Difference between revisions of "Desperately Seeking Lisa/References"

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Cultural references

• The episode title is a reference to the film Desperately Seeking Susan.
• The episode is an homage to Martin Scorsese's film After Hours.
• Bart started to watch the TV series Mad Men when The Krusty the Clown Show was in reruns. He says that Marge and Lisa are "fighting like Don Draper and Pete Campbell after they lost their Lucky Strike account". Draper and Campbell are two of the main characters of Mad Men working at Sterling Cooper advertising agency, while the cigarette company Lucky Strike was one of the agency's most crucial and longstanding clients.
• The movement Allegro from Mozart's Symphony in D major "No. 45" is heard while Lisa travels to Capital City.

The Fearless Girl facing the gorilla parodies the real-world Fearless Girl, which was once located in front of the Charging Bull. Many other references to New York City are seen throughout the episode

• Capital City parodies New York City:
  • The Large Central Station's name and facade resemble that of the Grand Central Terminal.
  • The Unidentified State Building is a reference to the Empire State Building.
  • The Prussian Coffee Room parodies The Russian Tea Room. A cup with the Prussian eagle and a lid hinting a pickelhaube can be seen on the app.
  • The "Highbrow Artists Parade" has the style of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade annual parade in New York City. The artists recreated include William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Salvador Dalí and James Joyce.
  • The statue of the fearless girl facing down the gorilla that symbolizes fossil fuels and wasteful fast food packaging is a parody of the bronze sculpture Fearless Girl which was originally located facing down the Charging Bull, which depicts financial optimism and prosperity, but was later removed due to complaints.
• Lisa uses Oogle on her phone, a parody of Google.
• The busy street full of signs parodies Times Square:
  • Blocko Store is a parody of a Lego Store.
  • Mojitoville parodies Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, with one of their resorts located at Times Square.
  • P.F. Thong's is a parody of the casual dining restaurant chain P. F. Chang's.
  • Forever 41 is a parody of fashion retailer Forever 21.
  • n&n's Store is a parody of M&M's World.
  • An in-universe The Simpsons Store is seen, with the show logo.
  • The revival of Stop the Planet of the Apes I Want to Get Off parodies the Broadway revival Stop the World – I Want to Get Off.
• Patty and Selma order "Cigs in Blanket", "Philly Wheeze Steak", "Vape Suzette" and "Phlegm Brûlée" parodies of Pigs in a blanket, Philly Cheese Steak, Crêpes Suzette and Crème brûlée, respectivelly.
• Julian has a book of poetry by Sylvia Plath.
• Julian occasionally writes reviews on Airbnb.
• Freaks of the 'Field is a reference to the Freaks in a Field festival.
• Katya's loft is located at NoHoSoGoBloJoTo, a pun on the famous neighborhood DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), one of the most wealthiest communities in New York City partially due to its large number of former industrial buildings that have been converted into spacious luxury residential lofts.
• The Cranberry juice-ical is a reference to The Cranberries. B. J. Novak stars in it as the Bog.

People outside of the hotel are dressed in costumes of Goofy, Charlie Brown, Pikachu and Shrek

• The people outside of the hotel are dressed in costumes of Goofy, Charlie Brown, Pikachu and Shrek. Julian mentions Pikachu.
• "Bull in the Heather" by Sonic Youth plays during the montages and the credits.
• A man reads Tropic of Cancer, a novel by Henry Miller.
• According to the banner, the show Roach by Tracy Letts is "a Kafkaesque reimagining of The Metamorphosis". The Metamorphosis, however, is one of Franz Kafka's already-surreal best-known works.
  • It is referenced in the episode that Tracy Letts has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and two Tony Awards, one for Best Play and another for Best Actor in Play.
• Tracy Letts imagines a play starting at a Dave & Buster's.
• Julian refers to the Upper East Side as the "forbidden zone". The Upper East Side is the most affluent neighborhood in New York City.
• Lacey Van Aster mentions seducing Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
• Art pieces of Lisa in the Museum of Lisa the Thieving Poseur include parodies and references to:
  • Pop Show I by Keith Haring.
  • Ohhh...Alright... by Roy Lichtenstein using the Ben Day process.
  • Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons.
  • The Scream by Edvard Munch.
• The Devil wears pearls, a reference to the film The Devil Wears Prada.
• Lisa runs by a statue that resemblances the Alamo.
• "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside" is one of the ringtones heard on the ringtones documentary.
• Superintendent Chalmers mentioned playing Pickleball, a fast-growing racket sport.
• "Pay to Cum" by Bad Brains plays in Chalmers and Ms. Hoover's hotel room.
• The Fearless Girl statue is a gift from Goldman Sachs, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company.
• Lisa goes through an arch that parodies the Washington Square Arch.
• One of the balloons is American writer and novelist Joan Didion.
  • When he thinks he has captured Lisa, Julian calls her John Gregory "Donne", a pun on writer John Gregory Dunne, who usually collaborated with his wife Joan Didion.
• Julian calls Katya "second-rate" Cindy Sherman.

Continuity

• A Blocko Store is seen. ("The D'oh-cial Network")
• An n&n's Store is seen. ("Mad About the Toy")
• Stop the Planet of the Apes I Want to Get Off is playing. ("A Fish Called Selma")
• A P.F. Thong's store is seen. ("From Beer to Paternity")
• Another parody of the Russian Tea Room is seen. ("From Russia Without Love")

Trivia

• Ms. Hoover seems to be either cheating on or having divorced from Gil Gunderson.