309: The Amazing Colossal Man

by Wyn Hilty

Hey, American International House of Pancakes.
The International House of Pancakes, better known as IHOP, is a nationwide chain of restaurants specializing in breakfasts.

[Sung.] Scarecrow ... scarecrow ...
A reference to the theme of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (a.k.a. Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow in its theatrical release). (Thanks to Joe Klemm for this reference.)

“The time is 2:45 a.m.” Do you know where your children are?
A reference to the old public service announcement that used to air on late-night TV: “It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?”—with the idea being to shame you into keeping a better eye on your kids.

The … amazing … Kreskin?
The Amazing Kreskin bills himself as the world’s greatest “mentalist.” He performs an act in which he claims to read people’s thoughts, and he makes predictions about things like the Academy Award winners.

Gobstopper?
Everlasting Gobstoppers are a kind of jawbreaker that change color and flavor as you suck on them. They are made by Wonka. They are named after the fictional candies in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, which really did last forever.

And Bruce Springsteen driving through Nebraska.
Nebraska is the title of a 1982 album by Bruce Springsteen; the cover shows a desolate road.

I … am … Biroc!
“I … am … Kirok!” is a line from the Star Trek episode “The Paradise Syndrome.”

Ronald Sinclair—we’ve enjoyed his fine gas products.
Sinclair Oil Corporation is a company founded in 1916 by Harry Sinclair. Sinclair was huge throughout the middle part of the century, and their famous green “brontosaurus” logo was everywhere. In 1969, though, petroleum company ARCO acquired Sinclair, and they were forced to sell East Coast Sinclair stations due to antitrust law.

Hey, look up there. Neck braces by Josef von Stroheim. It’s Erich, actually.
Erich von Stroheim (1885-1957) was an actor and director who hit his peak of fame in the silent-film era of the 1920s and ‘30s. As an actor, he specialized in villainous womanizer roles (and was dubbed “The Man You Love to Hate”). In the 1938 film The Grand Illusion, he played the role of German fighter ace Captain von Rauffenstein with his body held rigid by a neck and back brace. (Thanks to Michael Folker for pointing out the Grand Illusion reference.)

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” is a line from the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz.

Oh, no, it’s Amelia Earhart. She picked a bad time to come back.
Amelia Earhart (1897-1937?) was a world-renowned aviator; in 1932 she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Three years later she became the first person to successfully fly from Hawaii to California. In 1937 she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, set out on an attempt to fly around the world. Their plane disappeared in the central Pacific after completing two-thirds of the journey; the remains were never found.

Hello, Sarah? Get me Mount Pilot.
On The Andy Griffith Show, which aired from 1960 to 1968, Mount Pilot was a city near Mayberry where the characters would go when they wanted some excitement.

[Sung.] Pop goes the weasel.
This is from the classic children’s song “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Sample lyrics: “Round and round the cobbler’s bench/The monkey chased the weasel/The monkey thought ’twas all in fun/Pop! Goes the weasel.” Another variation goes “Round and round the mulberry bush …”

It’s Buddy Hackett! And Mickey Rooney too!
In the 1963 film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Buddy Hackett and Mickey Rooney charter an airplane in an attempt to get to the hidden fortune first.

Oh, boy, one weekend a month …
“One weekend a month, two weeks a year” is an old slogan used by the National Guard to indicate the amount of time a recruit was expected to spend once he enlisted.

Matt, this is Father O’Malley. Come back, boy, it’s not worth it.
Possibly a reference to the Bing Crosby character Father O’Malley, who appeared in the movies Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary’s.

You know what they say about Nevada: if you don’t like the weather, wait a couple of minutes.
This saying has been applied in various forms to Montana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and probably the rest of the 50 states.

Coolidge.
Calvin Coolidge was the thirtieth president of the United States, from 1923-1929. He succeeded to the post after Warren G. Harding died in office. He was known as Silent Cal for his laconic manner of speaking.

Next, on a very special Trapper John M.D.
Trapper John M.D. was a TV series that aired from 1979-1986. A spinoff of the original M*A*S*H, it starred Pernell Roberts in the title role, as the chief of surgery at a San Francisco hospital.

Looks kind of like Bluto when I do that—see that?
Bluto was Popeye’s arch-nemesis and his chief rival for the hand of the strangely rubbery Olive Oyl in the series of short cartoons. He first appeared in the cartoons in 1932, but for a time, thanks to some copyright confusion over who owned the rights to the Bluto name, he was called Brutus.

