reference in futurama

On tonight’s episode of Futurama Fry, Leela, and Bender descend into the sewers to go find Nibbler. They end up in the city of the mutants, and in their church they worship a nuklear missle. Is this a reference to some classic science fiction?

“It will be many a year before someone flushes another guitar…”

Benieth the Planet of the Apes. The underground humans worship a doomsday bomb. Identified by the alpha and omega on the fins.

It’s a reference to Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), the first sequel to the original Planet of the Apes (1968). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneath_the_Planet_of_the_Apes.

The bit also included a hysterical line:

Fry: You guys worship an unexploded nuclear bomb?
Mutant: Yeah, but nobody’s that observant. It’s mostly a Christmas and Easter thing.

…which unfortunately contradicts a later Futurama concept: “Christmas” in the 31st century has long been renamed “X-Mas” and turned from a festive occasion to one of terror.

Except among the sewer mutants, who maintain the older traditions. And some of them might actually be flying reindeer with glowing red noses! :slight_smile:

w00t! I win by one minute!

But you have a cite, and spell it right.

But still!

[slight tangent]

Oddly, Saddam Hussein had a mosque built with the minarets looking like missiles. [/slight tangent]

Nothing but crumpled porno and Ayn Rand.