He's not a gaffer, he's a G-A-F-er.
An imitation of actor Henry Fonda, who once shilled for GAF color film in a series of commercials. (Thanks to Sampo for this reference.)
Kind of looks like a Jenny Holzer piece.
Jenny Holzer is an American conceptual artist whose works have appeared in the Guggenheim Museum and the Hamburger Kunsthalle in Germany.
Just a normal Tuesday for Cher.
Cher (b. Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre) is a singer and actress who has appeared on various television shows and in films. She first rose to fame as the co-host of a series of TV variety shows with her then-husband, Sonny Bono.
Well, I’m gonna go get my Eggo out of the toaster. Anybody want one?
Eggo is a brand of frozen waffles that can be heated up in the toaster. They are manufactured by Kellogg’s.
“The corpse is yours.” Go in peace.
“Go in peace” is a phrase that appears at the end of the Catholic (and other Christian sects) liturgy; the priest says it at the end of Mass to dismiss the congregation.
This man had love in his tummy!
A reference to the 1968 song “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” by the band Ohio Express. Sample lyrics: “Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tummy/And I feel like a-lovin’ you.”
He’s only mostly dead!
A line from the 1987 movie The Princess Bride.
It's Gnip Gnop.
Gnip Gnop, or "ping pong" spelled backwards, was a popular game during the 1970s. (Thanks to Thomas Lakeman for this reference.)
Luke, join me or you’ll star in Corvette Summer.
An imitation of Darth Vader, the villain in the original Star Wars trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi). “Luke” is a reference to hero Luke Skywalker. The actor who played Luke, Mark Hamill, starred in a film called Corvette Summer the year after Star Wars was originally released.
Hey, you’re not my dad—you’re Hitler!
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was the dictator of Germany during World War II (1939-45).
Oh, Judy!
Judy is the leading lady in the classic puppet show Punch & Judy. She is Punch’s wife, and is generally beaten to death during the course of the play.
To boldly go where no man ...
A line from the introduction to the television series Star Trek, which aired from 1966 to 1969. The introduction, voiced by series star William Shatner, went like this: “To explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life, and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
We call them Snaptite lens.
May be a reference to the Snaptite line of model cars.
You taste like Vince Edwards.
Vince Edwards (1928-1996) was an actor best known for his performance in the title role of the television series Ben Casey, which aired from 1961-1966. He also appeared in a number of films and released six albums.
Sylvia Plath, R.N.
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was an American poet and novelist whose works generally dealt with themes of alienation, destruction and death. Her most famous work was the semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar (1963), the story of a suicidal young woman’s mental breakdown. Plath suffered from severe depression and was hospitalized during college. She killed herself in 1963.
Could you pee in the bell jar, please?
See previous note.
Nick Mancuso is Stingray.
Nick Mancuso is an actor who has appeared in dozens of films and television series. He starred in the short-lived TV series Stingray in 1985, playing Ray, a mysterious man who dresses in black, drives a Stingray, and helps people with their personal problems.
A sign left by ancient astronauts.
The term “ancient astronauts” was coined by author Erich Von Daniken in his popular tome Chariots of the Gods, in which he postulated that the pyramids of ancient Egypt were built with extraterrestrial assistance.
You’ll enjoy the tight suspension of the Mercury Comet.
The Mercury Comet was a model first put out by Ford in 1971 as a companion to the successful (and virtually identical) Ford Maverick. Both models ceased production in 1977.
I think I’ll have a Papa Burger—you?
The Papa Burger is a mainstay menu item at A&W root beer stands. It features two beef patties, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. Cheese is optional. A&W also offers Grandpa, Mama, Baby and Teen burger models.
Can we stop at the Turk’s Inn? Can we stop at the Big Steer? Can we stop at Cranberry Cove?
“Turk’s Inn” is probably a reference to the kitschy steakhouse/Middle Eastern restaurant in Hayward, Wisconsin. The Big Steer Restaurant and Lounge is a steakhouse in Altoona, Iowa. Cranberry Cove may be a reference to a resort outside Eagle River, Wisconsin.
