What is universal and what is culture-specific?

I’ve learned day in and day out over the past couple of months that there is absolutely no predicting what is known to other cultures about our North American way and what does not get across. Things that I figure would not be known to a typical French person quite often is considered common knowledge to them. By the same token, things that I would figure that would be universal do not make it across the culture barrier.

Who would have known that ER, Evanescence, Gilmour Girls, and Avril Lavigne among others would be well known when Matchbox Twenty, Chevy Chase, and Tragically Hip are completely unheard of.

Interesting…