Oh, Anatomy of a
Murder.
Anatomy
of a Murder
is a 1959 film starring Jimmy Stewart as a lawyer defending a man accused of
killing his wife’s rapist.
Oh, it’s the UPC code
for this movie.
The
Universal Product Code (commonly known as the UPC code or the bar code) is a
code placed on products so they can be identified by bar code scanners in
stores.
Ooh,
the hottest
Garfield episode
ever.
“Garfield”
is a comic strip created by Jim Davis, about a lazy, greedy cat and his
hapless owner Jon. It first appeared in 1978 and was hugely popular during
the 1980s.
I feel good …
A line from
the James Brown song of the same name. Sample lyrics: “Whoa-oa-oa!
I feel good, I knew that I would, now/I
feel good, I knew that I would, now/So
good, so good, I got you …”
I hope Doodles Weaver isn’t the kitten.
Doodles
Weaver was a comic actor who appeared on the old Spike Jones radio program
as Professor Feitlebaum and appeared in a series of silent comedy shorts for
TV in the 1960s.
This is where the Pink
Panther comes in.
The Pink
Panther movies starred comedian Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector
Jacques Clouseau. Sellers eventually appeared in six Pink Panther movies;
several others were made after Sellers’s death in 1980.
I think Jerry Lewis did
a pantomime to this music in a leotard.
Jerry Lewis
(b. 1926) is a comedian and actor who got his start in the 1940s alongside
Dean Martin in the Martin and Lewis comedy team. He made an enormously
popular series of slapstick comedies in the 1950s and 1960s, including
The Bellboy (1960) and The Nutty Professor (1963).
Chucky! Oh.
Chucky is
the homicidal living doll in the series of Child’s Play horror
flicks; the first came out in 1988.
The hills are alive …
The opening
line to the song “The Sound of Music,” from the musical of the same name.
Sample lyrics: “The hills are alive with the sound of music/With songs they
have sung for a thousand years/The hills fill my heart with the sound of
music/My heart wants to sing every song it hears …”
Ann-Margret, in the
Woody Guthrie story.
Woody
Guthrie is a folk singer best known for penning “This Land Is Your Land.”
I am a fugitive from a
slumber party.
I Am a
Fugitive From a Chain Gang
is a 1932 film starring Paul Muni as a wrongly accused man who escapes a
brutal chain gang. The movie was based on Robert Burns’ autobiography, I
Am a Fugitive From a Georgia Chain Gang. The film helped raise
awareness of the brutality of forced prison labor.
Oh, man, how am I going
to get to the hobo gathering?
The Rainbow
Gathering is an annual event that began in the 1970s and continues today. It
consists of a bunch of people meeting in some part of the U.S. National
Forests and conducting a group meditation for world peace. There has been
considerable friction over the years between the organizers of the
gatherings and the U.S. government over the issue of permits.
Super
City.
You build it. Ann-Margret not included.
Super
City was a
building kit, similar to Lego, that was sold for a brief time between 1967
and 1968; it was too complicated for most kids, so it didn’t last long.
Oh,
she’s going to go vandalize Mr. Ed’s house.
Mister Ed
was a TV sitcom about a talking horse that aired from 1961-1966.
Interesting, but sexy.
An imitation
of comedian Arte Johnson (b. 1929) on the TV sketch comedy show Rowan &
Martin’s Laugh-In (1968-1973), who would appear dressed as a German
soldier to inform the audience that the preceding sketch was “Very
interesting, but stupid!”
She’s standing on Donna
Reed.
Donna Reed
(1921-1986) was an actress who personified the wholesome 1950s woman. She
acted in numerous movies, including It’s a Wonderful Life and The
Man Who Knew Too Much, and had her own TV series, The Donna Reed Show,
which aired from 1958 to 1966.
Nobody reads the
Voice anymore.
The
Village Voice is an alternative weekly newspaper in New York City.
Founded in 1955 (by Norman Mailer, among others), it features investigative
reporting and extensive arts coverage.
I just have to know if
the Twins lost again.
The
Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis.
Ethan Allen galleries.
For great American homes like yours.
Ethan Allen
is an upscale chain of furniture stores founded in 1932. It has more than
300 locations nationwide.
That’s Sears.
Sears is a
chain of department stores that was founded as a mail-order company in 1893.
Sears Home Centers are a chain of furniture retailers.
Mr. Letterman? Darling?
Over the
years, talk show host David Letterman was dogged by a persistent stalker
named Margaret Ray who repeatedly broke into his house, claiming that she
was his wife and the mother of his (nonexistent) child. In 1998 she
committed suicide by kneeling in front of an oncoming train.
