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->''"While other people were out living their lives, I wasted mine watching TV, because deep down, I knew it might one day help me save the world. Plus, I would have lost my Workman's Comp if I had gone outside."''
-->-- '''Fry''', ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', "[[Recap/FuturamaS1E12WhenAliensAttack When Aliens Attack]]"

While the CulturedBadass and WickedCultured listen to [[Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky Tchaikovsky]] and [[Music/RichardWagner Wagner]], and read [[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietzsche]] in their spare time, the Pop-Cultured Badass rocks out to the latest hits on their [[ProductPlacement iPod]] and discusses their interpretation of recent movies.

They may very well engage in [[DiscussedTrope discussing tropes]] and ConversationalTroping, and weaponising their media awareness to [[GenreSavvy analyse and solve problems]]. They’re also very prone to being SophisticatedAsHell.

Contrast CulturedBadass and WickedCultured. Sometimes the eponymous bunny ears of a BunnyEarsLawyer.

----
!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'':
** Revy 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.
** [[LadyOfWar Balalaika]] quotes Music/OingoBoingo during a HannibalLecture, and she nevertheless remains terrifying.
* ''Anime/{{Canaan}}'' has a taxi driver that drives like a professional stuntman while listening to girly pop idol songs.
* Gintoki from ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' probably one of the biggest in anime and manga as a whole, coming with at least 1 ShoutOut per episode in this already ReferenceOverdosed series, even in serious arcs. He even reads [[Magazine/ShonenJump Weekly Shounen Jump,]] the magazine it's from, and has only mentioned a few with a {{Bland Name|Product}}, but most are directly ShoutOut, if censored are mostly just one character/letter ●-ed or [[SoundEffectBleep bleeped]] out making it quite useless. This has not gone without issues, however, as both Sunrise and Shueisha pray they won't get sued anymore. He's also a HiddenBadass who's a ShellShockedVeteran with a HiddenHeartOfGold who has managed to destroy a spaceship with a bokuto as WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter.
* Applies to pretty much everyone from ''Manga/GoodLuckGirl'', but especially Momiji, who tends to cosplay even while fighting.
* Joseph Joestar of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', to the point where his grandson Jotaro uses 80s pop culture trivia as a SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay test.
-->'''Jotaro:''' Who was the female lead in the 1981 film ''[[Franchise/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan the Ape Man]]''?\\
'''Joseph:''' Creator/BoDerek!\\
'''Jotaro:''' Who performed the parody of Music/MichaelJackson's ''Beat It'' titled ''Eat It''?\\
'''Joseph:''' [[Music/WeirdAlYankovic Al Yankovic]]!\\
'''Jotaro:''' Good grief... I guess you are the real thing if you know pointless crap like that.
* Q-Feuille from ''Anime/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.
* Misogi Kumagawa from ''Manga/MedakaBox'' invokes it. He feeds from a steady diet of ''Shonen Jump'' manga and constantly quotes the print's protagonists, but it's made clear that he's deliberately invoking these series because they have the heroism and ability to win that he himself lacks. That doesn't stop him from being a Minus with absurd fighting ability.
* Izuku Midoriya from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. For one he is very knowledgeable about Pro Heroes, who are treated in-universe like celebrities, to the point of being an {{Otaku}}. His knowledge of them is so vast that he even knows the most obscure Pro Heroes such as Eraserhead & the Wild Wild Pussycats when no one else seems to. For another he was personally chosen by All Might, the at the time No. 1 Pro Hero, to become the next bearer of One for All after coming to the rescue of Bakugo when no other Pro Hero would despite being quirkless. He also not only completes All Might’s training to get into U.A. High School but also gives a realistic depiction of [[MusclesAreMeaningful Muscles Are Meaningful]] everytime [[ShirtlessScene he takes]] [[ClothingDamage off his shirt]]. However his true crowning achievement is being able to survive multiple encounters with villains before even starting his second year of U.A. High School.
* ''Literature/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'': 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': ''The'' [[TropeMaker progenitor]] and original. Spider-Man 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/TheLordOfTheRings'', Website/YouTube, VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft, Creator/DCComics, Creator/ComedyCentral plus [[Series/TheColbertReport Stephen Colbert]] etc. Exaggerated in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''.
* Doc Magus from ''ComicBook/MarvelComics2''. His Sanctum Sanctorum is in [[AscendedFanboy a comic book shop]].
* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: Olsen Twins, Bea Arthur, Fat Albert, Lord of the Flies, Lethal Weapon, The Warriors, Golden Age, Steve Ditko...
-->"You're right. That's why I'm rollin' with my posse" (he was fighting Tombstone, so, gangster affectations are... excusable...)
* Marv from ''ComicBook/SinCity'' has an affinity for country music and cars. He's gone on more than one monologue about the current versions of both.
* The ComicBook/{{Runaways}} in general are this, with the troupe making various references to movies, actors, RealLife events, etc. Even two(three if you count the dinosaur) of their members superhero names are [[ShoutOut Shout Outs]] to Music/TheBeatles and ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace''.
