--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bunches of References Accumulated In a Nutshell (a.k.a - BRAIN)
The official Cultural Reference Guide for the animated series:
Pinky and the Brain
Version 2.0
Release date March-23-1999
Edited and Compiled by Brian Norman (acmelabs@access1.net).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS GUIDE CURRENTLY COVERS EPISODES 1 TO 39, WITH AN APPENDIX COVERING
SPECIAL COMPILATION EPISODES (COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS 'A' EPISODES).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION:
I believe it was sometime in late 1994, when I first happened upon a document
named the Cultural Reference Guide to Animaniacs, more popularly known as the
GRGA, compiled by Will B. Bell. I was a huge fan of Animaniacs, but as I read
the CRGA, I began to realize that I had been missing many jokes which had
previously gone 'over my head', because I was unaware of the references that
had been made. Watching the episodes again after having read the CRGA gave the
series a whole new level of humor, and I began to appreciate the show even
more.
Which brings me to the present day, and to this document. Pinky and the Brain,
a spin-off series from Animaniacs, contains just as many, if not more,
references to present day culture. Movies, celebrities, politicians -- all are
a target of the brilliant wit of those responsible for creating each episode of
Pinky and the Brain. As I was so impressed with the efforts of Will Bell, and
what his CRGA has done for me, and millions of other fans such as myself, I
have decided to continue the tradition by creating and maintaining this
Cultural Reference Guide to Pinky and the Brain. I hope you will enjoy it.
Many of the references within this guide are taken from the newsgroup
alt.tv.animaniacs. If you wish for your comments to be anonymized, or excluded
from this guide, please notify me via e-mail.
Please forgive references which you may see as "too obvious". Remember, this
is a show which is seen in many different countries, and by many different age
groups. So, those references which may be obvious to you may not necessarily
be obvious to all. Also, those references which are obvious today, may not be
obvious to future generations.
On a final additional note, if you would like to find out more information on a
particular reference featured in this guide, you will want to check out Mark
Elbrecht's companion guide to the BRAIN, known as P.I.N.K.Y. (Packaged
Informational Nuggets with Knowledgable Yakking). The PINKY expands on this
document by providing hypertext links to web sites containing further
information on the references found here and can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/1420/index.html
NOTE: The basic format of this document follows that of Will B. Bell's
Cultural Reference Guide to Animaniacs (CRGA). I have simplified the
symbols used by eliminating the verified/unverified symbols. I do not
have the time to verify every reference myself, so I am relying on an
honor system of sorts. If it is discovered that a person is submitting
false references purposely, I will not accept further references from
that person. See the rules for submission to the BRAIN for further
details on submission policy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GUIDE TO SYMBOLS:
+ == A true reference, verified by myself or based on convincing arguments.
- == Random observations, DYN's, and other thoughts which may not be actual
cultural references -- but I liked them and I put them in.
DYN == "Did you notice?" Points out brief appearances that might be missed
or overlooked at first glance.
NIT == Nit-picking. Pointing out small inconsistencies or inaccuracies in
a scene. Always a favorite around a.t.a.
* == Preceding a line indicates material found in the Cultural Reference
Guide for Animaniacs (CRGA) (C) 1993, 1994 by Will B. Bell and is
reprinted with his permission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTRIBUTORS:
Reference contributions are noted with initials following the reference.
For a complete list of contributors, see the final section of the reference
guide (Appendix B).
Thanks to all for your help!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now... the let the references begin!
================================================================================
GENERAL INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION:
+ Notes found on the Brain's blackboard during the title sequence:
. The Theory of Everything Made simple: This is the Brain's version of
the Grand Unification Theory, the "holy grail" of physics. It explains
absolutely EVERYTHING about the universe, and Brain has solved it while
no human has yet come close! (Skel)
. BH-91210: A reference (with incorrect zip code) to the Aaron Spelling
produced show, "Beverly Hills, 90210". (Skel)
. THX-1138: Brain's solution to the formula is actually the title of a
George Lucas student film from his days at UCLA. The title has made
it's way, in one form or another, into almost every film he's ever
done, as well as other Lucasfilm projects (THX Soundsystems, for
example). It has also shown up often on Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, and
Pinky and the Brain before. Best guess is that it's part homage to
Lucas's contribution to entertainment this half of the century, and
part reference to (Exec. Producer) Steven Speilberg and Lucas' long
standing, close friendship. (Skel)
+ Many have noticed the hidden words in the title song. Here is the list of
exactly what appears (besides the lyrics) in the order which they appear,
with some comments in parenthesis: (BN)
. PLH (Producer's initials - Peter Livingston Hastings, who incidentally
is the one responsible for putting the flying lyrics and hidden
messages into the title song.)
. enasni (Why, that's "insane" in a mirror! NARF!)
. Don't tell Brain I hid this secret message. Ha Ha Narf!
. Poit!
. ARE YOU PONDERING WHAT I'M PONDERING?
. I know about your silly secret message. Pinky.
. ZORT
+ According to Rob Paulsen, Pinky's accent is British with a speech
impediment. The way he explained it was that, when he first saw a drawing
of Pinky, he thought those huge front teeth would cause a speech
impediment. Then he decided that that would offend too many people who
really did have speech impediments, so, being a Monty Python fan, he
cranked in a British accent...and the result is the voice we know and
...er... love. (JM)
* + The Brain's voice is supposed to be a parody of Orson Welles's voice
* cf. "War of the Worlds". As well, the facial features of The Brain
* and the older Welles are pretty similar, too. (AS, MF)
+ According to a radio interview with Maurice LaMarche: He said that when
he saw the early model sheets of the Brain, he immediately thought of
Orson Welles, and did a straight Welles imitation for the voice. It was
decided later that that voice was a little too flat, so Moe added a touch
of Vincent Price and a dab of Peter Lorre to come up with the voice we
hear now.
* + The genesis of "NARF" was that TTA director & storyboard artist Eddie
* Fitzgerald *did* and does say that particular thing...though personally
* I always heard it as "neff!". Further, "Pinky" started out as a
* mouse-caricature of Mr. Fitzgerald, though through various redesigns
* it's morphed a bit afield from him. (AS)
- It's a slight possibility that "NARF" may be based on the imperative form
of the German verb "to annoy". Used in the imperative the verb becomes
"nerv", such as, "Do I annoy you?" == "Nerv ich dich?". The 'e' in
"nerv" is pronounced like the 'e' in when. Which may explain why Eddie
Fitzgerald sounded like he was saying "neff". (TorK, BN)
+ The Brain was also modeled after a WBA employee, writer and producer Tom
Minton. (BN)
+ According to Peter Hastings, in the original drawings, both Pinky and
the Brain wore lab coats, and Pinky wore glasses. (BN)
================================================================================
Episode: 1
"Das Mouse" --
+ The title refers to "Das Boot" a 1981 German film about a German U-Boat.
The captain might be the same captain that Jack refers to when he takes
out the nautilus. (BC)
+ This particular episode is a spoof of the technothriller genre,
specifically "The Hunt For Red October" (book & movie - 1990), and "Raise
The Titanic!" (also book & movie - 1980). "Jack Maguire" is a loose
composite of Jack Ryan, from tHfRO, and Dirk Pitt, from RtT. Brain's plan
for raising the Titanic is roughly identical to the one used in RtT. In
addition, the Titanic which Brain finds resembles the depiction of the
Titanic in RtT -- the book/film version was intact save for a lost second
funnel. (JW, BEC)
+ It was also the same technique that was used in the 1961 movie "Mysterious
Island", to raise a sunken pirate ship so everyone could escape the island
before it blew up. There was a sub in that one too - The Nautilus!
Which was coincidentally the name of the 'attack path' P&tB were running.
(RJR)
+ The Titanic, for those who don't know, was an ocean liner that sank on
April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg. 1500 died due to inadequate
lifeboats. (BEC)
- Brain is looking for crabs, and he may find them. The Titanic has become
an oasis for life on the ocean bottom, with many fish, sponges, worms and
crabs calling the wreak home. (BEC)
+ Poi is Polynesian staple made of mashed taro root, NOT a dessert. After
tasting it, it would be very hard to mistake it for a dessert. (RY)
+ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is an actual facility located
in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., in tandem
with the French university INFREMER, discovered the wreck of the Titanic
in 1985. (BN, BEC)
- Both WHOI and NARF are valid radio callsigns for US-registered ships,
though NARF would normally be assigned only to a US Navy ship. (JM)
+ Woods Hole is also home to the Alvin submersible and Jason Jr. robotic
probe seen in this episode, which are actual vehicles used by Bob Ballard
in a 1986 exploration of the Titanic. (KP)
+ Alvin is really one of half dozen or so subs that are capable of diving to
the Titanic's depth. NIT: Alvin must be brought into place by a support
ship, as it only has about 12 hours of battery power. (BEC)
+ Jason Jr. was designed to be a tethered remote for Alvin, and was used
during the second Woods Hole Titanic expedition in 1986, but has since
been retired. Minor nit, the real JJ is blue. (BEC)
- NIT: The radar transponder about the Alvin has two knobs to set the code
in the scene where Pinky scrambles it, and three when they come back from
the first commercial break. (JM)
+ Pinky's asking if he can be Queequeg is a reference to the Polynesian
harpooner in Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby Dick". (JS, GJB)
+ Sub Club == The Club, a popular anti-theft device found on many
automobile steering wheels. (BN)
- The reference to the sub being able to make only right turns could be a
nod to J. Edgar Hoover's alleged superstition about all things sinistral.
He was purported to have believed that left turns were bad luck, and his
chauffeurs would often travel incredibly circuitous routes to reach places
that could have been traveled in minutes using left turns. (ALS)
+ Pinky quotes a line from Baywatch. Baywatch is a popular syndicated
program whose plot centers around showing as many beautiful female and
male lifeguards running around the beach in skimpy swimsuits as possible
in one hour. (BN)
+ The book Brain was reading: Jackie Collyns' OXNARD. Check out any
bookstore for the cultural ref. on this Jackie Collins novel. (RJR)
+ "Oxnard" is a real community in Ventura County, California. I imagine
that some of the WB staff probably lives in the area, since it's about
45 minutes from Burbank. (BEC)
+ Brain mentions "The Stud," a 1978 movie starring Joan Collins
(Jackie's sister) which was just as trashy as the Jackie Collins novel
which it was based upon. (AV)
- DYN: The phrases on the soft-drink machine: "CloakaCola machine" and
"Taste the dagger". (ME)
+ DYN: Jack's line "Hold on to your Newton, desk jockey". The Newton is a
popular P.D.A. made by Apple Computer Inc.. The Newton is basically a
hand-held communications device with several functions, and was most
notable during its debut in June 1993 for its ability to translate
handwriting into typewritten text. (ME, DCat, BN)
+ Cheez-Whiz is a processed cheese product in a can. (ME)
+ Jacques Cousteau, who died late June 1997, was the oceanographer whose
television series "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" and other works
(including co-inventing the equipment we now know as "SCUBA" gear for the
military) made him famous, and at the same time showed the wonders to be
found under the sea. (ME, chance)
+ "Davy Jones' locker" is a mariner's term for the bottom of the sea, also
used as a maritime colloquialism for the final resting place of deceased
mariners. (ME, chance)
+ Davy Jones did sing co-lead for the Monkees along with Mickey Dolenz.
Sidenote: David Bowie's real name is David Jones; he changed it to Bowie
to avoid confusion. (BC)
+ When Jason Jr. goes past the bow of the ship, it is very reminiscent of
the cover of Dr. Robert Ballards (WHOI expedition leader) book "Discovery
of the Titanic" which shows a painting of JJ next to Titanic's bow. (BEC)
+ The large, curved stairway that is shown briefly as the airbag is filling
was Titanic's First Class Entrance. The real stairwell is gone, destroyed
after the sinking. (BEC)
+ Brain's "Rise and be free" sequence is a reference to a famous scene from
the 1993 movie "Free Willy". (BN)
+ While Brain was raising it, the Titanic breaks in two; when in fact, she
broke in two major portions while sinking, in about the place indicated,
with the two portions being about 1/2 mile apart. (This is similar to a
"cartoon character knocks over Leaning Tower of Pisa" joke you sometimes
see.) (JW, BEC)
- NIT - The Titanic in the cartoon had a big gash on the front of the ship,
but it was on the wrong side! (JW)
- NIT 2 - When Brain first shows Pinky a picture of the Titanic on the
computer, it has just three funnels, the Titanic had four. Also, when
they get to the actual ship, the funnels are still intact, they were
ripped off and/or imploded when it sank. (KP)
- Ah, but if you look closely, you'll see a gap where the fourth funnel
would go. If I recall correctly, this is how the Titanic was depicted in
"Raise The Titanic!". (Besides, she *really* only had 3 funnels; the
fourth was a dummy, added solely for appearances.) (JW)
================================================================================
Episode: 2
"Of Mouse and Man" --
+ The title refers to the title of John Steinbeck's 1937 novel "Of Mice and
Man" about two farm workers who desire a small farm of their own. (See
also -- CRGA entry for "Of Nice and Man"). (BN)
- "There must be a way to get this money without running for Congress."
The original airing of this episode had "working for Eisner" (after Walt
Disney chairman and chief executive Michael Eisner) in place of "running
for Congress". All subsequent airings were changed for unknown reasons.
(BN)
+ Gerald Ford pardon refers to the 38th President of the United States'
controversial pardon of resigned President Richard Nixon for all federal
crimes he might have committed in office [referring to the Watergate
incident]. (BN)
- "We're looking for someone who has no life.": Has to do with the fact that
some employers assume that if you are not married with children that you
can (and will) devote all your time and effort to your job, being more
productive, and increasing revenues. They look on family as something
that will distract you. They also don't have to provide benefits to your
family members, which also costs money. It's not legal to ask questions
about marital status during an interview. (HB)
+ Gallagher is a comedian who at the height of his popularity (late 1970's)
would appear on variety shows (The Muppet Show comes to mind).
