History Main / PopCulturedBadass

** In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', James Rhodes (War Machine) reveals himself to be a pop-culture geek as well, frequently name-dropping movies like Fillm/BackToTheFuture and Franchise/IndianaJones while going over plans.

* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has two pop-cultured badasses in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Peter Quill (Star-Lord)]] and [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Peter Parker (Spider-Man)]]. Quill jams out to classic rock songs from the [=60s=] and [=70s=] while protecting the galaxy, while Parker takes inspiration from classic films like ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' to contend with his foes. Naturally, the two geek out a little when they meet in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

[[folder:Truth In Television]]
* Naturally, this applies to every single Troper who serves frontline duty in any sort of job where violent confrontation is a real possibility.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Videogames]]

** Creator/JohnSimm's Master was seen watching and enjoying the Teletubbies in [[Recap/DoctorWhos29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]], and later rocked out to both Music/RogueTrader and, in the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords next episode]], the Music/ScissorSisters, while decimating the population of Earth.

* ''The'' [[TropeMaker progenitor]] and original. Franchise/SpiderMan has spouted off pop culture jokes while fighting since the beginning and still going strong despite Deadpool being the new poster boy of comedy references. From Music/{{ACDC}}, Literature/LordOfTheRings, Website/YouTube, VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft, Creator/DCComics, Creator/ComedyCentral plus [[Series/TheColbertReport Stephen Colbert]] etc. [[UpToEleven Taken to eleven]] in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderman''.

* Most of the reviewers for [[Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses Channel Awesome]] are this. It's naturally a part of their jobs to be up to date on pop culture, and they all can kick ass when the need arises.
** Then there's [[WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh Oancitizen]], who is both this AND a CulturedBadass.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat'' gives us Johnny Cage, an actor whose intro lines are almost always some references.
** Casey Cage, his daughter in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' follows her father's footsteps in this regard. To the point that one of her Fatalities ends with her taking a picture next her opponents corpse, on her phone and ''posting'' it on SocialMedia.

* Cisco Ramone of ''Series/TheFlash2014'', aka [[spoiler: Vibe]], loves making references to everything from ''Star Wars'' to ''Harry Potter.'' The badass part only kicks in starting with season 2, however.

* ''Franchise/MetalGear'':

* Revy from ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' kills a dozen people while listening to White Zombie's 'Electric Head Part 1' on her walkman.
** At least in the manga; for the anime, she plumps for the just-as-awesome 'Peach Headz Addiction' by Breath Frequency.

* [[LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan Nyarko]] will beat the snot out of you while doing Series/KamenRider poses, quoting [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Jotaro Kujo]], using [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma Saotome]]'s tactics, and much, '''[[ReferenceOverdosed MUCH]]''' more.

* ''The'' [[TropeMaker progenitor]] and original. Franchise/{{SpiderMan}} has spouted off pop culture jokes while fighting since the beginning and still going strong despite Deadpool being the new poster boy of comedy references. From Music/{{ACDC}}, Literature/LordOfTheRings, Website/YouTube, VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft, Creator/DCComics, Creator/ComedyCentral plus [[Series/TheColbertReport Stephen Colbert]] etc. [[UpToEleven Taken to eleven]] in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderman''.

* In ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', Batgirl goes in to brief the Teen Titans on the situation of this storyline. She insultingly compares them to "the cast of Series/ICarly".

* In [[Literature/BridgetJones Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason]], there is a quiz game at the Law Council Dinner where a round of Pop Cultural trivia proves [[GeniusDitz Bridget]] and [[IncompatibleOrientation Rebecca]] [[BrainyBrunette Gillies]] to be this trope.

---> Come on now, Carl Clover. [[SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker Why so]] [[Film/TheDarkKnight serious?]]

* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Harry is a fan of ''Series/DoctorWho'', and often makes references to it. He also gets one of his CrazyEnoughToWork plans from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Astonishingly, it does actually work. Mostly. Doesn't hurt that the author is OneOfUs.

** And season 4 BigBad [[FrankensteinsMonster Ad]][[HalfHumanHybrid am]] was a fan of the Beatles. Specifically, he liked the song "Helter Skelter," likely an allusion to UsefulNotes/CharlesManson's fixation on the same.
-->'''Spike:''' What a surprise.

** The Master is a fan of the Music/ScissorSisters, and Crane broadcasts ''The Lion Sleeps Tonight'' while converting the masses into Cybermen.
** The Tenth Doctor was particularly fond of 20th / 21st century Earth pop culture. For example, he seems to be a Literature/HarryPotter fan [[CelebrityParadox (although presumably he hasn't seen the fourth movie)]], and once gave a humanitarian speech to an alien race that was threatening to kill a third of Earth's population...with lyrics from ''Disney/TheLionKing''. In "The Idiot's Lantern", he uses Music/KylieMinogue lyrics for an inspirational quote.
** If that was not enough, then take the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace, if you look closely at her jacket, and you can spot (among other things) a ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' pin, two ''ComicStrip/RupertBear'' pictures, several ''Series/BluePeter'' decorations, a Gerry Anderson fan club membership button, and a ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' patch.

** When not wasting hordes of Jaffa or otherwise saving the world, Colonel Jack O'Neill never misses an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. He's also a bit of a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fan, getting upset when the USAF wouldn't name the first Earth built starship "Enterprise". Also, when he traveled back in time, he said his name was James T. Kirk...then said it was [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker]].

** From ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', there's John Sheppard, who loves Johnny Cash, Popcorn... and [[RunningGag ferris wheels.]]

