hi! you'll find several posts in this FAQ section that may be of interest
... and there's this one that makes a quick mention of pop culture. Hopefully someone will drop by with more info on that (or more links - I'm sure I've seen more on the history of these tropes, but can't find what I'm after)
Thanks to /u/Searocksandtrees for providing the link to the previous answers along this line. After reviewing the previous answers, if you have additional questions, please ask.