* Most of the ComicBook/YoungAvengers, but particularly Billy Kaplan, aka Wiccan.
* Speedball from the ComicBook/NewWarriors became "kinda addicted to the History Channel"
* In ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} goes in to brief the Teen Titans on the situation of this storyline. She insultingly compares them to "the cast of Series/ICarly".
* Early in his tenure as ComicBook/AntMan, Scott Lang had this as his primary character trait. It faded pretty quickly, and is now a completely forgotten piece of his characterization.
* ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'': Though for much of his history he had a disdain for anything mortal, Loki became this after he was resurrected in the body of a child and discovered the Internet. He is now one of the very few Asgardians who carries a cell phone (he even [[SuperCellReception boosts the reception]] with magic), will use the Internet to accomplish his goals, play video games, and is constantly making pop culture references, having apparently become quite the fan of many movies and TV shows which he gets via "torrents of bits".
* ''ComicBook/CaballisticsInc'': Hannah fights monsters and demons on a daily basis. She also happens to be a big fan of horror movies, which comes in pretty handy when the team is [[TrappedInTVLand trapped inside a horror film dimension]] by an evil director.
* Jon Kent, the newest ''ComicBook/{{Superboy}}'', loves playing his Xbox, watching TV, and makes references to popular titles like Star Wars during a family road trip. He's also a Half-Kryptonian FlyingBrick.
* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': in the Nova Express interview of Adrian Veidt aka. Ozymandias, he mentions that his favorite music is Dub Reggae, which the reporter notes as unexpectedly hip.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Glitch is a fantastic mechanic whose love of human pop culture and bouncy ways make him seem like a tiny harmless AmusingAlien, until the twelve foot tall aliens that had once enslaved his people try to invade earth and he shows that he is a more than capable fighter despite his small stature. He'd dropped hints beforehand given he was part of a successful SlaveRevolt but had greatly played down any violence.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' fanfic ''{{FanFic/Gemini}},'' AxCrazy SerialKillerKiller Captain June Harper makes numerous references to ''{{Series/Firefly}},'' ''Franchise/StarTrek'', ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', and one of her signature [[ImprobableAimingSkills trick-shots]] is based on a [[FamousFamousFictional "Taska Venkman" series of spy movies.]]
* Once he's had a chance to spend some time in the 21st century without having his memory erased, OneManArmy SuperSoldier Bucky Barnes in ''Fanfic/AintNoGrave'' becomes very fond of modern music, especially hip-hop.
* In ''Fanfic/DumbledoresArmyAndTheYearOfDarkness'', Colin Creevey is a major pop-culture fan, befitting his Muggle heritage. This comes up more in the side works, but is mentioned in the main fic.
* ''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.
** Doctor Strange, of all people, who made his apprentice memorize the Main/EvilOverlordList and often references Series/DoctorWho (it's speculated in-universe that he may have been behind the creation of both).
* A regular thing amongst characters of ''Fanfic/CoreLine''. This Very Wiki and Tropes within are quoted by name and asking if someone has seen a certain shows or film or comic is a regular InUniverse type of "AsYouKnow". This is pretty much a survival necessity because the setting has a broken Fourth Wall and many characters who were once fiction are running around.
* In crossover ''FanFic/GemsAreUnbreakable'' Josuke has an abundant knowledge of western movies and TV, and can kick anyone's ass in a heartbeat.
* ''Fanfic/GirlsNightOut'': Bette and Karen are both tuned-in when it comes to this sort of thing. Bette frequently makes various references and doesn't care if there's anyone around to get them.
* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'' Daniel is a GodEmperor and a gigantic, proud geek who will proudly reference [[Film/TheLastStarfighter movies]], [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland books]], tv-shows or [[WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}} Disney movies]].
* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'' has ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, who turns out to be an avid reader of Creator/MichaelMoorcock's books.
* ''Fanfic/AuroraBorealis'': Given the number of pop culture jokes that run around the Shatterdomes, not only the Rangers but everyone in the Shatterdomes is well-known in modern culture and either kicks Kaiju ass or helps the ass-kickers at it.
* In crossover ''Fanfic/TheVampireOfSteel'', super-heroine Kara has read ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' and enjoys Creator/VCAndrews' works.
* In crossover ''FanFic/TheDresdenFillies'', Dresden manages to reference ''Film/ThePrincessBride'', the new ''Doctor Who'', Star Wars (twice!) and use a Vulcan greeting in Strange Friends alone. Without breaking a sweat.
-->'''Harry:''' That’s the worst part about being here. Nobody gets my jokes.
* Similarly, Harry Dresden in ''Fanfic/BeyondTheOuterGateLies'' is quite prone to throw shout outs in a conversation. A good part of the time, the other characters don't catch them.
