# Is there any cultural reference that every American knows?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 18, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147 "2011-08-18T12:51:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/81 "2011-08-19T16:42:56Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#):
>
> On another thread a poster says that every American should understand the remark “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” But would every American? I don’t know. But it got me thinking: apart from small, mainly religious, groups which separate themselves from Society as a whole, is there any cultural reference that close to 100% of the American population over the age of 20 would understand? (I an excluding scientific or historical facts; I assume, for example, that every American knows who George Washington was.)
After rereading the OP and comparing the wording to that of the thread title, I find that my main quibble is with the word “every” in the title. There are so many potential exceptions one can think of that prevent “every” from being possible, but when the leeway suggested in the OP is taken into account and when “every” gets interpreted as …
> [@](#):
>
> close to 100% of the American population over the age of 20
… then I suspect that a comprehensive polling of that subset of the population of the USA (excluding the other “America” groups) would likely produce a preponderance of recognition of some of the things mentioned in this thread.
As to what specific “cultural reference” would lead that poll, I’d love to know, but have no candidate I would predict would win.
I did set up another thread to play with the idea, but it’s not anywhere near convincing. Maybe somebody else would set up a poll on the answers suggested in this thread? I would vote in such a thing, and perhaps the argument could be tested that way.
---
### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/82 "2011-08-19T23:58:20Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#):
>
> I think **digs** meant to quote the Gilligan’s Island theme song. Only, they got it wrong: the lyrics are actually “a three hour _tour_”, not “a three hour cruise”.
I noticed that, but thought “This is The Dope. Someone will really enjoy correcting it.”
Sounds, though, like I’m getting old and need a more current meme that Tons O’ People will know, whether American or European (or Fijian). I’ll stay tuned to this thread for suggestions…
---
### Author:  [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/83 "2011-08-20T00:47:43Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> The three most recognized theatre logos: CATS, Les Miz, Phantom.
I’d guess that none of these would fall in the top 1000 most recognizable cultural references.
---
### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/84 "2011-08-20T02:53:53Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#):
>
> I’d guess that none of these would fall in the top 1000 most recognizable cultural references.
Indeed. If you showed me three different possible logos for Cats (for example) and asked me to pick out the one that was the real one, I’d blind guess.
Cultural reference is pretty broad. Strictly speaking, language is culture, and the word “water” is a reference, and I’d say virtually all Americans recognize that word. If by “culture” we’re talking about art, I’d suggest the American Flag, the Statue of Liberty, the dollar bill’s design, and apple pie.
But we may get more specific than that and talk about lines or images from movies, television shows, and books. If that’s our limit, I think Star Wars is a pretty good one. The flying saucer is also pretty good, since they basically didn’t exist in pop culture before about 70 years ago (with questionable outlying reports).
---
### Author:  [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/85 "2011-08-20T03:58:58Z")
Would the Beatles count? How about Elvis?
---
### Author:  [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/86 "2011-08-20T05:17:16Z")
In 1999, my sister met a girl about her age (18-ish) from Appalachia who had _never heard of Michael Jackson._ She was pretty normal, just from a very isolated rural area. All his years of music, all the TV coverage, all the legal wrangling and publicity had simply never penetrated into her sphere of existence.
This convinces me that there is no one so famous or reference so universal that no one out there exists who has no knowledge of it.
---
### Author:  [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/87 "2011-08-20T08:43:49Z")
> [@Odesio](#):
>
> During a presentation, I once showed a picture of a Confederate flag and asked how many people in class recognized it. There was one African American woman who had lived in the south all of her life who claimed she had never seen it before. I was absolutely flabbergasted.
There’s a bit of a trick involved there, as the flag depicted here:
[http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/kids/flagdetails.cfm?id=9](http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/kids/flagdetails.cfm?id=9)
is the Confederate flag, but the more familiar one at the top of this page:
[http://library.thinkquest.org/J002080/battflg.html](http://library.thinkquest.org/J002080/battflg.html)
is frequently assumed to be the Confederate flag, but is actually the battle standard.
---
### Author:  [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/88 "2011-08-20T11:37:27Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#):
>
> In 1999, my sister met a girl about her age (18-ish) from Appalachia who had _never heard of Michael Jackson._ She was pretty normal, just from a very isolated rural area. All his years of music, all the TV coverage, all the legal wrangling and publicity had simply never penetrated into her sphere of existence.
>
> This convinces me that there is no one so famous or reference so universal that no one out there exists who has no knowledge of it.
I was going to mention Michael Jackson and all of his related contributions. Moonwalk, one white glove, Billie Jean, Thriller jacket, Jackson 5, Wacko Jacko, the trials… I would bet that the girl mentioned above would know at least one of these things, even if she didn’t know his name.