One of the parts of his act was smashing fruit, usually watermelons,
with a sledgehammer. The audience would come with plastic sheeting or
rain gear in order to shield themselves. (BC)
+ "American Gladiators" is a game-show style television program in which
contestants put themselves through various physical events against the
program's own 'gladiators'. (BN)
- The cubicles in the office are patterned after the WBA cubicles (seen
previously in TTA's "Toons Take Over") right down to the coloring. (BC)
- When the crowd looks into Brain after his "accident", the man in the
upper right hand corner is WBA director/writer Audu Paden! (BC)
+ The counselor for the insurance company was a parody of actor Christopher
Walken. (RKM)
+ The judge is Judge Lance Ito, the judge of the now infamous O.J. Simpson
criminal trial. (BN)
+ Court TV is a cable television which covers various court cases, and
became extremely popular during the aforementioned O.J. Simpson trial.
(BN)
- DYN - In the vending machine, Pinky is placed in front of "Ruegger Bars".
(Named after Senior Producer Tom Ruegger) Partially obscured to the left
of them appears to be a candy bar called Spumco. (Named after the people
who made the first season of Ren & Stimpy.) (BN, RO)
================================================================================
Episode: 3
"Tokyo Grows" --
- The title probably refers to Tokyo Rose, a Japanese propagandist during
World War II. She hosted a radio show that tried to demoralize Allied
troops. It was so poorly done, it had almost the opposite effect.
(JR)
+ There actually was never a Tokyo Rose. The name was an invention of U.S.
GI's serving in the Pacific. The name was attributed to any female voice
coming out of Tokyo. No one knows where it came from, but it was in use
by the end of 1942. The young girl who is attributed to Tokyo Rose
actually used a radio name of "Ann" or "Orphan Ann" (her real name
escapes me), and she was one of many young women to do broadcasts from
Tokyo. She had the rather bad misfortune to be a U.S. citizen, and was
convicted of being a traitor after the war, and stripped of her
citizenship (she was a natural born American). She was eventually
pardoned by Gerald Ford. (BEC)
+ Iva Ikuko Toguri was the woman who, at age 27, broadcast as "Orphan Ann"
on the Allied POW-produced ZERO HOUR program on Radio Tokyo. (DND)
- NIT: Error right off the bat. The graphic writes Tokyo incorrectly.
Firstly, it would be best written in kanji. Secondly, if it were to be
spelled out, it should read what gets romanized as 'Toukyou'. Instead,
on the screen it is written 'Toukiyou'. The difference is a more subtle
one than you might think. The symbols are all correct, but the 'yo'
symbol should be written smaller. (RO)
- "Acmeshita Labs": It was probably based on Matsushita, which might be
considered a real-life equivalent of Acme Corp. Matsushita, under one
brand or another, could probably match Acme gadget-for-gadget. (BM)
- NIT: The scientist going into Acmeshita Labs takes his shoes off before
entering the lab, but as soon as the radio sounds that Gollyzilla is
coming, his shoes magically appear inside the room which he is in and
he puts them on to get out of the building. (DW)
+ Having all the trouble start with a miniaturization ray is apt. In the
1950's and 60's, Japan was best known as an exporter of (usually cheap)
electronic gadgets that used transistors to make them smaller. "Japanese
transistor radio" was almost a redundancy. (MB)
- DYN - The kanji on Pinky & the Brain's water bottle? It isn't 'water',
it's "sake", a Japanese liquor made from fermented rice. (RO)
+ The footage of Raymond Burr ("Yes, I see.") parodies the original
Godzilla movie "Gojira" (released in 1954 in Japan) which when it was
released in America in 1956 as "Godzilla, King of the Monsters,"
contained spliced footage of Burr. (BN)
- NIT: Slight continuity error. `Sony' on a radio changes to `Fony' on
another shot. (RO)
+ Either way, it's a reference to electronics manufacturer Sony Corporation
which is headquartered in Tokyo. (LR, BN)
- Most of the characters on the signs and buildings are correct hiragana
and katakana characters, but the "words" are nonsensical. However,
there are a couple of funny exceptions. Two signs when Brain is
directing Pinky with the megaphone read "Oumi o taberu" which means eat
a flea. "Omi" again shows up on the fruit stand when "Brainodo" shows
up. Perhaps 'flea' == 'flee'? (BC, RO)
+ When the people flee from Pinkzilla, some of them are in baseball
uniforms. Baseball is enormously popular in Japan. In fact, it's the
only western sport to have a Japanese name: yakyuu. One of the biggest
baseball stars in Japan currently is nicknamed `Gojira' (Godzilla). (RO)
+ On Gollyzilla taking off his sandals before entering Tokyo: One
generally removes his or her shoes before entering the living area of a
Japanese house. (WN)
+ Now for a Japan specific ref. When Godzilla is chasing after Pinky &
Brain, one of the stores is named "Sogo". That is a name of an actual
department store in Japan. Minor nit: The department store is actually
based in Yokohama. (Just outside of Yokohama St. on the JR and Toyoko
lines) (BC)
"That Smarts" --
- DYN: Brain's robotic suit was on one of the log pages. (SP)
+ Gremlins are imaginary creatures that are blamed for causing machines to
fail. (ME)
+ Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were a highly successful comedy duo of the
1940's and 50's, having starred in several films together. They split up
in 1956, with Jerry Lewis moving on to direct and star in his own films.
(ME, BN)
- NIT: The keypad on the machine when it is first shown has the numbers 1-13.
Later in the episode, it only has 1-12. (JR)
- DYN: The letters on the keys of Brain's machine read "PBWS". This could
possibly stand for "Pinky and the Brain, Warner Studios" (BN)
+ Jimmy Hoffa was the leader of the Teamsters Union who disappeared in 1975.
It is believed that he was kidnapped and later murdered, but his body has
never been found. (ME, BN)
+ If you look closely at Brain's romance novel you will notice the names
Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Both were writers, but the
significance of pairing them together here is that Toklas was Stein's
lover and companion; Stein's best-known book was 'The Autobiography of
Alice B. Toklas'. (RD)
"Brainstem" --
+ The tune is "Camptown Races" by Stephen Foster. (MB)
+ Brain's comment at the end of the song refers to the old blooper on those
Kermit Schaeffer "Pardon My Blooper" records which had the old time
children's radio host "Uncle Don" blurting out (when he thought the mic
was off), "That ought to hold the little b*stards!" (RF)
================================================================================
Episode: 4
"Pinky & The Fog" --
- NIT: Unfortunately, the episode is set a little too early in the
thirties. Quoting from "TUNE IN YESTERDAY" by John Dunning: "The Shadow
made its radio debut in August 1939 on the CBS Detective Story program."
However at that time, the Shadow was just the host of a mystery
anthology. (RN)
- DYN: The radio station where "The Mist" is being produced is WRLD,
making Brain just one letter away from taking over the world (MN)
- NIT: In elevators like the one where the Brain gets flattened, the
handle that moves back and forth controls the up and down movement of the
elevator, not the opening and closing of the doors. Also, there were no
buttons in the 1930's elevators. These types of elevators still exist in
many older buildings in New York City. (DTC)
- The music for The Mist was similar to the music for The Shadow. The
theme for the Shadow was an organ playing Camille Saint-Saens' Omphale's
Spinning Wheel. (RN)
+ The first radio actor is a caricature of Mel Blanc and the actor who
portrayed The Mist looked a bit like Orson Welles, although he looked
like a later Orson Welles than the 1937 Welles. (RN, DG)
- NIT: Orson Welles did not begin playing the Shadow until 1937. (RN)
"Where No Mouse Has Gone Before" --
+ The title of the segment refers, of course, to Star Trek's opening
soliloquy - "To boldly go where no man has gone before." (SC)
- The entire plot is very reminiscent of an episode of the Twilight Zone
entitled "Hocus, Pocus, and Frisby". In which according to the Twilight
Zone Episode Guide (http://www.twilight.com/twilight-zone.guide):
"the town windbag so impresses a visiting group of aliens (who are
masquerading as humans) with his tall tales that they attempt to take him
back to their planet for study as a prime Earth specimen". (SC)
+ The opening shot of Brain floating up to the light is straight out of
the beginning space sequence from the 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey"
complete with the Blue Danube Waltz. (BC)
+ "One day we will live in a world where a mouse rules, and it's the
humans who are forced into these humiliating diversions." "You mean
Orlando?" This is a reference to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Mickey Mouse is the mouse who rules, and the rides are the 'humiliating
diversions'. (Rizz)
- NIT: The seats Pinky and the Brain sit in on the centrifuge are mounted
in the wrong direction to generate the effect they show. The acceleration
they would experience with seats mounted facing perpendicular to the arm
would be towards the outside of the circle, yet they are shown as though
they are being accelerated in the direction they are facing. The
centrifuges NASA used on astronauts have the seats mounted to face back
along the arm; this would produce the effect we see. (JM)
+ The altered paintings are "The Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci, "The Blue
Boy" by Thomas Gainsborough, a Warhol print featuring Mickey Mouse
(I forget the name), and of course the immortal dogs playing poker.
(BC, BN)
+ The opera portion parodies Richard Wagner's "Die Walkure", also known as
"Ride of the Valkyries." (BN)
+ Brain's rock 'n' roll bit is Little Richard, complete with his pompadour,
but he performs it closer to Pat Boone. The song BTW, is "Tutti
Fruitti" (BC)
+ There's quite a bit of Tchaikovsky in this episode -- When Pinky asks the
Brain about including ballet in the messages he is sending to the aliens,
a bit of Tchaikovsky's "THE NUTCRACKER" plays in the background. Then
when Pinky talks about the Japenese weeping at "GISELLE" a bit of
Tchaikovsky's "SWAN LAKE" plays in the background. Both "SWAN LAKE" and
"THE NUTCRACKER" are ballets written by Tchaikovsky. However the ballet
to which Pinky refers - "Giselle" - was written by Adolphe-Charles Adam.
Perhaps they didn't use music from this ballet because it isn't as well
known as the Tchaikovsky ballets. (RN)
+ Verner Von Brain = Wernher Von Braun, a German scientist who came to
America and had a civic center in Huntsville, AL named after him. He
was also heavily involved in the early space program and is famous as
the developer of the liquid-fuel rocket. (JH, BN)
+ Colonel Klink was a German character from the old "Hogan's Heroes" TV
show. (JH)
+ When Pinky makes his remark about practicing, the background music is
what is known as Kreutzer exercises, famous for tormenting hapless
violin students. I believe their purpose is to practice fingering.
(DG)
+ This strain will be readily recognized by anyone familiar with Jack
Benny, as it was with this sequence that he habitually tortured his
violin teacher. (DG)
+ The "Philbin Space Probe" is a reference to daytime talk show host Regis
Philbin of "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee". Regis seems to be a popular
target of the Pinky and the Brain writers. (BN)
- Fronobulax was the planet that the giant poodle in the Frank Zappa song
"Cheapnis" was from. (MAM)
- The ending was very similar to the ending of another Twilight Zone episode
entitled "People Are The Same All Over." In which Roddy McDowall and some
others take off from Earth and land on an alien planet, where they are put
in a zoo. (RN)
"Cheese Roll Call" --
+ The music is the first two-thirds or so of "Semper Fidelis", which Sousa
wrote in 1888 while he was music director of the US Marine Corps Band at
the suggestion of President Chester A. Arthur. Arthur had asked Sousa
what he thought of "Hail To the Chief", and suggested he write something
else when Sousa replied that he didn't think a lot of it. "Semper
Fidelis" was one of two compositions Sousa produced in response; the
other was "Presidential Polonaise". "Semper Fidelis" was subsequently
adopted as the official march of the USMC. (JM)
================================================================================
Episode: 5
"Brainania" --
+ "Fatty Lumpkin" was the name of Tom Bombadil's pony in J.R. Tolkien's
novel "Fellowship of the Ring". (JeffD)
- The ending of this episode seemed rather unusual. There's a setup that
ends up being ignored. Brain gives the satchel to Pinky, warning him:
"It's leather, so don't get it wet." It gets wet at the end, but there's
no comment about the consequences. Instead, the cheque is perfectly fine,
but Brain tears it up after Pinky makes a paper crane out of it. Why was
this setup ignored? Only the writers would know for sure... (RO)
================================================================================
Episode: 6
"TV or not TV" --
+ The title of the episode is from the famous soliloquy from Shakespeare's
"Hamlet". ("To be or not to be...") (BN)
+ The episode opens with Brain ripping the smile from a magazine photo
of supermodel Cindy Crawford - note the distinctive mole. (BN)
+ The bit about "Clutch Cargo" and "what do they call a Quarter Pounder
in France" are both references to the 1995 film "Pulp Fiction", which
starred John Travolta (pictured in the cutout that Pinky is holding.)
(JM, JJW)
+ "Clutch Cargo" was a 1950's low-budget cartoon where the lip movements
were provided by real human mouths, superimposed on the drawings
through something called "Synchro Vox". With the end result looking
similar to what Pinky was doing with the John Travolta picture. (ME)
+ Pinky's favorite show, "Mr. Belvedere" played on ABC in the mid-1980's.
It stared Bob Uecker, and was about a English butler that stayed with a
rather crass family in Pittsburgh. (It was based on a rather funny
character played by Clifton Webb in several '40s movies.) (BC, JJW)
+ Pinky and the Brain on the motorcycle is a takeoff on the 1969 film "Easy
Rider". The background music even sounded like a variation on "Born to
Be Wild". (RD)
- Brain's alias Jamal Spelling is probably a reference to television
producer Aaron Spelling (Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, The
Love Boat). (BN)
- Pinky's alias, Jonathan Michael Charles, is most likely a reference to
teen idol Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Note the three first names in both
names. (Jackie)
+ Jerry Kilmer == Jamie Kellner, head of The WB Television Network. (BN)
+ Note the Yawni poster behind the secretary's desk. Yanni is a "new
age" composer and musician. (BN, BC)
- Is it just me, or does Kilmer's receptionist look like a young Gloria
Steinem (founder of *Ms.*)? The symbol for "woman" on her computer,
long a feminist icon as well, adds to my suspicion. Of course, for all
I know, it could just be a caricature of Kellner's real-life receptionist.
