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Discussion » Questions » Communication » Why are Americans obsessed with references in their everyday conversations?
nobodylair.37

Why are Americans obsessed with references in their everyday conversations?

..especially 'pop culture' references, like movies, fictional characters, bands, etc. I'm just curious. 

Posted - November 10, 2016
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Responses


  • Because it's like that, and that's the way it is.

      November 10, 2016 1:41 PM MST
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  • 3934
    Well played, sir!
      November 10, 2016 1:41 PM MST
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  • Did I steal your response?
      November 10, 2016 1:43 PM MST
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  • 3934
    No,  I did not have this cultural reference in my arsenal. Still, well played!
      November 10, 2016 1:52 PM MST
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  • 745
    Didn't really answer my question, but well played, indeed, haha.
      November 10, 2016 2:03 PM MST
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  • 44628
    Those are invalid references. People think it makes them look smarter.
      November 10, 2016 1:41 PM MST
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  • Not being American I'll take a guess anyway... It can be useful shorthand for those that understand the relevance of the reference ..
      November 10, 2016 1:42 PM MST
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  • 745
    yeah, that makes sense. 
      November 10, 2016 2:01 PM MST
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  • As an example with Mr Trump ... I made reference in a recent question to a well know series of sci-fi books, the Foundation series, in which future historian Harry Seldon prophesied the arrival of a tyrant called the Mule ... He came out of nowhere, was crude and barbaric and swept all before him ... And here  we have trump ... Not dissimilar in their effect ... Cheers
      November 10, 2016 2:09 PM MST
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  • 745
    I get these kind of references, not this particular one, but the general type. What I don't get is the random impersonating of a fictional character, a song etc. Seems like their conversations depend heavily on them, I get it's mostly a way to make jokes.. it's just interesting to me cause I come from a different culture and I was curious as to why they did it. Cheers back :)
      November 10, 2016 2:15 PM MST
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  • Fashion? ... Everyone else does it? ... Don't know ... I'm safe down here in Oz lol :)
      November 10, 2016 2:17 PM MST
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  • 3934
    More so than most other societies/cultures on Earth, Americans are a mixture of immigrants who do NOT share a deep cultural history. The history of some identifiable cultures on Earth go back thousands of years. America really only goes back to about 1800.

    As such, Americans don't have a deep reservoir of common history or cultural experience to draw upon to fill out there narratives. In the absence of such a cultural reservoir, Americans have basically two things to draw upon:

    1) A common (broadly speaking) political culture

    2) A common popular culture.
      November 10, 2016 2:18 PM MST
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  • The USA has always had a penchant for colloquialisms too. 
      November 10, 2016 2:38 PM MST
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  • 1002
    I think it's an attempt to relate to one another through common humor. Course, I miss a lot of them, so what do I know? lol
      November 10, 2016 4:59 PM MST
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