Is he chasing James Dean?
James Dean (1931-1955) was an iconic young film actor and teen heartthrob who made his reputation playing bad boys and delinquents, as in his archetypal role in Rebel Without a Cause. He assured himself of film immortality by dying young in a car accident outside Paso Robles, California.
What’s this? Our fanatical physician and his fickle fiancee? Speeding to their country cottage?
An imitation of the announcer from the 1966 TV series Batman, starring Adam West. The announcer, who was voiced by executive producer William Dozier, led into commercial breaks with similarly portentous phrases.
Mrs. Webb, you're doing very well, Careful now, Mrs. Webb. You're over the center line, Mrs Webb!
From reader Mike Dumas: "This is from a classic standup comedy routine by Bob Newhart, in which he plays a harried driving instructor. It was featured on his chart-topping 1961 album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart."
We now join Barefoot in the Park, already in progress.
Barefoot in the Park is a Neil Simon play, written in 1963, about two newlyweds who move into their first apartment after the honeymoon. In 1967 it was made into a film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.
[Sung] Leader of the pack ...
From the song “The Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las. Sample lyrics: “Is she really going out with him?/Well, there she is, let’s ask her/Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing?”
Diarrhea is like a storm raging inside me.
This is reportedly a slogan from an old Pepto-Bismol commercial. It was a favorite catchphrase among the writers and variations on this theme were common.
Well, he shouldn’t have eaten at Jack in the Box.
Jack in the Box is an American chain of fast food restaurants. In 1993, about 400 people, mostly in the Northwest, became ill after they were exposed to the E. coli bacteria in tainted hamburger meat sold at the restaurant; three small children in Seattle died. The resulting outcry almost destroyed the company, but it seems to have bounced back.
Hi, I’m William Proxmire. How are you doing? Put ‘er there.
William Proxmire is a former senator from Wisconsin who served in Congress for 32 years before retiring in 1989. He is best known for creating the Golden Fleece Awards, which highlight wasteful government spending.
Oh, thank you, God. Thank you so bloody much!
This is a line from the classic British TV show Fawlty Towers, spoken by John Cleese, who played hotel owner Basil Fawlty.
He’s either gonna win the Nobel Prize or the Heisman Trophy.
The Nobel Prize is actually six prizes (physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, economics, and peace) awarded annually for the greatest intellectual achievements of that year. The fund for the prizes was established in 1895 by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. The Heisman Trophy is awarded every year to the outstanding college football player, as determined by a poll of sportswriters; it is named after John Heisman, a player and coach in the late nineteenth century.
Hey, it’s Johnny Tremain.
Johnny Tremain is the eponymous hero of the children’s book by Esther Forbes. The novel tells the story of a young boy during the Revolutionary War, whose hand is deformed in an accident.
Okay, pencils down. How much did you risk? Oooh ...
A reference to the game show Jeopardy, starring Alex Trebek.
So is it honey he’s putting in the KC Masterpiece sauce?
KC Masterpiece sauce is a barbecue sauce available in grocery stores around the country; it is based on the sauce served at the KC Masterpiece restaurant in Kansas City.
Dude, he’s wiring his lab for quad! –Pro Logic.
Pro Logic is a surround-sound system developed by Dolby for home theaters.
Man, I am tearing through the Brawny.
Brawny is a brand of paper towels manufactured by Georgia-Pacific.
I bet he’s gonna turn her into Mrs. Olson!
“Mrs. Olson” was a pitchwoman for Folger’s coffee in commercials that aired during the 1960s and 1970s. She was played by actress Virginia Christine.
Oh—you put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up!
A paraphrase of Harry Nilsson’s song “Coconut.” The actual lyrics: “You put the lime in the coconut and drink them both up.”
Hey, it’s Darkman.
Darkman was a 1990 film starring Liam Neeson as a scientist whose face is destroyed in a lab explosion and must don masks made of synthetic skin.