Oh, it’s Michael
Jackson’s house.
Michael
Jackson (b. 1958) is a singer and dancer who began his career as a child,
performing with his brothers as the
Jackson
5 in the 1960s and 1970s. He became super-ultra-mega huge as a solo pop
singer in the 1980s, with hits such as “Beat It” and “Thriller.” Much was
made of his eccentricities, including his fashion style of wearing only one
sequined glove, his pet chimp, and his habit of sleeping in an oxygen tent
to revitalize himself. In later years his eccentricities began to appear
darker: his fondness for children exploded into scandal when several of his
young friends accused the singer of molesting them, and his constant
surgical modifications began to take on an air of the grotesque.
A little peek into
Doodles Weaver’s lifestyle.
See note on
Doodles Weaver, above.
Okay,
we meet later and frag
Shari
Lewis.
Shari Lewis
was a ventriloquist who starred in several children’s television shows,
beginning in 1960. Her most famous puppet was Lamb Chop.
Russ Meyer’s
Goldilocks.
Russ Meyer
was a movie director who made a string of films in the 1960s and 1970s
featuring women with extremely large breasts. His films include Faster,
Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (generally acknowledged to be his masterpiece) and
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” is a
traditional fairy tale about a little blond girl who breaks into a house
owned by three bears.
Dear Penthouse Forum:
I’m an average stuffed animal at a small Midwestern college …
An imitation
of the type of letters frequently received at the “Penthouse Forum,” a
column published in Penthouse magazine, in which readers would write
in explicit letters about their “real-life” sexual experiences, most of
which were wildly implausible. There is now a magazine called Penthouse
Forum as well.
We can rebuild you, John. You’ll be
faster. Stronger.
A reference
to the opening narration of the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man,
which aired from 1974-1978: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the
technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man.
Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger,
faster.”
“Ah, yes. The public image.” Limited.
Public Image Ltd. was a rock group fronted by Johnny Rotten (formerly of the
Sex Pistols). It debuted in 1978 and released a string of albums during the
1980s before disbanding in 1993.
Tee off on this, Oscar
Goldman.
Oscar
Goldman was Steve Austin’s boss on the TV series The Six Million Dollar
Man (see above note). The part was
played by Richard Anderson.
Now to put on some
Pampers and watch Flower Drum Song.
Pampers are
a brand of disposable diaper. Flower Drum Song is a musical by Joseph
Fields and Oscar Hammerstein about a Chinese woman new to
San Francisco
who falls in love with a man her family disapproves of. It was made into a
movie in 1961.
Smells like Elvis in there.
Elvis
Presley (1935-1977), the King of Rock and Roll, was one of the most popular
musicians from the 1950s until his death in the late 1970s. After he and
Ann-Margret made Viva Las Vegas together, the two were linked
romantically for a time.
Sweeney Todd!
Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
is a brilliant musical by Stephen Sondheim that was first produced on
Broadway in 1979; it has since enjoyed several revivals. Todd is a decent
barber who was unjustly imprisoned for years after a corrupt judge developed
a hankering for his wife. Driven mad by his confinement and the death of his
wife, Todd vows vengeance on the judge and ultimately on the world. He takes
to cutting patrons’ throats with his straight razor, and his downstairs
neighbor, Mrs. Lovett, puts the resulting corpses to good use in her meat
pie shop. Mrs. Lovett became a signature role for actress Angela Lansbury,
who originated the part on Broadway.
Did
Johnny Hodges let himself in?
Johnny
Hodges (1906-1970) was a renowned alto saxophone player. He played in Duke
Ellington’s orchestra for 40 years.
Stanley
Myron Handelman.
Stanley
Myron Handelman was a comedian and actor who was a regular on Dean Martin
Presents the Golddiggers. He also appeared on a short-lived TV
series, Make Room for Granddaddy (1970).
He’s with Mr. Kotter,
sir.
Welcome
Back, Kotter
was a TV series that
aired from 1975 to 1979. It starred Gabe Kaplan as a teacher in an
inner-city high school.
Leggo my Eggo!
“Leggo my
Eggo” is a longtime advertising slogan for Eggo frozen waffles.
I think Senator Kennedy
might have handled this differently.
Ted Kennedy
(b. 1932) is a senator from
Massachusetts
and one of the few old-school liberals in Congress. He also has had a fairly
messy personal life, dogged by rumors of drinking and womanizing. In 1969
his car went off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, drowning the young woman
who was his passenger; the scandal almost ended his political career.
