Difference between revisions of "I, Carumbus/References"

Revision as of 13:49, April 22, 2026

Cultural references

• The name of the episode is a reference to the novel I, Claudius and a pun on Bart's catchphrase "Ay caramba!".
• Bartigula is a combination of the names Bart and [Roman Emperor] Caligula.
• "Obeseus" is a portmanteau to "Obese" and "Odysseus".
• The narrator says "iacta alea est" ("the die is cast") at the point where Obeseus agrees to kill the emperor. The phase is attributed to Julius Caesar as he was about to commit the irrevocable act of crossing the Rubicon.
• Rainier Wolfcastle played the role of a Saxon gladiator from Germania.
• Luigi says "Juno, Mother of Apollo", a play on the saying "Mary, Mother of God". In Roman mythology Apollo was the stepson of Juno, wife of his father Jupiter who had been unfaithful to Juno including with Apollo's mother Latona.
• Barnabas writes "Semper Fratres" on the prison cell wall, meaning "Always Brothers" in Latin.
• The scene of the slaves saying "I had sexicus" is a parody of the "I'm Spartacus" scene from Spartacus.

Mike Duncan served as a Roman history consultant for the episode. Details of Ancient Roman sculptures and architecture can be seen as well

• Ancient Rome buildings such as the Arch of Constantine, the Meta Sudans conical fountain, the Colossus of Nero and the Colosseum can be seen during the episode. Mike Duncan served as a Roman history consultant for this episode.
• The words to the song "O Ascendimus Nos" are a Latin translation of the words to "Movin' On Up", the theme song for The Jeffersons.
• Emperor Quimbus sings "The Roman Holidays theme", the theme song for The Roman Holidays. The song also plays at the end of the episode.
• Emperor Quimbus's dying words "Et tu, pee guy?" are a play on Julius Caesar's last words "Et tu, Brute?."
• Marjora hosts a Saturnalia party, a winter festival of ancient Rome. It was co-opted by early Christians and became celebrated as Christmas.
  • The "War on Saturnalia" is a reference to the "War on Christmas."
• Bartigula declares war on Neptune, the god of the sea just as Caligula had done.
• Cletus's remark about Bartigula that he was "born rich, so he got to be good at business" is a reference to Donald Trump.
• The foreign invaders of Rome are Asterix and Obelix from Asterix and Hägar the Horrible from the comic of the same name.
  • Bartigula's blaming the troubles of Rome on foreign invaders is a reference to the Immigration policy of Donald Trump.
  • Bartigula's building a "large, expensive wall" to keep them out is a reference to the Trump wall and Hadrian's Wall.
• Bartigula makes a reference to Hannibal's crossing of the Alps when he says that Obeseus the Wide was one of Hannibal's missing elephants.
• The scene where the bodies of Bartigula and Obesus lie down with Lady Marjorie crying is a parody of the ending of Gladiator.
• The final scene where the gods are discussing the story they have just seen in the reflecting pool before them is a parody of the same scene in Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film).
  • The dialogue between the gods refers to the fan opinion of the show going stale and that it should end soon.
• In the museum at the beginning, Marge says that the story is "an historical allegory."
  • Back in the museum at the end, Lisa says the lesson is that "the unchecked lust for money and power can bring a once-great nation to ruin". The reference is to Donald Trump and the United States.

Trivia

• Among the slaves that Obeseus was training are Frank Grimes, Karl, Mike Wegman, Smitty and Angry Ricky, who have all at one point been employees at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
• The ox Abus buys has the same design as Babe, only colored brown.

Continuity

• The Kent Brockman character calls Obeseus the Wide, Mr. Plow. ("Mr. Plow")
• Obeseus the Wide's size resembles king-size Homer.^[1] ("King-Size Homer")

References