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Husbands and Knives |
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Cultural References
Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation
- This episode name is a play on the film title Husbands and Wives.
- Inside The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop, in one scene behind Bart and Comic Book Guy, a "World Champ Boston Red Sox" pennant is hung on a bookshelf. The Red Sox were just coming off of a World Series victory over the Colorado Rockies when this episode aired.
- The comic Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation (pictured), which Milhouse asks Alan Moore to sign, is a parody of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, both of which Moore wrote.
- The song Milo plays in his store is a Korean version of Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat."
- When Spiegelman, Clowes and Moore beat up CBG, the sound effects from their punches appear on the screen ("POW!"), a reference to the Batman TV series from the 1960s.
- Marge's gym, Shapes, is a parody of Curves.
- The slogan of Shapes, as seen on the wall of the workout station room, is "I am woman, hear me sweat." The slogan is a pun on the lyric "I am woman, hear me roar" from the song "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy.
- There is a real fitness chain called Shapes in Florida.
- During the montage of magazine covers highlighting Marge's success, she is seen on the front page of Rupert Murdoch's The Wall Street Journal, a reference to News Corporation's purchase of the paper earlier in the year. It was also referenced in the chalkboard gag for "The Homer of Seville".
- The L.A. Body Works (which Marge visits before opening Shapes) is a parody of LA Fitness.
- Homer (in his new hideous look) carrying Marge up the Springfield Notre Dame is reminiscent of a scene in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- The treadmill scene in the gym is a reference to the music video for OK Go's "Here It Goes Again".
- The Pet Shop Boys song "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" can be heard.
- The Opal Show is a parody of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
- Comic Book Guy calls Milhouse "Doctor Boo-Hoo" that refers to Doctor Who.
- "The Stars and Stripes Forever" playing as the League of Extraordinary Freelancers attack CBG is what happened in the Fleischer Studios Popeye the Sailor cartoons when Popeye ate his spinach then pounded Bluto.
- Krusty Burger being shut down for locking workers in overnight refers to Walmart's similar practice that was revealed and modified in 2004.
Comic references
- The comics Bart looks at are Death Of... Superman, Death Of... Aquaman, Death Of... Casper and comics about Caveman Robin, Black Robin, and Born-Again Robin.
- The Wolverine comic that Milhouse's tears blotch appears to be a copy of Wolverine #1 (1982) (though the actual issue does not feature "controversial pop-up claws").
- The comics The Formidable Mulk and The Thung are parodies of The Incredible Hulk and The Thing from The Fantastic Four.
- Marge compares herself to a cardboard cutout of Wonder Woman.
- The comics displayed behind the writers at the signing are Lost Girls, Maus, and Ghost World, respectively written by guest stars Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, and Dan Clowes. Art Spiegelman's mask is based upon the mask he has drawn himself wearing as an illustrator in Maus.
- Archie Comics: Coolsville has a display of used Jughead hats.
- Alan Moore's outburst at Milhouse's request that he sign the comic Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation (a parody of Watchmen and V for Vendetta), is a reference to Moore's opposition to adaptations of his works by major film studios, particularly his refusal to support the recent film adaptation of V for Vendetta.
- Two popular European comic books, Asterix and Tintin, are referenced. The book Tintin in Paris is a parody of the books The Black Island and Destination Moon. Also shown are several actual Tintin books, such as The Shooting Star and Tintin in Tibet.
- Coolsville Comics & Toys is a parody of the real store Meltdown Comics & Collectibles on Melrose in Hollywood, California. The writers of the show go there for their comics. Coolsville looks almost like Meltdown except for slight differences.
- When Comic Book Guy tries to lure his customers back with ninja weapons, the writers are making an indirect joke at the real world Toy Mandala, a comic store competitor of Meltdown Comics & Collectibles. Toy Mandala does actually sell ninja weapons in real life and is a comic store. They do not, however, sell weapons to children.
- Kearney says to Marge that she skinnier than Girthquake and Flabberella.
- League of Extraordinary Freelancers is a reference to Alan Moore's series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
- Alan Moore's From Hell and Lost Girls,Art Spiegelman's Maus and In the Shadow of No Towers and Daniel Clowes's Ghost World and the screenplay for Art School Confidential can be seen in the background.
Goofs
- When Milhouse sheds a tear, he is not allergic to it.