“Things like this just happen. There doesn’t have to be a reason.” Oh, he’s a Calvinist.
Calvinism is a branch of Protestantism founded by religious thinker John Calvin. It emphasizes God’s supreme power over everything, even man’s decision whether or not to follow Christ, and thus argues that men cannot determine their own salvation or damnation; only God can do that.

Mmmm, Stove Top Stuffing!
Stove Top Stuffing is a brand of boxed stuffing mix that can be prepared on the stove, rather than having to be baked inside a bird.

It’s Jerry Paris!
Jerry Paris (1925-1993) was an actor and director who is best known for playing Jerry Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He later went on to a successful career directing, including episodes of The Odd Couple, Laverne and Shirley, and Happy Days.

And how is our little Johnsonville brat doing?
Johnsonville is a maker of various kinds of sausages, including their famous “Brats,” or bratwurst. They also make Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, and other variants.

You know, Saran Wrap has so many useful uses.
Saran Wrap is a brand of plastic wrap. It was invented in 1933.

It’s Phyllis Diller!
Phyllis Diller (1917-2012) was a comedian known for her self-deprecating humor and her flamboyant outfits.

Yeah, right, Dorothy. You can go back to Kansas now.
A reference to Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the heroine of The Wizard of Oz.

Beautiful. Let’s preview it at Oxnard.
The city of Oxnard, California, holds an Independent Film Festival every year.

Domino’s calling. Get up. Pizza’s ready.
Domino’s is a chain of pizza delivery stores located nationwide. It was founded in 1960.

Let’s see, original or extra crispy?
Original recipe or extra crispy are the menu options offered by Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC.

Paging Dr. Fine. Dr. Howard. Dr. Fine.
“Dr. Howard. Dr. Fine. Dr. Howard” is a line from the 1934 Three Stooges short Men in Black, in which the Stooges become doctors at a large hospital, with predictable results.

Sorry, miss, but I’m Nat King Cole.
Nat King Cole (1919-1965) was a celebrated jazz pianist and singer who had success as the leader of a jazz trio in the 1940s and as a solo artist during the 1950s and 1960s, with such hits as “Unforgettable” and “Ramblin’ Rose.”

Let me see … I was a student at a small Midwestern college.
An imitation of the type of letters frequently received at the “Penthouse Forum,” a column published in Penthouse magazine, in which readers would write in explicit letters about their “real-life” sexual experiences, most of which were wildly implausible. There is now a magazine called Penthouse Forum as well.

Susie thinks she doesn’t need a seatbelt. Watch Susie go ballistic through the windshield.
An imitation of all those driver’s safety films they show in driver’s ed to scare the bejabbers out of teenagers.

Oh, this is Hazelden in the early days.
Hazelden is a chain of alcohol and drug treatment centers. Its largest facility is located fifty miles north of Minneapolis. (Thanks to Brandon Gonzales for identifying this reference.)

Xanadu, palatial home of Charles Foster Kane. Cost: no one can say.
This phrase (and variations thereof) was one of the writers’ favorites. It is a reference to the 1941 film Citizen Kane, directed by, produced by, co-written by, and starring Orson Welles as media tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Xanadu was modeled after Hearst Castle, the enormous California mansion of William Randolph Hearst, on whom Kane was based.

Rosebud.
“Rosebud” was the enigmatic last word of Charles Foster Kane (see previous note). For those who aren’t already aware (spoiler alert), it was the name of the sled he owned as an innocent boy.

She kinda looks like Fran Allison, actually.
Fran Allison was the human regular on the children’s puppet show Kukla, Fran and Ollie, which aired from 1947-1957.

Rosebud!
See note on Citizen Kane, above.

In the Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone was a science fiction anthology TV series that aired from 1959-1964. The phrase “… in the Twilight Zone” made frequent appearances on the show.

“What made him grow?” Wonder Bread.
An old slogan for Wonder Bread boasted that it helped “build strong bodies twelve ways.”

Grow, Glen, grow.
The phrasing is reminiscent of the old Dick and Jane readers published by Scott Foresman, which contained phrases such as “Run, Spot, run. See Spot run.” The books were published from the 1930s to the 1960s and served as the primary reading texts for several generations of schoolchildren.