** Of course, it becomes hilarious when he faces off with Sirzechs (Rias' brother and one of the devils' main leaders), who quickly fires back to a Rolling Stones reference by continuing it and is a fan of Sentai.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* The titular ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' becomes one after being introduced to [[KlingonsLoveShakespeare Earth comic books.]] In particular he's a fan of ComicBook/{{Superman}}, pretending to be him during a play session with Hogar and emulating his flying pose late in the movie.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', whilst not a fighter, Mr. Gao ''is'' still an expert in the mystical events of the film, and able to keep it together during the climax of the film [[spoiler:as Ming's kaiju-sized red panda form rampages through the Toronto [=SkyDome=]]]. Though all of Mei's family chant a traditional Chinese mantra during the sealing ritual, he says what's truly important is singing ''from the heart'', and then adds he would prefer to sing Tony Bennett songs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Bill from ''Film/KillBill'', [[AuthorAppeal who seems to be a fan]] of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] comics. Which is probably where the Bride got it from.
* ''Film/GhostRiderDuology'': Johnny Blaze '''really''' enjoys the music of the Carpenters... and jelly beans.
* Abigail Whistler from ''[[Film/{{Blade}} Blade: Trinity]]'', who was listening to trip hop while kicking ass. Kind of counterlogical too. Why would you want to cut off one of your main senses while wading into melee combat?
* ''Film/CrimsonTide'': Lt. Commander Ron Hunter has the balls to stare down a Naval captain and his backers who insist on launching an unconfirmed preemptive nuclear strike. He's also got time to talk the ''ComicBook/SilverSurfer'' and ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
* ''Film/PulpFiction'': Vincent and Jules both frequently reference pop-culture as they do their jobs. Creator/QuentinTarantino is famous for his eclectic, pop-culture-laden dialogue, so this extends to many of his other characters.
* In ''Literature/BridgetJones: 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.
* Many of the characters in ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'' fall under this trope. Superspy Harry Hart is familiar with ''Film/TradingPlaces'', ''Film/{{Nikita}}'', and ''Film/PrettyWoman,'' and discusses Literature/JamesBond and spy film tropes with the BigBad. His protege is a streetwise thug who knows ''Theatre/MyFairLady'' and names his dog after [[Series/TwentyFour Jack Bauer]],
* Among Ivan Ooze's lamentations as he's trashing the Command Center in ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'' is missing ''Series/TheBradyBunch'' reunion.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** Peter Quill (Star-Lord) from ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' jams out to classic rock songs from the [=60s=], [=70s=] and [=80s=] while protecting the galaxy. His very first appearance has him searching for the Orb while rocking to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love", even grabbing a lizard-like creature to use as an impromptu mic. He also says that the Orb has "a real [[Film/KissMeDeadly shiny blue suitcase,]] [[Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk Ark of the Covenant]], [[Film/TheMalteseFalcon1941 Maltese Falcon]] sort of vibe" and later tells Gamora about ''Film/{{Footloose}}''.
** [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Peter Parker (Spider-Man)]] even goes as far as to take inspiration from classic films like ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' to contend with his foes. Naturally, both he and Quill geek out when they meet in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' (although they have very different opinions on ''Footloose'').
** In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', James Rhodes (War Machine) reveals himself to be a pop-culture geek as well, frequently name-dropping movies like ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' and ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' while going over plans. Specifically in this exchange during a time travel experiment:
--->'''Professor Hulk:''' Who told you that?\\
'''Rhodey:''' ''Franchise/StarTrek, Franchise/{{Terminator}}, Film/TimeCop, Film/TimeAfterTime''.\\
'''Scott Lang:''' ''Series/QuantumLeap''.\\
'''Rhodey:''' ''Literature/AWrinkleInTime, Film/SomewhereInTime''.\\
'''Scott Lang:''' ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine''.\\
'''Rhodey:''' ''Hot Tub Time Machine, Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure''. Basically any movie that deals with time travel.\\
'''Scott Lang:''' ''Die Hard''? No, that's not one.
* ''Film/TrueLies'': Harry Tasker is being tailed by two of Haziz's henchmen on the night of his birthday and offhandedly nicknames them Westernanimation/BeavisAndButthead when discussing a strategy with before leading said henchmen into a [[BathroomBrawl a fight inside a mall's bathroom.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] is constantly dropping references to everything from ''Star Wars'' to [[Franchise/HarryPotter another wizard called Harry]]. He is a self-professed follower of "the Tao of [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]]" and even references the EvilOverlordList at a couple of points. Presumably one of his fellow badass nerds from the Alphas printed it out for him, what with the WalkingTechbane thing.
* Joseph Carrion of the ''Literature/MediochreQSethSeries'' is arguably the biggest BadassNormal in the setting, and is also a fan of ''Franchise/StarTrek'', ''Series/TheATeam'', and Music/TheBeatles.
* 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 LowestCommonDenominator, such as dismissing early Music/{{Genesis|Band}} 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/TheRollingStonesBand "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."
* The ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' all make plenty of references to 90s pop culture - even Ax, an alien, gets in on it a bit once he starts [[AliensStealCable binge-watching TV]] in his spare time. [[SadClown Marco]] is the most frequent offender; he [[spoiler: unconsciously gives himself away to the Yeerk controlling his mom]] by referencing ''The Prince of Egypt''.