(ALS)
+ The show idea that Pinky and the Brain give to Mr. Kilmer sounds
exactly like a description of the NBC sitcom "Friends" (although the
monkey is no longer a part of the show). Ironically, "Friends" is
produced by Warner Bros. (BN, DW)
- Everyone was complaining that all the new sitcoms introduced the season
in which this episode aired were clones of "Friends". (RN)
- A minor nit - The way to get a sitcom is not to get on the cover of
"People" Magazine. It's true that people with brilliant ideas are
turned down, but it's usually because they don't have a track record of
working on staff on other shows. You start out as a writer, then you
get a staff position, then you get to create your own shows. It's not
usually the performers who pitch, except for some writer/performers,
such as Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, Roseanne, etc. (RN)
+ "Peeple" == "People," a weekly magazine that has featured a cover story
on Princess Diana an inordinate number of times (over 40 to date), hence
Brain's plan "B" on how to get on the cover of the magazine. (Jackie)
+ In The Brain's book on comedy you see Henny Youngman's famous line:
"Take my wife - please!" (BC)
+ The man with the monocle who introduces Brain at the comedy club is Bud
Freidman, owner of the Improv chain of comedy clubs. (RD, RG)
+ "Did you ever notice..." is a lead-in line inextricably associated with
Jerry Seinfeld. (JJW)
+ Star Hunt == Star Search, hosted by Ed McMahon who is caricatured here,
is a program on which amateur singers, comedians, and otherwise
talented people compete to win prizes. I believe several now famous
celebrities were "discovered" from their Star Search appearances.
(BN)
+ "G!" == "E!", a cable television station about the entertainment industry.
(Jackie)
+ "Howie Tern" == Howard Stern, a radio talk show host who has his own
show on "E!" (Jackie)
+ Brain makes an appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman." The two
men, Dave and Paul, are references to David Letterman and Paul Shaffer.
(Jackie)
+ Paul's "Yamahamer" keyboard: possibly a combination of Yamaha and Jan
Hammer, the synthesizer artist who did the "Miami Vice" theme. (BC)
+ We certainly do hope Bob Saget gets trampled by a bear. As the star
of "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos" he has helped to
rot many millions of minds. (JJW)
+ There's also a mention of Richard Dean Anderson being shot out of a
pasta maker. Richard Dean Anderson is famous for his role of MacGyver
on the television show of the same name, he is also featured in the
StarGate television series. (DW)
- DYN: Also on the cover of "Peeple [sic] Magazine": "Pauly Shore,
enough already!" Pauly Shore is an highly untalented actor who starred in
such bombs as "Encino Man", "Son-in-Law" and "Bio-Dome". (JJW, JK)
+ The "show about nothing" description given by Pinky is one commonly
attributed to NBC's hit sitcom "Seinfeld". (RD, BN)
================================================================================
Episode: 7
"Napoleon Brainaparte" --
- DYN: One of the student chefs was seen before in the incomprehensible
foreign film that Dr. Scrachansniff took his date to see in the
Animaniacs short "Drive-Insane". (Episode #53) (WY)
+ The glass pyramid in front of the Louvre was built in 1989 by architect
I.M. Pei, amid some controversy. (JM, BN)
+ London Bridge is in fact located in America. Lake Havasu City, Arizona
to be specific. (JM)
+ "...we are the world!" "Are we the children?": refers to the 1985 song
"We Are the World", written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie which
was performed by over 40 pop musicians, with all profits going to help
fight world hunger. (BN)
+ On the use of Marlon Brando for Napoleon in this episode. Brando
actually played Napoleon in the 1954 Twentieth Century Fox film entitled
"Desiree" (Desiree was the name of one of Napoleon's mistresses). (RN)
+ The Napoleonic Code was the set of laws developed after the French
Revolution as a protest against the diversity of laws governing France
before the revolution. It was a combination of the Germanic law of
northern France and the Roman law of southern and eastern France. Noted
for its clearness and simplicity, the Napoleonic Code remains as the basis
of law for many areas today, including the state law of Louisiana in the
United States. (BN)
+ There is also a reference to Brando's performance in the 1951 film
"Streetcar Named Desire" when Napoleon/Brando screams "Josephine"
(as Brando screamed "Stella" in "Streetcar"). (HMH)
================================================================================
Episode: 8
"Snowball" --
+ The Piggly Wiggly is a funnily-named supermarket chain. (LR)
- DYN: The child's drink bottles contain Alar and DDT (pesticides),
Canal No. 5 (a reference to Chanel No. 5 perfume), and Snipple
(refers to Snapple soft drinks). (JM)
+ "A mouse and a hamster barely alive...they said they could make us
better...faster...smarter." refers to the opening of "The Six Million
Dollar Man". (JM)
+ The cast of the NBC drama "ER" can be seen operating on Brain and Snowball.
(BN)
+ "Wink Martindale day, except in Arizona" is a jab at that state's
reluctance to adopt a Martin Luther King holiday. (JM)
+ Wink Martindale, by the way, is by far the cheesiest game show host
ever, hosting such classics as "Tic Tac Dough" and "Joker's Wild".
(BC)
- DYN: Books in the lab: Quantum Hydraulics from Paden Press (director
Audu Paden), something from Rm Publishers (producer Rusty Mills),
something ending in -tics, and Hasting's (sic) Theorems (producer Peter
Hastings). (JM, BN)
+ Microsponge == Microsoft, a Seattle based computer company which many
people feel is trying to take over the world. Bill Grates == Bill Gates,
the founder and CEO of Microsoft. He is also one of the wealthiest people
in the world. (BN)
- "Snowball for Windows": May be a reference to the SNOBOL programming
language, which was developed at Bell Telephone Labs in 1962.(*)
I don't know if it's still in use anywhere, but proposing a Windows
version of it is just the sort of thing Pinky would do.
{* From the forward of "The SNOBOL4 Programming Language," R.E.Griswold,
J.F.Poage, I.P.Polonsky, copyright Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc.
1971, 1968. 13-815373-6 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:
70-131996} (MH)
+ The scene where the camera starts on the "No Trespassing" sign, and
pans up a mountain to a lonely mansion with a single lit window, then
fades to an extreme close-up on Pinky's face as he says "Brain..." and
drops the snow globe is a direct pull from the opening scene of the 1941
film classic "Citizen Kane". (Kane says "Rosebud...", of course.) (SC)
+ In order to fully appreciate and understand the final scene with the
sudden cut from Mt. Rushmore to Acme Labs you had to have seen the 1959
film "North By Northwest". Near the end of the film, Eva Marie Saint is
trying (with great difficulty) to pull Cary Grant up from his precarious
hanging position on the face of Mount Rushmore. As he's pulled up,
there's a *really confusing* jump-cut to him pulling her up onto the
train; in the space of that 1/24th of a second, she's pulled him up,
they've gotten *married*, and one can only assume that all evil has been
resolved and all goodness has been rewarded, and they're going to live
happily ever after. Same here. (SC)
- DYN: Acme Labs is located in New York City according to this episode. The
envelope Brain receives at the end with the stamp money is addressed to
Mr. Brain, Acme Labs, NY NY 10005. (By the way, to be even more specific,
this zip code is around the Wall Street area of New York City.) (BN)
================================================================================
Episode: 9
"A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" --
+ The airplane is a Cessna 182 on skis, more or less; it's normally a
tricycle gear aircraft and this one's a taildragger, but taildragger
conversions for the 182 do exist, and are primarily used in places like
Alaska. (JM)
- The effects of opening an airplane's door in flight are pretty accurately
portrayed as well: everything gets sucked out in a hurry. (JM)
+ "...although I consider myself a Jungian." refers to the two great schools
of psychology, the other being Freudian. Karl Jung was one of Freud's
early disciples, who later broke with him. (JM, RN)
+ "...joining the Donner party" refers to an ill-fated expedition to
California in the mid 1800s. 87 people were snowbound in a mountain pass
and they ending up resorting to cannibalism. 47 people eventually made it
out alive with the assistance of rescue parties. The pass is now named
after them. (True story: One of the survivors opened a restaurant.)
(JM, Ary, BN, SC)
- DYN: The security alarm played the first line of "Jingle Bells"? (JH)
- The Noodle Noggin toy reminded me of something out of "Nightmare Before
Christmas". (JH)
+ Pinky's comment about wanting to be a dentist: the Rankin/Bass production
of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", featured an elf that befriended
Rudolph; the elf was an outcast because he wanted to be a dentist. (SC)
+ On the wall in Santa's office is a portrait of the Abominable Snowman from
"Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer". (BM)
- DYN: When Pinky is impersonating a reindeer, the antler he is wearing
looks a lot like the one Max wore in the Grinch's Christmas. (RD)
+ The scene in the toy factory is from the 1992 Robin Williams movie "Toys".
(LBL)
- Herschel the Hannukah Goblin is a real character from a book whose title I
don't know. (LBL)
- NIT: When the mice shatter The Brain's broadcasting machine on their
landing to Acme Labs through the roof, the colors on the box/lever Pinky
was supposed to push ("when it turns red...") are reversed from what they
are in the next scene. (i.e., the red area is to the left and the
green-yellow area's on the right.) (HG)
- DYN: In the White House Christmas scene, Socks the Clinton's cat has a
Newt Gingrich scratching post. The joke being that Clinton is a Democrat
and Gingrich is a Republican, and they haven't exactly gotten along well
together. (HG)
================================================================================
Episode: 10
"Around the World In Eighty Narfs" --
+ This episode is based largely on the 1956 movie "Around the World in 80
Days" which in turn is based on the Jules Verne book of the same title.
(BC)
+ The year in which this episode supposedly takes place (1872) is the year
in which the Jules Verne book was first published. (BN)
+ The person that posed the challenge is based upon David Niven's character
in the film: Phileas Fogg. (BC, FB)
+ Benjamin Disraeli *did* become the PM of England in the late 19th century
(1868 & 1874-1880). (BC)
+ Sir Sidney = Sidney Greenstreet, with his "by gad, sir" catchphrase from
"The Maltese Falcon" (1941). (JJW)
+ Pinky and the Brain begin their journey in a hot-air balloon, just as
Niven and Cantinflas did in the movie. The music for this sequence parodies
Victor Young's famous "Around the World" theme for the film. (JJW)
+ The music played during the Western chase sequence is a parody of Elmer
Bernstein's theme music from the movie "The Magnificent Seven". (JJW)
+ "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show" was the most famous of the traveling
Western-themed circuses that basically acted out Cowboys-and-Indians
stories for a paying audience, thus paving the way for innumerable
Hollywood versions of the same legends. (JJW)
================================================================================
Episode: 11
"Fly" --
+ The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is located in Washington,
D.C. (BN)
- NIT: Brain mentions that all of the "Ziggy" jet fighters were sold to
Iceland in 1958. Yet when we see the European scientists flying the
"Ziggy", it has a Norwegian flag on the side of it, not an Icelandic flag.
The difference is minor, both flags look similar, but the colors are
reversed. (i.e. the red area of the Norwegian flag is blue on the
Icelandic flag.) (BN)
- The nerdy guy in mission control with the accent resembles the scientist
from India, Ben (played by Fisher Stevens) from the "Short Circut" movies
(1986, 1988). (AJC)
================================================================================
Episode: 12
"Ambulatory Abe" --
+ Freakazoid! is another WB animated series, and is in fact set in
Washington, D.C. as Pinky points out. (BN)
+ Edgar Bergen was a famous ventriloquist, who created several dummies, of
which Charlie McCarthy was probably his most famous.
(See Episode 23 - "Brinky" for further information.) (BN)
- Actually, it is NOT true that no one today knows what Abraham Lincoln's
speaking voice sounded like. Although there are no recordings (of course)
there are contemporary descriptions. According to several descriptions
from people who heard his voice, it was rather high pitched -- nothing at
all like Tony Danza's voice. (RN)
+ The little boy having his grandfather read the Lincoln Memorial
inscription is a direct cinematic reference to Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington" (1939), and was so listed in the published script.
(TM)
- NIT - The inscription behind the Lincoln statue reads: "In this temple,
as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory
of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." It is not, as the child reads,
the Gettysburg Address. The Gettysburg Address is found in the south
chamber of the memorial. (BN)
- What the heck is that black thing peeking out in the lower right hand
corner when the tourist asks the statue who his vice president was?
Is it Yakko after playing in a coal mine? (RO)
+ Tony Danza is an actor most famous for his roles in the late 1970-80
sitcoms "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?". (BN)
- What is it with race cars in these cartoons that they have to look like
1971 Indycars? (RO)
+ Brain's comment, while hosting the Academy Awards, about one-armed
push-ups, refers to the feat performed by Jack Palance at the 1991
Academy Awards ceremony. (BN)
+ The character introducing the 135-year old man is a caricature of Today
show weatherman Willard Scott, noted for giving on-air birthday wishes
to those over 100 years old. (BN)
+ Louis Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo, is considered to be one of the most
influential figures in jazz history as a trumpet player and vocalist.
His voice is famous for being gravely. (BN, RO)
"Mouse of La Mancha" --
+ The title is based upon the 1966 Broadway musical "Man of La Mancha",
which was based on the Miguel de Cervantes novel "The History of Don
Quixote de la Mancha" or better known as simply "Don Quixote". (BN)
- NIT - The punning doorman mentions that "It must be winter, the knights
(nights) are getting shorter". But, in the winter, the nights get
longer, not shorter. (BN)
+ "Why would Sophia Loren do a musical?" refers to her role as Aldonza in
the 1972 film version of "Man of La Mancha", which was a box office
failure. (BN)
+ The punning gatekeeper tells Brain "don't work blue". "Blue" was a
term derived from the blue lighting that was used in certain female
dance acts. It definitely goes back a ways -- perhaps well back into
the 19th century. So the shows became known as "blue shows" and of
course as always the term took on a life of its own, and when motion
pictures came around, it was adapted for "blue movies" and so on, and
then got bent around to being used just to describe naughty language,
rather than actual naughty acts. In this case, the phrase means don't
use dirty words and sexual or scatological humor in your standup routine.
