My son takes a Sunday paper, and made an offhand disparaging remark about Parade magazine while we were over there. There is a popular culture question site, and he was noting that every question could have been answered with two minutes at a search engine - three minutes tops. What in the world motivates people to write in and ask, having to wait so long for an answer? It might have made sense thirty years ago, or fifty. I suppose there is some thrill in seeing that they picked your question and put your name in print - and it is rather a confirmation that Yes Johnny, you are right in the thick of popular culture, because we picked your question as one lots of others might be interested in.
But mostly, I think people like being part of the conversation, more than they actually want an answer. Chirp, chirp, like birds announcing their whereabouts.
I suppose we're all like that, then, at least in part. Some of us have a horror of being starlings, perhaps.