* Gary Karkofsky in ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga'' is constantly making references to everything from Star Wars to the Lord of the Rings to [[Website/TVTropes this very wiki]]. He's also capable of killing Kaiju with his superpowers. {{Deconstructed}} as it turns out Gary uses ConfusionFu to take down opponents who dismiss him as a fool.
* Chiun in ''[[{{Literature/TheDestroyer}} The Destroyer]]'' series of books is a [[OldMaster grand master]] of [[SupernaturalMartialArts the supreme martial art Sinanju]], which among many other things allows one to [[DodgeTheBullet dodge bullets]], break through the wall of a bank vault with one punch and survive a lethal fall by landing in a small puddle of water ''just right''. Chiun's favourite pastime is watching soap operas, which he considers the only significant artistic contribution the United States has ever managed.
* In the ''Literature/RedRoom'' series, Derek Hawthorne is a fan of Bruce Lee, the Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, James Bond films (enough to know details about individual films), several video games, Star Wars, and horror movies. {{Justified|Trope}} as it's mentioned Derek, despite the fact he's a super-cool spy, was more or less raised at home by the television.
* ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'':
** DC Peter Grant is a serious magic user, plus a trained police officer, and his conversation and narration are both a near-constant stream of references to sci-fi and fantasy, especially ''Series/DoctorWho'' and ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''. In ''False Value'' his immediate reaction on learning another magical group calls itself the Ordo Machinis Spectandis is to make a ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' joke, prompting the junior member, who's been working with him for a while, to explain to his superior "He talks like that all the time. Just ignore it."
** The Faceless Man is the ruthless and powerful Big Bad. He's also a ''massive'' Creator/JRRTolkien nerd who actually uses Quenya in his magical booby traps.
* ''Literature/InCryptid'': Antimony Price, who's also a NerdActionHero, constantly peppers her dialogue and narration with references to movies, TV, and comics. About half the examples on the [[ShoutOut/InCryptid Shout Out]] page are from her. She also picked "FinalGirl" as her UsefulNotes/RollerDerby name.
* ''Literature/HarrowTheNinth'': When we get to know the Emperor, it turns out that, being an immortal GodEmperor, he knows a ''lot'' of early 21st century meme culture...which makes some conversations with him deeply confusing to the other characters, especially for Harrow, who is barely eighteen and has no possible hope of knowing what "none Houses with left grief" is a reference to.
* The ''Literature/DiogenesClub'' series:
** In ''Literature/{{Swellhead}}'' there's a subversion; the villain is massively intelligent and knows everything, but he is actually ''defeated'' by his [[DiscoDan lack of knowledge]] of the younger generation's pop culture. Not "as a consequence of"; By. [[spoiler:After failing to name the singer who had a hit with "I Should Be So Lucky", [[YourHeadASplode his head explodes]]. Or, if you prefer, goes [[StealthPun pop]].]]
** Derek Leech, the series's GreaterScopeVillain, one of the world's foremost diabolical masterminds, is a prophet of tacky consumer culture (hey, who said it had to be ''good'' pop culture?) and has the kind of mind that thinks it's pretty neat for his sinister black luxury car to have a horn that plays the theme from ''Jaws''.
* Denizen of ''Literature/KnightsOfTheBorrowedDark'' is a member of a secret army fighting a war with horrific monsters, as well as a teenage boy with a fondness for fantasy novels. It's made him GenreSavvy and surprisingly cynical, and his narration is strewn with references to ''Literature/ArtemisFowl, Literature/{{Discworld}}, Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', etc.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BabylonFive'': Mr. Garibaldi is [[FanOfThePast a huge fan]] of old WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes cartoons, specifically WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck. At one point, his [[SpaceFighter Starfury]] can be seen to have Daffy Duck NoseArt. He's even quote-checked Elmer Fudd as a PreAssKickingOneLiner. Contrast with his first boss, Commander Sinclair, [[WarriorPoet who was more of a fan of Tennyson.]]
* ''Series/BandOfBrothers'': George Luz is knowledgeable about movies and musicals.
* 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''.
* Detective Jake Peralta from ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' prefers ''Franchise/DieHard'', but he'll reference everything from ''Film/CaptainPhillips'' to ''Series/GameOfThrones'' at the slightest opportunity.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** Spike has moments of this.
** 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.
** Xander is so very much this, after losing an eye and being made Buffy's number two, he likes to be referred to as ComicBook/NickFury, even using this to charm Renee.
** Faith has brought up everything from ''Franchise/StarWars'' to ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' to ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', and she hasn't exactly been around Xander or Andrew.
** Buffy herself would obviously be pop cultured, and mentions both ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and ''Film/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 Platform/PlayStation.
* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': Bartowski loves his video-games, Sci-Fi movies, and ''[=MacGyver=]''.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'':
** Abed. The badass part is best demonstrated by the "paintball war movie" episodes.
** The same goes for Jeff, who admits in the pilot he was "raised on TV".
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** Take the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace. If you look closely at her jacket, 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.
