batskeets | Geek Poll

I realize that I'm surveying an audience that skews very tech-savvy and geeky, but, I simply must pose this question:

In a recent conversation with a person in my age group, the topic of Halloween came up, and I stated that I would like to dress up as, "a fire flower from Super Mario Brothers," and I was met with a quizzical look.

This individual had no idea what I was talking about. I had to explain how coin boxes work. The phrases, "there are these metal boxes, and he hits them with his head," and, "after he gets the mushroom that turns him into Super Mario, instead of Tiny Wimpy Dies-Instantly Mario..." actually passed through my lips.

Now, I do realize that a lot of people are not gamers. Even I, myself, am far from being a hardcore gamer. But, I'm fairly flabbergasted that anyone who is even tangentially aware of popular culture would not have at least a basic understanding of how a Mario game works!

Question: Is this as unbelievable as I think it is? Y/N