Pop Culture

Man: With this many books you are almost certain to make a mistake in your choice.

–The Strand

Overheard by: Jill A.

Guy: The Dead Kennedys are playing tonight. Oh, excuse me: the “Dead Kennedys.”
Girl: Right.
Guy: Like the Dead Kennedys are even the Dead Kennedys without Jello Biafra. It’s like the Misfits without Danzig.
Girl: My sister’s boyfriend knows their drummer.
Guy: You have a sister?

–L train

Guy #1: …and then I came in and Anne was watching some gay movie with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix–
Guy #2: Who’s River Phoenix?
Guy #1: You know, Joaquin Phoenix’s brother.
Guy #2: Joaquin Phoenix has a brother?
Guy #1: I guess…

–A train

Dude #1, looking at Yu-Gi-Oh! cards: Oh man, opening a new pack is pleasurable. Like having sex.
Dude #2: How do you know? You have sex?
Dude #1: Trust me, I know. I have sex.

–Anime Castle

B&T girl: Oh my god, is that Kramer?
B&T guy: Oh yeah, hey, I think it is.
Man: That’s Elliott fucking Gould.

–Katz’s Deli, Houston Street

Black kid after seeing white girl in gym clothes run by: Man, for a second I thought that white girl was running from the cops too!

–Fordham Road, The Bronx

Overheard by: run, white girl, run

Middle-aged black lady yelling on crowded train: Young black men stand the fuck up! Kill the NYPD!

–A Train

Little kid to bus driver, after a police car siren is heard: Whenever I hear a police car siren, I always think that they are getting donuts, 'cause, ya know, cops love donuts, right?

–B41 Bus

Dude: I was playing the new GTA. I drove around looking for my apartment but couldn't find it, so I just shot a bunch of cops.

–Columbus Circle

Cop with M-4 assault rifle (serious voice, on a sunny day): It's raining men out here.

–86th & Lexington

Guy: Dude! It’s the guy who took over Factsheet 5!
Girl: Who?
Guy: Factsheet 5! It was a zine about zines.
Girl: Who?
Guy: Stop saying “who”! Factsheet 5 is not a person!
Girl: What?

–Park Slope

Drunk guy: You’re not the boss of me…Bruce Springsteen is the boss of me.

–The Red Lion, Bleecker Street

Guy: Seriously. Puff’s attorney called me the other day to say Puff wants me to sign a confidentiality agreement. Puff doesn’t want me to disclose that he is the seller. I said to tell Puff that he’s the one who has to sign a confidentiality agreement. If the boys at Goldman find out who I am buying from, my credibility is going to be shot forever.

–Anotheroom, West Broadway

Overheard by: Big Lex

Paralegal lady on phone: And I thought to myself, “She looks so familiar, who is she?” Queen Latifah’s mother!…No, mangos.

–Office, 50th & 6th

Girl: Well, if he’s cranking the bass on a Dixie Chicks song at 2AM on a Monday at a bear bar to sell beer to lesbians he has much bigger problems than he knows.

–The Dugout, Christopher Street

Chick: If we see Robbie Williams tonight, I’m gonna die.

–30th & Park

Hipster guy: Yeah and what’s with Simon Cowell? That guy is like the Grinch Who Stole Everything Else.

–Abbey Bar, Williamsburg

Overheard by: Spyridon Panousopoulos

Guy: You know you have reached the lowest point of all human existence when there’s a telethon featuring only John Denver music.

–2nd between A & B

Overheard by: djlindee

Guy: God, I love going to Galapagos. You always run into all the right people there. You know, all the people that you haven’t seen since that last Yeah Yeah Yeahs show?

–L train

Overheard by: Shannon

Woman on cell: Remember that handsome lawyer who took me out to dinner the other night? Yeah, well, he gave me an STD. It reminded me of a song.

–14th & 6th

Professor guy: Billy Joel, wow. He’s got about 10 shows coming up. I bet the stage production budget is through the roof. I’d drive a car onto stage…and smash it into a tree.

–Fordham University, Rose Hill

Overheard by: Jess McGins

Woman: Brian Wilson beat me right the hell up right there; right the hell up!

–43rd between 8th & 9th

Overheard by: Ryan Duncan

Old woman: Oh, is Lil’ Kim in jail?

–7th & Bleecker

Overheard by: Sarah Doogs

Dude: I was listening to a DMX record the other day, and if that
guy’s telling the truth, he’s lived quite a life.

–Gee Whiz Restaurant, Greenwich Street

Overheard by: Matthew Alhonte

Asian guy: The time has come fo’ mad hip-hop.

–Go Sushi, St. Marks Place

Overheard by: Alyson Leigh

Crazy lady: Excuse me…Excuse me…Have you heard of a band called “The Diarrheas”? From Washington, DC! With Hillary and…Chuck! Like from Friday the 13th? Do you think they’ll be successful?

–11th between 52nd & 53rd

Third floor window guy: Hey fuck you, I don’t need you telling me that you are cooler than me, I saw the Ramones in ’83!…Fuck you, your not cooler than me, I saw Fugazi’s first show, I saw Minor Threat. What is your fucking claim to fame, seeing the White Stripes?

–Rivington & Stanton

Woman #1: My principal says you can get French lessons as an iPod.
Woman #2: An “iPod”?
Woman #1: Yeah…they’re about 15 minutes long, they come on your computer, and they’re free.
Woman #2: Hmm.
Woman #1: Wait, I mean a podcast.
Woman #2: “Podcast”? Sounds like it comes from aliens.

–Patisserie Claude, West 4th Street

Overheard by: Rich Mintz

Mohawk teen: Not like a Barbie — it’s like a real short midget, but skinny and hairier.
Five-year-old girl: Like G.I. Joe?
Mohawk teen: G.I. Joe isn’t hairy, he’s just a man-Barbie with guns.

–18th St station

Overheard by: tom