If you have a TV, social outlets, radio, Internet, I can’t see how you could avoid it. I think we can agree not knowing anything about Michael Jackson for an adult of 20 in america would suggest something odd, like living in a cultural void.
Next up? Mickey Mouse and McDonald’s. The American Flag. 4th of July.
---
### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/89 "2011-08-20T12:18:15Z")
Sesame street would have been close at one point, when it was the only way in the universe to shut kids up for an hour. I assume with the multitude of channels now many kids never see it.
---
### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/90 "2011-08-20T18:07:32Z")
I reckon Jesus Christ is kinda well known too.
---
### Author:  [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/91 "2011-08-21T04:06:05Z")
Whenever this sure of question comes up, I think about my stepfather’s father, who’s 90. I doubt he could identify Darth Vader. I’d be shocked if he couldn’t identify Superman, though. I bet nearly every one could identify Superman from an image, tell you that he wears a cape, tell you that he flies, and complete the quote “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_!”
---
### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/92 "2011-08-21T17:26:12Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#):
>
> Whenever this sure of question comes up, I think about my stepfather’s father, who’s 90. I doubt he could identify Darth Vader. I’d be shocked if he couldn’t identify Superman, though. I bet nearly every one could identify Superman from an image, tell you that he wears a cape, tell you that he flies, and complete the quote “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_!”
I know full well that my 91-y-o grandmother can identify Superman, since she watched the George Reeves show with her baby-boomer son before buying Superman comics aplenty for her grandson before proudly displaying pictures of her great-granddaughter in full Halloween regalia: blue dress with a red cape and red boots a red ‘S’ on her chest as, y’know, Supergirl.
---
### Author:  [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/93 "2011-08-21T20:08:01Z")
Kilroy was here.
---
### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/94 "2011-08-21T20:29:14Z")
I only know Kilroy was here from a MASH episode and I’m pretty unique among my peer group for having watched that show with any regularity.
---
### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/95 "2011-08-21T21:01:13Z")
I’ll echo those who say that we need a definition of “cultural reference” in order to properly answer this question. It’s also unclear to me whether we’re supposed to be talking about the products of American culture or the broader category of things that Americans would recognize. For instance, _Romeo and Juliet_ isn’t an American work but it is very well known in America, is commonly required reading in American high schools, and I would bet that a large majority of American adults would recognize the title and have at least a vague idea of the basic plot.
Even bigger than Shakespeare is the Bible – even most of the isolated religious groups excluded by the OP would be familiar with that.
> [@digs](#):
>
> The reference I use in class is that with globalization, I could refer to _“A three hour cruise…”_ (esp. using the Gilligan’s Island tune) and people in France or Fiji would get it.
I doubt it – I once mentioned _Gilligan’s Island_ in a conversation with a Japanese friend, and she had never heard of the show. And this was someone who was near fluent in English and had spent a year in the US as a college student.
---
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/96 "2011-08-21T21:19:29Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> I know full well that my 91-y-o grandmother can identify Superman, since she watched the George Reeves show with her baby-boomer son before buying Superman comics aplenty for her grandson before proudly displaying pictures of her great-granddaughter in full Halloween regalia: blue dress with a red cape and red boots a red ‘S’ on her chest as, y’know, Supergirl.
You want universal? All you need is [that one letter](http://metropolisplus.com/Superman/CReeve-Superman-Shield1.jpg), and people know who you are talking about.
---
### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2011, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/97 "2011-08-22T10:58:41Z")
We’ve got two claims of ninety-year-olds who wouldn’t know Darth Vader. I find this questionable. You do know they were only 56 when Star Wars came out, right? Do you really think no trick-or-treater has ever come to their door in a DV costume?
Come to think of it, I nominate “Trick-or-Treat!” Who doesn’t know Haolloween? Even the small religious groups who are agaisnt it know what it is.
---
### Author:  [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/98 "2011-08-22T12:35:51Z")
[Here](http://www.zompist.com/amercult.html) is a cultural test that claims to apply to 90% of Americans (with similar tests for other cultures or subcultures like Texans).
---
### Author:  [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/99 "2011-08-22T12:44:00Z")
> [@digs](#):
>
> The reference I use in class is that with globalization, I could refer to _“A three hour cruise…”_ (esp. using the Gilligan’s Island tune) and people in France or Fiji would get it.
No, they wouldnt, as that show was never broadcasted in France to my knowledge (or in so obscure a way that few people would have seen it). They wouldnt have any idea what’s that tune you’re whistling is.
---
### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147/100 "2011-08-22T12:45:37Z")
> [@Lamia](#):
>
> …
> Even bigger than Shakespeare is the Bible – even most of the isolated religious groups excluded by the OP would be familiar with that.
I was thinking that except to the extent there is growing Biblical illiteracy is US culture. Of course, everyone probably knows about Jebus.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147.md?page=4)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-cultural-reference-that-every-american-knows/593147.md?page=6)