Moe Letter Blues/References
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Cultural references
- The episode's title is a reference to the 1990 American musical comedy-drama film Mo' Better Blues.
- The episode's plot is analogous to that of A Letter to Three Wives, a 1949 romantic drama about three women who receive a letter saying that one of their friends has run off with one of their husbands.
- Reverend Lovejoy painted moustaches on his Pullman porters minifigures. Pullman porters were men hired to work for the railroads as porters on sleeping cars.
- In Apu's car:
- The Itchy & Scratchy Show black-and-white cartoon is a parody of the 1902 French sci-fi silent film A Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune).
- Moe mentions American radio and television announcer Don Pardo. Pardo's voice is also heard.
- The American patriotic song "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is heard on Weasel Island.
- At the Civil War Prison & Museum of Sideburns, Bart acts like a Union officer and attacks the Nahasapeemapetilon octuplets while saying "This is sweet justice for how you graybacks treated our boys at Andersonville!". Bart is referring to the Confederate soldiers, pejoratively known as "graybacks", and to the Andersonville Prison, a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp during the final fourteen months of the American Civil War.
- Reverend Lovejoy mentions Harry Potter.
- A jazz composition similar to "Take Five" is heard at Jacqueline Bouvier's 80th birthday party.
- The name Patty and Selma give to Homer, "Chunky with the Pants of Meatballs", is a reference to the book and movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
- At Moe's, Manjula criticises Apu for not applying short form cricket rules. In short form cricket playing times are significantly shorter than in more traditional forms of the game, something that would have let them avoid getting soaked.
- Apu states to Manjula that he is playing "the world's smallest sitar", a play on the phrase "world's smallest violin".
- Manjula references the 2007 American comedy-drama film The Darjeeling Limited, set in India. The phrase by Manjula, "My eyes have more bags than The Darjeeling Limited", is referencing the iconic luggage seen throughout the film.
- Dance Dance Evolution is a parody of the musical video game Dance Dance Revolution. The game is played on Funtendo Zii, a parody of Nintendo Wii.
- Ralph's reply "The Ruth!" to Homer's and Apu's search for "The truth!" from Reverend Lovejoy is hinting the 1989 comedy-drama Do the Right Thing, specifically to the "Today's Forecast" scene where Mister Señor Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson) says "And that's the truth, Ruth".
- While singing, The Parson does a play on words with the 1968 disaster film Krakatoa, East of Java.
Otto imagines vehicles on the road as characters from the Pixar film
Cars Trivia
- According to this episode, Moe moved to Springfield because on a calculator the zip code spelled "boobs", meaning it is 80085. There is no real-life city with this zip code.
- When Apu asks how old Homer is, he guesses that Homer is 65. Homer replies that he is 39-years-old.
Goofs
- In the opening scene where Homer is riding Barney around like a bull, Sam and Larry are seen in the first crowd. But when Homer rides Barney back the way he came, you can see another set of Sam and Larry in the crowd.
- Poonam is wearing blue pajamas and before Apu plays the lullaby that his mother sang to him, she is now wearing pink pajamas.
- When Marge is seen standing in a towel through the bedroom window, her hair is briefly cut out by the wall in the background.
- During Jaqueline's birthday party inside while the camera pans, Groundskeeper Willie's hand with his drink is right in front of Bart's head when it is supposed to be behind.
