From trash to treasure

At some point (maybe 40 years?) all our pop-culture "trash" becomes educational. I just got back from a screening of 1968's Planet Of The Apes. Afterwards, these guys from the local alt-weekly led a twenty minute discussion about the film:

Most serious people like to dismiss pop-culture, but 30 or 40 years from now, the pop-culture of today may be the basis for serious conversations.

So don't let people look down on you for loving Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga. After all, you're just doing basic research!