** In one Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures novel, the Eighth Doctor (yes, the one with the [[GorgeousPeriodDress cravat]] and the long hair) [[WaxingLyrical quotes]] "All Along the Watchtower", whilst in an EnemyMine situation with a man who [[OrganTheft literally stole his heart]], trying to escape a creepy EldritchLocation (ie., ItMakesSenseInContext):
--->'"'There must be some way out of here,' said the joker to the thief".'
** 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 [[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion once]] gave a humanitarian speech to an alien race that was threatening to kill a third of Earth's population... with lyrics from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}''. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E7TheIdiotsLantern "The Idiot's Lantern"]], he uses Music/KylieMinogue lyrics for an inspirational quote.
** Creator/JohnSimm's Master was seen watching and enjoying the Teletubbies in [[Recap/DoctorWhos29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]], and later rocked out to both the Music/RogueTraders and, in the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords next episode]], the Music/ScissorSisters, while decimating the population of Earth.
** The Eleventh Doctor references ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and [[Creator/LewisCarroll Lewis Carroll]], amongst others.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': John Crichton, with heavy, heavy emphasis on the Pop Culture, especially early on before he really develops the Badass. And he never stops, no matter the situation--one time, when he realized he was going to be frozen in stone for 80 years, one of his regrets was that [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] would be dead by then. To clarify, he started out as a SouthernFriedGenius who [[TookALevelInBadass took several levels in badass]].
* ''Series/TheFlash2014'':
** Cisco Ramone, 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.
** Barry Allen (though not as much as Cisco) is no slouch in the pop-culture area either. He enjoys Lady Gaga, has a zombie movie rating scale, and is clearly annoyed when his wife mixes up ''Star Trek'' with ''Star Wars.''
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': Sawyer, given the amount of [[TheNicknamer references]] he makes.
* 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''.
* In ''Series/{{Misfits}}'', the misfits defeat a person with a compelling voice by drowning it out with their individual choices of iPod music.
* ''Series/TheNanny'':
** The title character Fran is absolutely this trope. In one episode, her pop culture knowledge actually helps her successfully track down the guy who'd kidnapped C.C.'s dog (ItMakesSenseInContext).
** In "The Nanny Napper", Fran is arrested for allegedly kidnapping a foreign woman's baby (she was simply holding him for her on the subway, before being separated). She likens her plight to that of a soap opera, which the foreign woman watches too, leading to an intense dual-language conversation about the show, which convinces the police to drop the charges. (It helped that [[RealMenWearPink the supervising officer watched too]].)
** In "Franny and the Professor", C.C. and her brother make a bet that Fran's pop culture knowledge could make her a contestant on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}} - and it does.
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Tony seldom has a scene where he doesn't drop some kind of reference to movies.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'': Shawn and Gus are a gold mine of obscure references of eighties films no one but them have bothered to remember as well as more modern fare such ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', ''Series/TheMentalist'' (with appropriate TakeThat and LampshadeHanging to DuelingShows), ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' and others.
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'':
** Captain Jeremy Baker. He said, "This is so dramatic. You guys remember Series/OneLifeToLive?"
** Miles Matheson shows himself as this by saying, "You're gonna poke your eye out, kid," and making a comment about Jason Neville having a "boy-band" face.
** Major Tom Neville shows himself to really like Lionel Ritchie and compares John Sanborn to Travis Bickle of ''Film/TaxiDriver''.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** 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]].
** 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 Daniel failed to get it.
** From ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', there's John Sheppard, who loves Johnny Cash, Popcorn... and [[RunningGag ferris wheels]].
** Eli Wallace in ''Series/StargateUniverse'', who frequently drops sci-fi and comic book references, built his own version of a hoverboard and uses cartoon characters as aliases. His tendency to do gets to the point where Colonel Young once orders him to "reply in English, Ancient... Bat-Signal".
*** As a cartoon character example, Eli used Ancient body-swapping technology to visit his mother on Earth in the body of someone else. She didn't have security clearance, so he wasn't allowed to say "I'm your son in someone else's body", so he identified himself as a friend of Eli named [[{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}} Phillip J Fry]].
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'': Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker of the NX-01 Enterprise is fond of his ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics and classic movies.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** Dean Winchester is a fan of classic rock and B-grade horror movies, among other things. In "Hollywood Babylon", his movie knowledge paid off. Every episode has him [[ReferenceOverdosed make tons of references]] to pop culture including name-dropping celebrities, films, etc. "Scoobynatural" has him fanboying over the Mystery Inc. crew the whole episode due to his love of Scooby Doo. In "Changing Channels", his love of television shows makes him incredibly savvy when the Trickster traps them in TV-Land, particularly whilst they're in the ''[[Series/GreysAnatomy Dr Sexy MD]]'' universe:
--->'''Sam:''' Yeah... [[SarcasmMode you're not a fan.]]\\
'''Dean:''' It's a {{guilty pleasure}}!
* ''Series/TheWire'': Chris Partlow, assassin and fan of Baltimore Club.
