Sideshow Bob Roberts/References

Episode	References	Gags	Appearances	Gallery	Quotes	Credits

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Sideshow Bob Roberts

Treehouse of Horror V ►

Trivia

• Sideshow Bob was released by Democratic mayor Joe Quimby after pressure from Republican-inspired protests. In "Black Widower" he claimed he and his prisonmates would be released on the streets once the Democrats were back in power.
• The Mr. Burns club members are:
  • Rich Texan
  • Dracula
  • Birch
  • Rainier Wolfcastle
  • Blue Haired Lawyer
  • Dr. Hibbert.
• Sideshow Bob's middle name "Underdunk" is mentioned here for the first time.
• Names, which are on the voter records, are:
  • Edgar Neubauer
  • Prudence Goodwyfe
  • Buddy Holly
  • Richie Valens
  • The Big Bopper
• Animals, which "voted" for Bob, are:
  • Mr. Bananas and Mrs. Bananas (apes)
  • Humphrey Boa-Gart (a snake)
  • Shnookums
  • Snookums
  • Snowball I (Lisa's first cat)
  • Stormy
  • Stampy (Bart's elephant) - a reference to the episode "Bart Gets an Elephant"

Goofs

• Only names of dead people and animals appear on the voter records, but Bart's elephant Stampy, one of voters, isn't dead, nor buried at Springfield Pet Cemetery. It never said it was just dead animals, animals can't vote at all, Bob just put as many names as possible.

Cultural References

• Much of the episode is based on the Watergate scandal and borrows many elements from the film All the President's Men which focused on the investigation into the incident by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. These include the meeting with Smithers and the overheard shot of Lisa in the library.
• Bob's aides are parodies of Richard Nixon's advisors during Watergate, H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman.
• Bob runs a campaign advertisement against Quimby which is largely based on George H.W. Bush's "Revolving Door Ad," an extremely important event in the 1988 US presidential campaign.
• Quimby's appearance at the debate mimics Nixon's appearance at the 1960 Presidential debate after he had just recovered from a cold.
• Birch Barlow is a parody of conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh.
• The title is a reference to the film Bob Roberts, a 1992 film following the eponymous politician, suggesting that success comes from shady deals, hypocrisy and deceit. Bob enters the meeting wrapped in an American flag, a reference to the film's poster.
• Archie, Jughead and Reggie from the Archie Comics throw Homer out of their car, while Moose says, "Duh, stay out of Riverdale!" It is not known how he met them or what he did to offend them (and presumably the community they lived in).
  • Homer later refers to them again; he is seen reading an Archies comic and comments, "Riverdale punks, think they're too good for me!"
• In court, Bob says, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!" A reference to a line from the movie A Few Good Men starring Jack Nicholson.
• Birch Barlow mentions the cartoon spokesperson Joe Camal.
• Springwood Minimum Security Prison is a parody of Allenwood Minimum Security Prison.
• Sideshow Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in Citizen Kane.
  • Back in Season 2, Mr Burns did the same thing when running for Govenor in Two Cars In Every Garage And Three Eyes On Every Fish.