Cultural Undermind

[lurkerwithout]

Back on Monday I was watching the television show How I Met Your Mother. And during the episode Barney (Neil "Doogie" Patrick "Howser" Harris) tries to convince the others that he lost his virginity as a teenager, but the situation he describes is easily recognized as being the movie Dirty Dancing. Now I have never seen this movie. I have only seen bits of some of the famous scenes. This is because I am neither gay nor a girl. Thus the only Patrick Swayze movies my Y chromosome allows me to watch are:

1. Road House
2. Red Dawn
and 3. Black Dog

But I still twigged to what movie Barney was cribbing from pretty much instantly. As its assumed anyone would to make the joke work. And yet once again, I've never seen the movie. I wonder what other movies or shows or just scenes have become such a part of our cultural underpinnings that it is no longer necessary to have actually ever seen them...

Comments

[the-outlaw.livejournal.com]

He's in Donnie Darko as well, don't forget.

[lurkerwithout.livejournal.com]

It had Meatloaf and explosions. That means I can admit to it without shame. Unlike say, Ghost...

[scarcrest.livejournal.com]

Casablanca. Citizen Kane. Dirty Harry.

[frustratedpilot]

It's a Wonderful Life
The Wizard of Oz
The Sound of Music
Apocalypse Now
Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope)
Rebel Without a Cause
Patton
The Godfather
Jaws
Planet of the Apes

(The above list is based on the frequency of parodies I've seen over the years.)

[frustratedpilot]

Oh, and...
Gone With the Wind
Rocky
To Kill a Mockingbird
Goldfinger

[frustratedpilot]

What about To Wong Foo...Thanks For Everything!. :) Is that on or off your Swayze?

[lurkerwithout.livejournal.com]

I don't want to live in a world where people are actually stupid enough to be able to mistake Wesley Snipes for a woman. Even a really ugly one...