How to Always Catch Pop Culture References

Are you friends always throwing around TV show catchphrases or famous movie lines? Do the shows you watch throw in a joke about another show or movie or celebrity? Do you always fail to understand what is being talked about? Then read on, so you can always see when a pop culture reference is being dropped!

METHOD 1 

Research

1

Find a list of famous movies or TV shows. While a "Goodfellas" line or joke may be thrown around in other media, it's highly unlikely that something as trivial as "Pretty Little Liars" will be referenced anywhere else. A good list would be Oscar winners, IMDB's top 250, or a "most referenced movies in pop culture" list.

2. 2
   Read gossip or celebrity news sites. You don't have to do enough so that you turn into a pop culture dud like Kelly Kapoor but just enough so that even though everyone else knows about the  Kardashians, you know some trivia and fun facts about them.
3. 3
   Look up What's Trending Now on line to keep really up to date. Remember clothes, food, accessories, websites, memes and much more are included in pop culture and could be referenced in the media. 
4. 4
   Remember very little pop culture is global. What's popular in Japan may never see the light of day in the UK. Indian pop culture has many differences to US pop culture and some countries might just be jumping onto a band wagon when the rest of the world has got off. If you watch a diverse range of TV shows, Movies and internet videos, there is a good chance there will be pop culture references you will never catch because you're not part of that culture, and you shouldn't worry about it.
5. 5
   Watch the reactions of those around you if you find you're not catching pop culture references in public. If you appear not to be the only one who doesn't catch it, must it's not that popular after all and not worth trying to figure out?

METHOD 2

Watch

1. 1
   Watch more movies. Even if these movies aren't pop culture legends, they will still likely reference other tv shows or movies or famous celebrity trivia. This is important because even if you don't understand a line, you could google a little backstory and be able to use it.
2. 2
   Watch TV shows. TV, especially sitcoms, are mostly humored around the expense of other pop culture. Therefore, they usually explain the lines or references they're throwing out within the show, making your job even easier.

 

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