* Justin Russo from ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' manages to be both this, and a CulturedBadass. A [[BadassBookworm highly intelligent and well read]] young man, Justin loves comic books (to the point where he even ends up owning his favourite one and writing it himself), collects action figures (and plays with them), enjoys roleplaying games, can speak (fictional) alien languages and is a huge fan of inverse band "Tears of Blood". He's also a TeenGenius wizard, the last surviving [[HunterOfMonsters monster hunter]], whose done things like take on three thugs with his bare hands and emerge victorious, and stared down monsters and demons.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Subverted with Music/JonLajoie's alter ego, MC Vagina. He tries to be one, but just ends up with the funniest {{Analogy Backfire}}s ''ever''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]
* Andrew, Laxus, and Zachary Virchaus in ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG''. Andrew and Zach are your ordinary pop culture-loving citizens-turned-ActionSurvivor, while Laxus, like all Martians, has made extensive study of Earth's pop culture. There's also quite a few unnamed Dino Attack agents who love spewing pop cultural quotes and references on the comm chatter during the FinalBattle.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/BlazBlue'' has this a lot, being a JustForFun/TropeOverdosed parody/{{Reconstruction}} of anime and Japanese fighting games. The most notable ones are [[BigBad Ha]][[FauxAffablyEvil z]][[{{Troll}} a]][[BadassInANiceSuit m]]a, [[LittleBitBeastly Ma]][[HotBlooded ko]][[MsFanservice to]], and [[TheDitz Tao]][[CatGirl kaka]].
-->'''Hazama'''
--->[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Strike me down with all of your hatred!]]
--->[[Film/TheShining HEEEEEEEEEERRRREEEEEE'SSS TERUMI!]]
--->Come on now, Carl Clover. [[ComicBook/TheJoker Why so]] [[Film/TheDarkKnight serious?]]
--->[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!]]
--->[[Franchise/MortalKombat Get over here!]]
--->[[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei Please just die for me!]]
-->'''Makoto'''
--->[[WesternAnimation/TheTick SPOON!]]
--->[[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar ATATATATATATATATATATATA!!]]
--->[[Anime/{{FLCL}} Those who conquer the left, conquers the world!]]
--->[[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Meka-leka-hi-meka-hiney-ho!]]
-->'''Taokaka'''
--->[[Film/BlazingSaddles Now please do... that voodoo... that YOU do... SOOOO WELLLLLL!]]
--->[[Franchise/SailorMoon In the name of... that round white thingy in the night sky... I shall punish you!]]
--->[[ComicBook/SpiderMan My kitty senses are tingling!]] You're a bad guy, aren't you?
* Francis York Morgan of ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition.'' [[EstablishingCharacterMoment At his introduction, he's discussing the subtext of]] WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry and his theory about them living in a co-dependent, sadomasochistic relationship. And when the player drives around for long in a car, he will randomly start discussions about various [[BMovie B-Movies]], such as ''Film/AttackOfTheKillerTomatoes'', or PunkRock, during which he name-drops bands such as Music/JoyDivision, with his ImaginaryFriend Zach.
* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'' is a living, breathing pop culture reference. Most of his catchphrases are directly taken from action flicks of the 80s and 90s.
* Ness in ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' is implied to love Rock music, due to the default Favorite Thing being "Rockin'". It also becomes his most powerful attack, and the most powerful of all the playable characters.
* As revealed at the Memory Den in Goodneighbor, the Sole Survivor from ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' is a consumer of pop culture both real and fictional. For real fiction when interacting with Dr. Amari they reveal they have watched ''Film/Frankenstein1931'' film by quoting it. For in universe fiction when interacting with Kent Connolly they reveal they have listened to every episode of “The Silver Shroud” and can even take up the mantle of the titular character in a quest to bring peace and justice to the Commonwealth. In addition the Sole Survivor can also play six different minigames on their Pip-Boy based on real world video games from the 1970’s and 1980’s.
* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/FarCry3'', Jason Brody, makes a number of references to various media. [[TheDragon Vaas]] is also an example of this trope.
-->''(sets out to meet Buck)'' "Hehehe, [[Film/KillBill his name is Buck and he likes to]] [[CurseCutShort fu-]]"[[note]]This one seems a ''lot'' HarsherInHindsight when you find out what he was strongly implied to have done to one of Jason's buddies while holding him hostage to force Jason into a FetchQuest.[[/note]]
-->''(being pursued on boat)'' "[[Franchise/StarWars Use the Force,]] [[spoiler:[[Franchise/StarWars Riley!]]]]"
-->''(finds a briefcase with the [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Abstergo]] logo on it)'' "That symbol looks familiar..."
-->''(entering silo)'' "You know, I could really use a [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} portal]] right about now."
* The titular gecko from the ''VideoGame/{{Gex}}'' spends all his time watching TV. Not only is the games' level full of shoutouts to various popular movies and Television shows but Gex himself cracks around references throughout the game to pop-culture.
* Similarly to ''Blazblue'', the protagonist of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', Sol Badguy, is stated by Daisuke Ishiwatari to be a huge Music/{{Queen}} fan. [[spoiler:Funny enough, his age of [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld around 170]] would put him as being born in the 1980's, and his real name is Frederick]].