(RD, RO)
+ The phrase "don't work blue" was what Milton Berle says to Lenny Bruce
in the 1974 film "Lenny". (GJB)
+ The scenes shown during the final song are scenes from the following
episodes (NOTE - The animation is not the same as in the original
sequences): (RO, BC)
. A set of plans from `Where Rodents Dare'.
. The plans for pretending to be Jimmy Hoffa from `That Smarts'.
. Running into the time machine from `When Mice Ruled the Earth'.
. Leaving the lab in his mechanical suit from `Win Big'.
. Pinky running on the globe from `Jockey For Position'.
. Infiltrating the summit from `Where Rodents Dare'.
. Changing into a monster from `Brain Meets Brawn'.
. Confronting the guard from `Where No Mouse Has Gone Before'.
. Climbing the mountain from `Where Rodents Dare'.
. Getting tomatoed from `Meet John Brain'.
. Sitting on his throne from `Where No Mouse Has Gone Before'.
. Writing on a piece of paper with a makeshift crossbow behind him,
from 'Win Big'.
+ "What are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain? Brigadoon?": BRIGADOON
is a 1947 musical by Lerner & Loewe. Apparently Pinky has developed a
taste for classic Broadway. (JJW)
================================================================================
Episode: 13
"The Third Mouse" --
+ The title and various plot elements (including the zither music) are
taken from the 1949 film "The Third Man". (BN)
+ It should also be noted that, aside from the plot, many of the characters
are also brought over from the original movie, including the British army
officer and his sidekick, the two slightly sinister ci-devant aristocrats,
the elderly Vienna native who is done in, the Mysterious Woman, Pinky's
riff on Joe Cotten's role, and, naturally, Moe LaMarche having great fun
as Harry Lime/Orson Welles. Note the fact that, like the original, the
cartoon was rendered in black and white. (The credits sequence is also
very well done and a faithful spoof of the original.) (EOC)
+ Rueggerstrasse - named after Senior Producer Tom Ruegger. (BN)
- The hotel clerk's speech, where he tries to explain that Herr Brain is
dead, may refer to the Monty Python "Dead Parrot" sketch, which contains
a similar string of synonyms for "dead." (JJW)
- When Trudy asked Pinky "Why? What do you know?", he said "the lyrics to
Yakko's World", a reference to Rob Paulsen (voice of Pinky) also voicing
Yakko on Animaniacs. (JO)
+ Note the wacky camera angle when the Major says "will you come with me,
please?" just before the end of act 1. In "The Third Man", director
Carol Reed set up many shots where he tilted the camera to increase the
sinister atmosphere. (JJW)
- Pinky's girlfriend Phar FigNewton seen again in photograph.
(See "Jockey for Position") (BN)
+ The waving Dot is of course Dot Warner from Animaniacs.
+ Brain's speech about Switzerland and Italy parodies Welles' famous speech
from the film, where he points out that Italy, with centuries of murder
and bloodshed, produced great Renaissance art, while Switzerland, with
centuries of brotherly love, produced only the cuckoo clock. (JJW)
+ "Heidi" is the classic children's story by Johanna Spryi. The story has
been adapted several times for movies and television. (ME)
"The Visit" --
+ Young kids (kindergartners, etc...) are given 'time-outs' as punishment.
Basically they have to sit in a corner for a pre-set amount of time. (DN)
+ Strictly speaking, a time-out is not a punishment. It's meant as a
recognition that kids sometimes get excited and do things in the heat
of the moment that they wouldn't do on calm reflection, and provides
time for that to happen without allowing the situation to escalate
meanwhile. To say "Do you want a time-out?" in the tone used by
Brain's dad is a distortion of the concept. (BHar)
- Another distortion of concept is found in the line "Don't make me
separate you." A term usually used on two (or more) bickering siblings
which sounds like an overly painful punishment when directed towards a
single person. (BN)
- The "time-out" gag seems to be popular at WB; it was also used in "The
Island of Dr. Mystico" in Freakazoid! (EOC)
+ Al Gore is the 45th vice president of the United States (BN)
- Great opportunity missed: Brain should of referred to his mother as
Desiree. (From "Pavlov's Mice") (BC)
+ Broderick Crawford, referred to by Brain's Dad, was an actor noted for
playing gangsters and villainous cowboys in several B films, and an
Oscar winning performance in the 1949 film "All the King's Men". (BN)
+ Wolfgang Puck owns many restaurants but most notably the hip-and-trendy
Spago in Los Angeles. (ME)
+ The courier service used to ship Brain's folks to Florida, "Fed Up" is
of course a parody of "Fed Ex," the popular nickname for Federal Express,
a leading courier service. (EOC)
================================================================================
Episode: 14
"It's Only a Paper World" --
+ The milk ad slogan that Pinky can't seem to remember is "Got Milk?", from
a popular series of advertisements of the late 1990's sponsored by
America's Dairy Farmers. (BN)
- Rob Paulsen (Pinky) actually did a voice over in one of the "Got Milk?"
commercials. He was the voice of the radio announcer in the "Who shot
Alexander Hamilton?" commercial. (KL)
+ Seen on the blackboard of Acme Labs:
. CHAKA -- this was the mark of a tagger who scrawled the said word in
some 18,000+ various places in Southern California between the years
of 1991-94. (KL)
. KISS RULES -- KISS is the rock band whose painted faces helped them
rise to fame in the mid 1970s. (ME)
+ Happy Bob the Painter (the painter on the television Pinky is imitating)
is a parody of the late Bob Ross and his "Joy of Painting" program. He
frequently used the words "happy little" in his descriptions of things in
nature as he painted. (ME)
+ Paul Anka is a singer and songwriter who had several big hits during the
late 1950s and early '60s. He wrote "My Way", one of Frank Sinatra's
biggest hits, and the Johnny Carson-era theme for "The Tonight Show".
(ME)
+ Carrot Top is the red-haired comedian who relies heavily on props for his
laughs. (ME)
+ Jaime "Klinger" Farr, played the role of Klinger on the 1972-83 television
series M*A*S*H. (BN)
+ The woman on the television creating various crafts is a parody of famous
'how-to' woman Martha Stewart and her television program "Martha Stewart
Living". (BN)
+ Art Buchwald is a writer who won a lawsuit against Paramout Pictures for
plagarizing his idea for the movie "Coming To America" which he had
submitted to them. (ME)
+ "Two, two, two earths in one," is a reference to the slogan for Certs
breath mints -- "Two, two, two mints in one." (BN)
+ "The Wayans Brothers" is (what passes for) a sitcom on the WB Network.
(ME)
+ Regis Philbin is the co-host of "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee", a
successful morning show in the U.S. (ME)
- DYN - One scene shows one paper quite clearly, as the "Cleve[land] Plain
Dealer" (the 'land' is not in there as its currently being ripped up). Of
course, the Cleveland Plain Dealer *is* a real paper (the only paper for
the Cleveland area actually). The first word, "Browns" can be clearly
read, but I can't make out the rest. This easily appears to be a ref to
the recent move of the football team to Baltimore from Cleveland. (MN)
- The briefest snatch of the Animaniacs short "Variety Speak" when Pinky is
putting strips of the paper back together, as that newspaper was one which
appeared in "Variety Speak". (DG, RO)
+ Pinky thinks that a fresco is a can of carbonated soda. He is probably
confusing it with "Fresca". (BN)
+ Pinky's sphinx looks surprisingly like Jim Davis' Garfield character. (BN)
+ Brain's comment, "You are a fist full of stupidity!" is a reference to
the 1964 movie "Fist Full of Dollars". (ME)
+ "Our basketball players more Mike like!" is a reference to basketball
superstar Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls and a 1990's series of ads
for the sports drink Gatorade which encouraged us to drink their product
to "Be Like Mike". (ME, BN)
+ The name "Chia Earth" is borrowed from "Chia Pets" (and various other
derivatives such as "Chia Head"), animal-shaped clay objects on which you
grow chia (a grass-like substance). The chia seeds sprout and grow. (ME)
+ The "Trademark, Brain? -- Yes, Pinky, trademark" gag was used on the
Pinky and the Brain "You Will Buy This Video" video. (DG)
+ "Dollywood" is a theme park in mountains of east Tennessee owned by
country-western singer/songwriter/actress Dolly Parton. (ME, BN)
- There is a character in the stock exchange scene that looks exactly like
Wakko's barber from the Animaniacs short "Boot Camping" (who incidentally
is a caricature of Floyd Lawson -- see CRGA for further reference) (BN)
+ The "fists of fury" comment is taken from the 1971 Bruce Lee movie known
in the U.S.A as "Fists of Fury" but known to the rest of the world as "The
Big Boss". (ME)
+ Late night talk show host David Letterman is depicted doing his famous top
ten list. (ME)
+ President Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, the Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives are playing with boxing nuns. (ME)
+ Quentin Tarantino is the writer/director who became famous as the man who
directed the movie "Pulp Fiction". (ME)
+ Notice in the White House a "Presidenting for Dummies" book. This is a
parody of the famous "For Dummies" series from IDG books, which began with
a series of computer titles, but has since branched out into other topics.
(BN)
+ Amy Carter is the daughter of former President Jimmy Carter. (ME)
+ Xuxa is a Brazilian children's show host who had a show on the Family
Channel, she is also well known world wide for her children's records.
(JK, ME)
+ Pinky sings a tune from a commercial for "King Vitamin", a classic cereal
(which apparently is still in production) from Quaker Oats. This
particular commercial jingle aired sometime in the 1950-60's. (ME, BN)
+ The sequence with the world monuments exploding parodies a similar scene
from the 1996 film "Independence Day". (BN)
- DYN - Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), 1st and 2nd movements,
was used extensively in this episode. Nice musical selection considering
Pinky and the Brain were creating a "New World". (BT)
- Why did Pinky use his 'alternate' sayings "fjord" and "troz"? A subtle
reference to the alternate earth? (DG)
================================================================================
Episode: 15
"Collect 'Em All" --
+ Johann Gutenberg is credited with producing the first work using movable
type in 1455, in Mainz, Germany -- the first item was the so-called
"42-line Bible." Actually, it's probable that his financial backer,
Johann Fust, and another printer, Peter Schoeffer, probably did most of
the work. (EOC)
+ Police Academy 4 was the last Police Academy film in which Steve
Guttenberg played the role of Mahoney. (JK)
- "Girlie calendars I printed for the blacksmith shops" is probably a
reference to those calendars featuring female models in skimpy clothes
holding tools, posing with automobiles, or both. (ME)
"Pinkasso" --
+ Brain's attempt to start a "Donutism" movement isn't as farfetched as
people might think. Contemporary American painter Wayne Thiebaud made a
name for himself in the Pop Art era with paintings of cakes, pies,
hot dogs, and similar iconographic American foodstuffs. His work is
still sought after today. (ALS)
+ "Two noses up" parodies movie critics Siskel and Ebert's famous way of
making movie recommendations, two thumbs up. (ME)
+ Lenny and Squiggy were characters from the TV shows "Happy Days" and
"Laverne and Shirley". (JK)
+ "15 minutes of fame" is the compact version of Andy Warhol's famous saying:
"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." (ME)
+ The Macarena was a popular, but short-lived dance craze of 1996. (JK)
- DYN - Dot Warner admiring one of "Pinkasso's" paintings. (RB)
- Wakko and Yakko were there too, though Yakko is visible only for a
fraction of a second before a foreground extra obscures him. (RO)
- DYN - when the Brain was claiming to be Robert Del Monte, he was holding
a pen in his right hand? Bob Dole is known for holding a pen in his
right hand because of a war wound, he carries the pen so that people will
not extend their right hands to shake his. The pen serves as a reminder
to people that the hand is occupied. (RN, RKM)
- Not to mention the fact that "Del Monte" cans fruit, just as "Dole" does.
(RB)
+ The background music for the scenes in the art gallery comes from
"Pictures At An Exhibition" by Mussorgsky. (BKH)
- About the machines that mass produce thousands of Pinkasso "originals":
painter Salvador Dali has long fought rumors that many of his works have
been "ghosted" by uncredited assistants. ("Master" painters in earlier
centuries often used assistants, but the practice isn't as widely accepted
in the modern era.) (ALS)
+ One of the bidders holds up a card which reads 839: this refers to the
Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists union, local 839 that represents
cartoonists in the Los Angeles area. (ME)
================================================================================
Episode: 16
"Plan Brain from Outer Space" --
+ The title is, of course, a reference to the infamous Ed Wood sci-fi flick
"Plan Nine from Outer Space" (1959). It, along with "Heaven's Gate," is
a virtual synonym for bad movie making. (EOC)
+ The Z Files == The X Files, a popular Fox show about two FBI agents who
investigate cases involving supernatural incidents. (JK)
+ Xuxa is mentioned again (see Epsiode #14)
+ Lard Copy == Hard Copy, a news show that goes beyond the headlines to get
the news. (JK)
+ Roswell is a city in New Mexico that is believed to be home of one of the
most popular alien cover-ups of all time. (JK)
+ Area 51 is the place that is rumored to hold the aliens of the Roswell
incident. It is also, as the "ufologists" claim, where aliens routinely
land and/or where the government test-flies craft built with alien
technology. (JK, RO)
+ The guard at Area 51 is a caricature of Gomer Pyle. (JK)
+ "Hangar 18" was a 1980 movie about government folks capturing and
concealing an alien craft. (RO)
+ Conflicting reports about the 'non-movie' Hangar 18, so I'll list both:
. After the Roswell incident, there was another, less publicized crash
(supposedly) in Nevada. What with Area 51 being so close by, the AAF,
according to ufologists, scooped up the bodies and the ship, and put
them in Hangar 18 of the base. (JFL)
. Hangar 18 is at Wright-Patterson A.F.B. in Dayton, Ohio and is where
the remains of the aliens were/are(?) stored. (ME)
+ Generals Jones and Maltese == Looney Tunes director Chuck Jones and his
favorite writer, Michael Maltese. (RB)
+ A nod to the legend that Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen (he actually
went the other route; he was cremated). I wonder what the "68" stands
for; can't be the year he died, since that was 1966. Perhaps it's the
year of, ahem, "acquisition." (EOC)
+ The song the major alien sang while looking for Brain parodies the classic
jingle of Oscar Myer bologna. (JK)
+ "I'm Not the President, I'm Also a Client" is the famous catch phrase of
the Hair Club for Men. (JK)
- Other Hangar 18 occupants include:
. Bigfoot
. Elvis - Famous American rock-and-roll singer, died August 16, 1977.
