Last Updated on 2020-10-12 by ppcguybklyn
Last time we introduced how to start small talk with Americansin a basic way.Now we have cultivated our understanding of small talk, so how to enlarge our topic to make Americans think we are interesting and be willing to continue the discussion? The answer is the recreation media: TV series and movies. In this article, I select some TV series and movies which I think we must see when we want to have small talk with Americans. Before continuing talking about this, I’d like to say this article will not be a TV series Rankings or Movie Critics. The reason why these TV series and movies list here is because they are well-known and can arouse the topic. Once you talk about these topics to Americans, over 80% of Americans can discuss it with you for a while.
Must-Watch TV Series
Comedy Series
The Office
When it comes to the most popular comedy series in this decade, people must think of “The office.” The reasons why this TV series is important for interaction with coworkers are not only because it’s famous but also similar to real life. The topic of interaction with coworkers is easy to catch office workers’ attention. Each character in “The Office” may be a mirror of your coworker. The office also created lots of memes and the number of memes can be the largest among all comedies. When talking with coworkers in the office, using memes of “The Office” to reply to others can make people feel you are interesting.
Parks and Rec
This TV series is not famous in Taiwan, but it’s also from the same producer as “The Office.” Like “The Office”, it’s about government servants in city hall who live in a fictional town in Indiana. The pace in this TV series is easy, so I often watch 4 to 5 series in a row. If you are talking to someone who also likes “The Office,” then you can talk about Parks and Rec to enlarge your topic.
That 70’s Show
If you are talking to an American about 30 years old, then he or she probably has watched “That 70’s Show” when he or she was a child. As the title, this TV series is talking about teenagers’ lives in the ’70s. Its earlier seasons can be classics of comedies. Like most comedies, some people would re-watch “That 70’s Show” again every once in a while. When we tell him or her that we also like a TV series which he or she also likes from childhood, we have a higher chance to start a pleasant talk.
Friends
If you are unsure about his or her preference, then “Friends” would definitely be a safe topic. Almost every American has watched “Friends.” In the small talk, we can talk about who is our favorite character among the 6 actors, which season is your favorite, which cameo role’s part do you like most. This TV series playing from the 90s to the 2000s gave it a special status. The only problem is there are too many seasons. If you haven’t watched it before but wanted to finish it, it shall take you lots of time. If you have watched it, you can still review some classic parts and discuss them with others next time.
Drama Series
Breaking Bad
If you want to make people feel you love in-depth TV series, the top choice must be “Breaking Bad.” This TV series has a high reputation and lots of people still discuss it after it ended for a while. Of course, our goal is to make people think we have our own opinions so we cannot say something skin-deep like “Breaking Bad is damn good!” We should talk about which character we like most, and what parts impressed you most.
Game of Thrones
Although people barely discussed Game of Thrones after the end of season 8, it was still a TV series that impacted pop culture deeply in the 2010s. When season 5 and 6 were streaming, people around me could discuss their opinions toward Game of Thrones. If you like fictional novels, you may like to read the original novels, and further use the difference between novels and TV series as a topic. Surely people discussed most is that season 8 made an unworthy continuation of a great work. You can talk about the plot arrangement you think better in season 8 as a start.
Gossip Girl
To be honest, I haven’t seen this TV series, so I don’t have a particular standpoint to this series. However, because this series targeted young women as its audience, most American women between 25 to 30 years old have seen it. My female coworkers talk unstoppable when they are discussing Gossip Girl. Therefore, if you want to start a topic soon, it’s also a good choice.
Hot Documentaries
Besides TV series, American office workers also like to watch documentaries on streaming platforms, such as Tiger King on Netflix. My coworkers watch some documentaries on Netflix. Therefore, in order to discuss with them, having understanding toward some documentaries is also important. We don’t need to finish them all, but have to talk some opinions in the dialogue.
Must-see Movies
Star Wars – The Original Trilogy
Star Wars has become a household movie in the US. There are 9 episodes across 40 years including Star Wars Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy and Star Wars produced by Disney. We can say people in different age have seen Star Wars.If you haven’t seen any episodes, I would recommend you to watch Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi so that you’ll understand the structure. Especially Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back possesses high ranking. Talking about the story structure and your favorite in Star Wars Trilogy can be a good way to have a pleasant dialogue with Americans.
Pulp Fiction
If you want to choose a movie to let people know you have a good taste in movies, I would definitely choose Pulp Fiction. This movie seems to be friendly but has lots of things to be discussed. Dark humor, compact plot, and even brilliant film soundtrack can all be used as themes for chatting with others. Of course not everyone will be a fan of Quentin, so you still have to test the other's preferences before deciding whether to open this topic.
The Departed
As a Taiwanse, what advantage do we have compared to Americans in watching movies? Yes, that is what we have watched the original Infernal Affairs. The Departed won an Oscar for its adaptation of Infernal Affairs. It is also very popular on the East Coast because of its setting in Boston. But in my mind, The Departed is simply too acclaimed compared to the original Infernal Affairs. It's a bit like taking someone else's work to submit and getting the first place. I really have some very strong opinions about The Departed, so I won't repeat them here. In short, if you know that the other person likes to watch movies and thinks that the original Infernal Affairs is better, you can immediately come out and have a good chat with him.
Conclusion
When choosing to use TV series or movies to start small talks, our most important principle is to have some ideas of our own instead of talking about something shallow. Which character in which series I like best, which season of Friends is the best, and which movie's plot I like most. These can be good social tools. Let the other person know you and your preferences in a short period of time, so that you can leave a deeper impression and have a better foundation for interacting with the other person next time.
