The Martian

Throughout the novel, pop culture references consistently play a role in Watney’s day to day life as he utilizes the various entertainment that the rest of the crew brought along, from Lewis’s music and television to Johanssen’s Agatha Christie novels. Commander Lewis’s data sticks contain a wealth of 1970s and 1980s pop culture in the form of music and television shows, and the narrative’s references to them often provide a humorous counterpoint to the plot’s seriousness. In addition, some of the pop culture, most notably the music, underscores what is happening in the plot, as when Watney sifts through various musical choices to find his “theme song,” such as “Rocket Man” by Elton John and “Life on Mars?” by David Bowie. He finally settles on “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. The juxtaposition of these pop culture references—particularly the television shows, many of which represent sitcom television at its most ridiculous—provide relief from the tension and the seriousness of Watney’s plight, and the references are sometimes eerily on point. Finally, there is also the constant, underlying humor, or irony, of being literally stuck on Mars with music and television that is often considered the worst pop culture we have to offer and yet strangely enduring.