I'm OK... You're OK - Influence On Popular Culture

Influence On Popular Culture

The name of the book has since become used commonly, often as a dismissive categorization of all popular psychology philosophies as being overly accepting. The phrase I'm OK, You're OK is a common cliché in Anglophone culture, at least among an older generation more accustomed to hearing the phrase. Examples of the influence elsewhere are:

• A side project of MxPx called The Cootees had a song named I'm OK, You're OK. (this song was later "covered" by MxPx themselves)
• Punk rock band The Dickies also had a song named I'm OK, You're OK.
• In the 1987 movie, Raising Arizona, the character played by Nicolas Cage told his wife, played by Holly Hunter, "I'm OK, You're OK" after a botched armed robbery.
• The Foo Fighters released a 1995 MTV concert from England called I'm OK, Eur OK.
• One parody of the book has the title, I'm OK, You're not so hot.
• A company sells bumper stickers that reads, "I'm OK, you're a sh--head."
• Wendy Kaminer wrote a critique of the self-help business during 1992, named I'm Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional.
• When Jerry Seinfeld opens his apartment door to find his hapless friend George Costanza reading a self-help book (I’m OK - You’re OK), it confirms Jerry's opinion that his friend is a loser.
• George Carlin parodied the name in his Join the Book Club routine, offering the book I Suck, You Suck.
• Sean Maguire owns a copy of the book, which is displayed in the movie Good Will Hunting.
• In one episode of the ABC television sitcom Taxi, character Latka Gravas suffers from multiple personality disorder. One of his personalities is a cowboy called Arlo who favors urban cowboy fashion. Cool, outgoing personality Vic Ferrari, upon replacing Arlo, remarks on his clothes as he finds himself in a psychiatrist’s office, “What is this? The I’m OK, You’re OK Corral?”
• In The Odd Couple, Season 3, Episode 13 "I Gotta Be Me," Felix tells Oscar he bought a new bestseller on psychiatry entitled "Finding Your Marbles" by the author of "I'm OK, You're Not."
• In the clay-animated film Mary and Max, Max's imaginary friend is sitting in the corner and reading I'm OK, you're OK among other self-help books.
• A copy of the book can be seen in the Guidance Counselor's Office in the opening scene of the film The Breakfast Club.
• In the popular television show Alf, season four, episode five we see ALF taking on the heavy topic of TA with direct reference to OKness, and even says to Willie, "I'm OK, You're OK."
• One of the joke book titles viewable at the end of a game of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is I'm OK, You're A Drone.