Difference between revisions of "Margical History Tour/References"

Revision as of 22:10, October 15, 2021

Cultural references

• The title is a pun on the song, album and film Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles.
• Some items seen in the library are Everybody Poops: The Video, Yu-Gi-Oh! Price Guides, and Itchy & Scratchy books on tape.
• The song "Animal House", sung by Homer, is a parody of the song from Animal House.
  • In the song, Homer sings that we saw Donald Sutherland's ass and the end was done like American Graffiti.

Henry VIII

• Homer (as Henry VIII) sings a variation of "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am".
• "Greensleeves" plays several times during the segment.
• Henry wipes his mouth with the Magna Carta.
• Margarine of Aragon is a parody of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife.
• Anne Boleyn's business card says "A Son'll Come Out Tomorrow", a reference to the song "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie.
• When Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are making love, she says "Oh, Henry!" a reference to the candy bar, Oh Henry!.
• Homer says to Bart in his dream to "get out of my dreams and into my wife", a reference to the song, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", which in turn was inspired by a line in the song "You're Sixteen".
• Marge says that one of the good things about Elizabeth I's reign is the fact that it gives various British actresses a role to play when they reach a certain age, a reference to the frequent portrayals of Elizabeth in film and television by famous actresses such as Glenda Jackson, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench.
• Anne of Cleves (portrayed by Agnes Skinner) is a parody of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salsbury who like this character, was arrested for no crimes at all and took three swings of the axe to behead.

Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea

• Part of "Hail to the Chief" plays when the White House is seen.
• Lewis and Clark travel under the Saint Louis Gateway Arch, made of lumber.
• Immediately after Carl says they've discovered the beautiful Pacific Northwest it starts raining, a reference to the rainy climate of the Pacific Northwest.
• The "butter box" that Sacagawea was said to have posed for is a reference to the picture on the Land O'Lakes butter box.

Mozart and Salieri

• Sally Salieri is a parody of composer Antonio Salieri.
• Mozart plays "Piano Sonata No. 11" on the piano.
• The T-Shirt "Bat Out of Salzburg" is a reference to the song "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf.
• The music in Bart's opera, "The Musical Fruit", is in fact Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik with the lyrics rewritten to refer to flatulence. Eine kleine Nachtmusik, however, is a serenade, not an opera.
• The three other untalented members of the family are three members from The Jackson 5.
• In the scenes where Mozart is ill and living on the street, and later, dying, the music playing in the background is from "Requiem Mass" by Mozart.
• Beethoven plays "Symphony No. 9" on the piano.
• Beethoven's laugh imitates the opening bars from "Symphony No. 5".
• Lisa points out that the segment was based on the play Amadeus. It was also a film.

Trivia

• When Reverend Lovejoy officiates at King Henry's second marriage, he says "In the name of the Henry, the Hank and the holy Harry". The latter two are references to cast members Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer.
• A Mozart-esque version of the Gracie Films logo is used for this episodes Gracie Films logo.

Historical errors

Henry VIII

• Henry only executed two out of his six wives unlike five in the episode.
  • Jane Seymour was not one of the executed wives. In fact, she died shortly after giving birth to the baby boy that Henry had long sought.
• Catherine of Aragon was not locked in a dungeon after Henry divorced her. She was exiled and died long before Henry.
• The castle of Henry VIII has a flag with blue and vertical and horizontal white lines. This is not a flag of Britain or any of its countries - the Scottish flag (which is also blue and white) has a cross, not vertical and horizontal lines.
• Marge explains how Elizabeth I eventually became queen and that England's power was never greater; in fact, England reached its greatest power about four centuries later as the British Empire. The true order of succession after Henry's death was Edward VI; Lady Jane Grey, who was named in order to keep the Catholic Mary from bringing Catholicism back to England; Mary, who usurped the throne and had Jane executed; and finally Elizabeth, after Mary died childless.

Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea

• The chief (Homer) says that Sacagawea's (Lisa) name meant "little know-it-all who won't shut her maizehole." In reality, her name is said to mean "bird woman." The joke translation is a reference to Lisa's being smart and always talking.
• Lewis and Clark are portrayed as being complete morons, which they were not in real life. The unflattering portrayal is due to their being played by Lenny and Carl, who are in fact simple-minded.
• When Lewis and Clark sight the Pacific Ocean, Lewis says they'll name this place "Eugene, Oregon". In reality, they sighted the Pacific at the mouth of the Columbia River, near modern-day Astoria, Oregon.
• Clark (Carl) calls Sacagawea (Lisa) Pocahontas, Pocahontas is best remembered when she was nine or ten years old and saving John Smith's life. This is close to Lisa's age on the show, whereas Sacagawea was 16 or 17 when she traveled with Lewis and Clark.

Mozart and Salieri

• Salieri was a man and he was not related to Mozart at all.
  • Mozart did, however, have an older sister.