Tropedia

  • All unique and most-recently-edited pages, images and templates from Original Tropes and The True Tropes wikis have been copied to this wiki. The two source wikis have been redirected to this wiki. Please see the FAQ on the merge for more.

READ MORE

Tropedia
WikEd fancyquotesQuotesBug-silkHeadscratchersIcons-mini-icon extensionPlaying WithUseful NotesMagnifierAnalysisPhoto linkImage LinksHaiku-wide-iconHaikuLaconic
Cquote1
"Welcome to Julie Taymor's Playhouse. [beat] Like five of you got that, but the five of you who got it are gonna be laughing."
Doug Walker during his tour of Austria.
Cquote2


When a reference or Shout-Out is made, and it's acknowledged In-Universe to be obscure.

This isn't done all the time, because references tend to be subtle if they are obscure, so that those that don't get them can just enjoy the show. Doing it once in a while can give the audience a bit of curiosity about the reference, but not slow down the show with them wondering about every one.

A Sub-Trope of Genius Bonus.

Compare Pop Cultural Osmosis Failure, Shown Their Work, Late to The Punchline.

Contrast Small Reference Pools.

Not to be confused with characters not getting a commonly known thing.


Examples of Lampshaded the Obscure Reference include:


Live-Action TV[]

  • In the Arrested Development episode "S.O.B.s", Tobias brings up someone named Freddie Wilson while talking, prompting the other characters to say they "don't get that reference". This doubled as an in-joke about how some people thought the show's inability to gain mainstream appeal was caused by its numerous and sometimes obscure jokes about pop-culture and topical references.
  • Played with in an episode of The Middleman, where Middleman '69 (who has been in cryonic stasis for the past four decades) makes a Star Trek reference and notes the unlikeliness of Wendy getting it.
  • On Thirty Rock, Liz tells her writers not to use Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on sketches. "No one knows who Krang is! It would be a waste of time to talk about Krang on television! No more Krang!"

Stand Up Comedy[]

  • Dennis Miller constantly uses obscure pop culture references in his stand-up routine. He occasionally mentions that he's doing so and that many of the people watching won't get them.

Web Original[]

Cquote1

 Spoony: Actually my first thought was that he kinda looks like Locklear from Betrayal at Krondor... Oh God... I just made a Betrayal At Krondor reference in Two-Thousand-and fucking-Eleven... I don't get out much...

Cquote2
Cquote1

 "My thanks to the three people who get that joke."

Cquote2


Web Comics[]

Cquote1

  "Yes, to understand this joke you need to know relativity and image processing theory. No, I am unrepentant."

Cquote2


Western Animation[]

  • Animaniacs did a short where the Warner brothers (and the Warner sister) met Rasputin. They did a pun between "Anastasia" and "anesthesia", and Dot said "Obscure Joke. Ask your parents."
  • Family Guy mentioned Benjamin Disraeli to set up a Cutaway Gag. It cut to Disraeli just looking at the camera and snapping that the viewers didn't have any idea who he was.
  • The Batman: The Brave And The Bold series finale had a character from The DCU appear for the first time.
Cquote1

  "Ambush Bug? You're a pretty obscure hero, even for this show."

Cquote2
Cquote1

 Grandpa Simpson: I was lonelier than Estes Kefauver at a meeting of Murder Incorporated! <Beat> That actually makes sense. Look it up!

Cquote2
    • "They Saved Lisa's Brain":
Cquote1

 Lisa: [reading Comic Book Guy's shirt] "C:/DOS C:/DOS/RUN RUN/DOS/RUN". [laughs] Oh, only one person in a million would find that funny.

Frink: Yes, we call that the "Dennis Miller Ratio".

Cquote2
  • An episode of Robot Chicken spoofed the ending to Sleepaway Camp. The director of Sleepaway Camp quickly showed up and was amazed that anyone would decide to spoof the movie, let alone know the movie even existed.
  • On an episode of The Tick, a hand puppet compared The Tick to Achilles in his tent. When no one, even his ventriloquist, got it he said "The Illiad?" (looks around) "Homer?" (still no reaction) "READ A BOOK!!"
  • A joke from Rocky and Bullwinkle:
Cquote1

 Bullwinkle: Twenty dollars!? That's antihistamine money!

Rocky: Antihistamine money?

Bullwinkle: Yes. It's not to be sneezed at. Get it? Not to be sneezed at?

Rocky: I get it.

Bullwinkle: Thousands won't!

Cquote2