Pop Culture References

[Meatplow]

Do they suck?

There are directors and authors who seem to have made a career out of pumping lots of pop culture references into their works (Quentin Tarantino & Stephen King come to mind) and while I used to feel it lent something special i'm finding it something of a bother now as it seems to cheapen any artistic merit.

Does anyone have any thoughts about this?

[RunAmokRampant]

Quentin Tarantino has made a living out of making pop culture references but because he knows the material so well, it works.

[Against Miik!]

Examples?

[Meatplow]

Quentin Tarantino has made a living out of making pop culture references but because he knows the material so well, it works.

You can only take so many though before you wonder if he could do without them.

Examples?

The Simpsons
Kevin Smith films

etc

[sadtaste]

The Simpsons
Kevin Smith films

etc

Well, there's a contrast in usage. The Simpsons is absolutely abusing it now, something it didn't do as much earlier in it's life.

SPOLIERRRRRSSSSSSS

I think it's all about getting the balances right. When Stephen King decided to write himself into his Dark Tower series, that just went over the top.

In contrast, with Tarantino's Kill Bill, I still think he managed to keep it fresh, probably because a proportion of viewers probably wouldn't even get the reference anyway.

[Meatplow]

Well, there's a contrast in usage. The Simpsons is absolutely abusing it now, something it didn't do as much earlier in it's life.

I think it's all about getting the balances right. ______________________________ Dark Tower series, that just went over the top.

In contrast, with Tarantino's Kill Bill, I still think he managed to keep it fresh, probably because a proportion of viewers probably wouldn't even get the reference anyway.

I'd put a spoiler tag on that Dark Tower reference dude, if I had read that when I had been reading the series I would of been so ****ing annoyed with you right now :)

[sadtaste]

I'd put a spoiler tag on that Dark Tower reference dude, if I had read that when I had been reading the series I would of been so ****ing annoyed with you right now :)

oshi, a van just stopped outside my house...

But yeah, my bad.

[Meatplow]

you legend

[Apocalyptic Raids]

I like them.

[big80smullet]

If they are tasteful they are cool. Like i liked the way uma thurman was dressed exactly like bruce lee. i though it was pretty sweet

[Ganondorf]

Family Guy sucks.

[RunAmokRampant]

Examples?

Pulp Fiction.

Like the whole premise and movie is a pop culture reference.

[Dave de Sylvia]

Pop culture references are like any other type of reference.

[big80smullet]

Family Guy sucks.

season 1-4 was awesome. season 5 was pretty funny. season 6 is awful

[Mister_Che]

In their prime, The Simpsons did well when they referenced pop culture icons. The same could be said about Family Guy, but now it's just a pain to watch.

[RunAmokRampant]

I prefer American Dad. No flashbacks.

[Berner]

They can be really annoying when used completely wrong. See: Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet the Spartans. But Tarintino and Smith films use them well I find.

[benfan]

Greenday at the start of The Simpsons Movie made me feel sick, as did that little irish twat who kept getting called Bono. It was as if Matt Groeoeoening deicded to add it in after the film was made, just to appeal to a bunch of 14 year old girls.



I agree with Mullet on the thing about Family Guy, the first couple of seasons were funny, but not so much anymore. After i watched the South Park Cartoon Wars episodes, i dont find it too funny anymore.

[Cocaine]

They can be good. South Park is a good example. But I agree with everyone so far in that they've ruined the Simpsons, which used to be concerned with actual plots and believable situations whereas now it's just Homer being stupid followed by an unnecessary celebrity cameo.

[Waldo]

Greenday at the start of The Simpsons Movie made me feel sick, this is definitely a pop culture reference

[ed_stones_dead]

Generally i don't like pop culture references. When Tarantino does them it's ok i guess. Like the 'royale with cheese' scene from pulp fiction. But after seeing it quite a few times now it kinda makes my toes curl.
And yer, family guy has gone way overboard on them. And not being american, most of the time i have no clue who they're talking about.

[Robert Crumb]

Pop culture references are like any other type of reference.

Pretty much.

I mean, any kind of cultural reference, even those that refer to "high-brow" culture, can be empty, meaningless and trite. I could write a story where the main character goes around quote Wordsworth and Shelley, but if it's done just to show how clever and well-read I am, it's not going to ring as anything more than superficial poppycockery.

And then again, even if you have a reason for using a reference, it can still be overhanded and stupid in practice. One could probably argue that Zach Braff's little Shins reference did serve a purpose in Garden State, in so far as it gave the characters a chance to interact and maybe displayed a (weak) sort of characterization. But that doesn't make it any less retarded.

I think you also gotta distinguish between homage and a mere reference. Both are done for wholly different purposes, although I guess a pop homage is basically the pop culture reference expanded dramatically to the nth degree.

Generally, pop culture references are usually best used sparingly and with lots of salt.

[Mr. Pickle]

So is South Park included in all of this? They do it pretty well.

[Der Übermensch]

South Park is satirizing pop culture though, so I think it gets a pass on it.

[sadtaste]

They can be really annoying when used completely wrong. See: Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet the Spartans. But Tarintino and Smith films use them well I find.

Eh, spoof movies are different though. Parodies are exempt methinks.

They can be good. South Park is a good example. But I agree with everyone so far in that they've ruined the Simpsons, which used to be concerned with actual plots and believable situations whereas now it's just Homer being stupid followed by an unnecessary celebrity cameo.

Sometimes two!