Done! Now it’s time to make my own Bailey’s.
Bailey’s Irish Cream is a liqueur made from cream, eggs, chocolate, and Irish whiskey.
This is the most complicated beer bong I’ve ever seen.
A beer bong is a device designed to enable a drinker (usually a college student) to swallow a vast quantity of beer in very short order. There are a number of variants, but a bong generally consists of a funnel, a tube, and a length of flexible hose.
An American in vitro.
This is a variant on An American in Paris, a 1951 movie musical starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.
They saved Sister Bertrille’s brain.
Sister Bertrille, played by Sally Field, was the “flying nun” in the TV series of the same name, which ran from 1967-1970. The phrase is a parody of the terrible 1968 B movie They Saved Hitler’s Brain.
She talks like Clutch Cargo.
Clutch Cargo was a 1959 animated TV series that attempted to eliminate the time and expense of drawing lip movements by simply filming the voice actors’ lips through a megaphone and superimposing them onto the animated characters, with truly bizarre results.
“Transplant her into what?” Larry Storch.
Larry Storch is an actor and voiceover artist best known for his role in the TV series F Troop and as the voice of Koko the Clown in a lengthy series of animated shorts.
Sounds like Crazy Guggenheim’s in there.
Crazy Guggenheim, played by Frank Fontaine, was a character on The Jackie Gleason Show from 1962-1966. Guggenheim, a perpetual drunk, appeared regularly opposite Gleason in the “Joe’s Bar” skits.
It’s like The Soupy Sales Show!
The Soupy Sales Show was a Saturday morning kids’ TV show that aired from 1959-1962.
Eww—Dylan Thomas’s last moments on earth.
Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) was a Welsh poet (he wrote the famous lines “Do not go gentle into that good night/Rage, rage against the dying of the light”). While he enjoyed professional and critical success, he was perennially hounded by the tax man and had a serious drinking problem, which led his marriage into difficulties. He died of alcohol poisoning after a particularly heavy binge in 1953.
If Jack Ruby owned a Denny’s.
Jack Ruby (c. 1911-1967) was a Dallas nightclub owner who catapulted to fame when he shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Ruby was convicted of the killing and sent to prison, where he died of cancer in 1967. Denny’s is a budget chain of restaurants found across the length and breadth of this fair land.
I hope that’s not Rose Marie.
Rose Marie is an actress who is best known for her role as Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran from 1961-1966. She got her start as a child actress (under the name “Baby Rose Marie”) in the 1920s.
Hey, look—the panel from What’s My Line? is behind her there.
What’s My Line? was a television game show that aired from 1950-1967, in which a panel of celebrities would try to guess the jobs of contestants with unusual occupations. Panelists at various times included Fred Allen, Steve Allen, Bennett Cerf, and Dorothy Kilgallen.
Senor Wences and Evita—out on the town!
Senor Wences (real name Wenceslao Moreno) was a Spanish ventriloquist who made frequent appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. He was known for his comic banter with a hand puppet named Johnny and a puppet hidden in a box who went by the name of Pedro. He died in 1999 at the age of 103. Evita was the nickname of Eva Peron (1919-1952), the wife of Argentine president Juan Peron, who was wildly popular among the working classes in Argentina.
Welcome to the Diane Arbus cafe.
Diane Arbus (1923-1971) was a photographer who got her start in fashion but who became renowned for her portraits of people on the fringes of society: strippers, nudists, transvestites, dwarfs and other similarly marginalized groups. Her work is disturbing, not least because it is impossible to tell whether the photographer is sympathetic or condescending toward her subjects. Arbus committed suicide in 1971.
A night on the town in Escanaba, Michigan.
Escanaba is a city on the upper peninsula of Michigan, population 13,000.
Jojo was a man who thought he was a woman.
This is a paraphrase of a line from the Beatles song “Get Back.” The actual lyrics: “Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner/But he knew it wouldn’t last.”
Rocky Graziano!
