I've explained how I and others felt like we became more "outsiders" because we couldn't follow references made my friends, coworker, and general media (how man

I've explained how I and others felt like we became more "outsiders" because we couldn't follow references made my friends, coworker, and general media (how many GoT references came out in the week after the finale?) You choose to find this incredulous and ridiculous. You can certainly do so. I hope you take a few minutes to actually consider why this might matter to many people - those references are made to build camaraderie and a sense of inclusion. Ergo, not following creates a sense of alienation and separation. You can mock that or not, but that doesn't change how people feel.