It’s just like Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Clifford the Big Red Dog is the star of a series of children’s books and also of a PBS animated series based on the books.

Say, a hot dog makes her lose control.
A line from the theme song to The Patty Duke Show. Sample lyrics: “Where Cathy adores a minuet/The Ballet Russes, and crepe suzette/Our Patty loves to rock and roll/A hot dog makes her lose control/What a wild duet!”

Hey, what, are we watching the Arts & Entertainment network?
The Arts & Entertainment Network, or A&E as it is more commonly known, is a basic cable channel that shows documentaries and second-run shows like Crossing Jordan.

The all-Hitler channel, you mean?
A&E (see previous note) has run any number of shows about Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

I’m Mike Wallace, and this is Biography.
Television reporter Mike Wallace (1918-2012) was a correspondent on the newsmagazine 60 Minutes from its debut in 1968 until 2008. From 1959-1961, he hosted a public-affairs show called Biography (no relation to the A&E show). (Thanks to Michael Folker for this reference.)

Stock footage is hell.
A take on the saying “War is hell,” which originated with Civil War General William T. Sherman, although it is unclear when he actually said it.

He’s playing the Trini Lopez part there.
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 movie about a group of murderers trained to assassinate German officers during World War II. Singer Trini Lopez played Pedro Jiminez in the film.

You die, Joe!
"You die, Joe!" was a phrase Japanese soldiers were trained to shout in battle during World War II to intimidate their English-speaking foe. (Thanks to Brandon Gonzales for this reference.)

No, no!
A reference to Show 301, Cave Dwellers. (Thanks to Ronald Byrd for spotting this reference.)

Message for you, sir.
A line from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. An arrow flies into the chest of Sir Lancelot’s servant, who politely says, “Message for you, sir!” and crumples to the ground.

Hurts, don’t it? Tell your friends.
A line from the 1989 film Road House, starring Patrick Swayze, and one of the writers’ favorites.

Hershey’s.
Hershey’s syrup is a popular brand of chocolate-flavored syrup found in grocery stores everywhere.

Rotten. A smile on your face all the time, they want to take your place, the back stabbers.
A reference to the O’Jays song “Back Stabbers.” Sample lyrics: “(What they do!)/(They smile in your face)/All the time they want to take your place/The back stabbers (back stabbers) …”

[Sung.] Stabbers …
See previous note.

Well, I see he made his quietus with a bare bodkin, whatever that means.
A reference to the famous “to be or not to be” soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The relevant portion: “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,/The oppressor’s wrong,/the proud man’s contumely,/The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,/The insolence of office and the spurns/That patient merit of the unworthy takes,/When he himself might his quietus make/With a bare bodkin?” Hamlet is talking about committing suicide, for those unfamiliar with the play.

John Philip Sousa’s life is flashing before his eyes.
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was an American composer known for his military marches, which have remained popular to this day; “The Liberty Bell March” saw use as the theme to Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
An imitation of the King from the musical The King and I.

The horror … the horror …
The famous last words of Mr. Kurtz in the Joseph Conrad novel Heart of Darkness. However, Joel and the bots are referring to Marlon Brando’s uttering of them in the movie Apocalypse Now, which is basically Heart of Darkness in Vietnam. Brando shaved his head for the role.

Oh, my God, I’m being held in Barbie’s Malibu Dream House!
The Dream House was a play environment for Mattel’s immensely popular fashion doll Barbie. It was first introduced in 1962 and has undergone many changes since then. It is still available for purchase.

Hi, this is Mickey Rooney. Billy Barty is on the line, too.
Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) was a successful child actor in the 1930s. He made a series of short films called “Toonerville Folks,” which was meant to compete with the “Our Gang” series. “Toonerville Folks” focused on the activities of a group of children, one of which was Mickey McGuire, played by Rooney. The part of his younger brother was played by little person actor Billy Barty.

Oh, my goodness, I’m a huge Daddy Warbucks!
Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks was the bald millionaire adoptive father of Little Orphan Annie in the comic strip of the same name.

You look like Mr. Clean, Glen. The Procter & Gamble people are on the phone.
Mr. Clean is the name of a brand of home cleaning products manufactured by Procter & Gamble. The advertising icon for the brand is a large bald man standing with his arms folded.

