our culture.

Also hasn't the scene of William Tell shooting the apple off his son's head made it into many comedy skits over the years etc.

Yeah, but I suspect the comedy cliche is more well-known than the source these days.

I think Sherlock Holmes will never fade away, but I might a tad biased, Iv done a lot of research into Sir Arthur Conan Doyles life. For me Basil Rathbone was Sherlock Holmes, I know Jeremy Brett was a better character portrail, but Basil was awesome for me.

Same here. Basil Rathbone is the classic, but Jeremy Brett was born to play Holmes. It's a great pity that he died so young.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Did anyone else used to say, "No shit, Sherlock" when someone points out the painfully obvious?