The Dark Knight Cool Dark Knight references in pop culture

[ultimatefan]

As anyone who hasn´t lived under a rock in the past couple years knows, TDK is polinized all over pop culture with references, homages, influences, parodies, etc. Let´s point out some of the coolest examples. here are some:

The Office: Creed shows up to the office´s Halloween party as the Heath Ledger Joker and delivers "let´s put a smile on that face" and "I´ll make this pencil (holds elevator door) disappear".

South Park: Pretty much an entire episode references TDK as well as Rorschach in Watchmen all the way through, focused on Cartman trying to be a masked vigilante known as The Coon.

Community: The show´s "Rain Man", human pop culture encyclopaedia Abed shows up to a Halloween party dressed up as Batman, doing a Christian Bale Impression, in the end saves two leading characters and makes a speech that echoes in many ways the ending of TDK.

Iron Man 2: Coincidence or not, IM2 has an interrogation scene between the hero and villain, where the villain tells the hero the "ugly truth".

 

[Cypher00]

A commercial for Pop Secret popcorn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWCxHiOQOOY

 

[Tacit Ronin]

You are gonna get flamed for the Ironman comment. You will be accused of seeing things that aren't there.

 

[ultimatefan]

I´m not saying it´s a rip-off, but there clearly is a general similarity.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

I see it too. But I dare not speak around these parts.

 

[Panthro]

Gotta love pop culture.

 

[The Joker]

A commercial for Pop Secret popcorn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWCxHiOQOOY

Hahahaha, love it!

 

[thedarks0ldier]

I see it too. But I dare not speak around these parts.

People are sensitive around here, but Iron Man fans tend to be more reasonable, especially compared to Bat-fans.

Honestly though, people shouldn't hesitate about posting things that are at least some what thought out.

Think about it, Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins had train sequences. The Dark Knight has a transformer (Tumbler to Bat-Pod). The Joker looks similar to the Crow. People don't mind because none of these artistic decisions are forced, they seem to fit in nicely with their own stories.

Heck, Whiplash and the Joker apparently go to the same barber too, nobody really cares.

As for references in pop culture go I am kinda surprised as to the amount of references. To be honest I kind of expected more but I am glad there isn't a saturation of The Dark Knight quotes and quips out there.

 

[Ipodman]

Heck, Whiplash and the Joker apparently go to the same barber too, nobody really cares.

LOL! t:

 

[Crook]

I´m not saying it´s a rip-off, but there clearly is a general similarity.

Interrogations such as those are pretty standard, however. Personally I find a lot more similarities between the shot of Whiplash/Joker non-nonchalantly walking off-screen from a corridor explosion behind them.

 

[ImWithTeamConan]

I had never seen that commercial before, thanks!

At the end of "The Naked Man" episode of How I Met Your Mother, Ted gives a Gordon speech about The Naked Man like the ending of TDK.

 

[thedarks0ldier]

Hey, does anyone know where that video of the giant joker banner being waved at a soccer game is?

 

[Travesty]

Think about it, Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins had train sequences. The Dark Knight has a transformer (Tumbler to Bat-Pod). The Joker looks similar to the Crow. People don't mind because none of these artistic decisions are forced, they seem to fit in nicely with their own stories.

These are all just coincidences, and have nothing to do with "pop culture references". All the references above, like from The Office, South Park, and Community, are all references to Pop Culture, but the Iron Man2 interrogation scene isn't a TDK reference. That would be like saying that Nolan was referencing Spawn the movie, when Spawn was in a motorcycle chasing Clown in a semi, just like Batman in the Bat-pod chasing The Joker's truck. [YT]Mp0Lr1rYkTw[/YT]

 

[ultimatefan]

These are all just coincidences, and have nothing to do with "pop culture references". All the references above, like from The Office, South Park, and Community, are all references to Pop Culture, but the Iron Man2 interrogation scene isn't a TDK reference. That would be like saying that Nolan was referencing Spawn the movie, when Spawn was in a motorcycle chasing Clown in a semi, just like Batman in the Pat-pod chasing The Joker's truck. [YT]Mp0Lr1rYkTw[/YT]

Again, I never said they were ripping off or anything, but IM2 comes right in the tale of TDK, and the scenes obviously share general similarities -the villain points the "ugly truth" to the hero, accuses him, etc. But then again it´s more or less a staple of the genre, so it´s not a big deal.

The Spawn comparison is a bit forced though. Spawn was neither a critical or commercial hit, and harly any directors allow themselves to be influenced by failures/disappointments/middlings.