The V.C. kept coming. I
couldn’t keep them off me.
“V.C.” is
short for Viet Cong, the rebel army that fought against the government of
South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Their actual name was the National
Liberation Front.
My parents were Manx.
Manx are a
breed of cat believed to originate from the Isle of Man. They are
distinctive in that they lack tails.
Men are from Mars,
women are from Venus, right?
Men Are
From Mars, Women Are From Venus
is a self-help book by counselor John Gray, about the difficulties men and
women have in maintaining relationships.
Sorry, a little bit of
the King slipped out there.
See note on
Elvis Presley, above.
The Gestapo!
The Gestapo
were the secret police force of Nazi Germany, charged with investigating
treason, espionage, sabotage, and other “tendencies dangerous to the state.”
It operated without judicial oversight and thus was subject to tremendous
abuses of power. The word “gestapo” has come to mean any brutal police
force.
Well, let me show you
something in the Ruth Buzzi line of leather and PVC.
Ruth Buzzi
is a comedian best known for her appearances on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,
which aired from 1968-1973.
I’ll be the prize
Pulitzer.
The Pulitzer
Prize is an annual award given for excellence in print journalism, including
books. It was established in the late nineteenth century by newspaper
publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
“Move along, Jody.” Bye, Buffy.
Jody and Buffy were two of the children on the TV show Family Affair,
which aired from 1966 to 1971. (The third child was named Cissy.) The show
starred Brian Keith as Bill Davis, a carefree swinging bachelor who suddenly
found himself in custody of three orphans, whom he cared for with the
assistance of his supercilious valet, Mr. French.
Suzy
Chapstick was arraigned today …
Skier Suzy
Chaffee made a commercial for Chapstick lip balm in 1978 in which she was
dubbed “Suzy Chapstick.”
There’s a thing on
Fabio!
Fabio (b.
1959) is a male model known for his flowing blond locks and muscular
physique. He became famous posing for a series of romance novel covers and
went on to appear in movies and TV shows, usually playing himself.
“She looked a little like …” Dee Snider.
Dee Snider was the lead singer for the heavy metal band Twisted Sister,
known chiefly for its song “We’re Not Going to Take It.”
Oh, Adam Sandler.
Adam Sandler
(b. 1966) is a comedian and actor who has enjoyed amazing success with a
series of fairly lowbrow, feel-good movies, including The Wedding Singer
(1998) and Mr. Deeds (2002). He got his start on Saturday Night
Live, where he appeared from 1991-1995.
Oh, please, God, make
it happen again. Maybe this time Sue Lyon. Joey Heatherton! Oh, please,
please, please.
Sue Lyon was
an actress and sex symbol in the 1960s, who got her start playing Lolita in
the 1962 film of the same name. Joey Heatherton (b. 1944) was a popular
singer/actress/Vegas mainstay during the 1960s, whose persona as a purring
sex kitten carried her on a crest of popularity through the decade. She was
particularly well known for touring with Bob Hope on his USO shows. However,
in the 1970s she fell out of vogue and began to have increasing drug and
health problems. She was arrested for possession several times and has
largely disappeared from the public consciousness.
Carl Stalling’s in his
house.
Carl
Stalling was a composer who worked as the musical director for Warner
Brothers’ Looney Tunes cartoons from 1936-1958.
Oh, that’s right, I
rented the spare room to Elmer Fudd.
Elmer Fudd
was a character in the Looney Tunes cartoons, a hunter usually pitted
against Bugs Bunny.
There’s a rabbit
boiling on the stove for you.
In the 1987
film Fatal Attraction, in which a married man is stalked by the woman
he had a one night stand with, Glenn Close breaks into Michael Douglas’s
house and kills their pet rabbit, cooking it on the stove.
Did you ever read
The Burning Bed?
The
Burning Bed
is a nonfiction book by Faith McNulty, about a battered woman who killed her
husband by setting him on fire while he was sleeping. It was made into a TV
movie starring Farrah Fawcett in 1984.
“You do remember Barney, don’t you?” He loves you, you love him?
Barney the big purple dinosaur is a staple of kiddie programming, much to
the dismay of many parents. His kids’ show, Barney and Friends, has
aired on PBS since 1992. Barney’s signature song goes, “I
love you/You love me/We're a happy family/With a great big hug and a kiss
from me to you/Won't you say you love me too.”
You
need Joel Hyatt.
Joel Hyatt
is an attorney, the founder of Hyatt Legal Services, a low-cost law firm.
Hyatt appeared in the firm’s television commercials, with the tagline, “I’m
Joel Hyatt, and you have my word on it.”