I’m huge. Don’t smoke. I’m huge now.
The phrase “I’m huge” comes from the comic Jimbo, Adventures in Paradise, by illustrator and Pee-wee’s Playhouse set designer Gary Panter. “Don’t smoke” is a reference to actor Yul Brynner (1920-1985), best known for roles in The King and I, The Ten Commandments, and The Magnificent Seven. He was a well-known smoker (having started at the age of 12), and after being diagnosed with lung cancer, he appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America and said he wished he could make an anti-smoking commercial. After he died, a portion of that interview became a PSA for the American Cancer Society that included the lines, “Now that I’m gone, I tell you, don’t smoke. Whatever you do, just don’t smoke.”

Call Gingiss—time to let out my tux.
Gingiss Formal Wear is a chain of tuxedo rental shops, the source for proms and wedding parties everywhere.

“We’re going to have a circus every Saturday.” You’re the geek.
The geek was a regular feature on the circus sideshow circuit, a man who did bizarre and often gross things like biting the heads off chickens.

Truth is stranger than fiction.
This saying originates in Lord Byron’s long poem Don Juan. The actual lines: “'Tis strange,-but true; for truth is always strange;/Stranger than fiction: if it could be told,/How much would novels gain by the exchange!/How differently the world would men behold!”

“Is he alive or dead?” Or Memorex.
“Is it live, or is it Memorex?” is an old advertising slogan for Memorex audio tape that dates back to the early 1970s.

Well, mm-hmm, time to die. Avon calling.
“Ding-dong, Avon calling” is an advertising slogan for the direct-sales cosmetics company that dates to the 1960s.

I’ll just call you little Mary Kay.
Mary Kay is a cosmetics company whose “consultants” sell beauty care products independently, much like Avon Ladies. The company racked up $2.5 billion in retail sales in 2000. Top salesladies can earn themselves a pink Cadillac or other car from the company.

What’s up, doc?
“What’s up, doc?” is the famous catchphrase of cartoon star Bugs Bunny. He said it in his very first appearance, 1940’s A Wild Hare.

Why don’t you put on Sid and Nancy for me?
Sid and Nancy is a 1986 film starring Gary Oldman as punk rocker Sid Vicious and Chloe Webb as his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Both Vicious and Spungen had problems with heroin; Vicious died of an overdose while awaiting trial on charges he murdered Spungen.

Hey, pass it down: Night of the Lepus! Tonight!
Night of the Lepus is a 1972 “horror” film about giant bunnies menacing a group of folks in the Southwest. It was noteworthy mainly for its cast, which included Psycho’s Janet Leigh and DeForest “Bones McCoy” Kelley.

“With every breath I take, every movement …” I’ll be watching you.
A reference to the Police song “Every Breath You Take.” Sample lyrics: “Every breath you take/Every move you make/Every bond you break/Every step you take/I’ll be watching you.”

I’m a Toys R Us kid.
“I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid” is a line from a jingle used in a series of commercials for the toy giant during the 1980s and 1990s.

Little Women? Oh, come on.
Little Women is a novel by Louisa May Alcott that was first published in 1869. It tells the story of four young girls who grow into women over the course of the novel.

Hey, how’d the Giants do? That’s a little joke of mine.
The New York Giants are a professional football team in the NFL.

Picked it up at Tom Thumb. Just kidding.
Tom Thumb is a chain of grocery stores based in Dallas.

Hmm. Lockhorns. She burned the dinner again; he came home late.
Leroy and Loretta Lockhorn are a married couple who hurl hurtful barbs at each other every day in the syndicated newspaper comic strip “The Lockhorns.” The series was created in 1968 by Bill and Bunny Hoest.

Ah, the healing power of laughter. He must have read Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins.
Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient is a book by Norman Cousins about his experience battling a serious illness with humor and vitamin C.

Oh, Shelley Winters.
Shelley Winters (1920-2006) was a hefty actress who appeared in such films as The Diary of Anne Frank (for which she won an Oscar) and The Poseidon Adventure.

Yeah, you’re a super freak, sir, the kind you don’t take home to mother.
A reference to the Rick James song “Super Freak.” Sample lyrics: “She's a very kinky girl/The kind you don't take home to mother/She will never let your spirits down/Once you get her off the street, ow girl.”

Oh, the pain, the pain, the pain …
An imitation of Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith, the villain/comic relief on the TV series Lost in Space, which aired from 1965-1968.

