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75 Times The Internet Turned Pop Culture Into Comedy Gold
You don’t have to follow pop culture news religiously to know things about famous people. Like the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio has a penchant for women under 25 or that the new Spider-Man movie is on its way to overtake Titanic in the rankings of highest-grossing films in the U.S. of all time.
That’s the nature of pop culture: it seeps into conversations with friends and family, dominates social media, so you might absorb the knowledge almost without even noticing it. That’s why we think you’ll find a collection of these memes relatable. Coming to you from the “Beanexplains” page that has over one million followers, they have a little bit of everything: pop culture references, relatable humor, and chaos that is as funny as it is relatable.
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#3
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 month ago
I worked in a locked ward with forensic psychiatric patients and we were working on trying to get them reintegrated into society before they moved out. We had a social club where we took the guys and gals out on "field trips" and had a marvellous time. We did museums, fairs, open air markets, restaurants, and the whole 9 yards. The folks were thrilled to be out and we also enjoyed ourselves. It's a GREAT idea as a fun way to spend the day at work!
You probably think you know what "popular culture" means. Yet, depending on who you ask, the definitions might differ. For anthropologist Shirley Fedorak, for example, popular culture is "a way of life." It's how movies, song lyrics, comics, and other pieces of entertainment permeate our lives so much that they affect our daily lives and how we interact with people.
Sociologist Dr. David Grazian looks at pop culture through a capitalist lens. In his book "Mix It Up," he describes it as "the aesthetic products created and sold by profit-seeking firms operating in the global entertainment market." According to Dr. Grazian, pop culture is essentially things we don’t need: movies, music, and even things like makeup.
#6
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
I'm boycotting all Spiderman stuff until they make a Petra Parker movie (IYKYK).
There’s probably no use arguing that pop culture and capitalism are intrinsically linked. However, to argue that we don’t need it wouldn’t be accurate. Of course, we don’t need it like we need air, water, and food, but, in any pyramid of human needs, there has to be space for fun.
For many of us, popular culture may play a bigger role in our lives than we think. Research shows that we associateimportant memories with pop culture events. In one study, 77% of respondents said pop culture events are a source of lifelong memories, and 72% actively seek out events related to their favorite shows, movies, artists, and stories.
Through pop culture, we can find a community that we belong to. Fandoms have a unique way of bringing people together, even if they're thousands of miles apart and live completely different lives. But interest in the same band, characters, and stories can help us feel part of a community. According to that same study, 56% of Gen Z look to shared fandom to find like-minded peers.
#10
It's also possible to become a bit too invested in popular culture. Fans might get a bit too immersed in their favorite things and develop parasocial relationships with entertainers, celebrities, and even characters. A 2024 study found that over 70% of Gen Z feel a strong connection to someone they have never met in real life, most often an online creator or a celebrity.
#15
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 month ago
I lived there for 7 years and I see why no super hero lives there. They are worried about Jerry Falwell's people and the Proud Boys.
Parasociality is not a phenomenon for the social media age only. In the past, people would feel similar relationships to television personalities, too: Johnny Carson, for example, was beloved for his personable demeanor by many of the now-older generation, and thought of as almost a family member in many American families — many could not imagine finishing their evening without tuning into the Tonight Show.
#16
Nikole [8647] 1 month ago
Nothing. But it knows what's wrong with you and will use it to break you.
Social media has taken parasociality to new levels, however. We've never felt as close to celebrities and influencers as we do today. We get glimpses of their daily lives (or an illusion of them and finely curated ones), can comment under their posts and sometimes even get replies, and feel like we know them as almost friends.
There's no deep secret behind why we seek out and foster these parasocial bonds — it's our innate need for belonging and companionship. As long as we don't get too emotionally involved and remember these relationships are one-sided, we're okay. However, experts warn that with the advent of AI-generated personalities, we should be extremely wary of falling into the trap of false reality, manipulation, and emotional bonds.
How many pop culture expert Pandas do we have here? Show yourselves and drop your favorite memes that reference something from pop culture in the comments! And if you're looking for more fun things about celebrities, check out these shady things celebrities did that everyone seems to have forgotten about and the saddest celebrity downfalls.
#26
Radek Suski 1 month ago
Facebook recently notified me that Leonard Cohen just released a new song
#33
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
I'm excited about the future X-Men movie because of the plot. It has definitely nothing to do with Sadie Sink as Jean Grey. It's 100% the plot. Trust me. Plot.
#36
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
Am I the only one who thinks that casting RDJ as Doom was just an incredibly stupid fan-pandering move? Like, as if it wasn't enough that the entire MCU revolved around Stark until, like, recently
#37
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
Gambit is my second-favorite X-Man (Rogue is #1) and I seriously thought I would loathe Channing Tatum to hell and back. Then I saw Deadpool & Wolverine and... somehow Channing Tatum made it work XD
#39
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
They say you can't hear pictures but I can totally hear tween Miguel yelling "SIX SEVEN"
#41
VisuallyChallengedPew 1 month ago
It seems that Instagram, is already doing that on the regular.
#42
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
I THINK an upgrade. I'm carefully optimistic about the Inde Navarette casting.
#43
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
It's funny how Sadie got cast as Jean and Stranger Things fans started to act like ST is some niche, obscure show nobody has ever seen 😅 Like 99% of us met Sadie first as Max, you ain't special
#48
Rusty’scate 1 month ago
Because that would be a short movie at very repetitive depending how you look at it
#50
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
He looks like that one jock classmate who peaked in high school when you see him 15 years later being yelled at by his foreman at a constuction site
#51
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
Maybe it's a sign that those 200-million-budget blockbusters are not sustainable in the long run.
#53
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
Daughter and SIL just posted my grandson in his new soccer uniform... he's 4 yrs old. I tagged it 'Lionel Messy'.
#57
MichelleDonut 1 month ago
It is easy to use public transit in Berlin without paying for a ticket. Transit employees may randomly ask to see your ticket, and if you don't have one, you must pay a large fine. A new app alerts users when a transit employee has been seen inspecting tickets on a particular route. Users can then flee before being caught.
#58
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 month ago
That girl needs to eat a sandwich before she makes another song. Said with loving concern.
#63
Luke || Kira (he/she) 1 month ago
"Talented"? I think I'd be able to name like three more prettyboy singers with the same weak-asㅤs goat voice
#65
VisuallyChallengedPew 1 month ago
Every time I here someone talk about "Into the Spiderverse" I hear "Spiderwurst". Which is, of course, about Peter Parkerburg and his crime fighting alter ego Der Erstaunlich Spiderwurstmann
#66
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
Or as Mark Twain observed: "When I left home at 16, my father was the most ignorant man I ever knew, when I returned 2 years later, I was amazed by how much he learned in such a short time"
#67
Elladine DesIsles 1 month ago
And the extra hour and twenty minutes are for finally learning how to tell time?
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traceypearson 1 month ago
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BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
I admit freely that all of this pop culture stuff sailed straight over my head.
wiseass20 wiseass20 1 month ago
No worries you'll learn when u c some of these again again.
Load More Replies... traceypearson 1 month ago
I am making a real GOOD MONEY (300$ to 400$ / hr )online from my laptop. Last month I GOT check of nearly 18,000$, this online work is simple and straightforward, don’t have to go OFFICE, Its home online job. At that point this work opportunity is for you.if you interested.simply give it a shot on the accompanying site….Simply go to the BELOW SITE and start your work.....................… 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝟰𝟬.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Load More Replies... BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
I admit freely that all of this pop culture stuff sailed straight over my head.
wiseass20 wiseass20 1 month ago
No worries you'll learn when u c some of these again again.
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