 

[Travesty]

Again, I never said they were ripping off or anything, but IM2 comes right in the tale of TDK, and the scenes obviously share general similarities -the villain points the "ugly truth" to the hero, accuses him, etc. But then again it´s more or less a staple of the genre, so it´s not a big deal.

I never once said you were thinking that they "ripped them off". My point, was that the IM2 isn't a reference to TDK, it's just a coincidence. All the other examples you had are references to TDK, through pop culture.

Yes, they share similarities, just like Spawn and TDK do, but neither of those movies are referencing back to either movie, it's just a coincidence.

 

[thedarks0ldier]

These are all just coincidences, and have nothing to do with "pop culture references". All the references above, like from The Office, South Park, and Community, are all references to Pop Culture, but the Iron Man2 interrogation scene isn't a TDK reference. That would be like saying that Nolan was referencing Spawn the movie, when Spawn was in a motorcycle chasing Clown in a semi, just like Batman in the Pat-pod chasing The Joker's truck. [YT]Mp0Lr1rYkTw[/YT]

I am aware of that, and thank you for elaborating my point. I wasn't listing them as references but suggesting to Nuffsaid that similarities and coincidences arise and no one should feel like they can't speak about it.

 

[cchriswake13]

Iron Man 2: Coincidence or not, IM2 has an interrogation scene between the hero and villain, where the villain tells the hero the "ugly truth".

It's not the only one... "You complete me"

and how bout during a sequence in the trailer where I.M or W.M goes flying around destructing cars in his path (bat-pod callback)

I see it too. But I dare not speak around these parts.

Then it's their problem for being so anal about a mere discussion

 

[thedarks0ldier]

then it's their problem for being so anal about a mere discussion

word!

 

[ultimatefan]

Trying to get back to topic, remembered another one:

The Cleveland Show - IN the end, Donna (Cleveland´s wife) saves him from a burglar but gives him the credit because "Stoolbend needs a hero!" and disappears suddenly, Batman-style.

 

[frodawgg]

It's not the only one... "You complete me"

I was thinking someone would bring that up. I can see what you're saying, even though (which I'm sure you're aware of) it's a reference to "Jerry Maguire" and had been done a hundred times before. That being said, I think TDK kind of made it its own, in it's dark humor sort of way.

I find it funny that Robert Downey, Jr. is using it after expressing his hatred for TDK and DC, whether it's an intentional reference or not.

 

[ultimatefan]

^Downey clearly made that derogatory TDK/DC comment in jest, it´s nothing to be taking too seriously. Jon Favreau highly praises TDK.

 

[frodawgg]

^^^ok, i guess i misunderstood it then

EDIT: actually, going back and reading the quote, i really think downey hates it. favreau might love it, but RDJ does not, from what i gather.

 

[ultimatefan]

^^^ok, i guess i misunderstood it then

EDIT: actually, going back and reading the quote, i really think downey hates it. favreau might love it, but RDJ does not, from what i gather.

The problem is inflection doesn´t translate to print. If you see interviews with RDJ, you´ll see he says things like that in jest all the time, but in video you can tell by his face and inflection that he´s just kidding.

 

[frodawgg]

^^^not that i don't believe you or don't believe how you interpret it, but i can't find the video of it, and it comes across to me (and i already took into consideration that inflection doesn't translate to print) that it was serious. some of the things might point to him being sarcastic or joking, but some really don't, such as him burning bridges, which is in reference to him ever working with DC. it just doesn't seem light-hearted.

but, you know, i may be wrong.

 

[Travesty]

I really don't think the "you complete me" line is referring to, or making fun of, TDK. Again, it's just a coincidence that both of those lines were used. "You complete me" is actually a pretty common phrase, and was only made "popular" by Jerry McGuire. It's just a phrase, and nothing more. It would be like saying any movie that uses the phrase "oh behave" is automatically referring back to Austin Powers, when in most cases, it probably isn't. It's just a common phrase that Austin Powers, just so happened, made popular. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe if Tony Stark said it EXACTLY like The Joker, by saying, "you.....complete.....ME!", then maybe I could buy it. But the fact remains, he said it fast, so it really shouldn't even be comparable in terms of use.

Now, if Tony Stark said something along the lines of "I don't wear hockey pads", or making fun of a bat-costume, then I could see the reference, but the "you complete me" is just a common phrase that shouldn't even be referred back to TDK, as it wasn't a catch phrase from that movie, and is more closely associated with Jerry McGuire, if anything.