Viva Ned Flanders/References
Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Cultural references
- The title of the episode is a reference to the film and song Viva Las Vegas.
- The chalkboard gag references Jerry Seinfeld.
- Comic Book Guy's bumper stickers include a series of sci-fi references, including Star Trek ("I Brake for Tribbles", "My Child is an Honor Student at Starfleet Academy" and "Keep Honking, I'm Charging My Phaser"), Star Wars ("My Other Car is the Millennium Falcon"), The X-Files ("The Truth is in Here"), as well as The Simpsons itself ("Kang Is My Co-Pilot"). Comic Book Guy claims that his Millennium Falcon sticker was given to him by a Harrison Ford lookalike.
- His license plate "NCC 1701" is also a reference to Star Trek: USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).
- The list of "wuss rock" bands include Seals and Crofts, Pablo Cruise, Air Supply and the fake band "Loggins and Oates", referencing Kenny Loggins and Hall & Oates.
- On the church marquee, the text says "TODAY'S TOPIC: He knows what you did last summer." This may be a reference to the 1997 movie I Know What You Did Last Summer, which is based on the 1973 novel of the same name.
- Carl says that "even the boy in the bubble had a deck of cards", a reference to the film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.
- The song that the car Grampa and Jasper are in is "Any Way You Want It" by Journey.
- The woman who carjacks Grampa and Jasper tells Grampa to take them to DressBarn.
- When Ned doesn't trim his mustache, he asks Maude if he reminds her of David Crosby.
- Ned says "insane in the ol' membrane", a reference to the song "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill.
- After Ned signs the papers to join Homer's "program", Homer says "One day soon, I will come for you and then the game will begin. Could be in the middle of the night. It could be when you least expect it." This line is a reference to a similar scene in the 1997 mystery thriller The Game.
- While driving to Las Vegas, Homer sings "Nobody's Gonna Take My Ned" in a parody of Deep Purple's "Highway Star".
- While driving in the desert, Raoul Duke and Doctor Gonzo pass Ned and Homer in the oncoming lane, drawn in the style of the Ralph Steadman painting, the Savage Journey. This is a reference to the Hunter S. Thompson novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Duke and Gonzo are fictionalized versions of Thompson and his lawyer, Oscar Zeta Acosta.
- Rip Taylor was performing at Newark Newark.
- Quicksands had a The Moody Blues tribute act called the Satin Knights, a reference to The Moody Blues song "Nights in White Satin". "Nights in White Satin" later plays when The Moody Blues appear.
- Joan Rivers asks Ned to be in the audience for her infomercial.
- Ned tells Homer that if he wants to laugh, he'll take Bob Saget.
- Barney's birthday is said to be on July 15th, the same as Lassie's.
- When Homer and Ned were drunkenly getting married, the preacher says "the power invested in me by the Chicago Outfit". The Chicago Outfit is a Italian-American Mafia group based in Chicago, with resources and territory in Las Vegas. Perhaps it's most famous member is Al Capone, which was its boss from the 1920s all the way up until 1932, when he was arrested for tax evasion.
- "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn plays at the wedding.
- Ned references the theme tune to the sitcom "Maude" when he proclaims "And then there's Maude!"
Continuity
Goofs
- This episode reveals that Ned is 60 years old, but earlier in "Hurricane Neddy", it's revealed he was a little boy 30 years ago, so he should've been 30 then.
- When Homer is roasting a chicken on his chimney, the dirt on his beard repeatedly appears and disappears.
- When Homer laughs at Ned after finding out he married Ginger, he and Ned were standing in the hot tub, but when Homer screams after finding out he married Amber almost a second later, they were suddenly standing out of it.