Well, 130 Rob Roys and he’s in the other room talking to Earl.
A Rob Roy is a cocktail consisting of Scotch and vermouth with a dash of bitters.

No, Dumbo.
Dumbo is a 1941 animated Disney film about a young elephant whose enormous ears enable him to fly.

No man is a Three Mile Island, Glen.
“No man is an island” is a line from the John Donne sermon “Meditation XVII.” The relevant lines: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania is the site of a nuclear power plant that suffered a partial meltdown on March 28, 1979. No injuries were reported, but the accident was a PR disaster and contributed to a decline in public support for nuclear power.

It’s Cocoa Puffs, Bob! I have no idea why, but it fits the equation! Check it out. There’s the skim milk, and then there’s the Cocoa Puff, you see?
Cocoa Puffs is a chocolate-flavored cereal popular with kids.

Carol marrow.
A reference to Carol Merrill, a model on the TV game show Let’s Make a Deal from 1963-1977.

Abba-dabba, abba-dabba, abba-dabba.
Probably a reference to the kids’ song “Monkey and Chimp.” Sample lyrics: “’Abba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba’/Said the monkey to the chimp/’Abba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba’/Said the chimpee to the monk.”

“We’re heading to Las Vegas.” We’ll meet you at the Tropicana.
The Tropicana is a hotel and casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was built during the casino boom of the 1950s.

Do you like Peter Allen?
Peter Allen (1944-1992) was an Australian songwriter and cabaret performer popular during the 1970s and 1980s. He was briefly married to singer Liza Minnelli and wrote hit songs for performers like Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton John.

“We won’t hurt him unless he gives us cause.” Like Rodney King.
In 1991, motorist Rodney King was viciously beaten by Los Angeles police officers. The beating was videotaped and caused an enormous outcry among the public. In the subsequent trial, held in sheltered Simi Valley, the officers were acquitted on charges of excessive force, and the verdict touched off a devastating riot in Los Angeles.

Wait a minute, it’s Mr. Ziffel from Green Acres! Check it out!
Green Acres was a TV sitcom that aired from 1965-1971. Fred Ziffel (played by Hank Patterson) was the old farmer on the show who constantly dispensed bad advice.

Either those curtains go or I do.
According to some sources, Victorian poet and playwright Oscar Wilde’s last words were “Either those curtains go or I do.” Other versions give conflicting accounts of his last words: “Either that wallpaper goes or I do,” or “I suppose I shall have to die beyond my means.” Similarly, the wording varies somewhat between sources, but Wilde was reported to have said, “I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my blue china.”

Thank you, Oscar Wilde.
See previous note.

Well, they scared Mr. Ziffel and bit the head off Eb.
See note on Fred Ziffel, above. Eb Dawson was the lazy farmhand on Green Acres, played by Tom Lester.

He’s with a little guy named Sprout.
The Jolly Green Giant, the advertising icon for the Green Giant Company, has an assistant named Little Green Sprout, first introduced in 1973.

Next to the Stuckey’s.
Stuckey’s is a chain of roadside restaurants/souvenir shops that at one time littered America’s highways. There aren’t as many of them now, but you can still buy their famous Pecan Logs at the occasional Stuckey’s, mostly in the south and southeast.

Have Jack and the Beanstalk read for tomorrow, people.
“Jack and the Beanstalk” is a traditional English fairy tale dating back to the mid-1800s, about a boy who climbs a magical beanstalk up into the sky and steals a hen that lays golden eggs.

Lindy, headed for Paris.
Charles Lindbergh, known affectionately to his adoring public as “Lindy,” was a pilot who in 1927 made the first nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

Hey, it looks like they must be visiting Keith Richards.
Keith Richards is the lead guitarist for the Rolling Stones. He has had widely publicized problems with drug addiction, particularly heroin.

Here's Barry Zevan.
Barry Zevan was a TV weatherman for Channel 11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul during the 1980s. (Thanks to Mike Gilstrap for this reference.)

Think I’ll go catch Siegfried and Roy. See you later, Habib.
Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn are German-born entertainers known for their illusions and Las Vegas show featuring white tigers. In 2003, Horn was critically injured by one of their tigers during a show. In 2009, after more than five years hiatus, they staged a final performance and retired.

Oh, no, he’s going to pee! Quick, over to the Tropicana!
See note on the Tropicana, above.