However, many believed him to have faked his death, and that he
still lives on today. (See numerous K-Mart sightings of Elvis in
your local tabloids.) (BN)
. Jimmy Hoffa - Former leader of the Teamsters Union, rumored to have
been associated with organized crime. He disappeared in 1975 and is
believed to have been kidnapped and murdered. (Some rumors exist
that the burial site is in the end-zone of Giants' stadium in New
Jersey.) (BN)
. Gov't Cheese
. Ark of the Covenant - probably in reference to the 1981 film "Raiders
of the Lost Ark", where the last seen shows a lowly mover stowing the
Ark away in a gigantic warehouse. (MN)
- Interesting point: The comic PatB #6, with the same title as this episode,
came out the week immediately after the first airing of this. This was
unintentional, and purely coincidence on the part of WBA and WBWP,
according to Robert Graff. The comic story bears no resemblance to the
story in this episode. (MN)
================================================================================
Episode: 17
"The Mummy" --
+ The plot of this episode is based on the work German researcher Rudolf
Gantenbrink. He headed a team that explored an air shaft 8 inches square
in the Great Pyramid at Gizeh, using a remote controlled probe named
UPUAUT. On March 22, 1993, 210 feet into this air duct, a miniature stone
door was found. As of this writing, it is still unknown as to exactly
what lies beyond that door. (BN)
+ It also appears that this short also in part parodies the 1959 horror film
"The Mummy". In the film archaeologists are warned against desecrating
the tomb of Egyptian Princess Ananka. The character who warns the
archaeologists in this short resembles Peter Cushing who I believe played
a similar role in the film. (The voice credits list "Cushing" as one of
the characters in the short.) (BN)
+ The Rolling Stones is a rock group that became famous in the 1960's. (ME)
- NIT: In one scene, Egypt is spelled Egyt. (ME)
+ Space Mountain is roller coaster at the Disney theme parks which, like
most roller coasters, have a height requirement. (ME)
+ "Early in the morn-ing" and the way it's sung are taken from the sea
chantey "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor". (EOC)
- DYN - Signs the protesters are carrying: (ME)
. Mummies are people too!
. Meat is murder
. My mommy was a mummy
. I love Khufu!
. I'm KooKoo for Khufu
+ The Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley) are known for their role as
Michelle on the 1980's sitcom "Full House". They have made several,
less than impressive TV and made-for-video movies in which they solve
mysteries. (BN)
- DYN - Martin Sheen as one of the protesters. (The one who apologizes to
Pinky and the Brain for their treatment.) Notice his button, Sheen has
been arrested several times during anti-nuclear demonstrations. (RN, BN)
+ Marco Polo is a game played in pools or large hot tubs where a blindfolded
individual has to try to listen for another player to respond to "Marco"
with "Polo" and then attemp to tag or grab hold of the speaker. (RO)
"Robin Brain" --
+ Kevin Costner with an English accent refers to "Robin Hood: Prince of
Thieves", a 1991 film starring Kevin Costner as the title character. (JK)
+ The camera following the arrow flight is also borrowed from "Robin Hood:
Prince of Thieves". (EOC)
+ Friar Chuck == Friar Tuck, one of Robin Hood's merry men. (JK)
+ The diamond log joke refers to the fact that many California highways and
freeways have what is called a "Diamond Lane". The left lane is marked
with diamonds painted every so often in the lane. This lane is reserved
for cars with two or more passengers. If you're caught driving solo in
the Diamond Lane, you have to pay a large fine. It's supposed to
encourage car pooling. Many metropolitan areas have similar lanes known
as HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes. (RM, RN, KW)
- NIT: The quarterstaff battle was between Robin Hood and Little John, not
between Robin and the Friar (or Fryer, in this case). (BN)
+ The Mighty Mallards == The Mighty Ducks, a Disney-owned hockey team named
after the 1992 sleeper hit. (JK)
+ Note Brain's use of Peter Finch's "mad as hell and I'm not going to take
it anymore" speech from the movie "Network" (a role, as mad anchorman
Howard Beale, for which he won a posthumous Oscar). (EOC)
+ There was also one subtle joke, in the exchange between Robin Hood and
Brain; Robin Hood notes that Brain is smaller than he appears in his
posters, and Brain makes a similar comment back to Robin Hood. Errol
Flynn, who played Robin Hood in the 1938 film version (and who seems to
be the model for this version) was notoriously sensitive about his
height, and relative lack thereof. (EOC)
- DYN - that all of Pinky's usual sayings had been appended with 'th'..for
example "Zortth" "Narfth", etc, to make them sound Old English-like. (MN)
================================================================================
Episode: 18
"The Pink Candidate" --
+ The opening shot of Dole and Kemp refers to Circus of the Stars, a event
seen on CBS between Thanksgiving and Christmas which has celebrities
perform circus acts. (JK)
+ The host of the circus, Anson "Stop Calling Me Pottsy" Williams, is
probably best known for his role as Pottsy in the 1970's sitcom "Happy
Days". (BN)
+ "The Family Circus" is a popular one panel comic strip written by Bil
Keane about family life from the view of a child. (JK)
+ To further the Bil Keane reference: When the newspaper reports that
Keane has gone on vacation and "Billy" is filling in for him, it refers
to the fact that on occasion, Keane will draw "The Family Circus" in a
childish style and say it was drawn by Billy, the oldest child in the
family, while Keane takes the day off. (RD)
+ The scene with the Meryl Streep caricature with her back to her boring
husband, looking out into the garden at the Clint Eastwood character is
a reference to the 1995 film "Bridges of Madison County" (JJW)
- Missing on the back cover of Time magazine: B. CALDWELL ALIAS S.B. ELF.
The reference here is to (Annie Award winning) storyboard artist Barry
Caldwell. According to lore, Barry Caldwell is often not to be found
in the animation studio. Nobody ever sees him, and when he's there, his
door is closed....but, just when you think he's not doing anything,
there, on his desk, are a bunch of story board ("S.B.") pages that he
did sometime, somewhere, like a little elf in the night.
- NIT: While the Green Party is certainly no force in U.S. politics, they
are gaining power and influence in Europe, particularly Germany. (RD)
+ The other member of Pinky's party is James Carville; Carville is, of
course, famed as Clinton's 1992 guru. (RB)
- Here is the list of candidates in the polls when first announced in the
episode: (JK, RD)
. Bill Clinton
. Pinky
. Pat Paulsen - first became famous with his appearances on the Smothers
Brothers show, and ran for President several times, most recently
1996. He never expected to win, but running did give him publicity
and the chance to joke and comment on the political scene. He never
expected to win, but running did give him publicity and the chance to
joke and comment on the political scene.
. The Trix Rabbit
. Bob Dole
+ "You just might be a redneck" is comedian Jeff Foxworthy's famous quote.
(JK)
+ Tiger Beet == Tiger Beat, a magazine for teenagers. (JK)
+ The boat with the bimbos reference is a reference to Gary Hart's little
interlude on the good ship "Monkey Business" in 1984 in the Florida Keys
with Donna Rice. (EOC, BC)
+ When Pinky is called "the Teflon candidate", it refers to Ronald Reagan
being called "the Teflon President", which came from people observing that
no charges of wrongdoing that occurred during his tenure as President
stuck to him. (RD)
+ The mysterious operative for the smear campaign, and his initial speech,
is based on the Robert Shaw character from "Jaws," the grizzled seaman who
offers to go kill the shark. As usual, Richard Stone is musically equal
to the reference: the music playing in the background as he speaks is the
song "Farewell and Adieu, You Fair Spanish Ladies," which Shaw sang
incessantly throughout the shark opus. (JJW)
+ "Super-sizing", as President Clinton mentions, refers to a McDonald's deal
where for 39 cents more, you can upgrade your drink and fries to a larger
size. (BN)
+ The "Pinky Upsets Dewey" headline refers to the most famously inaccurate
newspaper headline ever, from the 1948 presidential campaign, when one
paper reported that Thomas Dewey had defeated Harry Truman. Truman held
up a copy of that paper proudly when it was announced that he had won the
election. (RD)
+ The Jerky Boys are a comedy group known for their prank telephone calls.
(JK)
+ When Pinky asks his staff to pray with him, it refers to a similar request
from Richard Nixon to (IIRC) Henry Kissinger near the end of Nixon's term
as President. In addition, the final scene, with Pinky and the Brain
preparing to leave Washington via helicopter, refers to Nixon departing
the White House grounds in similar fashion after his resignation. (RD)
- NIT: We never see who Pinky chose as his Vice President. Since Pinky has
studied the Constitution, he'd be well aware of his responsibilities along
those lines. (RD)
================================================================================
Episode: 19
"Brain's Song" --
+ The episode itself is, in part, a parody of the award-winning 1970 TV
movie "Brian's Song," about the relationship between Chicago Bears player
Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan) and Gale Sayers (played by Billy Dee
Willaims), and the tragedy which affects the entire team when Piccolo
develops cancer. The movie itself is a classic tearjerker, and hence
lies the crux of the PatB plot. (EOC)
+ The treatment Pinky undergoes at the beginning of the episode is lifted
from the 1971 film, "A Clockwork Orange". (JK)
+ The scenes Pinky saw were: (JK)
. Evil Kenivel's jump, which takes off his failed jump attempt two
decades ago.
. Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis) writing a letter to her
ex-husband, Michael Jackson.
. P&B Biography, a spoof of A&E Biography, a show that talks about the
lives of different people, with a new topic each week.
. A parody of Disney's 1994 animated feature "The Lion King". Looks to
be very similar to "The Tiger Prince" spoof from Animaniacs
episode 74.
+ G. Gordon Liddy became famous as being one of the Watergate burglars and
is now a radio talk show host. (ME)
+ Jiffy Lube is a quick oil change business. (ME)
+ Meadowlark Lemon is best known as a former member of the Harlem
Globetrotters basketball team. (ME)
+ Demi Moore rewriting Great Expectations is a parody of how the movie
"The Scarlett Letter" was drastically changed from the book. (ME)
+ The Jamaican bobsled team of the 1988 Olympics made news because they
were from a warm-weather country with no tradition of winter sports
whatsoever. A Disney movie, "Cool Runnings" was made about the team
in 1993. (EOC, BN)
+ The 'playfield' that the mice use is an electronic football game that was
immensely popular in the 1970s. You'd turn it on, and the 'players'
would be vibrated across the 'field'. It was VERY noisy, and as
demonstrated by Brain, it could easily give one the jitters. (MN)
- Pinky as Coach Bear Bottom, is probably a parody of the late Bear Bryant,
the Univ. of Alabama's great football coach. (EOC)
+ Toduh == Today (NBC's morning program), which as of this writing, is in
its 41st year. The gentleman on the left is ex-cohost Bryant Gumbel,
and the person on the right is host Katie Couric. (EOC)
+ "Jellyroll" Morton was an important musician in jazz history. (ME)
================================================================================
Episode: 20
"Welcome to the Jungle" --
+ The thing at the end of Brain's student film refers to Mark VII
Productions, the producers of Dragnet. (JK)
+ The "Simian Liberation Army" is based on those animal rights activist
organizations that free laboratory animals so they won't be experimented
on by scientists. (ME)
+ "Simian Liberation Army" is taken from "Symbionese Liberation Army",
the terrorist group that kidnapped & brainwashed newspaper heiress
Patty Hearst. It's also a swipe at the Animal Liberation Front, a
quasi-terrorist group that "liberates" laboratory animals. (SFS)
+ When one of the members of the "Simian Liberation Army" calls Brain
"Bright Eyes", it is a reference to the name that Jane Goodall gave to
her favorite chimp during her study of chimpanzee life. (MaR)
+ Hakuna Matata is Swahili quote that became a catch phrase in 1994 thanks
to the Disney animated feature, "The Lion King". (JK)
+ Davey Crockett was a famous American frontiersman, politician, who died
heroicly defending the Alamo. Stories of his adventures have made him a
legend. (ME)
+ The leech bit was from "THE AFRICAN QUEEN." (1951) Humphrey Bogart has
to get out of the boat and pull it, and when he gets back in, he is
covered with leeches and he says that he hates them. (RN)
+ Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. (ME)
+ Club Med is a world wide chain of vacation resorts. (ME)
+ The Snowball plot line takes off "Apocalypse Now", a 1979 film in which
Martin Sheen is sent to Vietnam to find and kill a crazed colonel played
by Marlon Brando, who has set up a ruthless dictatorship. (JK, BN)
+ The fanatic follower of Snowball who speaks to Pinky and the Brain when
they are tied to the stake is a parody of Dennis Hopper, who played a
neurotic photographer in "Apocalypse Now", and is noted for his movie
roles in which he plays, "a manic-crazy psycho", as Pinky notes. The
same caricature seen here can be seen in the Animaniacs episode entitled
"Hearts of Twilight". (BN)
+ $1.99, are you out of your mind? is a catch phrase for Denny's. (JK)
+ Greg Maddux is a multiple Cy Young award winning pitcher for Major League
Baseball. He's been with the Atlanta Braves since 1993. (ME)
================================================================================
Episode: 21
"A Little Off the Top" --
+ This short takes its text from the Bible, specifically the Book of Judges,
Chapters 13 through 16, where the story of Samson, the original strong
man, is told. (EOC)
+ It also, to a certain extent, is a spoof of the 1949 Cecil B. DeMille
version of the story:
. Delilah - is a spoof of Hedy Lamarr. Delilah's unintelligible
German/English speech is a reference to the fact that Hedy had a
noticeable German accent, though it wasn't anywhere near that bad.