Oh, Prince.
Prince is a
Minneapolis musician who was one of the seminal musical talents of the
1980s; in particular, his albums 1999, Purple Rain and
Sign o’ the Times were phenomenally successful.
Salty Sam.
Possibly a
reference to the Coasters song “Along Came Jones.” Sample lyrics: “I plopped
down in my easy chair and turned on Channel 2/A bad gunslinger called Salty
Sam was chasin' poor Sweet Sue/He trapped her in the old sawmill and said
with an evil laugh/’If you don't give me the deed to your ranch/I'll saw you
all in half!’”
You turned off Doodles
Weaver!
See note on
Doodles Weaver, above.
Yes, I saw it. I love
Doodles Weaver.
See note on
Doodles Weaver, above.
“Is Cathy there?” She’s trying on a bathing suit and
saying “Aack” right now.
“Cathy” is a comic strip by Cathy Guisewite about a young woman who is
perpetually overweight and eternally frazzled.
You know, Endora’s
never done anything for me.
Endora was
Darrin Stephens’s impossible mother-in-law on the TV sitcom Bewitched,
which aired from 1964-1972. The part was played by Agnes Moorehead.
He’d never touch you,
picture. You’re dirt.
A reference
to Show 522, Teen-Age Crime Wave.
“You’re so physical.” Let me hear your body talk.
A line from the Olivia Newton John song “Let’s Get Physical.” Sample lyrics:
“Let's
get physical, physical/I wanna get physical, let's get into physical/Let me
hear your body talk/Your body talk, let me hear your body talk …”
Is
Colonel Sanders back from the dead or what?
Colonel
Harland Sanders was the man who, in 1940, came up with the famous “original
recipe” and founded Kentucky Fried Chicken. He died in 1980.
Oh, she was eating a
Clark Bar, and …
Clark Bars
are a type of candy bar sold as far back as 1886. They are manufactured by
Necco.
The crawling eye!
A reference
to Show 101, The Crawling Eye.
“Of course, Cathy!” Is trying on a bathing suit and saying “Aack!”
See note on “Cathy,” above.
“That girl!” Marlo Thomas.
That Girl was a television series that aired from 1966-1971. It
starred Marlo Thomas as Ann Marie, an aspiring actress struggling to make it
in New York City.
Pinkas Zuckerman.
Pinkas
Zuckerman is a well-known violinist and conductor.
“Right.” You’re bloody well right.
A line from the song “Bloody Well Right” by Supertramp. Sample lyrics: “You
say it all depends on money/And who is in your family tree/Right, you’re
bloody well right/You know you got a right to say …”
It’s just Oscar. I’ll
get the Fleischman’s out.
Fleischman’s
is a brand of margarine.
The young Gladys
Kravitz chronicles.
Gladys and
Abner Kravitz were the nosy neighbors on the television sitcom Bewitched,
which aired from 1964-1972. Gladys was played at various times by Sandra
Gould and Alice Pearce. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles was a
television series that aired in 1992-1993. Based on the phenomenally popular
Indiana Jones movies, which began with 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark,
the series never really caught on, although it developed a loyal cult
following. It featured Indiana Jones (who was played by Harrison Ford in the
films) at three ages: as an old man, who narrated the episodes; as a boy of
10; and as a young man in his late teens.
She looked like Pebbles.
Pebbles
Flintstone was the young daughter on the animated TV series The
Flintstones, which aired from 1960-1966. She was voiced by Jean Vander
Pyl, who also supplied the voice of Wilma Flintstone.
You have the mark of
the beast on you.
The “mark of
the beast” is a term from the book of Revelations in the Bible. It is a mark
placed on the hand or forehead of those who follow the Antichrist. Many
people associate the number 666 with the mark.
Who are you, Lovejoy?
Leave me alone.
Lovejoy
was a series about an antiques dealer who continually stumbles onto
mysteries that aired on A&E. It starred Ian McShane in the title role and
aired from 1986-1994.
She’s calling Bob
Woodward.
Bob Woodward
is the famed journalist known for his role in uncovering the Watergate
scandal for the Washington Post, which ultimately forced President
Richard M. Nixon to resign. He won the Pulitzer Prize for that coverage.
Since then he has written a number of nonfiction books.
Nurse Ratched!
Nurse
Ratched is the head of the mental hospital ward in the novel One Flew
Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. Starched, repressive and
forbidding, she serves as the antagonist in the book. The role was played in
the 1975 film by Louise Fletcher, for which she won an Oscar.
“Well, she was …” A flibbertigibbet, a will o’ the wisp, a clown.