Rocky Graziano (1922-1990) became the world middleweight boxing champion in 1946.
Hey, gang, there’s a snuff film playing over at the Rialto! Let’s go!
Snuff films, an urban legend, are purportedly movies in which one or more persons are actually killed on film. The legend dates back to a film called Snuff, released in 1976, which tacked an ending of an actress supposedly being killed onto a 1971 horror film called Slaughter; producer Allan Shackleton attempted to arouse interest in the cheaply made film by implying that the deaths in it were real. People everywhere bought into the hype, although the legal system forced Shackleton to add a disclaimer to the film stating that no one had been harmed during the making of the movie. By that point, however, the legend had taken on a life of its own. Even today, anti-pornography crusaders cite snuff films as the ultimate example of male oppression and exploitation of women, despite a complete lack of evidence for their existence.
[Sung.] I’m getting sentimental over you ...
From the song of the same name, written by George Bassman and Ned Washington and recorded by Tommy Dorsey in 1932. Sample lyrics: “Never thought I’d fall/But now I hear love call/I’m getting sentimental over you.”
So, you a goer, eh? Wink wink, nudge nudge, know what I mean?
This is a paraphrase of the classic Monty Python sketch “Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge,” in which a man in a pub torments a respectable chap with endless strings of innuendo. Sample lines:
Man: Evening, squire!
Squire: (stiffly) Good evening.
Man: Is, uh, ... Is your wife a goer, eh? Know whatahmean, know whatahmean, nudge nudge, know whatahmean, say no more?
Squire: I, uh, I beg your pardon?
Man: Your, uh, your wife, does she go, eh, does she go, eh?
Squire: (flustered) Well, she sometimes “goes,” yes.
Man: Aaaaaaaah bet she does, I bet she does, say no more, say no more, knowwhatahmean, nudge nudge?
Meanwhile, at Kurt Cobain’s house ...
Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) was the lead guitarist and singer for the Seattle grunge rock band Nirvana, widely acknowledged as one of the most influential musical groups of the 1990s. Cobain struggled with an addiction to heroin; in March 1994 he briefly slipped into a coma after overdosing on alcohol and drugs. The next month he killed himself with a shotgun in his Seattle home.
He’s keeping her alive with Grey Poupon!
Grey Poupon is a brand of Dijon-style mustard manufactured by Kraft Foods.
Here’s Abe Burrows and Jimmy Hoffa entertaining Eleanor Roosevelt.
Abe Burrows (1910-1985) was a playwright whose works include Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Jimmy Hoffa (1913-1975?) was a labor leader who was president of the Teamsters union from 1957 to 1971. Hoffa, who had well-known ties to organized crime, disappeared from a restaurant in Detroit in 1975 and was declared legally dead in 1982. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was the wife of President Franklin Roosevelt and served as First Lady from 1933-1945.
The skillet scrambler was numptious.
A skillet scrambler is a popular breakfast dish at restaurants, consisting of eggs scrambled with a variety of ingredients, such as cheese, potatoes, sausage, etc.
I liked your Nicholson impression.
Jack Nicholson is an actor who has appeared in dozens of films since he got his start in B movies in the 1960s. His better-known movies include Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Shining, and As Good As It Gets.
“The arrangement is pretty special.” Oh, by Elia Kazan.
The Arrangement (1969) is a film written and directed by Elia Kazan (who also wrote the novel the film is based on). It stars Kirk Douglas and Faye Dunaway.
Well, I had a falling out with Delta Burke once, but who hasn’t?
Delta Burke is an actress best known for her role in the television series Designing Women, which ran from 1986-1993.
Hi, I’m Casey Kasem, and this one goes out to a heartsick lover with a severed head.
Casey Kasem is the long-standing host of the syndicated radio show American Top 40. A regular feature of the show are the “long-distance dedications,” in which listeners submit requests to have a song “dedicated” to a loved one.
Lucie Arnaz is back, and she’s pissed!
Lucie Arnaz is the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She got her own short-lived show in 1985.
