Well, here we are, just one week in to the World Cup and the word vuvuzela can strike fear in to the heart of anyone over the age of 30! In the hands of a 5 year old this object is usually lethal!
But, the interesting thing about the vuvuzela is that up until 4 weeks ago the questions “what is a vuvuzela” would have won or lost you £50 as the tie break in a pub quiz!
So where has the vuvuzela come from? Why have nations from across the world adopted the vuvuzela as a demonstration of support for their own nation’s team? Most of us don’t actually care about these things, merely hoping that vuvuzelas will go back home as quickly as they came!
The interesting thing is that the spread of vuvuzelas is like watching a viral email spread, as it is adopted, explained and passed on my more and more people. It’s kind of like a visual metaphor for the way that social media is taking over from more traditional forms of communication.
So, next time you’re setting a pub quiz tie-break question and had hoped to use the vuvuzela to sort the winner from the losers, try asking either “which football club’s fans first started using the vuvuzela in the late 90’s” or “what is the other name by which a vuvuzela is sometimes known”…