Difference between revisions of "Marge vs. the Monorail/References"

Revision as of 08:13, July 29, 2025

Cultural references

• The episode's opening scene is a parody of the opening of The Flintstones, complete with the same music, to which Homer sings his own lyrics.
• The main premise of a con man getting a town excited about something he sells but hardly knows anything about is borrowed from the musical Meredith Willson's The Music Man. Lanley's appearance and musical number are a nod to the songs in it as well.
• The song that plays as Mr. Burns and Smithers show up to get rid of the nuclear waste is based on the theme song "Axel F" from Beverly Hills Cop.
• The strait jacket and muzzle Mr. Burns wears during the court case, references Hannibal Lecter's prison outfit when he is transported from one place to another in The Silence of the Lambs.
• Homer reads an Andy Capp comic strip in The Springfield Shopper.
• Mr. Burns and Smithers escaping with a grappling hook is a reference to the 1989 film Batman.
• Ralph asks Lyle Lanley if the Monorail can outrun The Flash. Chuck Berger then asks if Superman can outrun The Flash.
• When Marge points out that Homer's lifelong dream was to run out on the field during a baseball game, the camera pans to a newspaper article of Homer doing that and the "Charge" fanfare by Tommy Walker plays.
• The study book The Monorail Conductors Aptitude Test, or MCAT, is a reference to the Medical College Admission Test taken by many medical students.
• Homer sings a verse from "The Riddle Song" in bed.
• Lurleen Lumpkin was checked in to the Betty Ford Center.
• Mayor Quimby says "May the Force be with you," mistaking Star Trek for Star Wars.
• When Leonard Nimoy asks Quimby if he knows who he is, Quimby asks if he was one of The Little Rascals.
• Prominently displayed on the wall in the club car is a picture of the Hindenburg going down in flames.
• Nimoy tells someone that the doors on Star Trek were not mechanical and they had a stage hand on either side who would pull the doors open.
• The Springfield town charter looks exactly like the United States Declaration of Independence, but with the signature of Jebediah Springfield front and center in large script, just like the signature of John Hancock on the original.
• Part of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Next Generation main theme is heard during the eclipse.
• Homer mistakes Sebastian Cobb for Batman.

Trivia

• A tree at the Springfield Park has a heart engraved on it with the initials M.B. and H.S., Marge Bouvier and Homer Simpson.
• People at the town meeting include:
  • The Museum lady
  • The Babysitting receptionist
  • Dr. Zitsofsky
  • Professor Lombardo
  • Ms. Melon
• People in the crowd at the Monorail ceremony include:
  • Jacques
  • Karl
  • Bleeding Gums Murphy
  • Al Simmons
  • The caricature of Rich Moore
• In the scene with Mr. Burns and Smithers dropping barrels in the tree, the tree with Marge and Homer initials is shown.
• A meme was created making fun of the ban of "Stark Raving Dad", where Marge is told to "Go away, there ain't no Michael Jackson episode and there never was!", before slamming the window roller shut, and an image of Leon Kompowski is shown, spoofing Marge being shooed away from Monorail Cafe.
• In the Chalkboard gag, Bart writes "I will not eat things for money", which he later does in "Diggs" to pay Homer back.
• Homer suggests to Bart to change his name to Homer, Jr. or HoJu. In "Labor Pains", the woman that Homer helps give birth names the baby Homer Jr. AKA HoJu.

Continuity

• In the comic story The Great Train Wreck, Milhouse asks Bart if he's jealous because his father is a train engineer. Bart reminds Milhouse that his father drove the Monorail and that it nearly killed the whole town. He even points to wreckage of the train and tracks, referring to the events of this episode.
• Lurleen returns ("Colonel Homer").

Goofs

• When Homer jumps out the window in the Meet the Flintstones parody, the scene is incorrectly layered in such a way that he appears in front of the window he jumps out of, looking like he is jumping through the wall.
• Judge Snyder is incorrectly colored yellow.
• Snake doesn't attend the town meeting as he's busy robbing homes. However, he is later seen taking part in "The Monorail Song".
• In the crowd behind Kent Brockman:
  • Gary is incorrectly colored.
  • Karl has the same colors as Brockman.
  • Bleeding Gums Murphy is yellow.
• When the audience at the town hall meeting laugh at Lyle Lanley's mule joke, Gloria Prince is incorrectly colored.
  • She is also incorrectly colored on the Monorail.
• After "The Monorail Song" ends, when Homer says "Mono--", Maude's sleeves change from pink to the same color as her waistcoat. Also before looking at Homer, Lou and Eddie's arms are miscolored blue instead of brown and yellow respectively.
• After the monorail car is accidentally dropped on the house, a man in the background has legs that aren't colored in.
• When the audience cheers for Grampa's idea, J. Loren Pryor is seated next to Sam. However, when the Monorail chant starts, Pryor is next to Dr. Zitsofsky. Also Grampa's mouth disappears.
• Maggie's pacifier, Marge's pearls and tongue change colors on the scene where Maggie is reaching for the possum.
• When the Springfield's Oldest Tree falls on the Birthplace of Jebediah Springfield, the tree shadow is over the tree instead of under when it hits the cabin.
• Doctor Hibbert was among the passengers on the monorail on the first ride, but he is seen with a pair of conjoined twins in his office soon after.