--> '''Sam''': Yeah... [[SarcasmMode you're not a fan.]]
--> '''Dean''': It's a {{guilty pleasure}}!

* Throughout the run of ''{{Series/MASH}}'', Hawkeye and Trapper/B.J. make numerous references to American pop culture of approximately the late 1940s and early 1950s (and occasionally anachronistic references to American pop culture of the later 1950s or early 1960s). For some reason, the show ''really'' loved to reference ''Film/GoneWithTheWind''.

* Cisco Ramone of ''Series/TheFlash2014,'' aka [[spoiler: Vibe]], loves making references to everything from ''Star Wars'' to ''Harry Potter.'' The badass part only kicks in starting with season 2, however.
* Saul Goodman in ''Series/BreakingBad'' is an eccentric BunnyEarsLawyer who casually makes references to movies, TV, literature, music, and mythology in everyday conversation. He's also able to talk himself and/or his clients away from the deepest legal troubles as well as his strong connections in the criminal network. This trait carries over to his prequel series: ''Series/BetterCallSaul''.

** Buffy herself would obviously be pop cultured, and mentions both ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and ''Films/JamesBond'' in the same breath. Her OneTrueLove Series/{{Angel}} however is even more so, being a Barry Manilow fan, a Creator/DouglasAdams fan, a huge Creator/CharltonHeston fan and just like Faith owns a UsefulNotes/PlayStation.

* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has two pop-cultured badasses in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Peter Quill (Star-Lord)]] and [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Peter Parker (Spider-Man)]]. Quill jams out to classic rock songs from the [=60s=] and [=70s=] while protecting the galaxy, while Parker takes inspiration from classic films like ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' to contend with his foes. Naturally, the two geek out a little when they meet in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

* ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' lampshades how surreal ''Franchise/DukeNukem'' spouting pop-culture one-liners is [[http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/comic/whos-to-say-duke-cant-have-hobbies when Jared laments that he's too nerdy to be like Duke.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' is known around the globe as the world's most dangerous spy, and for good reason. His dialogue is ReferenceOverdosed, one of his catchphrases comes from a Kenny Loggins song, and he has an obsession with Burt Reynolds movies.

* Deconstructed in ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'' and its adaptations. Patrick Bateman tries to define himself through his appreciation for music, art, and pop culture and relates this much to the reader/audience, but his grasp and understanding of his favorite music and artists is reduced to what material they make the most appealing to the widest audiences and lowest common denominator, such as dismissing early Music/{{Genesis}} albums with Music/PeterGabriel (and his "lame solo career") as being "too artsy, too intellectual" and favoring the more commercially-driven direction of the group after Music/PhilCollins became the group's frontman. Other assessments he makes of popular singers and bands are frequently off-the-mark and factually wrong, like being convinced that Music/WhitneyHouston is a ''jazz'' singer or believing [[Music/TheRollingStones "You Can't Always Get What You Want"]] is a song by Music/TheBeatles. In the book and musical, he often speaks of owning what's described as the original version of [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/600x315/5e/2e/c5/5e2ec5ee9ec77bb094ef1b45e762d45a.jpg "Sunrise with Broken Plates"]] by artist David Onica (while discreetly boasting of the high cost he paid to obtain it), only for his ex-girlfriend to later point out to him that he hung it upside down. All of this only serves to further demonstrate Patrick's shallowness and delusions about having "good taste."

* In ''Webcomic/{{Opplopolis}}'' the mysterious spy/mercenary (or something) Moon turns out to be [[http://www.opplopolis.com/issues/5/11 an expert at the NES game Contra]].

* ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' lampshades how surreal ''Franchise/DukeNukem'' spouting pop-culture one-liners is [[http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/comic/whos-to-say-duke-cant-have-hobbies when Jared laments that he's too nerdy to be like Duke]].

* [[GamerChick Zoey]] in VideoGame/Left4Dead knows just how to handle the ZombieApocalypse because of her love for horror movies. May overlap with IKnowMortalKombat.

** Teal'c, surprisingly, after he acclimates to Earth culture. Turns out he's a huge fan of ''Franchise/StarWars''. He also immediately recognizes a reference to ''Film/DieHard'' later in the show, even when none of his teammates got it.

* Q-Feuille from KiddyGirlAnd is quite up to date to the latest shows in-universe and even admits to being an otaku, often shoting out to many popular real life hit Japanese media works. While not much else is shown in the show, she's also implied to be a big reader and has a large collection of novels in her rooms.

They may very well engage in [[DiscussedTrope discussing tropes]] and ConversationalTroping, and weaponising their media awareness to [[GenreSavvy analyse and solve problem]].

* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Harry is a fan of ''Series/DoctorWho'', and often makes references to it. He also gets one of his CrazyEnoughToWork plans from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Astonishingly, it does actually work. Mostly.

** The Doctor likes this. For example, the Master is a fan of the Music/ScissorSisters, and Crane broadcasts ''The Lion Sleeps Tonight'' while converting the masses into Cybermen.

* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Harry is a fan of ''Series/DoctorWho'', and often makes references to it.

* [[GamerChick Zoey]] in VideoGame/LeftForDead knows just how to handle the ZombieApocalypse because of her love for horror movies. May overlap with IKnowMortalKombat.

* Derpy Hooves from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic is a diehard ''JustForFun/DaringDo'' fan, and has been shown cosplaying. As for the badass part? In [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 the movie]] she [[spoiler:helps save Twilight from petrification, TakingTheBullet herself (She gets better)]].