Shannen Doherty, no!
Shannen Doherty became famous for her role as Brenda Walsh on TV’s Beverly Hills 90210. She has acted in a number of TV series and movies since then, including the WB’s Charmed. She has a reputation for being difficult to work with and was once sentenced to anger-management counseling after she smashed a beer bottle on a car window during an argument.
Yes, it’s Danny Bonaduce in the fight of his life!
Danny Bonaduce played Danny Partridge in the TV series The Partridge Family, which aired from 1970-1974. In 1994 he bested Donny Osmond in a charity boxing match.
Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me.
A line from the Tony Orlando and Dawn song “Knock Three Times,” which hit number one in 1971. Sample lyrics: “Oh my darlin’ knock three times on the ceiling if you want me/Twice on the pipe if the answer is no.”
Battery acid? You’re soaking in it!
“You’re soaking in it” was the slogan in a series of commercials for Palmolive dish soap that aired from 1966 to 1992, featuring Madge the manicurist (played by Jan Minor).
Revenge—a dish best served ...
A reference to Khan’s famous line from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: “Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is very cold in space.” (The actual source of the proverb is from the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.)
I wonder if Silk Stalkings is on yet.
Silk Stalkings was a TV crime show that aired as part of “Crime Time After Prime Time” from 1990-1999.
The power of Matthew Star.
The Powers of Matthew Star was a short-lived television series that aired from 1982-1983. It starred Peter Barton as a teenage boy who was actually a superpowered alien.
[Sung.] To Grandmother’s house we go.
A line from the traditional Christmas carol that goes “Over the meadow and through the woods/To Grandmother’s house we go.”
Ah, I’ll tell them a joke I heard on Arsenio last night!
The Arsenio Hall Show was a talk show that aired from 1989-1994.
Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.
Arkansas Governor William Jefferson Clinton became president of the United States in 1993. In 1998 he became the second president to be impeached, but he was acquitted by the Senate and finished out his second term in office.
Mrs. Carmichael?
A reference to The Lucy Show, a sitcom starring Lucille Ball that aired from 1962-1968. Ball played Lucy Carmichael; the line is an imitation of her boss, Theodore J. Mooney (played by Gale Gordon).
Maybe she could get work in a Peter Gabriel video.
Peter Gabriel is a musician who became famous in the rock group Genesis and went on to an even more successful solo career.
Eww, she’s getting cradle cap.
Cradle cap is a skin problem common among young babies in which a crusty, scaly rash forms on the scalp.
It’s Pauly Shore.
Pauly Shore is an actor and comedian who has starred in a number of films, including Son in Law, Jury Duty, and Bio-Dome.
Beside which Carol Merrill is standing.
Carol Merrill was a model on the TV game show Let’s Make a Deal from 1963-1977.
Spock!
A reference to any number of Star Trek episodes.
That, and pouring at the Moulin Rouge.
The Moulin Rouge was a French cabaret hall. Opened in 1889, the Moulin Rouge featured can-can dancers (in fact, the can-can was first performed there) as well as musical and variety acts. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec immortalized the Moulin Rouge in many of his paintings and drawings.
Why he gave my hand rich Corinthian leather, I’ll never know.
Ricardo Montalban used to do a series of commercials for the Chrysler Cordoba in which he bragged about the “rich Corinthian leather” of the upholstery.
The chocaholic, his Godivas.
Godiva is a brand of high-end chocolates; its stores can be found in upscale shopping malls across the country.
Does it have Nutrasweet?
Nutrasweet, or aspartame, is an artificial sweetener used in soft drinks, gum, breath mints and many other foods.
Paul Newman’s Sockarooni Sauce.
Sockarooni Sauce is one of the line of spaghetti sauces put out by actor Paul Newman; the line is called Newman’s Own.
Marilyn Chambers?
Marilyn Chambers became famous after her turn in the X-rated film Behind the Green Door (1972). She went on have a lengthy career in adult films.
Master Locks.
Master Locks is a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of padlocks and other security products.
