Who was the first Brazillian time traveller?

[alphaboi867]

In one of the segments of Treehouse of Horror V Homer Simpson accidentally turns his broken toaster into a time machine. While traveling though the timestream he shouts "I'm the first non-Brazillian person to travel backwards through time" at which point Peabody (of Peabody & Shermen) shows up an says he's the second. What the hell was Homer talking about? :confused:

[Intergalactic Gladiator]

Isn't that from the Butterfly Effect or the Sound of Thunder?

[Marley23]

It's a deliberate non-sequitur. Some people have interpreted the line to be a reference to Carlos Castaneda, but the writers said that was not what they were going for.

Originally, Homer said "I'm the first non-fictional person to travel through time!" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_V#Production) Peabody's line made more sense that way.

[GargoyleWB]

In a long past thread, I and others had speculated that it was a reference to the old series "The Time Tunnel", whose main actors looked like they may be Brazilian. They aren't, however, and the reference wasn't.

[fiddlesticks]

A little known fact is that if the lambada is executed correctly, the dancers will travel back in time...

[Estilicon]

A little known fact is that if the lambada is executed correctly, the dancers will travel back in time...

Travel back in time or parents.

[Erdosain]

A little known fact is that if the lambada is executed correctly, the dancers will travel back in time...

I prefer the Penetrada; apparently, it makes sex look like church. No word on its time travel capabilities, though.

[Ludovic]

The weather forecast on the SDMB is Hot! Hot! Hot! with 100% chance of passion.

[Indistinguishable]

It's a deliberate non-sequitur. Some people have interpreted the line to be a reference to Carlos Castaneda, but the writers said that was not what they were going for.

Originally, Homer said "I'm the first non-fictional person to travel through time!" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_V#Production) Peabody's line made more sense that way.
What? I mean, wow, goddammit, that original is such a good line; the writers changed it for no reason into a stupid non sequitur?

[Ludovic]

What? I mean, wow, goddammit, that original is such a good line; the writers changed it for no reason into a stupid non sequitur?Maybe they were afraid someone would mistake him for a character in a fictional TV show.

[NDP]

It's a deliberate non-sequitur. Some people have interpreted the line to be a reference to Carlos Castaneda, but the writers said that was not what they were going for.

Originally, Homer said "I'm the first non-fictional person to travel through time!" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_V#Production) Peabody's line made more sense that way.

The Castaneda reference seems to be the most popular explanation. I have to admit even I was puzzled when I first heard it and (incorrectly) assumed it was some sort of reference to magic realism (even though the best known writers of magic realism are not Brazillian). That it was possibly a Castaneda reference I didn't read about until much later.

In any case, it gets my vote for "The Simpsons'" most obscure cultural reference.

[RealityChuck]

It works just fine as it is. Much like Maxwall Smart seeing a 50-foot arrow and saying, "That's the second biggest arrow I've ever seen." The point of the joke is to get people to ask, "Who do they mean?"

If you ask the question, the joke's on you.

[Indistinguishable]

It works ok, but the original was great and I can't understand why they changed it, is all.

[Zagalejo]

FWIW, The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family says that it is an allusion to Castaneda.

[Tangent]

A little known fact is that if the lambada is executed correctly, the dancers will travel back in time...

So that's why they call it 'the forbidden dance.'

[Little Nemo]

"First non-Brazilian" works much better than "first non-fictional". Non-fictional is bland: no fictional character would regard himself as fictional - it's something any character could say. Non-Brazilian however is a non-sequitor that only makes sense to Homer. It's funny because it sounds rational while having no rational meaning.

Which is why the people who try to hammer it in to a reference to Carlos Castaneda are just demonstrating they don't get it. As a reference to nothing, it's funny. As a reference to Castaneda, it isn't. The humor of the line was that the line made no sense.

[Little Nemo]

So that's why they call it 'the forbidden dance.'Only if you dance it with your own grandmother.