MovieChat Forums > Reality Bites (1994) Discussion > Pop References seem off by ten years

Pop References seem off by ten years

posted 15 years ago by jonesjax
37 replies | jump to latest

Something that has ALWAYS bugged me about this movie. They're supposed to be 20somethings in 1994. I find it hard to believe that they would know all the words to Conjunction Junction or any school-house rock, OR that they would know all the episodes to GOODTIMES. I think more appropriate references would be 1980s or reruns of that era, which weren't any of those things. Then again, Garafolo's character is fascinated by 70s (Shawn Cassidy poster, etc) - but they wouldn't have been more than six when the 80s began. Just didn't buy it. What I did buy is that the writer was my age. Not the characters.

[–] Sly_Vaping_Guy 12 years ago

OP -

I'm a Gen-Xer born in the 70s and all that was stuff was till on t.v. well into the later 80s.

Every Girl With A Henna Tattoo And A Spice Rack Thinks She's A Sister To The Dark Ones.

[–] Rick-34 12 years ago

OP is not of the age group of the characters of this film. I am. All of the pop references of the characters in this film are spot on. The Brady Bunch was big in reruns when these characters would have been kids. Conjunction Junction was on every Saturday morning along with the rest of Schoolhouse Rock. My Sharona was retro at the time this film came out - that's why the characters were enjoying it so much.

The only references that seemed contrived were the nonsense that Ben Stiller was saying. He didn't do a very good job trying to play middlebrow. His way of relating the tale of Hamlet's Yorick was positively painful. Who struggles to find the word "jester"??

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] willydoe71 12 years ago

I'm the same age as Winona Ryder (12 days older) and I completely remember things like Conjunction Junction and School House rock. We also watched Good Times a lot back then. I also remember the craze over Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, etc. The references were spot on in this movie.

[–] Manth_Sigdaw 11 years ago

I always got the impression this movie was more for the older, frontline Gen Xers born in the 60s, rather then the backend of Gen X born from the mid 1970s to early 80s. The endless pop culture references to the 70s indicates people who had a strong childhood attachment to the 70s. The writer was about 25 in 1994, so it makes sense.

[–] lummar 11 years ago

I was in my late 20's when this came out & I knew all of those things. Let's say you were born in 1969, which makes you 25 in 1994, you'd be 11 in 1980 and could easily remember Schoolouse Rock & Goodtimes. Besides, Stiller, Garofalo, and Zahn where all born between 1964-67... well within the timeframe.

[–] zziiyy 11 years ago

I'm an early 70s GenXer, and I know all of these songs and references. People forget - we were raised on TV in the 70s. And, everyone watched TV together, for the most part. But, Saturdays mornings with Schoolhouse Rock is a major memory for people my age. And, I still love Time for Timer. I hanker for a hunka, a slab or slice or chunka, I hanker for a hunka cheese.

[–] kristinaknight 10 years ago

What, no time for breakfast? Now look!

[–] archer1267 11 years ago

I was a 20something in 1994 and their references rang true. They weren't talking about what was popular THEN - they were talking about the stuff they remembered from growing up. And when Troy referenced the sexual tension between Bonnie Franklin and Schneider, I cracked up.

I loved The Odd Couple and could name episodes even though the show was before my time. I watched reruns when growing up. Ditto I Love Lucy. It IS possible for people to appreciate pop culture that's from a different time. Vicki just loved the 70s - Shaun Cassidy, My Sharona, Disco Inferno.

[–] 11 years ago

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