* [[GamerChick Zoey]] in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' knows just how to handle the ZombieApocalypse because of her love for horror movies. May overlap with IKnowMortalKombat. This actually bit her in the ass in her backstory, as her mother got infected and bit her father. Based on their knowledge of zombie movies, he asked her to kill him so he wouldn't turn into a zombie and attack her too. Unfortunately, [[NotHisSled the virus didn't work like that]]; as she eventually learned, she was actually immune to the virus, and the gene for immunity is passed from fathers, meaning [[SenselessSacrifice her father wasn't actually going to turn into a zombie at all]].
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' (the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC) it turns out Garrus and Legion are this. It doesn't get much play in the game, but then most of their activities are subject to [[LawOfConservationOfDetail conservation of detail]] (Garrus listens to pop and dance music while in combat, and Legion is a gamer nerd in his spare time).
** [[AcePilot Joker]] also frequently throws out pop-culture references and the occasional FandomNod. It helps he's voiced by Creator/SethGreen.
** The Citadel DLC for 3 reveals that Tali's romance lines are lifted almost entirely from her favorite movie, which she was unaware Shepard hadn't seen.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** Solid Snake loves action movies.
** Otacon is named after an anime conention, that's how much he likes anime.
** Revolver Ocelot is a big fan of Spaghetti Western films, even wearing cowboy boots and a duster coat on the field. He's also called "Revolver" [[RevolversAreJustBetter for a reason]].
** Raiden met Rose by correcting her on which building King Kong climbed.
** Specifically averted with Naked Snake/[[spoiler:Big Boss]] however; he's constantly being told about movies by his team, with his British commanding officer Major Zero being a devout Bond fan. Snake on the other hand can only be described as naive in this field.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' gives us Johnny Cage, an actor whose intro lines are almost always film references (when they're not trash-talking his opponents).
** Cassie 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 selfie with her opponents corpse on her phone, and ''posting'' it on Social Media.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'': Travis Touchdown, OccidentalOtaku, Assassin.
* Belial, the player character in ''VideoGame/{{Painkiller}} Overdose'', who constantly references films and movies in his neverending series of one-liners repeated ad nauseam.
* Aya Brea, at least in the ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve2'', turns out to be a massive geek who enjoys referencing and making fun of video games (Squaresoft, natch) movies and literature. She also jokes at length at most of the things that can be looked at and... oh, is a supernatural FBI agent who is basically a [[OneManArmy one woman Hostage Rescue Team]] with superpowers.
* The Boss in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' is a gigantic badass with a taste for pop music. Granted, you ''can'' listen to the Classical station, but when the in-game radio is set to something automatically, it's usually an 80s or early 90s one-hit wonder like "Opposites Attract" and the Boss will cheerfully demand their partner at that point sing along with them.
* Lo Wang in the 2013 version of ''[[VideoGame/ShadowWarrior2013 Shadow Warrior]]'' is introduced with ''You Got the Touch'' blaring from his car stereo, and it only gets deeper from there. He drops references to video games and movies, and in his secret lair he has comic book art hanging on the walls.
* Similarly, ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'''s majority of shout-outs come from Peacock, a walking, talking, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick killing]] throwback to UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. She looks like something out of a deranged [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] cartoon. She's actually a small-scale RealityWarper, and her love of classic animation has her manifest the power as a gang of cartoonish cronies, and various powers based on old cartoons.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* WebAnimation/AnimatorVsAnimation:
** The main characters-- [[ArtAttacker The Second Coming]], [[ConstructionIsAwesome Green]], [[CaringGardener Blue]], [[GadgeteerGenius Yellow]], and [[TheBeastmaster Red]] are simple stick figures but awesome badasses as most of their adventures and skills stem from the many video games they play, such as Franchise/SuperMarioBros, VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends, [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldandSilver Pokemon]], and particularly VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}. They also enjoy watching other people play video games and Website/{{YouTube}} action videos of other stick figures fighting each other.
** [[PurpleIsPowerful Purple]] is very knowledgeable and skilled in Minecraft as well as [[BigBad King Orange]] who dedicated his life to learn everything about the game and the mysteries behind it in order to gain the most powerful item and destroy Minecraft.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* 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/ElGoonishShive'':
** Justin is moving in this direction now that [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-09-27 he has]] [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-10-08 the badass part down.]] He works in a comic book shop, and has all of the interests that his job implies.
** Susan the magical militant feminist knows at least as much about pop media as Justin and Tedd, and even starts doing video movie reviews with Elliot, who also qualifies since becoming a bonafide superhero([[GenderBender ine]]).
** Since Grace lives with the Verres family, she's getting a lot of secondhand pop culture exposure from them. Grace is an alien hybrid super soldier.
* Jareth in ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' is a Pop Cultured HiddenBadass, he can be cool if he wants to, is the most powerful of the main cast, and is ''really'' into Internet culture [[MemeticMutation meme]]s and {{fandom}}s. He referenced the RulesOfTheInternet (intentionally badly), used {{Fan Nickname}}s, and also countered in a game SuperHero with Nyan Cat.
