In the sugar pile episode, Homer says:
“Sure, I might offend a few of the bluenoses with my cocky stride and musky odor. Oh, I’ll never be the darling of the so called “City Fathers” who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about “What’s to be done with this Homer Simpson.””
This has to be a reference to something, right?
It may be, but that’s not the impression I got, and I certainly don’t recognize it from anywhere.
It’s almost sounds like a certain line from the end of Cyrano de Bergerac, at least in the tone and manner, but it’s different.
So, in other words: “I don’t know.”
Ranchoth
Beats me, but then I’m still mystified by the stylized “shadow” moment during Homer’s frustration at the end of the Employee of the Week ceremony (when the inanimate carbon rod won instead of him).
At first, it appears he’s hung himself. It turns out he’s really batting a piece of string.
What you’re describing is close to the final scene of “Two Dozen and One Greyhounds”, where Homer bats at a basement light bulb. It has nothing to do with the scene I described, which happens early in “Deep Space Homer”, and runs like this:
Burns: Compadres, it is imperative that we crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season. And remember, a shiny new donkey for whoever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya. [Smithers whispers to him] Hmm? What? Oh, and by that I mean, of course, it’s time for the “Worker of the Week Award”. I can’t believe we’ve overlooked this week’s winner for so very, very long. We simply could not function without his tireless efforts. So, a round of applause for…this inanimate carbon rod! [Everyone cheers]
Homer: [growls] Ooh…inanimate, huh? I’ll show him inanimate! [stands perfectly still while his shadow elongates]
Now, it’s possible that the joke is just supposed to be a play on the word “inanimate”, but the scene is so stylized, I thought it had to be from some movie.
But now it just looks like Homer just stood there for a few hours holding perfectly still, which actually doesn’t seem quite as funny.
My mistake! I think he’s just being inanimate.
Knock Knock, I hear ya. I’ve been wondering about that scene for a few years now, without even a hint of resolution. The episode capsule on SNPP doesn’t mention anything about it either.
Well I’ne been thinking of this for awhile and it does sound very familiar. But haven’t been able to place it. However knowing what I know of American cinema I would have to say that it sounds like something from a movie from the 50s or 60s, most likely a musical.
Why does it “have” to be a reference to anything? I’m amazed by people who want to pick apart every joke in every episode because, you know, the writers can’t come up with stuff on their own. It’s just gotta be a reference to something.
From the SNPP episode capsule on “Homer’s Triple Bypass”:
[Moe]
WHAA-A-A-A?
[/Moe]
Max, it might very well not be, but the line feels like its a reference. In other words, its too witty to be something that Homer could think up on his own, so it’s most likely a reference to something else that the writers slipped in.
It’s funny (to me anyway) because it’s too witty for Homer. Why isn’t that enough?
Same thing for the beekeepers. Sure, the really dramatic guy is probably a reference to Adam West, but it doesn’t “have” to be in order to be funny. I think it’s funnier when you don’t compare him to Adam West.
I love that the writers seem to enjoy inflicting mental pain on people who deconstruct the show and search for “purpose” in the tiniest areas. There are fanboys still trying to find the reference for Homer being “the first non-Brazilian to travel through time”, years after the writer said it was just a non-sequitur!
No it wasn’t. It was referring to Carlos Casteneda…
“To the Beemobile!”
“You mean your Chevy?”
“Yeah.”
I have noticed as I have been making an effort to watch more classic films, that I have gone back and caught more Simpsons references. Sometimes, I know how the movie will end based on what happened in the episode!
People don’t pick apart Simpsons episodes because they think the writers aren’t original, they pick them apart because the writers are original, as well as witty and smart enough to put in really obscure references that usually fit the scene perfectly.
And if I’m not mistaken, in the episode where the guys go to the Super Bowl (Sunday Cruddy Sunday) but get screwed out of tickets, end up racing around the nether regions of the stadium while Blur’s “Song 2” plays, it’s a direct ripoff not simply of a movie, but a reference to the trailers for “Starship Troopers.”
Hmm, I always thought that was a reference to “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” by Francis Ford Copala (sp?) when Dracula’s shadow stretched ominously towards Jonathan Harker.