A line from the song “Maria” from the musical The Sound of Music.
Sample lyrics: “How do you solve a problem like Maria?/How do you catch a
cloud and pin it down?/How do you find a word that means Maria?/A
flibbertigibbet! A will o' the wisp! A clown!”
I can take Ken Norton
in four.
Ken Norton
was a heavyweight boxer in the 1970s. In 1973 he beat Muhammad Ali to earn
the heavyweight championship title—only Ali’s second loss in his career. He
retired in 1981.
[Sung.] Smooth operator … smooth operator …
A line from the song “Smooth Operator” by Sade. Sample lyrics: “No need to
ask/He's a smooth operator, smooth operator, smooth operator, smooth
operator.”
Do we have any Chex
mix?
Chex mix is
a traditional Middle America snack mix containing Chex cereal, nuts, bagel
chips, pretzels, margarine and spices.
Sam,
are you scheming?
Probably a
reference to Samantha Stephens on the TV series Bewitched. The role
was played by Elizabeth Montgomery.
Avon
calling. Avon
calling. Avon
calling. Avon
calling. Avon
calling.
“Ding-dong,
Avon calling” is an advertising slogan for the direct-sales cosmetics
company that dates to the 1960s.
It’s the cast from
Bernice Bobs Her Hair.
“Bernice
Bobs Her Hair” is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a young woman
in the 1920s learning to be more modern. It was made into a TV movie
starring Shelley Duvall in 1976.
He’s got to get back to
the set of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang
is a 1968 movie about a magical car. The film was based on a children’s book
written by Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels.
“You’ve been such a buddy to the buddy.” Comin’ through the rye.
A reference to the poem “Coming Through the Rye” by Robert Burns. Sample
lines: “Gin a body meet a body/Coming thro' the
rye,/Gin a body kiss a body -/Need a body cry?”
Well, I gave her
Femiron, if that’s what you mean.
Femiron is a
dietary supplement designed to give women the daily dose of iron they need.
“Thieves, Mr. Stratton, please.” We’re gypsies and tramps.
A reference to the
Cher
song “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves.” Sample lyrics: “Gypsies, tramps, and
thieves/We'd hear it from the people of the town/They'd call us Gypsies,
tramps, and thieves/But every night all the men would come around/And lay
their money down.”
Neil Bush.
Neil Bush is
the son of former President George Bush and the younger brother of George W.
Bush. He is the black sheep of the family; in the late 1980s and early
1990s, he presided over the collapse of the Silverado Savings and Loan,
which cost taxpayers roughly $1 billion. And in 2003 he embarrassed his
brother with a highly publicized and nasty divorce battle that included
infidelity and rumors of voodoo.
Scenes for young
actors, here.
Scenes
for Young Actors
is a book by
Lorraine and Stephen Cohen featuring short scenes meant for use in acting
classes.
Why, thank you, Rocky.
A reference
to the sidekick squirrel on The Bullwinkle Show, which aired from
1961-1973.
Freebie?!
Possibly a reference to the 1974 film Freebie and the Bean, about two
San Francisco police detectives. (Thanks to Michael Gilstrap for this
reference.)
“No pain, buddy.” Not with new Aleve.
Aleve is an over-the-counter painkiller that bills itself as the solution
for minor arthritis pain.
She looks like a Dodge
Neon.
The Dodge
Neon is an economy car manufactured by Chrysler.
You know, these guys
are about as intimidating as Chad
and Jeremy.
Chad Stuart
and Jeremy Clyde were a musical duo popular in the 1960s, with hits such as
“A Summer Song” and “Willow Weep for Me.”
“Love.” Soft as an easy chair.
A line from the song “Evergreen.” Sample lyrics: “Love, soft as an easy
chair/Love, fresh as the morning air/One love that is shared by two/I have
found with you.”
[Sung.] Sunday, Monday, happy days …
A line from the theme song to the TV sitcom Happy Days, which
aired from 1974-1984. Sample lyrics: “Sunday, Monday, happy days/Tuesday,
Wednesday, happy days/Thursday, Friday, happy days/Saturday, what a day/Rockin’
all week with you …
Oh, no, Edith
Prickley’s nude!
Edith
Prickley was the station manager on SCTV, a Canadian comedy show. The
part was played by Andrea Martin.
And so it came to
Joe
Pass,
in the ruby days of Caesar Augustus …
Joe
Pass was a
well-known and respected jazz guitarist. Caesar Augustus was the first
emperor of Rome, ruling for 40 years. His reign ended a century of civil
wars and brought peace and prosperity to the Roman Empire.
