Sashes to Sashes/References

General	References/Trivia	Gags	Appearances	Gallery	Quotes	Credits

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"Sashes to Sashes"

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Cultural References

Screenshot from "The Old Blue Mayor She Ain't What She Used to Be" where the Springfield Shopper headline is the same as this episode's title.

• The episode title is a reference to "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," a phrase used during burial service derived from the biblical verse Genesis 3:19 ("for dust you are and to dust you shall return").
  • The same "Sashes to Sashes" joke is also used for the headline in the Springfield Shopper when "Diamond Joe" Quimby became mayor again after Marge's brief tenure. ("The Old Blue Mayor She Ain't What She Used to Be")
• The story of Joe Quimby, Sr. are based on the flashbacks of the life of younger Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II.
  • The font and placement in the screen of the captions is the same.
  • In the movie young Vito sees the Statue of Liberty while young Joe Sr. see the Lard Lad statue inscribed with "Give Me Your Hungry" which is a play on "The New Colossus" poem engraved on the Statue of Liberty.
  • In the movie, the immigration official at Ellis Island uses Vito Andolini's hometown, Corleone, as his last name. Joe O'Shaughnessy is changed to Joe Quimby because the immigration official believes an atrophy in a last name must be a typo.
  • The cut and captions from Joe Quimby, Sr. to his namesake grandson Joe Quimby III in the bouncy castle is the same as the cut of Vito Corleone on Ellis Island to his grandson Anthony Vito Corleone's first communion in Lake Tahoe.
  • Spanucci is a parody of Fanucci. His murder during the large street festival (Feast of San Gennaro in the movie and Feast of the 7 Slobs in the episode), including screwing in the lightbulb in the hallway and relieving young Vito hiding a wrapped up pistol in the shadows, is done the same as in the movie. However, Vito uses a pistol whereas Joe Sr. uses a corned beef sandwich.
  • In the movie, Vito Corleone escapes from the rooftop after Fanucci's murder and smashes his pistol, then puts the pieces down different chimneys. In the episode, Joe Sr. puts slices of meat from his corned beef sandwich down different chimneys.
  • The Quimby home is based on the Corleone home on Lake Tahoe, which was filmed at the real Lake Tahoe at one of the houses on the Fleur du Lac Estates on the Californian side while the movie was set on the Nevadan side.
  • The platform for Mayor Quimby and Marge's Aunt Beatrice's wedding is similar to the one used at the party for Michael Corleone's son Anthony's first communion.
  • The hug between Mayor Quimby and Joe Quimby III, intercut with Mayor Quimby dancing with Beatrice while confetti is being dropped, is also parodying the movie.
• Joe Quimby III approaches Lisa from the backseat of his chauffeured vehicle, then they walk side by side to discussing how he wants to change his father's business and needs her help. This mirrors Michael Corleone approaching Kay outside the school she teaches at in New Hampshire after his return from Sicily. This scene is actually from The Godfather and not The Godfather Part II, the latter being what the episode is a closer parody of.
• Acts planned for MusicFest include:
  • Chunk Mafia, spoof of the Black Eyed Peas
  • Little Smelly, spoof of Lil Wayne
  • Jupiter Jerks
  • D.J. Breakfast
  • G.O.M.R., spoof of GWAR
• In the flashback, James Joyce was on the docks in Quimby, Ireland as Joe Sr bid goodbye to his parents from the boat going to America.
• The scene of Lisa doing research on the Quimby family and the overhead shot of the library is a reference to the film, "All the President's Men." The same overhead shot was previously referenced in "Sideshow Bob Roberts."
• The Quimbys having driven so many cars off so many bridges is referencing the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident.
• The Quimbys making a fortune in 1929 with the Great Depression causes an increase in "bankruptcy barrels," a costume usually used in cartoons to show characters have lost all their money.
• The poster for Over The Falls is a reference to the movie poster for Niagara with Marilyn Monroe.
• George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde, famous dramatists from Ireland, were on the float in Springfield's Saint Patrick's Day parade.
• The Feast of the 7 Slobs is a parody of Italian-American street festival the Feast of the 7 Fishes.
• Joe Quimby III's attack ad on Bart is a parody on the so-called "Daisy ad" run by Lyndon Johnson against Barry Goldwater in 1964 and became notorious despite only airing once. It was previously parodied in "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming."
• Bart's attack ad on Joe Quimby III with it mentioning "It's 3 a.m." is a reference to an attack ad run by Hillary Clinton against Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries.
• Joe Quimby III's full name, Joseph Fitzgerald Shriver Onassis Schlossberg III, is a reference to the in-laws of the Kennedys, or Kennedys related through Kennedy women.
• Joe Quimby III references the classic "baby kissing" campaign tactic by kissing another student's baby doll.

Trivia

• Irish actors and real-life father and son Brendan Gleeson and Domhnall Gleeson voice the older and younger Joe Quimby, Sr. respectively.
• Strangely, despite his family's immense wealth and power, Joe Quimby III attends a public school. He mentioned when introducing himself to the other students that he is in Mr. Dahan's homeroom. Mr. Dahan is named after show writer Nick Dahan.
• In real life, no place in Ireland is actually named Quimby. Additionally, a 1894 report regarding surnames in Ireland shows not one single person with Quimby or any variants living in Ireland.
• In the flashback, Joe Quimby Sr. has 15 other siblings living in the one-room home.
• The ship that escapes to America is designed with a wooden sail, albeit made out of of steel plates.
• As Lisa and Devin talk about getting Bart to run against Joe Quimby III, Quimby III can be seen in the bouncy castle in the background. He shakes hands with a new person with each bounce; these people include Lewis, Becky, Martin, Kearney, Sophie, Principal Skinner, Hubert, Krusty and Mr. Burns.

Continuity

• Mrs. Glick dies (which first happened in "Replaceable You," but later retconned).
  • Although the church's organist is Gertie, Mrs. Glick did play the organ at Mourning Glory Funeral Home for Larry the barfly's service. ("Cremains of the Day")
• Bart runs for student council president and previously ran for class president. Once again, the eventual winner is Martin ("Lisa's Substitute")
• Lisa previously mentioned how Mayor Quimby was from outside Boston (specifically Quimby, Massachusetts) which explained his accent. ("The Town")
• Mayor Quimby and his wife previously had older fraternal twin sons. ("The Old Blue Mayor She Ain't What She Used to Be")
• Springfield's Saint Patrick's Day parade has a float with famous Irish authors. ("Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment")
• Jokes about how Bart rhythms with fart. ("I Married Marge")
• Mayor Quimby ran for governor against Mary Bailey who Mr. Burns had also unsuccessfully ran for governor against. ("Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish") However, Mayor Quimby and Mary Bailey would both be Democrats.
• The character design of the reporter asking Joe Quimby, Sr. what's next at the Hollywood premiere of "Over the Falls" is the same as the anchor for the Entertainment Tonight-style show in "A Fish Called Selma."

Goofs

• There is an entirely blue student in the crowd during the Inauguration Day speech in the schoolyard.