(JJW)
. Samson - is something of a spoof of Victor Mature. (EOC)
. George Sanders is also caricatured as the leader of the Philistines;
he did win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in "All About Eve" and
his second wife was Zsa Zsa Gabor, and he was briefly married to
Magda Gabor shortly before his suicide in 1972. (EOC)
. The lion fighting scene is a specific parody of a well-known scene
from the DeMille version. (EOC)
- Unfortunately, the characters aren't drawn to look anything like the
original actors. A real missed opportunity on the part of the character
designers. (JJW)
"Megalomaniacs Anonymous" --
+ I assume it was Al Haig who was in the television ad for Megalomaniacs
Anonymous. Al Haig was the Secretary of State in 1981-82 under President
Reagan and had to resign after a series of quarrels with senior members of
the White House staff. (RN, BN)
+ The Al Haig gag with "I'm in Charge" refers to a specific statement he
made at a press conference on the day Ronald Reagan was nearly
assassinated by John Hinckley, in March of 1981. Haig, some think, meant
to indicate that he was the person in charge on the spot (since a number
of others, such as then VP Bush and then Speaker O'Neill were out of
town), but this was generally viewed as Haig being, well, a megalomaniac.
(EOC)
+ "Ishtar" was 1987 film that starred Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, and
is most famous for being a flop in the box office. (JK)
+ Pinky's Playhouse is most likely a reference to "Pee-wee's Playhouse", a
popular cult children's show of the 1980's starring Paul Reubens as
Pee-wee Herman. (JK)
+ Others in attendance at the meeting include Col. Qadaffi, Madonna, Ross
Perot, Joseph Stalin, Julius Ceasar, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, and
what may be SKG co-owners Jeff Katzenberg and David Geffen. (EOC, JJW)
+ The comment by Madonna that she no longer "Vogue's" but does the "Family
Circle", is a nice gag on magazine titles, dancing, and her recent
childbirth. (EOC)
================================================================================
Episode: 22
"Brain of the Future" --
+ Esther Williams musicals, made during the 1940's and 1950's, featured
her swimming ability. Thus, soaking up all the water would definitely
make another Esther Williams musical impossible to make. (ME)
+ Fernando Lamas was Esther Williams third husband. (BN)
+ Cosmos-politan magazine == Cosmopolitan magazine, a magazine known to
give small quizzes that determine how well one's marriage/sex life/
taste in clothes/etc. rates with their so-called experts, and which a
number of readers take quite seriously. (BN, MN)
- DYN - On the cover of Cosmos-politan, Hello Nurse in a Jetsonesque
costume. (MN, PCat)
+ The conversation of the present and future mice is *very* similar to the
one from the 1989 film "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". (MN)
+ "Knowing too much of one's future" is a common motif in time travel
stories, most recently used in the "Back to the Future" series of films.
(MN)
- NIT: The reporter announces that it's Clinton's 377th term in office.
Assuming that terms were to remain 4 years in length, and that his terms
were consecutive, that would give him 1508 years in office, beginning in
1992. That adds up to the year 3500, so January 12, 3502 AD would be
his 378th term, not his 377th. (BN)
+ The Canadian Prime Minister's voice was an impression of the Rick Moranis
character "Bob MacKenzie." (RO)
- USA attacking Canada may be a reference to the film "Canadian Bacon", a
1995 film about the US starting a war on Canada. (JK)
- The Jimi Hendrix roach seems reminiscent of a character in Ralph Bakshi's
"Cool World". (PCat)
+ The roach unveiling the Queen's statue is a parody of Ed Sullivan. Ed
Sullivan was the host of a long-running variety show on the Columbia
Broadcasting System from the late 40s to the early 70s. (It was called,
at various times, "The Toast of the Town" and "The Ed Sullivan Show.")
The show is probably best remembered for the historic appearances by Elvis
Presley and the Beatles. Sullivan's stiff manner and unique speech
pattern long made him the target of parodists. I am led to believe that
Moe LaMarche has made a specialty of doing Sullivan (and the cockroach
version is *very* well done, BTW). (EOC)
+ The Queen Roach is a parody of Zsa-Zsa Gabor. (many)
+ Pinky and the Brain's fruit disguises resemble the costumes of the
characters appearing in commercials for Fruit of the Loom underwear. (JK)
- BTW, 10 marks out of 10 for history, since 37 AD was in fact the year
Caligula became Emperor of Rome. (EOC)
+ Tia and Tamara are the stars of Sister, Sister, a WB show about twin
sisters. (JK)
================================================================================
Episode: 23
"Brinky" --
+ The exercise guru is Patrick Stewart, known for playing captain Jean-Luc
Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", the phrases he uses are 'catch
phrases of Jean-Luc. (JK, BC)
+ Pauly Shore is an highly untalented actor who starred in such bombs as
"Encino Man", "Son-in-Law" and "Bio-Dome". (JK)
- DYN - The Superman logo on Brain's Band-Aid. (JK)
+ Brain's riff about "I'll make two clones..." is based on a famous
mid-1980's commercial for Faberge Organics shampoo -- "I'll tell two
friends, and they'll tell two friends and so on and so on and so on."
The screen would multiply much like it did on the computer monitor behind
Brain. (BC)
+ When the cloning machine starts to overheat, Brain calls out for Pinky's
help. When Pinky finally responds, Brain calls out "Push! Push!" Pinky
responds by breathing heavily. This is, of course, a reference to the
Lamaze method of natural childbirth. Forshadowing, perhaps, for his
upcoming Mommyhood? (JWo)
+ "You've got a male" == "You Got Mail", a sound played on America Online
when an e-mail message is received. (JK)
+ Pinky's original choice of name for the baby seems a bit off-color, as
Mandingo is a slang term for a well-endowed African, Latino, or Italian
male.
+ Michael Crichton is a highly successful author/screenwriter, probably best
known currently for his novel-turned-blockbuster hit "Jurassic Park",
about the cloning of dinosaurs using preserved DNA. (BN)
+ Odin is the chief of the gods in Norse mythology. He was usually pictured
with a beard. Some types of cursing use characteristics of holy or well
known people (ex. 'od's bodkins, By Neptune's pantry, etc.) (BL)
+ "Be afraid. Be very afraid" was the catchphrase of the promo campaign
for the 1986 Jeff Goldblum remake of "The Fly". (RK)
+ "Pat the Bunny" is an actual book. It is designed as an interactive book
for babies to play with. It features a soft bunny (for babies to pat), a
small mirror, and more. (BN)
+ Dr. Benjamin Spock is a famous child psychologist. (ME)
+ Brain's growth chart is similar to those signs at the entrance of certain
theme park attractions that point a minimum height requirement. (ME)
+ Taraxacum officinale is the Latin name for dandelion. (ME)
+ "Jones" is slang for craving or desire. (ME)
+ Pinky's line involving the blacklist during the Charlie McCarthy hearings
is a rather involved cultural reference: (EOC)
. Charlie McCarthy, of course, was a character created by Edgar Bergen,
and was probably his most famous dummy. Charlie, who was famous for
his "feud" with W.C. Fields on Bergen's Chase and Sanbourn radio
programme in the late 30s, sported a monocle and usually (but not
exclusively) wore evening dress. Hence the linkup with ventriloquism.
. The other McCarthy being referred to is U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy
(R-Wis.), first elected in 1946. McCarthy, of course, has given his
name to an era of what some call hysterical anti-communism.
Certainly, McCarthy was a champion publicity hound, and made numerous
wild accusations, among other things, about the number of communists
in the State Department. His performance in the so-called
Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954 eventually led to his censure in 1954.
. The blacklist is something slightly different. The House Un-American
Activities Committee (HUAC for short) made a number of investigations
into the influence of the Communist Party in Hollywood, and held a
number of high-profile hearings on the matter in 1947, and another
round in 1951, at which a number of Hollywood stars testified. A
number, however, refused to testify. The refusal of this group
(which eventually got the nickname "The Hollywood Ten") got them
blacklisted by the major studios, and the group (mostly screenwriters,
like Dalton Trumbo, Alvah Bessie and Ring Lardner, Jr., but also
well-known director Edward Dmytryk, who eventually testified and was
removed from the blacklist) could not find work under their own names.
The actual blacklist was maintained by a self-appointed vigilante
group called Aware, and was circulated by the American Legion. While
the blacklist died out in the late 50s, the aftershocks continue to
this day; witness the views of some people regarding Elia Kazan, who
testified and was viewed by some as a snitch.
+ "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" is a play, later made into a movie,
about two couples who constantly bicker in front of another couple. (ME)
+ "I have no clone" refers to the "I have no son" line "The Jazz Singer", a
1927 film about a guy who ignores his father's wishes and becomes a singer
instead of a priest. (JK, E1)
- Places on Brain's list of places: (ME)
. NYU - New York University
. library
. museum
. MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. The Franklin Mint - maker of collectibles
. The Pat Harrington Dinner Theater - Pat Harrington is best known as
Dwayne Schneider on One Day At A Time.
+ Pete Rose holds baseball's record for career hits, but received a lifetime
suspension from baseball in 1989 after allegations that he had bet on
baseball games, including games played by his own team. (BN)
+ When Romie asks for a drink by saying, "Hey, Don McLean, the levee is
dry," he is referring to McLean's 1972 hit song "American Pie". A line
from the chorus of that song is "drove my Chevy to the levee but the
levee was dry". (RD)
- Bar doesn't accept checks from:
. Flea Bailey - F. Lee Bailey, best known lately for being one of
O.J. Simpson's attorneys during the Simpson criminal trial. (ME)
. Saul Below - author Saul Bellow, much of his work features alienated
individuals in an indifferent society. In 1976, he won both the
Pulitzer Prize in fiction and the Nobel Prize for literature.
(Treesong, BN)
. Jo-Jo The Thirsty Boy
+ Rikki Lake == Ricki Lake, one of many trashy talk shows on TV today. (JK)
+ Romy's "My two dads..." reference is another multi-level reference. "My
Two Dads" was a sitcom in the late 1980's with the premise of a girl
living with two men, both her "dads". Bob Saget and Dave Coulier were
two stars of "Full House", a sitcom which involved three girls living
with their father (Saget) and his two bachelor friends (Coulier and John
Stamos). (BC, BN)
+ Guggenheim - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, in New York City, is
considered to have one of the finest collections of modern art.
Incidentally, the museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. (ME)
+ Euripides is the ancient Greek author perhaps best known for his play
Medea and its deus ex machina ending. (ME)
+ "When, in the course of human events" are the first few words of
America's Declaration of Independence. (ME)
+ "Savannah" is a drama on the WB network produced by Aaron Spelling. (JK)
+ The Grateful Dead stopped touring in 1995 when the lead singer, Jerry
Garcia, died in a drug rehabilitation center. (ME)
- Another interesting point, re: Romy's voice. What was clever about it
was that when Romy was young and speaking more like Pinky, he was voiced
by Maurice LaMarche (Brain), and when he was older and speaking more like
Brain, he was voiced by Rob Paulsen (Pinky). It emphasizes further how
Romy is indeed a combination of Pinky's and the Brain's DNA. (RO & many)
- Here's one for the perfect timing file. The same weekend that this
episode aired, cloning made national news when the first ever clone of a
mammal, in this case a sheep, was completed successfully. (BN)
================================================================================
Episode: 24
"Two Mice and a Baby" --
+ Title refers to "3 Men and a Baby", a 1987 film in which three bachelors
take custody of a orphan baby girl. (JK)
+ The plot of the episode spoofs the 'origin of Superman' story. See the
episode, "The Last Son of Krypton" on the WB animated series Superman for
comparison. (EOC)
+ Salad Spinner == Salad Shooter, a kitchen utility that spits out what it
slices. (ME)
- DYN - One of the things Brain had for observing the stars was an
Etch-a-Sketch. (JK)
+ G.I. Jack == G.I. Joe, a popular line of action figures. (JK)
+ The Singing Nun was a record from the early 1960's. (EOC)
+ The large, orange dinosaur on TV is Baloney, first seen in the Animaniacs
short "Baloney and Kids", and is a parody of Barney, a large, purple
dinosaur of a PBS educational series. (BN)
+ "The Flying Nun" was a late 1960's sitcom starring Sally Field as a young
nun in a convent in Puerto Rico who could fly. (ME)
"The Maze" --
+ Brain's "a superior intellect is an appalling object to squander" is a
clever rephrasing of NAACP slogan - "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
(BN)
+ Branson, Missouri (USA) is famous for its concentration of country music
attractions. (ME)
+ The Banana Splits was a Saturday morning show in the late 1960's about a
band of animals. It was created by Hanna-Barbera with the costumes of the
Banana Splits done by puppeteers, Sid and Marty Krofft. (JK)
+ Pinky's line "I *am* the King" was also used by Rob Paulsen as Yakko in
Animaniacs episode #10 "King Yakko" -- here's the reference according to
the CRGA:
* "I *am* the King" parodies a series of commercials from the
* mid-1980s. The ads were shown in the LA area and featured Paul "the King
* of Big-Screen", a television salesman. The ads show him wearing a crown,
* and the commercials always end with him saying, "I *am* the King." It is a
* joke that I imagine only LA residents would pick up on. (BH, RayD, BW)
+ Dilithium is what powers the starships in Star Trek (except the ship in
Star Trek : Voyager). (ME)
+ Vinny Barbarino was John Travolta's character in the TV show, "Welcome
Back, Kotter". (JK)
+ The scene with the various twisted staircases resembles M.C. Escher's
famous work, "House of Stairs". (CN)
- DYN - "Steppenwolf" (band famous for "Born to be Wild") in the 8-track of
Brain's contraption. (BN)
================================================================================
Episode: 25
"Leave it to Beavers" --
+ The title is a reference to the 1950-60's program "Leave it to Beaver"
starring Jerry Mathis. The similarity ends at the title though, as
nothing else in the episode refers to "Leave it to Beaver". (BN)
- NIT: Electrons are fired from a cathode-ray tube, not photons.
Brain ought to have known this. (CSa)
+ Brain's comment: "I shall return," is the famous quote spoken by U.S.