I think I saw him in a Japanese dance troupe.
Buto dancing is a form of Japanese modern dance; in a typical performance, dancers covered in white powder, with shaved heads, slowly uncurl from fetal positions.

I know this is The King and I.
The King and I is a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein about the King of Siam and the Englishwoman he hires to tutor his wives and children. The role of the King was famously played by Yul Brynner with a shaved head in the 1956 movie version of the musical.

Oh, it’s an Imperial margarine commercial.
Imperial margarine is Parkay’s chief competitor. Its symbol is a crown.

Butter. Parkay. Butter. Parkay.
A play on the series of commercials in the 1970s for Parkay margarine, in which an animated tub of Parkay margarine gets in a running argument with a consumer over whether it tastes more like margarine or like butter.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe? I don’t think so.
A reference to the classic nursery rhyme: “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe./She had so many children, she didn't know what to do./She gave them some broth/Without any bread/Whipped them all soundly, and sent them to bed.”

Do Circus Circus.
Circus Circus is a circus-themed hotel/resort/casino located in Las Vegas.

Danny Thomas! Oh, no!
Danny Thomas is a singer and actor best known for his lead role on the long-running series Make Room for Daddy, a.k.a. The Danny Thomas Show, which aired from 1953-1965. (Thanks to Tom Carberry for supplying the correct name of the show.)

He hates Danny Thomas.
See previous note.

Ee-o eleven, my foot.
A reference to the song “Ee-O Eleven,” performed by Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1960 Rat Pack movie Ocean’s 11.

C’mere, Hopalong, you crummy little …
Hopalong Cassidy was a cowboy character played by William Boyd in more than fifty movies and a television show. The character was originally created by novelist Clarence Mulford.

He hated the Village People.
The Village People were a campy disco group that hit it big in the late 1970s with hits like “Y.M.C.A.” Each member of the group dressed as a different gay “icon”: cop, firefighter, cowboy, and so on.

It’s Sinead.
Sinead O’Connor is an Irish singer and songwriter who burst onto the scene in 1988 with a shaved head and an extraordinary voice. Her biggest hit is probably “Nothing Compares 2 U,” written for her by Prince.

Yeah—nothing compares to you.
See previous note.

It’s Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil.
Peter Garrett was the lead singer for the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. The band had a string of hits during the 1980s and continued to perform throughout the 1990s. In 2002 the band broke up after Garrett decided to leave the group to focus on his budding political career.

Oh, the power and the passion.
“The Power and the Passion” is a song by Midnight Oil (see previous note). Sample lyrics: “Oh the power and the passion, oh the temper of the time/Oh the power and the passion/Sometimes you've got to take the hardest line.”

The first step to recovery is recognizing you have a problem.
In twelve-step programs designed to help people recover from addiction to various substances, the first step is generally to admit that you are an addict—hence the famous phrase, “Hi, I’m _______, and I’m an alcoholic.”

This is like the Stooges.
The Three Stooges were a comedy trio with a varying lineup who starred in a series of short films featuring intense slapstick comedy. They got their start in vaudeville and made the jump to movies in the 1930s, eventually appearing in almost 200 shorts.

And this is why lawn darts were taken off the market, people.
Lawn darts were big plastic darts with metal tips. The object of the game was to throw the darts into little plastic rings you placed on the lawn, but a lot of kids just threw them at each other. They were banned in the U.S. for many years. After they were allowed in the country in the late 1970s thanks to a lawsuit, a 7-year-old California girl was killed while playing with them in 1987, leading to their re-banning in 1988. Canada followed suit the next year.

When I play the King and I, it’s the King Kong and I.
See note on The King and I, above. King Kong is a 1933 film about the love of a giant ape for a screaming woman.

Come on, honey. You know, I always wanted to see Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam, at 726 feet, is the tallest concrete arch dam in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River at the border between Arizona and Nevada. It is used for irrigation, flood control, and power generation.

He walks kind of funny. Like Redd Foxx.
Redd Foxx (1922-1991) was an actor best known for his portrayal of irascible father Fred Sanford on the TV series Sanford and Son, which aired from 1972-1977.

He’s delightful! He’s de-lemon! He’s de-sugar free!
A reference to the song “It’s De-Lovely,” which has been sung by Johnny Mathis and Ethel Merman, among others. Sample lyrics: “The night is young and the skies are clear/And if you want to go walkin’, dear/It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s de-lovely.”