Shoddy Heat/References
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Cultural references[edit]
- The episode title is a reference to the 1981 American neo-noir film Body Heat.
- Many elements from Body Heat are parodied in this episode, including the unbearable heat, several sequences, and the characters themselves:
- Agnes and Abe having an ice cream by the sea parodies the opening, specifically when Ned Racine meets Matty Walker for the first time.
- Billy escaped to a tropical island, parodying Matty Walker in another reference to Body Heat.
- Lisa wears a "got almond milk?" shirt, a reference to the got milk? advertising campaign.
- A grave for "Ebenezer Burns" is seen, a reference to Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol.
- When Grampa flexes his finger muscle, an anchor appears on it, a reference to Popeye.
- Grampa suggests Billy O'Donnell that he should go to the NBA.
- At the Simpson and O'Donnell Detective Agency, the poster of an astronaut with a flag of MTV is a reference to the first images shown on MTV in 1981, which were a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
- Chief Wiggum calls Grampa "Humphrey Go-Kart," a reference to Humphrey Bogart.
- The L'il CSI Forensic Kit is a reference to the TV series CSI and their real-life forensic kits.
- Lisa imitates Count Dracula.
- According to Billy O'Donnell's file from Springfield DMV:
The young versions of
Abe and
Agnes are based on the protagonists in
Body Heat. The sequence of them having an ice cream together parodies the opening of the film.
- The store Cabbage Patch Adoption Center is a reference to the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.
- Teen Beat and Tiger Beat magazines are seen for sale at the Squidport, both real-life magazines.
- Hacky Sacks Fifth Avenue is a reference to hacky sack and the retail chain Saks Fifth Avenue.
- The name The Bar Side with Gary Larson is a pun on The Far Side, a comic created by cartoonist Gary Larson.
- The new wave hit "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls plays when Agnes and Abe kiss each other and during the episode's credits.
- The sign "Xanadu Forever" at the roller rink is a reference to the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu, in which roller skates are a common element. Another sign mentions Coke.
- Abe and Agnes date at a Wendy's.
- Agnes wears a shirt that says "I found the beef," and Abe wears a shirt that says "the beef," a reference to the "where's the beef?" advertising slogan.
- Grampa says he fell for Agnes like Mario over a thousand Donkey Kong barrels.
- Agnes does several Rubik's Cubes while waiting in the car.
- Lou and Chief Wiggum are eating Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
- Lou says to Wiggum that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark," a reference to the saying told by Marcellus in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
- Bart's goal is to be "the Jay Leno of bikes." Comedian Jay Leno is widely known for his collection of vehicles, including 169 cars and 117 motorcycles.
- Agnes calls Grampa "Magnum P.U.," a reference to the American crime drama Magnum, P.I..
- Bart thinks Seymour was referring to Xbox when he wanted to play with the mazes on the "Chex Box." Chex is a real brand of cereal.
- Skinner gives Bart Hello Kitty pens.
- When Grampa is making out with Agnes, he exclaims, "Oh, sweet Wendell Willkie!"
- At young Mr. Burns' office, there is a bust of Margaret Thatcher and a picture of Ronald Reagan, both heads of government during the year the story is set.
- Burns refers to a young Homer, who puked out crayon, as "little boy blue, green, and red," a reference to the nursery rhyme "Little Boy Blue."
- Billy says that his shoes made him seem short, "Tom Cruise short."
- One of Harold Baumgartner's business cards says "Jasper Beardley Pac-Man Tutor."
- Abe is seen playing Test Your Strength with a hammer next to the Berlin Wall, referencing the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- Other graves seen at Shady Oaks include:
- Bart finds out Lenny only has one butt cheek, which is why he keeps falling from the bar stool.
- The building number of Simpson and O'Donnell Detective Agency is 3516, a reference to the episode's production code, 35ABF16.
- Mr. Burns tells Grampa that Homer has screwed up at work 742 times.
Continuity[edit]
- Rachel Krustofsky is around 85 when she dies according to her gravestone, but "Clown in the Dumps" shows an image of Krusty visiting her grave at a young age.
- Grampa and Agnes go to the Springfield Squidport in the 1980s, despite the Squidport having its grand opening in modern times in the episode "My Sister, My Sitter." However, at the time, they refer to it as the marina.
