How do you feel about Dragon Ball references in mainstream media?

[DBZfan29]

This has probably been discussed before, but recently an SNL skit made a joke about Trump "going Super Saiyan" after his impeachment. It made me cringe... so I got to thinking, what do you all think about references to Dragon Ball in mainstream media? It usually just reminds me that I'm a nerd watching a kid's show. That "Goku" song by Soulja Boy also made me cringe. Thoughts?

[Planetnamek]

This has probably been discussed before, but recently an SNL skit made a joke about Trump "going Super Saiyan" after his impeachment. It made me cringe... so I got to thinking, what do you all think about references to Dragon Ball in mainstream media? It usually just reminds me that I'm a nerd watching a kid's show. That "Goku" song by Soulja Boy also made me cringe. Thoughts?

I'm fine with it as I honestly don't see that many of them in mainstream media, so I was quite amused when SNL did that.

Does Super Sonic count as a reference?

Ugh did not know that talentless hack Soulja Boy did a DB song but i'm not surprised.

[DBZfan29]

This has probably been discussed before, but recently an SNL skit made a joke about Trump "going Super Saiyan" after his impeachment. It made me cringe... so I got to thinking, what do you all think about references to Dragon Ball in mainstream media? It usually just reminds me that I'm a nerd watching a kid's show. That "Goku" song by Soulja Boy also made me cringe. Thoughts?

I'm fine with it as I honestly don't see that many of them in mainstream media, so I was quite amused when SNL did that.

Does Super Sonic count as a reference?

Ugh did not know that talentless hack Soulja Boy did a DB song but i'm not surprised.

I think he did 2 songs.

[Soppa Saia People]

the soulja boy dragon ball songs are good much like everything he's done.

anyway, i don't like when things i like get referenced in general because i'm intensely embarrassed of everything i like.

[DBZfan29]

the soulja boy dragon ball songs are good much like everything he's done.

anyway, i don't like when things i like get referenced in general because i'm intensely embarrassed of everything i like.

I feel you on that. I'll talk endlessly about DB while I'm in Japan, but back home I'm a little embarrassed to like it so much.

[Neo-Makaiōshin]

I wish they were more creative, I feel like I've seen the same (cheap) reference being repeated from decades ago.

[MasenkoHA]

I mean they exist? Not sure why anyone would have an umbrella feeling about them.

Like, I thought the Dragon Ball Z reference in Buffy was lame as shit because it’s obvious Whedon or whoever wrote the dialog for that episode had no clue about Dragon Ball Z and just knew the names Vegeta, Goku, and Super Saiyan.

I don’t mind the references to Dragon Ball Z in rap. Sure Soulja Boy’s music is a blight on humanity but I don’t care that he references the show in his music.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

I mean they exist? Not sure why anyone would have an umbrella feeling about them.

Like, I thought the Dragon Ball Z reference in Buffy was lame as shit because it’s obvious Whedon or whoever wrote the dialog for that episode had no clue about Dragon Ball Z and just knew the names Vegeta, Goku, and Super Saiyan.

I don’t mind the references to Dragon Ball Z in rap. Sure Soulja Boy’s music is a blight on humanity but I don’t care that he references the show in his music.

I've seen that episode before, and it really felt as though the script person threw in those references without apparently having much knowledge if at all of the series itself.

[DBZfan29]

I mean they exist? Not sure why anyone would have an umbrella feeling about them.

Like, I thought the Dragon Ball Z reference in Buffy was lame as shit because it’s obvious Whedon or whoever wrote the dialog for that episode had no clue about Dragon Ball Z and just knew the names Vegeta, Goku, and Super Saiyan.

I don’t mind the references to Dragon Ball Z in rap. Sure Soulja Boy’s music is a blight on humanity but I don’t care that he references the show in his music.

It's not so much an umbrella feeling about them as it is they are usually, as you said, lame as shit. It reminds me of the Kanzenshuu panel about podcasting that I went to last year. I asked Mike about the humor the guys sometimes use on the show and he at one point said anime fans think they're funny but they're not (or something like that).

[GhostEmperorX]

Does Super Sonic count as a reference?

Aside the hair, no. Most recent media to use a golden form before the Super Saiyan was Brave Exkaiser. And before that, quite a few more works.

[Matches Malone]

I think it's great that an anime franchise has gotten big enough to the point of being referenced in foreign media.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I haven't seen a lot of them compared to other popular series, but the ones I have seen haven't been particularly clever or interesting. I have a friend who is a hardcore Buffy fan that says she never heard of Dragon Ball until we became friends, and she went through an anime phase.

[Lord Beerus]

Harmless, cringe-worthy and mostly unfunny. So... yeah, pretty much like Saturday Night Live these days.

[Hellspawn28]

DBZ is probably the most mainstream anime franchise in the United States. So It's not surprising that it will be mention or reference on mainstream TV or movies. I'm surprise a show like Family Guy has not poke fun of DBZ yet.

[Polyphase Avatron]

DBZ is probably the most mainstream anime franchise in the United States.

Pokemon?

[WittyUsername]

Are they cringy because the people making the references probably don’t actually know anything about the series?

[Hellspawn28]

DBZ is probably the most mainstream anime franchise in the United States.

Pokemon?

Pokemon is a video game series first, but I guess you could say that most people know Pokemon only from the anime. I think DBZ, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Akira, Naruto, Speed Racer, Ghost in the Shell, and Studio Ghibli movies are probably the most famous anime to people who don't know or watch anime.

[WittyUsername]

DBZ is probably the most mainstream anime franchise in the United States.

Pokemon?

Pokemon is a video game series first, but I guess you could say that most people know Pokemon only from the anime. I think DBZ, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Akira, Naruto, Speed Racer, Ghost in the Shell, and Studio Ghibli movies are probably the most famous anime to people who don't know or watch anime.

“Most people” is probably a stretch.

Anyway, in terms of something that originated as a manga, Dragon Ball is probably the most popular a franchise can be.

[DragonBallFoodie]

References are nice, as long as they are varied enough. I don't need to see Super Saiyan something in any/every show.

[Zeon_Grunt]

When it's done in good faith and such, I don't mind it. An action figure here or there in the background or the occasional reference to Super Saiyan is fine. The latter especially due to how common a phrase "Super Saiyan" has become among the last 2 generations.

That said, references could easily date something after a couple years.