Pop
film
tv
music
lit
net
print
gadget
Avatar
Lady Gaga
Buzz
IRC
Gopher
iPod
Walkman
Victrola
Wired
Tiger Beat
Crazy
DaVinci Code
Ulysses
Nostromo
Lesley Gore
Edie Brickell
Teletubbies
Smurfs
Barbapapa
Ben Hur
Welcome
Danger
know your audience
factors to consider when crafting
a pop culture reference
Like any type of effective communication, try to know key demographics: age, place of origin, ethnicity, gender, family status...
INVERSE APPRECIATION
the more arcane the reference, the more people will feel "in" 
by understanding it.
Find the fine line where your audience
feels like you share their sensibilities
without regularly overshooting them.
What Is Pop?
"The prevailing vernacular culture in any given society..." Wiktionary
It is more difficult and more important to define "society" before trying to grapple with the parameters of pop.
A brief discussion on
Dante's Inferno
Exploring the craft of 
the pop culture reference in blogging and podcasting.
How can you add value to content?
If the facts are the facts, then
why do I prefer one writer or
speaker over another?
If "content is king" then 
why would I rather read or listen to someone who is entertaining but otherwise rehashing information?
How can I bring style to the content I present?