Difference between revisions of "Estranger Things/References"

Latest revision as of 20:35, November 19, 2025

Cultural references[edit]

• The episode title is a reference to the TV series Stranger Things, and also a play on the word "estrange".
• Prince William is on the cover of the first issue of Partially Bald Monthly, while Michael Keaton is on the cover of the second issue.
  • The headline on Michael Keaton's issue is "Michael Keaton is... Recedeljuice!", a reference to the film Beetlejuice which starred Keaton as Betelgeuse and also a reference to his receding hairline.
  • The abbreviation HRH, short for "Hair Royal Hairline", is a pun on the title "Her Royal Highness" (HRH).
• Homer, Bart, and Lisa eat Twinkies.

During "Open Sesame Street", Itchy and Scratchy are dressed similarly to Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street

• The Itchy & Scratchy Show episode "Open Sesame Street" is a parody of Sesame Street. Itchy and Scratchy are dressed similarly to Bert and Ernie.
  • The name is also a parody of the "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" magical phrase "Open sesame".
• Bart and Lisa do a "Twinkie promise", a parody of the pinky promise.
• The food Homer eats includes:
  • Cheese-Its, a parody of Cheez-It.
  • Chee-to, a parody of Cheetos.
  • Ding Rings, a parody of Ding Dongs.
  • Gulpables, a parody of Lunchables.
• The "Itchystan" flag is a parody of the Soviet Union, with the hammer and sickle being replaced with an axe and dynamite. A Soviet Union-like version of the theme song also plays.
• Lisa has a Raggedy Ann doll.
• Quirk Girl is a parody of the TV series New Girl. The characters Natalya and Schultz are parodies of Jessica Day, played by Zooey Deschanel, and Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield. Both actors also voice their Simpsons parodies. The song played by Quirk Girl at the end is a parody of the theme song of the series.
• Screaming Friends is a parody of the animated series Smiling Friends.
• "A Mother's Heartbreak" is a parody of "When She Loved Me" by Sarah McLachlan from Toy Story 2. Incidentally, Sarah also sings the former song herself.
  • During the song sequence, Itchy grabs a lamppost while holding an umbrella, mimicking Gene Kelly's iconic moment in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain.
• When Marge is worried that Bart and Lisa may stop speaking and drift apart, Homer makes an analogy to Sweet and CJ Johnson, the brothers from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In the video game series, CJ Johnson is blamed by Sweet for the death of their brother Brian, a tragedy that drives the two apart.
  • Homer also mentions Los Santos, a fictional city from the game, and Big Smoke, a relevant character.
  • The next day, Homer plays the game on the TV.
• The song heard when Homer wears the sunglasses and plays the video game is "Superbad" by Top Dogz, which is part of the soundtrack of the video game Watch Dogs: Legion.

In the future, Lisa is the commissioner of the NBA. Then, the WNBA is called the NBA, while the nowadays NBA is called "MNBA"

• The WNBA is called the NBA in the future while the NBA is called the MNBA, implying that the popularity of women's basketball will eventually surpass that of men's.
  • Lisa becomes the commissioner of the new NBA.
• "Da Butt" by Experience Unlimited plays when Lisa goes home.
• A keg of Metamucil is thrown out the window of the Simpson house.
• Along with his keys, Bart has a Costmo card, a parody of Costco.
• While playing croquet, Bart tells Comic Book Guy to think that the ball is a Tribble from Star Trek.
• Bart bought a Chevrolet Camaro with the money he got from looking after the old people.
• Comic Book Guy says the Camaro is as red as the planet Arrakis, saying it's a reference to Dune.
• Bart has one of the t-shirts with him holding a slingshot ready to shoot with the text "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')", one of the popular real-life t-shirts created after "Bart Gets an "F"" and banned from schools.
• "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy plays during the rescue mission.
• The Disorient Express is a reference to the Orient Express.
• When Bart mentions Itchy reanimating the corpse of Ty Cobb in a plot to "slide spikes first into Scratchy's face" he is alluding to Cobb's actual practice of sliding spikes high to inflict wounds on the covering baseman.
• Marge married Ringo Starr in Heaven.

Trivia[edit]

• Raphael, the old Jewish man, and Emil do not appear to have aged at all in the future.
• This is the first time that the Comic Book Guy is featured in an episode set in the future.

Continuity[edit]

• Marge is married to Ringo Starr. ("Brush with Greatness")
• The Itchy & Scratchy Show cartoons shown in the credits:
  • "Messenger of Death". ("Itchy & Scratchy & Marge")
  • "Screams from a Mall". ("The Front")
  • "Cat Splat Fever". ("Radio Bart")
  • "Pinitchio". ("Itchy & Scratchy Land")
  • The second movie. (The Simpsons Movie)
  • "Breaking Dad". ("Clown in the Dumps")
  • "Kitchen Kut-Ups". ("Itchy & Scratchy & Marge")
• Future Lisa wears a variation of her president outfit, although her pants are replaced with a skirt. ("Bart to the Future")

Goofs[edit]

• In the flashback to four years ago, a picture of Maggie is seen on the wall, despite her not being born yet.