Take My Wife, Sleaze/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

Cultural references

Greaser's restaurant

The 1950s-themed restaurant has a bunch of nostalgic themes, including:

• Commercial — Wolfguy Jack plugs the restaurant with numerous 1950s-era references, including:
  • Coca-Cola — A popular soft drink at 1950s-era teen hangouts.
  • Dick Clark — Host of American Bandstand.
  • Television — Referring to the early days of television.
  • Ford Thunderbird — The 1956 Ford Thunderbird that Wolfguy Jack and his assistant, Debbie Dunham, are riding in during the commercial is one of many seen at the restaurant.
• Headlines plastered on the walls throughout the restaurant include:
  • The Beatles — Even though they didn't arrive until the 1960s, the explosive popularity of the English band is acknowledged.
  • Hula hoops — A popular fad during the late 1950s.
  • Milkshakes — A popular treat at 1950s-era teen hangouts.
  • Vietnam War — Although it didn't reach its peak until the mid- to late-1960s, the war began in 1959 and is so acknowledged.
• Menu items — The following 1950s references are used for the menu items:
  • Allen Ginsberg — Hamburgers named Allen Ginsbergers, for the beatnik writer.
  • McCarthyism — The grilled cheese sandwiches are named Un-American cheese sandwiches, after Sen. Joe McCarthy's pejorative for people suspected of being Communists.
  • Polio vaccine — The hot dogs are named polio dogs, after Jonas Salk's vaccine that would ultimately wipe out the dread disease.
• Dennis the Menace — Jay North reprises his role as the title character of the 1959-1963 sitcom at Greaser's grand opening.
• Other restaurant franchises with 1950s-era gimmicks — Among others, Johnny Rockets, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Disney-MGM Studios, and Maid-Rite.
• Pulp Fiction — The dance contest at a 50s-themed restaurant is similar to the one in the 1994 movie.
• Wolfman Jack and Debbie Dunham — Restaurant proprietor Wolfguy Jack and his girlfriend are thinly veiled caricatures of the radio personality and the character from American Graffiti, respectively.

Other references

• American Gothic — The painting featuring Apu and Manjula standing in front of the Kwik-E-Mart (except Apu is holding a broom) is based on Grant Wood's famous painting.
• Friday the 13th — The Hell's Satans are staying at Camp Crystal Lake, which is named after the campground where Jason Voorhees terrorized teen-agers in the slasher film series.
• Guinness World Records — The TV special the family watches — complete with Lisa echoing criticism about the reliability of the records — is a takeoff of several Fox "Guinness" specials that had recently aired.
• "Jailhouse Rock" — "Mental House Rock", performed by Johnny Bobby (voice: Hank Azaria) is a parody of the Elvis Presley song.
• Rebel Without a Cause — The movie Homer watches, about a rebellious biker named Jimmy, is a parody of the classic 1955 movie.
• The title is a reference to an old joke used by stand-up comedians "Take my wife, please".