A visit from Kate: "Neurotic dream leads to introspection" -AP

I had a dream that was pretty boring but I remember one section in great detail.  I was sitting at a large table with many strangers who I had just met, about to celebrate someone's birthday.  Despite not having had the proper number and type of mysterious tickets needed to order a drink, I received a cola, and I didn't speak up to right this wrong, because I was thirsty.  The label had beautiful graphic design with bubble letters spelling COLA, in bright happy shades of blue, red, and orange.  After the commotion had died down from the cake eating, I was sitting with a dude with a dressy vest on, over some plain shirt, whatever.  And his friend, who was a baldy, blustery blondie, perhaps you know the type.  His friend made a jokey disparaging remark about said vest and I seized my opening in the lull following his remark to make a "perfectly timed" (I thought to myself) joke: "Yeah, is there an echo here, or did we timewarp to 2010 and you decided that shit was BACK?" The friend laughed uproariously.  I had the uncomfortable sense that this dude wasn't really sure what he was laughing at, or he was humoring me to get in my pants, or he was just dumb, because I knew the joke hadn't made sense or been funny.
Several things here.  I am surprised at how clearly I remember that line and the incredibly specific feelings of discomfort afterward.  The "joke" had a cadence that is eerily similar to how I say things sometimes, I think.  Also- the attention to graphic design, which seems like something I might get happy about in a real life version of this situation.  So, am I a caricature of myself in this dream?  Am I making fun of myself in my dreams?  Trying on personalities?  If the dream version of yourself is socially awkward and hyper-aware like in real life can that still be a symbol for something else? Which of these scenarios would be preferable?  I don't know!