Why, you’re a freak, a superfreak, you’re superfreaky.
A paraphrase of the Rick James song “Superfreak.” Sample lyrics: “That girl’s all right with me, yeah/She’s a super freak, super freak/She’s super-freaky, yow.”
“I’m only a head.” [Sung.] That can’t say no.
A paraphrase of the song “I Can’t Say No” from the musical Oklahoma! Sample lyrics: “I’m just a girl who can’t say no/I’m in a terrible fix/I always say ‘Come on, let’s go!’/Just when I oughta say nix.”
We are part of the rhythm nation.
A reference to the Janet Jackson song “Rhythm Nation” from the album of the same name. Sample lyrics: “People of the world today/Are we looking for a better way of life/We are a part of the rhythm nation.”
Back to The Unearthly set.
A reference to Show 320, The Unearthly.
I’m calling Nicole Eggert tomorrow.
Nicole Eggert is an actress best known for playing Summer Quinn on the TV series Baywatch.
Faye Dunaway! Paydirt!
Faye Dunaway is a revered actress who made it big in the 1970s in such films as Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Network.
What’s Millie Helper doing here?
Millie Helper was a character on The Dick Van Dyke Show. She was played by actress Ann Morgan Guilbert. Guilbert went on to act in movies and other TV shows, including Picket Fences and The Nanny.
Could you just drop me off at my Minnie Mouse audition?
Minnie Mouse was Mickey’s girlfriend in the old Walt Disney shorts. She had a piercingly high and squeaky voice.
Hey, that Hai Karate really works.
Hai Karate was a cologne popular in the 1970s. It used an advertising gimmick of handing out self-defense instructions with every bottle—because men who wore it would have to fight off the women who would flock to them.
Have you seen Frankenhooker?
Frankenhooker is a 1990 horror flick directed by Frank Henenlotter (the mad genius behind Basket Case). It follows the zany exploits of a medical student who, armed with his dead fiancee’s head, goes out looking for prostitutes he can harvest for spare parts and bring her back to life.
Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen, here’s a little thing ...
An imitation of the smarmy host from a Monty Python nightclub skit, who introduces the “Sci-Fi Sketch,” featuring tennis-playing blancmanges from outer space.
Funny man Morty Gunty!
Morty Gunty (1929-1984) was the host of a children’s show in New York City from 1963-1965. He appeared as himself in the 1984 Woody Allen film Broadway Danny Rose.
All this can be yours if the price is right.
This well known phrase is spoken by the announcer on the long-running television game show The Price Is Right. Johnny Olsen was the announcer from 1972-1985; Rod Roddy took over the job in 1986 until his death in 2003.
Hey, the Jordanaires!
The Jordanaires acted as backup singers for Elvis Presley on almost all his recording sessions for 14 years, although they were a well-known group before that, performing regularly on the Grand Ole Opry. The Jordanaires also sang backup for a number of other musicians, including Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, and Ricky Nelson.
That’s Jane Russell!
Jane Russell was one of Hollywood’s leading ladies in the 1940s and 1950s. The voluptuous brunette got her start in Howard Hughes’ The Outlaw (1943), a famous still from which showed Russell tumbled in a pile of hay, with her décolletage on abundant display. Her biggest success was starring opposite Marilyn Monroe in 1953’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
The Johnny Hodges siren.
Johnny Hodges (1906-1970) was a renowned alto saxophone player. He played in Duke Ellington’s orchestra for 40 years.
I’ll build a stairway to paradise.
A line from the song “Stairway to Paradise” from the movie musical An American in Paris (1951). Sample lyrics: “I’ll build a stairway to paradise/With a new step ev’ry day/I’m going to get there at any price/Stand aside, I’m on my way.”
This must be Pottersville.
Pottersville is the new name of the town during the “what if” segment in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), in which Jimmy Stewart sees what life in his hometown of Bedford Falls would be like if he had never been born.
Uncle Fester!