I still think Charades
would have been fun.
Charades is
a game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, and the other players
try to guess what it is.
What is she, rolfing
herself?
Rolfing,
also known as structural integration, is a form of massage whose advocates
say can heal all sorts of health problems.
[Sung.] Happy birthday,
Mr. Senator …
An imitation of actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy
Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
I want to hear “Puff
the Magic Dragon” again.
“Puff the
Magic Dragon” is a song by Peter, Paul & Mary. Sample lyrics: “Puff,
the magic dragon, lived by the sea/And frolicked in the autumn mist in a
land called Honalee …”
I’ve been to the
mountaintop, and I have dug it, baby.
A reference
to a speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. In part, he said:
“Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days
ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the
mountaintop. And I don't mind.”
Paine Stewart: holy
man.
Paine
Stewart was a professional golfer known for his habit of wearing knickers
and a tam o’shanter on the course. He died in a plane crash in 1999.
Poems and prayers and
promises.
A line from
the song “Poems, Prayers & Promises” by John Denver. Sample lyrics: “And
talk of poems and prayers and promises/And things that we believe in/How
sweet it is to love someone/How right it is to care …”
Will Durant, J.D.
Will Durant
was a historian who, with his wife, wrote the epic eleven-volume The
Story of Civilization. He was known for producing sweeping works
concentrating on the larger vistas of human history, and his works were
aimed at the layman rather than at academics. Perhaps because of this, his
work has frequently been subject to criticism from other historians.
Doris Gump.
Forrest
Gump is a
1994 movie starring Tom Hanks as a man with less-than-average intelligence
who happens to be present at many of the great moments in recent history.
Shave and a haircut,
two bits?
The tune for
the couplet “Shave and a haircut, two bits” originated in an 1899 song
called “At a Darktown Cakewalk”; in 1939 the same seven notes were used in a
song called “Shave and a Haircut—Shampoo.” Over the years the phrase mutated
into the form it is known by today.
Tonight, on medical
senator.
Medical
Center
was a TV drama set in a hospital in Los Angeles.
It aired from 1969-1976.
Watch, next someone’ll
spill a mai tai on the white carpet.
A mai tai is
a cocktail made from rum, curacao and lime juice, along with other
ingredients depending on which recipe you use.
Midget’s
bucket? Billy Barty’s bucket?
Billy Barty
(1924-2000), who plays the imp in Show 806,
The Undead, was a prolific actor who also crusaded for societal
acceptance of little people. He founded Little People of America in 1957 to
work toward that goal. He appeared in more than 80 films and TV series
during his lengthy career.
“I’m dying in a rush.” [Sung.] And I’m hooked on a feeling.
A line from the song “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede. Sample lyrics:
“I'm hooked on a feeling/I'm high on believing/That you're in love with me
…”
We must pray to Ba’al.
Ba’al (or
Baal) was a Canaanite fertility god worshiped by some Semitic peoples
beginning around the fourteenth century B.C. Ba’al was the son of El, the
supreme god of Canaan, and his death and rebirth were worshiped as part of
the society’s fertility rituals.
It’s only my
two-hundred-year-old VSOP; could you save me a little?
VSOP stands
for “Very Special Old Pale”; it is a type of champagne cognac made by
Courvoisier.
[Sung.] She’s the top, she’s the Mona Lisa …
A paraphrase of the song “You’re the Top” by Cole Porter. Sample lyrics:
“You're the Nile/You're the
Tower
of Pisa/You're the smile on the Mona Lisa/I'm a worthless check, a total
wreck, a flop/But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!”
They’ve got to go pick
up Goober.
Goober Pyle
was a character on The Andy Griffith Show, which aired from
1960-1968. The part was played by George Lindsey.
Hey, a Hoppity Hop!
A Hoppity
Hop is a large rubber ball with a handle on the top, designed for kids to
sit on and bounce. It was a popular toy during the 1970s and 1980s and is
still sold today.
Suddenly it’s
Pow Wow
Highway.
Pow Wow
Highway is a
1989 film about the difficulties faced by Indians living on reservations. It
was based on the novel by David Seals.
How would you like it
if somebody picked your apples?
A reference
to the talking apple tree’s line in The Wizard of Oz (1939): “How
would you like it if someone came along and picked something off of you?”
I
think I hear a giant sucking sound.
In 1993, as
the country was debating the wisdom of the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), businessman and former presidential contender Ross Perot
came out against it, saying, “NAFTA will cause a giant sucking sound as jobs
go south.”
Yes, OSHA recommends
rolling up your window.