* Most of the kids/trolls from ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' qualify for this. References made include, but aren't limited to: Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}, [[Music/InsaneClownPosse Juggalos]], Betty Crocker, [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix Wright]], Franchise/IndianaJones, ''Film/ShortCircuit'', ''ComicBook/IronMan'', ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', etc.
* Tyler Dawn in ''[[{{Webcomic/Morphe}} morphE]]'' is a typical D&D playing college kid obsessed with fiction. He relates all the abnormal and terrifying things in the awakened world of mages through fiction as a reference point (his reaction to having a death collar put on him was to refer to them as ''Film/BattleRoyale'' collars) it is this trait and mindset which makes him the first to adjust to his situation and to do so with unparalleled speed and enthusiasm. The more grounded characters take a while.
* ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' lampshades how surreal ''VideoGame/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.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Nearly ''everyone'' in ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''. Presumably the entire galaxy has its own versions of Earth classics so that even characters like Frieza and Nappa can make references to ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' and "[[Literature/OldYeller Old]] [[RecycledInSpace Space]] [[Literature/OldYeller Yeller]]"
-->'''Krillin:''' How is that a thing?!
** Gohan even lampshades this at one point:
--->'''Vegeta:''' Well if isn't [[Film/TheThreeStooges Moe Howard.]]\\
'''Gohan:''' How do you even...?\\
'''Vegeta:''' Space Creator/{{Hulu}}.\\
'''Gohan:''' Figures.
* Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the WebOriginal/ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum are protecting a pop culture universe. They need to be up on the canon; it's their job.
* In ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged'', Kirito is both the best player of the titular game and someone who makes constant shout-outs to movies, other video games, and more. This is actually a plot point: [[spoiler:Heathcliff ''also'' likes to make movie references, and the fact that Kirito is the only one to get them, and remember that Kayaba made the exact same references at the very start of the death game, helps Kirito put together that Kayaba and Heathcliff are the same person.]]
* Generator (Jade Sinclair) from the Literature/WhateleyUniverse, who is a Hello Kitty addict and has been known to sing J-Pop anime theme songs. In public.
** Generator has built herself a working Raising Heart (of Franchise/LyricalNanoha fame) and has a Nanoha costume in her purse of holding.
** Chaka would have to count too, since she's the team DeadpanSnarker and once beat up a CIA team while listening to Macy Gray (she was out for a jog).
** Razorback is a [[{{Berserker}} Rager]] with incredible speed and regeneration powers who looks like cross between a velociraptor and a stegosaur. He is also a talented cartoonist, and plays guitar (mostly heavy metal covers).
* Dragon of ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' is an AI who has quoted [[VideoGame/{{Portal 2}} Wheatley]] in response to an attempted LogicBomb. She's also the best [[GadgeteerGenius tinker]] in the world by virtue of her synthetic nature, can kick an enormous amount of ass in her extremely sophisticated PoweredArmor, and is the closest thing to a BigGood in the setting.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''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 Music/KennyLoggins song, and he has an obsession with Burt Reynolds movies.
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': Wheeler is one of the show's biggest providers of {{Shout Out}}s, dropping references to works from ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' to ''Franchise/{{Alien}}''. Although his position as the show's ButtMonkey obscures it somewhat, he's implied to have been a scarily competent fighter even ''before'' getting [[PlayingWithFire the Fire Ring.]] During the show itself, he's done things like attacking a dragon head-on to save a trapped teammate.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' once parodied this with a DrillSergeantNasty who watches lots of TV and movies and drops pop culture references in every line.
-->"I am your media-savvy worst nightmare!"
* [[IdiotHero Philip J. Fry]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' frequently drops pop culture references and does incredibly badass things... all the while screaming like a little girl.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': Stumpy watches a lot of movies, and his knowledge of movies has actually helped the gang in difficult situations.
* When Dr. Drakken from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' accidentally sucked everyone into television reality, [[{{Sidekick}} Ron]] was able to navigate the reality with his extensive knowledge of shows and their subsequent timeslots.
* 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)]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Luz, Amity, Gus, and Hunter all qualify by the time of the third season, with the former two being diehard ''Good Witch Azura'' fangirls, and the latter two becoming [[WhereNoParodyHasGoneBefore the in-universe equivalent]] of {{Trekkie}}s. [[spoiler:Not only do they spend the final two episodes on a quest to save the world while dressed in HalloweenCosplay, but Luz even uses an ''Azura'' quote as a PreMortemOneLiner during the final battle.]] The only one of group who doesn't qualify is Willow, who (while just as powerful as the others) is more interested in sports than pop culture.
* Beast Boy from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' once used his pop culture knowledge of ([[ShowWithinAShow fictitious]]) television shows in order to save the day when the Titans were [[TrappedInTVLand sucked into the television]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'': Clover is a ValleyGirl superspy whose wide knowledge about pop culture is often very useful in her spy missions.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'':
** 21 was already pop culture savvy by the first three seasons, but by Season 4, he became a pumped-up pop culture badass.
** Almost ''everyone'' in the show is this, especially the Monarch.
[[/folder]]

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

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