Some pop culture items are so . . . pervasive, they've permeated our society to a depth that one could reasonably expect someone else to understand a general reference to it; ie, Mickey Mouse, "Here's looking at you, kid!" and others.
It's not guaranteed, but most people have a frame of reference.
There's others that are so widely popular and have been mass-marketed so much (Star Wars) that it's pretty rare, though not unheard of, for people to not understand the, "Luke, I'm your Father" reference. Although when it comes to the geekier references (Dungeons & Dragons, sci-fi, fantasy, computer nerd stuff like Tron) it really depends on the "audience".
Still, sometimes in therapy the best analogy you can think of to help illustrate something you are trying to convey, involves a pop culture reference. More often on my, the patient's, part, but occasionally, though not often, my psychologist will do this as well.
For example, when Kung Fu Panda (the first movie) was out in theaters, and had been out for a couple months, I finally saw it, and the moment at the top of the stairs when Master Shifu asks him why he stayed through all the abusive treatment Shifu had dealt out to him, well, Po's (the panda) answer deeply connected with me and I almost started crying (yes, this IS Kung Fu Panda I'm talking about). I thought, someone in Hollywood understands ME.
Now, it's not that important that ANYONE in Hollywood understand me; anyone understanding me at all is excellent! Or, AWESOME as Po would say. Still, you see all sorts of people portrayed in various shows, movies, etc., and if you never see yourself there, you feel like maybe your are too odd, wierd, defective, etc. to ever have a person with any traits similar to you be portrayed.
Now, do I define myself by what's seen in the media? HELL NO! It's just, that moment of connection with Po was a sincerely touching moment for me, and while Po may not necessarily be the personality that many people would want to identify with, well, there it is, I do. My therapist had, actually, seen the movie, and so we spent about half the session talking about the movie and the things I related to in it, silly as that might sound to some, it felt productive, helpful, and validating to me.
On the other hand, if your psychotherapist is relating a pop culture analogy to you, about something you've just told him that prompted him to think of this analogy, and the reference is the movie Fatal Attraction . . . well then maybe you're in trouble. Not with him, mind you, but if your behavior, feelings, thoughts, anything you report brings up a Fatal Attraction reference to his mind . . . well, it seems like a scary thing!
Of course, since I've never SEEN Fatal Attraction, I didn't really get it; he seemed quite surprised that I hadn't seen it. I've heard certain types of references to it so many times I know a little about it just through those; enough to know having what one just told him in therapy being related back to me as a Fatal Attraction reference, is not . . . a positive reflection on me.
Now, he's objective, and I don't believe he was using the references to JUDGE me or anything like that; rather to point out the extremes that certain thought patterns can take you to (not that I think I had done or said anything Fatal Attraction-like, but then, how would I know, since I've never seen it?)
So, he took several risks in using those references, and the fact that I hadn't seen the movie meant his analogies fell kinda flat. Then again, some of mine have as well.
I just know that one probably really needs to look at ones' self and alter ones' course of thought or behavior, if said courses of thought or behavior are inspiring Fatal Attraction references in ones' therapist.
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