General Douglas MacArthur. (BN)
"Cinebrainia" --
+ The title is a reference to "Cinemania", a computer CD-ROM reference of
films, actors\actresses and the movie industry which is published yearly
by Microsoft Corporation. (BN)
- There's a bit of a historical gap between Edison's invention (and in turn,
what appears to be meant as a clip from "The Great Train Robbery" (1979))
to 1920s-style comedy. (It's certainly post-1918, since Pinky refers to a
comeback by Kaiser Wilhem, who abidcated his position as emperor of
Germany in November, 1918 -- though Wilhelm spent the rest of his life in
Holland, and unlike his fellow Kaiser Karl Hapsburg, did not attempt a
comeback.) (EOC)
+ The era of nickelodeons was around the time shortly after the invention
of the camera. Most all nickelodeon films were short (less than one
reel), and were dedicated to side-show acts, nature scenes, or other
non-story films. One of the things they did was film a train going
toward the camera slowly and sped it up. These kind of shorts were the
ones that drove people out the theaters, and were probably what was
being referenced to. In addition, if the clip was from the Great Train
Robbery (which I doubt), it surely wouldn't have been the film released
in 1979. There was the original version (a silent film) released in the
very early 1900's (i.e. circa 1915-1925). (JWh)
+ "The Great Train Robbery" is known for the legend that people ran out of
the theater when the train appeared on the screen. (JK)
+ Brain's mountee bit spoofs the Perils of Pauline, a silent film series
that led to the invention of cliffhangers in films. (JK)
+ "Hal Slug" == Hal Roach, independent producer of short & feature-length
comedies. His most famous stars were Laurel and Hardy (parodied here by
Pinky and the Brain), who worked for him from the twenties through the
early forties. He also produced the long running "Little Rascals" series
until he sold it to MGM in 1938. (JJW, ME)
+ Bathing beauties were a trademark of Mack Sennett, the silent-era
archrival to Hal Roach. (EOC)
+ The kid coming in as the mice are leaving is Carl Switzer who played
Alfalfa, one of the more famous members of the "Our Gang"/"Little Rascals"
series. According to a "Little Rascals" FAQ, he was killed after pulling
a knife on a man who owed him money and the man then shot him in
self-defense. (ME)
- NIT: Alfalfa wasn't originally in the group. He did not appear until
1935. (JK)
+ Clarence Birdseye figured out how to freeze food so that it could be sold
in grocery stores. (ME)
- "Clarence Birdseye" was changed from "Jerry Lewis" in ADR. (RC)
- DYN: The title card for "Get Squished" lists Russell Calabrese as the
director. Russell Calabrese directed the both segments of today's
episode. (ME)
+ A reference to the infamous Jerry Lewis film "The Day the Clown Cried" can
be seen on one movie poster. It was a film about a clown that entertains
kids in a Nazi concentration camp which was never released. (EOC, JK)
- This is the second time that film has been referenced in a WBA cartoon;
the first, of course, was "The Wretched Clown" in Animaniacs' "Hearts of
Twilight" -- episode 20. (JJW)
+ Norma Talmadge started what we now know as the "Hollywood Walk of Fame"
when she accidently stepped into wet cement in front of Graumann's Chinese
Theater in 1927. (ME)
- "The Emperor Brain" is probably a reference to "The Emperor Jones" (see
the Paul Robeson version, 1933). (EOC)
+ In "The Emperor Brain" movie, when Brain is being experimented on with
two disembodied rings of light moving up and down, the reference is to
Fritz Lang's classic 1926 silent movie "Metropolis," where in one scene
a mad scientist creates a lifelike robot using rings of light that look
and move in the same way. (JJW)
- The scene with Brain in the desert is probably a reference to Rudolph
Valentino's performance in the 1921 silent film "The Sheik". (JK, BN)
+ The remaing person in the audience appears to be Walt Disney who gets the
idea for Mickey Mouse's ears from Brain's shadow. Notice the music
vaguely resembles "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's "Pinocchio"
(1940). (ME)
+ "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille" refers to Norma Desmond's famous
quote from "Sunset Boulevard", a 1950 movie about a silent screen actress
attempting a comeback. (ME)
+ Hollywoodland was a real estate development of the 1920s that either Roach
or Sennett (I think the former) was involved in. The venture failed, but
was the source of the famous "Hollywood" sign, which was shortened from
"Hollywoodland" in 1949. (EOC, ME)
================================================================================
Episode: 26
"Hoop Schemes" --
+ The title refers to the 1994 documentary "Hoop Dreams", filmed by
Frederick Marx, Peter Gilbert and Steve James. It follows two inner-city
Chicago high school basketball players, Arthur Agee and William Gates,
through high school and into college, as they pursue their dream of
playing in the NBA. The film won several critics awards, but did not
receive any Oscar nominations, which many felt it deserved. (BN)
+ Nathan Lane is an actor who is known for Broadway musicals such as "Guys
and Dolls", and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", which he
won a Tony for. He is also known for such films as "The Lion King", where
he voiced Timon the meerkat, and "The Birdcage". (JK)
- The line about him being greedy and needy is one whose specific reference
I can't pinpoint, but I recall that Lane refused to repeat his stage role
in "Love! Valour! Compassion!" in the film version; maybe he wanted more
money? (JJW)
- The opening song, with its "la-la-lo," may be reminiscent of a Simon &
Garfunkel song, "The Boxer," where the refrain was "Lie-a-lie." (JJW)
+ Peter Bogdanovich is a film director ["The Last Picture Show" (1971) and
"Paper Moon" (1973)] with a rather well-publicized sex life (his partners
including Cybill Shepherd and the late Dorothy Stratten). (JJW)
+ The Jordan-Baseball joke refers to 1993, when Michael Jordan "retired"
from the NBA and joined the Birmingham Barons, a minor league AA team part
of the Chicago White Sox organization. However, his baseball skills were
not as good as his basketball skills. Jordan decided to leave baseball
and returned to basketball in mid-1995. (JK, ME)
+ "Got My Mojo Working" is a much covered blues song either by Anne Cole or
Muddy Waters, depending on who you talk to. "Mojo" is a magic vodoo
charm. (ME)
- According to the billboard, Indiana is the "Home of Man". (BN)
+ The person Pinky suggests they're going to see in Indiana is Scott Joplin.
To my knowledge, Joplin never set foot in that state. Joplin (1868?-1917)
was the "King of Ragtime Writers," composing several tunes you've
undoubtedly heard before. Notable titles: Maple Leaf Rag,
The Entertainer, Gladiolus Rag. (RO)
+ Bobby Nacht == Bobby Knight, coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. Known as a
demanding disciplinarian with an explosive temper (Yes, he did in fact
throw chairs!). He led the Hoosiers to NCAA titles in 1976, 1981 and
1987. He also coached the gold medal winning men's basketball team of
the 1984 Olympics. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in
1991. (BN)
- And, of course, "Nacht" is German for "night." (RO)
+ Tom Lehrer is famous for his comedy songs of the 1950s and '60s. Notable
titles: The Masochism Tango, Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, So Long Mom
-- A Ballad for World War III, The Vatican Rag. He also wrote a couple
songs for the PBS children's program "The Electric Company". Currently,
Lehrer is a math professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
(RO)
- Lehrer also wrote "The Elements", which obviously inspired the Animaniacs
songs "Yakko's World", "Wakko's America", and "The Presidents Song".
Lehrer's "New Math" was adapted by the A! staff for "Multiplication".
(JWo)
+ "Space Jam" was a 1996 film starring Michael Jordan. The plot centered
around Jordan joining the Looney Tunes in a basketball game against aliens
who stole the basketball talent from five NBA stars. (JK)
+ Brain's basketball teammates include:
. Jamie Furr == Jamie "Klinger on M*A*S*H" Farr. (JJW)
. Flop Wilson == Flip Wilson, comedian and host of an early 1970's
variety television show of the same name, on which Flip would dress
up in drag and play a character named Geraldine Jones. (BN)
. Chuck Foolery == Game show host ("The Love Connection") Chuck Woolery.
(JJW)
. Rue McClanahy == Rue McLanahan, from "The Golden Girls," and Lady
MacBird in the original production of the infamous underground 1960s
political satire, "MacBird." (OK, so that isn't relevant here, so
what.) (JJW)
. Dudley Bore == Actor, pianist and composer Dudley Moore. (BN)
. Maury Smovich == Daytime talk show host Maury Povich, formerly of
the television show "A Current Affair" and married to newswoman
Connie Chung. (BN)
+ Air Brain == Air Jordan, a brand of Nike sneakers endorsed by Michael
Jordan. (JK)
+ Pinky's basketball alias refers to Spud Webb, a professional basketball
player who despite his size, is a good slam dunker. (JK)
+ Brain's basketball alias refers to Muhammad Ali, a champion boxer. (JK)
- NIT - When playing the Bills, the scoreboard shows a time of 15:00. An
NBA quarter is only 12 minutes long, not 15. (BN)
+ The teams that Brain's team plays refer to the Chicago Bulls (Bills), Utah
Jazz (Tazz), Seattle Supersonics (Supertonics), L.A. Clippers (Knippers),
and the Orlando Magic (Tragic). (JK)
+ Layup's == Lay's Potato Chips, which had a commercial where two B-balls
stars (Larry Bird and Vlade Divac, I believe) shaved their heads bald
because of a bet where they ate more than one potato chip. (JK, BN)
- The person with Brain is Vlade Divac, formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers,
Traded to the Charlotte Hornets for the 1996-1997 season. (ME)
+ Brain's garish appearance and infantile behavior after he becomes a star
is obviously modeled after NBA's "bad-boy" Dennis Rodman. (JJW)
+ Broadcaster Marv Albert's catchphrase is, has been, and will be "Yessss!"
(Marv usually covers the New York Knicks and Rangers, but also known for
his NBC basketball work) (JJW)
+ Pheidippedes, according to the legend, ran 26 miles from Marathon to
Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 B.C. After
running 26 miles (and many more in the previous days trying to get
Spartans to help the Athenians fight the war), you too would have sweaty
feet! (ME)
- The music in the background to most of the basketball scenes seemed to be
a takeoff on "Sweet Georgia Brown" - which, of course, is the Harlem
Globetrotters' theme song. (BT)
================================================================================
Episode: 27
"This Old Mouse" --
+ The "cold opening" featured in this episode was made up of unused footage
from "Cinebrainia" (episode #25) (RC)
- This marks the first time that "Pinky and the Brain" has had a pre-titles
"Cold Opener". (JJW)
+ The ACME Bog is a reference to the Arrowhead Pond, home arena of the NHL's
(Disney-owned) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. (RM)
- Musical reference: When Pinky refers to Einstein's theory of relativity,
the music is "The Acme Song" from the Animaniacs short "Cookies For
Einstein"-- the song, in that cartoon, that helped Einstein discover the
theory of relativity. (JJW)
+ Pinky's dance to "Just Say Narf," even to the kick and somersault off the
wall, seems quite close to the "Make 'Em Laugh" dance in the movie,
"Singin' In The Rain" (1952). (EP)
================================================================================
Episode: 28
"Pinky & the Brain... and Larry" --
+ This short parodies the Three Stooges comedy team, with Larry as a
demi-caricature of Larry Fine. (EOC)
- The whole idea of the episode was to offer a scant story as a vehicle to
present this concept, as a direct reaction to network suggestions to
rework Pinky and the Brain. (Ed. Note: In other words, if you thought
this was a bad short, it was meant to be.) (EOC)
+ Carrot Top is a comedian named after his orange hairdo. (JK)
+ Brain's wallpaper toupee resembles Moe Howard's hairstyle. (JK)
+ "Brain, Larry, cheese... Brain, Larry, cheese..." comes from the infamous
line "Moe Larry, the Cheese" was in the Three Stooges Short:
"Horses' Collars". It's the one where they are in the old west and they
have to retrieve an IOU from an outlaw. Every time Curly saw a mouse, he
needed cheese to eat to calm him down. (RayG)
+ Larry appears with Paul Simon at the end of the short, apparently taking
over for Art Garfunkle. (JK)
+ Zeppo refers to the fourth of the Marx Brothers that appeared in movies.