The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a section of the Department
of Labor, charged with ensuring workplace safety.
Oh,
look, they’ve entered the
Magic
Kingdom.
The Magic
Kingdom is the longtime nickname of Disneyland. There is also a Magic
Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida that opened in 1971.
They’re on the set of
Old Gringo.
Old
Gringo is a
1989 film about a schoolteacher kidnapped by rebels during the Mexican
Revolution. It starred Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, and Jimmy Smits.
Again, she’s on to me.
Spassky himself would have fallen for that one.
Boris
Spassky is a Russian chess player who famously lost the chess world
championship to Bobby Fischer in 1972. It was the first time in 35 years
that a non-Russian had won the title.
[Sung.] Happy trails to you …
A line from the song “Happy Trails,” which was the theme song for Dale Evans
and Roy Rogers; it was written by Evans. Sample lyrics: “Happy trails to
you, until we meet again/Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then/Who
cares about the clouds when we're together?/Just sing a song and bring the
sunny weather.”
Saigon.
I can’t believe I’m still in
Saigon.
This is a
paraphrase of a line from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 movie Apocalypse
Now, spoken at the beginning of the film by Martin Sheen: “Saigon. Shit!
I’m still only in Saigon.”
But I don’t want to run
with the bulls! No!
Every year
in Pamplona, Spain, between July 7 and 14, the “running of the bulls” is
held, in which people and bulls run a marked-off course through the town.
Deaths are relatively rare, but injuries are not.
Out of the way,
Skipper.
Possibly a
reference to the Skipper on the TV sitcom Gilligan’s Island, which
aired from 1964-1967. The part was played by Alan Hale Jr.
Well, a hundred and ten
dollars for a bottle of Seven Crown—that seems reasonable.
Seven Crown
is a brand of blended whiskey manufactured by Seagram’s.
Oh, no, it’s Imogene
Coca!
Imogene Coca
is an actress and comedian best known for playing opposite Sid Caesar on
Your Show of Shows, which aired from 1950-1954. After that
classic show went off the air, she got her own short-lived series, The
Imogene Coca Show.
Dad! Mom! Laurence
Olivier! Mildred Natwick!
Laurence
Olivier (1907-1989) was an actor who appeared in more than 80 movies over
the course of his long career. He appeared in many classic films, including
Wuthering
Heights,
Rebecca, Pride and Prejudice, and Hamlet.
Mildred Natwick (1905-1994) was an actress who appeared in such movies as
The Court Jester and The Trouble with Harry; she also
played one of the Snoop sisters in the TV series of the same name.
Oh, geez, it's Cantinflas.
Cantinflas, a.k.a. Mario Moreno Reyes, was a wildly popular Mexican comedian
from the 1930s through the 1970s. (Thanks to Christopher Brame for this
reference.)
Stacy
Keach, all cleaned up.
Stacy Keach
is a tough-guy actor who has appeared in more than 100 movies and TV series
over the course of his career, including Mike Hammer, Escape from
L.A., and American History X.
He’s smoking a Slim
Jim.
Slim Jims
are a brand of beef jerky snack marketed primarily to teens and manufactured
by ConAgra Foods.
Wow, Amy Grant has
really crossed over!
Amy Grant is
a singer who began her career in the tiny subgenre of Christian pop music.
She became its biggest star, revolutionizing the genre, and when she crossed
over to performing straight pop in the 1980s, it was the subject of much
controversy among some Christians, who considered her something of a
traitor.
[Sung.] Jesus loves me, this I know/Cause the Bible tells me so …
A line from the song “He Loves Me.” Sample lyrics: “Jesus loves me this I
know/For the Bible tells me so/All of us to Him belong/We are so weak, but
our God, He is strong.”
Oh, Isotoners.
Isotoners
are a popular brand of gloves.
Well, Senor Wences
liked it.
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.
[Sung.] Heart and soul ...
Probably a reference to the simple piano duet by the same name, written by
Hoagy Carmichael. (Thanks to Sampo for this reference.)
Man, I love Chi-Chi’s.
Chi-Chi’s is
a chain of inexpensive Mexican restaurants. The first location opened in
Minneapolis in 1976; as of 2004 there were 65 restaurants in thirteen
states.
Every day I sit in here
Charlie gets stronger and I get weaker.
A reference
to a line in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now: “Every minute I stay in
this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he
gets stronger.”
I’m not in the mood to
drink anymore; could you get me a Diet Coke?
Introduced
in 1982, Diet Coke quickly became the best-selling diet soda in the country.
Today it is the third most popular soda on the market, surpassed only by
Coke and Pepsi.