Uncle Fester is a character on the television series The Addams Family, which aired from 1964-1966. The role was played by Jackie Coogan. In the feature films based on the TV show, Christopher Lloyd played Fester.
I see Stieglitz and Ansel Adams and ... Kenny Rogers!
Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) was an American photographer who was a pioneer of modern art photography and fought for many years to have photography recognized as an art form. Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was a photographer famous for his photographs of natural landscapes, particularly mountains. Kenny Rogers is a successful country music artist with roughly 60 albums to his credit.
They’re taking pictures of Betty Rubble!
Betty Rubble was the wife of Fred Flintstone’s pal Barney Rubble on the animated television series The Flintstones, which aired from 1960-1966. She was voiced first by Bea Benaderet and later by Gerry Johnson. In the 1994 live-action movie based on the series, Rosie O’Donnell played Betty.
I just had a great Kodak moment.
“Kodak moment” was an advertising slogan used by the Eastman Kodak company to signify an event so emotionally significant that it must be preserved on film for all time; it has since been enshrined in popular culture.
And now, Mel Blanc makes his move. –You’re goin’ out with me, varmint!
Mel Blanc (1908-1989) was a renowned Warner Bros. voiceover artist who worked on many of their classic animated shorts. His characters included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Pepe le Pew and others. “You’re goin’ out with me, varmint” is an imitation of another of his WB characters, Yosemite Sam.
I’ll have a drink with James Finlayson.
James Finlayson (1887-1953) was a bald, mustachioed comedian known for his double take followed by a slow burn, seen most famously in a series of Laurel & Hardy shorts. He appeared in nearly 200 films during his career.
I’m from the March of Dimes.
The March of Dimes was founded by Franklin Roosevelt in 1938, under the name the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to help fight polio (Roosevelt was himself partially paralyzed from polio). The name “March of Dimes” came from a fundraising campaign urging radio listeners to send their dimes to the White House as contributions. The organization officially changed its name to March of Dimes in 1979. Since polio has largely been eradicated thanks to Jonas Salk’s vaccine, the group now focuses on birth defects, premature birth and other problems afflicting babies and pregnant women.
The Thrilla in Manila?
The “Thrilla in Manila” was the third and final boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, which took place in the Philippines on October 1, 1975. Ali won after Frazier’s corner called a halt to the fight after 14 horrific rounds. It is considered by many as one of the greatest fights of all time.
Thank you very much.
An imitation of singer and cultural icon Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
Except Donny Most.
Donny Most (or Don Most, as he’s now known) played Ralph Malph on the television sitcom Happy Days, which aired from 1974-1984.
You’re no man to me, mister!
A paraphrase of a line from the Star Trek episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?” Kirk’s actual line: “If you want to play god and call yourself Apollo, that’s your business. But you’re no god to us!”
That’s the last time I get in a car with Monty Clift, I’ll tell you that.
In a widely publicized incident, actor Montgomery Clift (1920-1966), who appeared in such films as A Place in the Sun and From Here to Eternity, ran his car into a tree after leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor’s house in 1956. He was badly injured and had to undergo reconstructive surgery on his face before he could resume his film career.
“Nothing’s impossible.” Not with radar!
A reference to Show 520, Radar Secret Service.
[Sung.] There’s a place for us ...
A line from the song “Somewhere,” from the Leonard Bernstein musical West Side Story. Sample lyrics: “There’s a place for us/Somewhere a place for us/Peace and quiet and open air/Wait for us/Somewhere.”
I just thought of a funny Carrot Top bit I saw.
Carrot Top (real name Scott Thompson) is a red-headed standup comedian who also appears in commercials for AT&T.
She must have lived with Ike Turner.
Ike Turner, along with his wife Tina, performed a popular R&B act in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975 Tina divorced Ike, claiming that he had abused her, and launched a stunningly successful solo career.
And I believe in Crystal Light.
Crystal Light is a sugar-free drink mix, similar to Kool-Aid. The line is part of a marketing slogan developed in 1979: “I believe in Crystal Light because I believe in me.”