(EOC)
"Where the Deer and the Mousealopes Play" --
+ The title parodies a line from the song "Home on the Range", specifically
"Where the deer and the antelope play". (JK)
+ Marisa Tomei did in fact win an Oscar, Best Supporting Actress for her
role in the 1993 film "My Cousin Vinny". (BN)
+ "3D Magic Eye" pictures were a mid-1990's fad where an image was hidden
in a very abstract colored picture and through adjusting your eyes, you
could see the three dimensional image. Many people had trouble focusing
their eyes in exactly the right way necessary to see the 3D image, hence
Brain's plan. (JK, BN)
+ Kenny Kingston runs a "psychic hotline" and in one of the better
descriptions that I've read, he "gestures wildly in his psychic
commercials as if he is selling used cars". (BN)
+ Mousealope==Jackalope, a mythical creature that's part jackrabbit and
part antelope. (JK)
+ The "Man is in the forest" line is from Disney's 1942 animated film
"Bambi". (JK)
+ Mike Nesmith is a member of the Monkees rock band that is known for not
being with the group for their 1980's reunion tour. (JK)
+ Pittsburgh was the center of the steel industry in the USA from the late
19th century well into the 20th century (it's why the NFL team is named
the way it is). The irony is that practically all of the steel plants
belonging to the major steel producers in the Pittsburgh area have shut
down since the mid-1970s. The time when Fred Allen could make a joke
that a steel strike made the natives see the sun for the first time has
long since passed. (EOC)
+ Slinkies are toy springs that walk down stairs. (JK)
+ The hunters are caricatures of Robert DeNiro and Christopher Walken, who
starred in the 1978 film "The Deer Hunter". Which was a film about 3
Pennsylvania steelworkers who embark on a tour of duty in the Vietnam
War. The "Are you talkin' to me?" line is from Robert DeNiro's
performance in the 1976 film "Taxi Driver". (BM, BN)
+ "A deer, a female deer" is from the song Do-Re-Mi from "The Sound of
Music". (JK)
+ The Del Monte character is a caricature of ex-senator/1996 presidential
candidate Bob Dole, the pun based on brands of fruit. This joke has been
used before, see episode #15 - "Pinkasso". (EOC, BN)
+ "Y'all come back now, you hear" is from the Beverly Hillbillies. (JK)
- Nit: The background banner shown when Del Monte is addressing the crowd
has a spelling error, it reads "Welcome Back Mousealepes." (BN)
+ The Mousealope song is a parody of folk song "This Land is My Land" by
Woody Guthrie. (JK, TMa)
+ The owner of one of the plants, Remington Steel, is a reference to the
Pierce Brosnan show "Remington Steele" for NBC of the 1980s. (EOC)
+ The commercial with Brain looking at Pittsburgh, and then looking with
a tear in his eye at the camera is a parody of a very famous commercial
from the early 1970s that showed an Indian weeping in a similar fashion
at the sight of pollution. (EOC)
+ Pinky also does a commercial parody, being the famous "brain on drugs/egg"
public service announcement where a person demonstrates drugs by using
an egg as a brain and a frying pan as drugs. (EOC, JK)
+ The Oscar sequence was a parody of an actual event; when Marlon Brando
won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in "The Godfather," Brando sent one
Sacheen Littlefeather to reject the award on his behalf. She gave a
speech on Indian rights. (The woman was really a professional actress
who had used the name Maria Cruz and, among other things, had been
selected as Miss American Vampire of 1970.) (EOC)
+ The Oscar is presented to Brain by Tony Curtis. (JJW)
- BTW - The stage used for the Oscar scene was that of the Animaniacs
"65th Anniversary Show" complete with WB shield and anvils. According
to an inside source, this was an error, the background from the
"65th Anniversary Show" was only supposed to be for color reference,
not for the actual background. (EOC, RC)
+ Ted Koppel's "Nightline" show for ABC is parodied here. (EOC)
+ "Actor and activist Martin Sheen" refers to the various liberal causes
that Sheen has fought for, which have included several arrests during
anti-nuclear demonstrations. (See Episode #17 - "The Mummy" for a similar
Sheen caricature.) (BN)
+ Terry Bradshaw is a commentator for Fox Sports' coverage of the NFL;
before that, he had been an outstanding quarterback for the Pittsburgh
Steelers. And yes, he is bald. (EOC)
================================================================================
Episode: 29
"My Feldmans, My Friends" --
+ Fireside Chats were a term originally applied to radio addresses given
by Franklin Roosevelt during his presidency, and were briefly revived by
Jimmy Carter. (EOC)
+ "The Greater Communicator" is a play on a nickname for former president
Ronald Reagan, "The Great Communicator". (EOC)
+ A Jarvik heart was one of a type of artificial hearts developed in the
1980's (it's named for its creator). The heart was a failure as a
long-term transplant device, and is no longer used as such. (EOC)
+ Now, you wonder about that other neighbor, Carlyle, don't you? Note the
sign that can be seen in some shots of the Sultana manse, regarding hiring
for Chemical Workers. (EOC)
+ Did everyone get the reference to the ancient "Would I? Would I?" joke?
If there's anyone who hasn't heard it, it's about a very shy boy with an
artificial eye who goes to a school dance. He's poor and can't afford a
glass eye, so his artificial eye is painted and made of wood. All his
life, people had made fun of him because of his artificial eye, so he is
afraid to ask any girl to dance. Then he spots a girl who has a hair lip
(or a peg leg -- depending on which version of the joke you hear), and he
decides that she probably wouldn't make fun of him. So he goes up to
her, and asks her timidly, "Would you like to dance?" She's delighted
and exclaims, "Would I? Would I?" He thinks she's making fun of him,
so he shouts "Hair lip! Hair lip!" (or "Peg leg! Peg leg!", again,
depending on which version of the joke you hear.)
Sometimes you'll hear people doing the punch line without the set up,
such as in the cartoon when Mr. Sultana-Sultana says "Would I? Would I?
Peg leg! Peg leg!" What was really weird was when Pinky did it with the
wrong intro: "I do! I do! Hair lip!" (RN)
- SONG BREAK: When Mr. Sultana mentions that he played trombone #72, the
music playing in the background is "76 Trombones". (BN)
+ Gary Busey (b. 1944) was a musician before he was an actor, and has
played a wide range of lead and supporting parts in the 1970's forward,
including an Oscar-nominated role in 1978's "The Buddy Holly Story."
(EOC)
+ Paella is a Spanish dish that consists of meat or shrimp on a bed of rice
and with a few spices, which adds some logic to Pinky's nonsense remark.
(JDa)
+ Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio commentator, is known for his
girth. (EOC)
+ "Fed Up" is a parody of Federal Express, the overnight courier company.
(EOC)
================================================================================
Episode: 30
"Brain Noir" --
+ The opening, with Brain floating face down, is a reference to the
opening of Billy Wilder's 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard," where William
Holden's corpse is discovered floating face down in a swimming pool and
Holden narrates the film from beyond the grave. (JJW)
+ "A Little Dab'll Do Ya," quoted by Pinky at the start, was a tagline
for, I think, Brylcreem, a product used to slick down hair (like the
petroleum jelly Pinky uses). (EOC)
+ The "evil plot" involving Los Angeles' water supply is based on Roman
Polanski's 1974 movie "Chinatown." (JJW)
- Pomona is a suburb of Los Angeles, about 35 miles east. These days
it's mostly known for being the smoggiest in the USA and having the
worst water in Southern California. (KL)
+ Captain Midnight was a radio program popular throughout the 1940's,
and broadcast for the most part on Mutual. The hero was a pilot who
flew his plane around the world, solving mysteries and fighting
criminals. The original sponsor was Ovaltine, which dropped its
longtime sponsorship of Little Orphan Annie to pick up this show, and
for a dime and a product label, you could get various premiums,
including Captain Midnight badges, rings, and decoders, which are now
valued collector's items, and were then quite popular as well, as they
are with the City Council folk. (EOC)
+ "Don't be so sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be" is a line
spoken by Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon." (JJW)
+ Mullholland Drive is a very windy road that goes circles around Bel
Air. There are some very dangerous curves on that road. (KL)
- "I thought I told you never to say that name" sure reminded me of Humphrey
Bogart telling Dooley Wilson, "I thought I told you never to play that
song!" in "Casablanca" (1942). (BHar)
+ "You dirty hamster" == "You dirty rat", a line from the 1931 film
"The Public Enemy", starring James Cagney. (JK)
+ Another reference to "Sunset Boulevard" in that it was the street that
Snowball's castle was on. (ASR)
- When Brain goes to Snowball's and he starts describing it he says
something like: "It was one of those Spanish Style medieval castles that
everyone was so nuts about a few years back..." This is very similar to
a line from the 1944 movie "Double Indemnity". (KPe)
+ Note the portrait of Snowball based on Gainsborough's "Blue Boy." (EOC)
+ A clever reference, in the mansion scene, to the title of the previous
encounter with Billie -- Episode #4A "The World Can Wait". (JJW)
- The list of Snowball's ("Kidnap Billie, steal Brain's plan, bribe city
council") reminds me of a scene in Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" (1964)
where the character played by Diane Baker discovers Sean Connery's secrets
by virtue of the fact that she finds a sheet of paper where he's written
out all the secret things he has to do: "Talk to mother, pay off
businessman," etc. The fact that the crucial item on both lists has to
do with bribing somebody suggests that this might be a reference. (JJW)
+ As we see the shot of L.A.'s City Hall, Pinky does, in part, the
opening to Dragnet (City Hall being on the police badges seen at the
start of the show). The radio version of Dragnet started in 1949, the
television version in 1952. (EOC)
+ Sam Spade is the detective from Dashille Hammett's mystery novel
"The Maltese Falcon" (which was later made into a movie in 1931, and
then re-made in 1941). (EOC, BN, JJW)
+ The elephant stampede is a reference to a scene in "Chinatown" where
an enraged farmer brings a herd of sheep into a meeting of the City
Council (or whatever it's called) and demands to know where he's going
to get water for them. (JJW)
- "Egads, it's astounding, Brain... That you actually found a cab in LA."
To hail a cab in LA essentially means you have to call up the company,
telling them where you are, and wait for it to arrive. (KL)
+ Pinky's narration comes from "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and
"Little Red Riding Hood". (JK)
+ Brain's confrontation with the hoodlums at the reservoir parallels the
scene in "Chinatown" where Jack Nicholson is menaced by a nasty little
thug (played by Roman Polanski) who slits Jack's nose, saying: "You're
a very nosy fella, kittycat. You know what happens to nosy fellas?
Huh? Okay, I'll tell you: They lose their noses." (JJW)
+ Snowball's line "Top of the world, Brain!" is a reference to Jimmy
Cagney's last line in the 1949 film "White Heat": "Made it, ma! Top of
the world!" (JJW)
+ "A mouse! A hamster! A mouse! A hamster!" This takes off on the scene
in "Chinatown" where Fay Dunaway, between rounds of tough-guy slapping
from Nicholson, tries to explain her relationship to a mysterious girl:
"She's my sister. She's my daughter... [slap] My sister... [slap]
My daughter, my sister, my daughter, SHE'S MY SISTER AND MY DAUGHTER!"
(JJW)
- The 360 degree pan around Pinky and Billie as she kisses him is
probably a reference to the famous shot in Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo"
(1958) where the camera circles James Stewart and Kim Novak as they kiss.
(JJW)
+ Near the end when Billie says, "He was some kind of a mouse." This is
a takeoff of Marlene Dietrich's line in the 1958 movie "Touch Of Evil",
where she says, "He was some kind of a man," as Orson Welles'
character lies dead in a shallow canal. (KPe, BN)
+ "Get your hands off me you damp dirty hamster!", is from the 1968 film
"Planet of the Apes". The in-joke being that Roddy McDowell, who played
one of the apes in the film does the voice of Snowball. (JK, JWo)
================================================================================
Episode: 31
"A Meticulous Analysis of History" --
+ The writers look to Gilbert and Sullivan for inspiration, borrowing
"When I Was A Lad" from "H.M.S. Pinafore," (EOC)
+ Cleopatra (actually Cleopatra VII Ptolemy -- she was of a Greek dynasty)
was first the lover of Julius Caesar, by which she had a child, and later
of Mark Antony. (These are probably the two figures seen with her in the
short.) When Antony came out on the losing end of his war with Octavian,
the historian Plutarch relates that she killed herself with an asp
(ironically, a symbol of Egyptian royalty.). (EOC)
+ Caesar was drawn to resemble Rex Harrison and Antony was drawn to resemble
Richard Burton, who played the roles in the Fox film "Cleopatra." (RN)
+ Hannibal (actually, Hannibal Barca) was one of the great generals of
history. He used elephants to effect a spectacular crossing of the Alps
in 218 BC, and defeated the Romans numerous times, most spectacularly at
Cannae, his masterpiece. In fact, after Cannae, only a tactical blunder
made him unable to march on, and capture, Rome. Eventually, the Romans
did manage to beat him on a number of occasions (Zama in 202 BC, for
example), and isolated his forces in the Second Punic War (in part through
the use of masterful deception tactics). (EOC)
+ The Sunday night joke refers to when Pinky and the Brain went up against
60 Minutes in prime-time during the 1995-1996 season. Like most other
shows that have been placed in the time slot against 60 Minutes, the
ratings were less than promising. This led to a proposed redesign of the
show, a sample of how this new show may have looked can be seen in Episode
#50 -- "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets in This Town Again". This idea was
rejected by WB management, and instead the show was pulled from prime-time.
The ultimate result, once management finally got its way, is the horrid
(in the editor's opinion) "Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain". (BN, JK)
+ Attila the Hun usurped the throne of his Asiatic warrior nation in 444 AD,
and using his cavalry masterfully (which had already invaded Hungary by
the 430s and had smashed the Eastern Roman Empire in 441) smashed the
Eastern Roman Empire again in 447. He invaded Western Europe, and carried
out the frightful carnage and destruction (earning his name, "The Scourge
of God"), though he was defeated at the Battle of Chalons in 451 by the
Franks. (Probably the battle referred to in the song.) An invasion of
Italy was forestalled by an outbreak of plague. He choked to death from
a nosebleed in 453 while sharing a bed with a new bride. (EOC)
- DYN - Brain's subliminal messages read "You see, you're under my control"
and "I forced you to use the still frame on your VCR."
+ Caligula (a nickname meaning "Little Boots" or "Bootikin", depending on
the translation -- his real name was Gaius) has an evil reputation, in
part fostered by Suetonius' description of him in "The Twelve Caesars."
Incest, extortion, wanton extravagance and just plain madness were just
the least of his faults. There is a legend that he appointed his horse,
Incitatus, to the Senate, as an act of defiance to that august body.
Other versions state that Incitatus was appointed consul. (In
"I, Claudius," Robert Graves, who was a classical scholar, states that
Incitatus was first made a citizen, then a senator, and at last put on
the list for nominees for the consulship.) Suetonius does supply a
physical description of Caligula, which shows the caricature in this short
is quite off. It's a bit of a stretch to call him a world conqueror,
since his only military campaign was truly a farce, in every sense of the
word. (EOC)
- Pinky holds a picture of his girlfriend, Phar Fignewton (cf. Episode #5A --
"Jockey For Position"), in one shot. (JK)
+ That is a decent caricature of Wellington, the Allied commander at the
Battle of Waterloo in 1815, which marked Napoleon's final defeat. (His
nose was his most caricatured feature.) (EOC)
+ Wellington won at Waterloo, but the picture showed an admiral on deck
with a spyglass -i.e. Nelson of Trafalgar. (JMG)
+ Nelson should probably be eliminated, because (a) he never fought Napoleon
directly [not that Wellington faced off against Napoleon that often, doing
most of his fighting in Spain, when Napoleon was elsewhere], (b) Nelson was
distinctive in that he was blind in one eye [which was used on occasions
where it was convenient not to see