Hope you like Annie
Greenspring—that’s all they had.
Annie
Greenspring is a brand of cheap wine—similar to Boone’s Farm—that was
popular in the 1970s.
“Thanks for caring.” The United Way.
"Thanks for caring" was the tag line for commercials for the United Way, the
well-known charity. (Thanks to Sampo for this reference.)
“I made
up my mind.” [Sung.] I’m keeping my baby …
A reference to a line from “Papa Don’t Preach,” on Madonna’s 1986
True Blue album. Hard as it is to believe now, the song engendered some
controversy on the grounds that it endorsed teen pregnancy. It was her
fourth number one hit. Actual lyrics: “Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble
deep/Papa don't preach, I've been losing sleep/But I made up my mind, I'm
keeping my baby …”
It’s Motel 6 from now
on.
Motel 6 is a
chain of budget motels.
[Sung.] Bugsy Malone …
Bugsy Malone is a 1976 “gangster” movie in which all the mobsters are
played by children. It starred Scott Baio and Jodie Foster and was scored by
Paul Williams, including the title song. Sample lyrics: “He's a
sinner/Candy-coated/For all his friends/He always seems to be alone/But they
love him/Bugsy Malone.”
Oh, hi, guys! Look,
Jody! Gentleman callers!
Probably a
reference to the play Arsenic and Old Lace, about a pair of old
ladies who poison their “gentleman callers.”
Not since the Who were
here has this happened.
The Who were
a rock band, one of the seminal members of the British Invasion of the
mid-1960s. Their songs such as “The Kids Are Alright” and “My Generation”
became anthems for a generation of teenagers, and their rock opera, Tommy,
was highly influential.
That’s for the tax
reform bill, that’s for GATT, and for NAFTA …
GATT is the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, originally signed in 1947. It is
designed to help govern trade between countries by regulating tariffs and
resolving trade disputes. GATT now boasts more than 100 member countries.
See also note on NAFTA, above.
That’s a nice
Montrachet—go right to your head, though.
Montrachet
is a type of French wine produced in Burgundy.
Dizzy
Gillespie’s on their tail.
Dizzy
Gillespie was a jazz trumpeter and one of the main developers of the bop
style of jazz in the 1940s and 1950s. He played with Cab Calloway’s band for
a time, but for most of his career he played with various small bands that
he organized. His trademark was a special trumpet with the bell bent back at
a 45-degree angle, the result of an accident in which someone fell on his
trumpet—Gillespie decided he liked the sound better that way.
Mannix!
Mannix
was a television series starring Mike Connors (b. 1925) as Joe Mannix, a
private eye in Los Angeles who indulged in frequent car chases, shootouts,
and fistfights. It aired from 1967-1975.
Hey, good-looking,
we’ll be back to bump you off later.
A reference
to the ad campaign for Mr. Microphone, a low-power FM modulator popular in
the late 1970s that made it possible for your voice to be transmitted over
someone’s radio. In the commercial, a young man in a car uses Mr. Microphone
to pick up a good-looking chick, saying, “Hey, good-looking, we’ll be back
to pick you up later.” The ad was parodied in an episode of The Simpsons
titled “Radio Bart.”
Viva
Las Vegas
…
Viva Las
Vegas is a
1964 film about a young race car driver in
Las Vegas for a car
race; it starred Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret.
Please, God, I’m only
17.
“Please,
God, I’m Only 17!” is a cautionary essay about the dangers of reckless
driving that was reprinted seemingly every other week in both the “Dear
Abby” and “Ann Landers” newspaper advice columns. It dates back to at least
the 1970s.
Cubs suck.
The Chicago
Cubs are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are a
team of notorious losers, having failed to play in a World Series since 1945
and having failed to win one since 1908. Nevertheless, they continue
to enjoy loyalty from their hometown fans.
Well, once more into
the breach.
A line from
Act III, Scene 1 of the William Shakespeare play Henry V: “Once more
unto the breach, dear friends, once more;/Or close the wall up with our
English dead.”
One ring to rule them
all and in the darkness bind them.
A paraphrase
of a line from J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings.
The complete rhyme: “One ring to rule them all/One ring to find them/One
ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them/In the land of Mordor
where the shadows lie.”
When in
Universal
City,
ride the Kitten with a Whip ride.
Probably a
reference to the Universal Studios theme park in California.
Why wasn’t there more
Doodles Weaver in this movie?
See note on
Doodles Weaver, above.
Yeah! Doodles, Doodles,
Doodles, Doodles, Doodles!
See note on
Doodles Weaver, above.
