Line #20 SmallReferencePools/WesternAnimation


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3	[[folder:Tiny Reference Pools of Western Animation]]
4	* AllAnimationIsDisney, naturally. Concerned entirely with the adventures of WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse and WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and WesternAnimation/DaisyDuck, WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}}, WesternAnimation/PlutoThePup, [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Scrooge [=McDuck=] and his nephews]]. Sometimes [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} Jiminy Cricket]] and [[WesternAnimation/PeterPan Tinker Bell]], too. WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale [[note]]the names are a reference to the furniture designer, not the male strippers[[/note]] are more widely known since 1990 than they were previously, thanks mostly to ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers''. And, uh, wasn't there a horse [[note]]Horace Horsecollar[[/note]]? And a cow [[note]]Clarabelle[[/note]]?
5	** Among those from generations Z (or at least the younger members of it) and Alpha, the classic Disney characters are far more associated with ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseClubhouse'' than anything else. Even the cow mentioned above is less obscure with her recurring role in said series.
6	* And if a cartoon is referenced, its style will be more typical of the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and Creator/TexAvery cartoons.
7	** WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes characters: WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, WesternAnimation/PorkyPig, WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird, WesternAnimation/ElmerFudd, WesternAnimation/YosemiteSam, the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin the Martian, WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner. Maybe WesternAnimation/FoghornLeghorn, WesternAnimation/PepeLePew, Granny, and WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales. Anyone who can name a character other than that needs to get out more.
8	** To millennials, the series would be more associated with ''Film/SpaceJam'' than the original shorts. Generation Z audiences who didn't see the reruns on Creator/CartoonNetwork or ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' likely just thinks of them as "the characters they have at Ride/SixFlags".
9	* Creator/HannaBarbera:
10	** Hanna-Barbera series: The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo...That's pretty much it. Few will remember that Hanna-Barbera did ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'', or live-action stuff like ''Film/KISSMeetsThePhantomOfThePark''.
11	** ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' is always ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheScoobyDooShow'' (the latter for the popularity of its monsters/as a continuation of the original series). ''Maybe'' also ''WesternAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies'', ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo'', and "whatever Scrappy was in." Anything else is unknown (''Get A Clue''? ''Mystery, Incorporated?'' ''What's New, Scooby-Doo?'' There were live-action movies?) unless they watched those incarnations as kids.
12	** ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' always has the "Meet the Flintstones" theme song, and assumed to be the original series or versions with Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm present (and as toddlers).
13	** ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' is always the original 1960s episodes. ''Maybe'' a vague reference to Orbitty from the 1980s revival, plus the movie ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsonsMeetTheFlintstones''.
14	** ''WesternAnimation/YogiBear'' is always the original 1950s/1960s episodes. ''Maybe'' vague memories of ''Yogi's Treasure Hunt'' or the 1964 and 2010 theatrical films. Any other versions (the 1980s revival, ''Yogi's Space Race'', etc.) will get blank stares.
15	** A good portion of people may be able to recall ''WesternAnimation/TheHuckleberryHoundShow'', ''WesternAnimation/TopCat'', ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'', ''WesternAnimation/MagillaGorilla'', ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'', ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw'', ''WesternAnimation/HongKongPhooey'', and ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'', but not all. The rest is pretty much nonexistent. Ask someone in public about ''WesternAnimation/SnooperAndBlabber'' and see what kind of reaction you get.
16	* A short list of legendary animators whose mention will get you only a blank stare: Creator/RalphBakshi, David Silverman, Will Vinton, Creator/RichardWilliams.
17	* Famous characters: WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry.
18	* If Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} is mentioned, the show most likely referenced will be ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', and, if they're on the ball, ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', or ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', along with maybe ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' or ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' as well. If a reference is made to a Creator/NickJr show, it will probably be ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'', its spinoff ''WesternAnimation/GoDiegoGo'', ''WesternAnimation/PawPatrol''[[note]]Which is actually an imported Canadian series from TVO.[[/note]], or ''WesternAnimation/BluesClues''.
19	* Creator/CartoonNetwork is only known within the mainstream for ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'', ''WesternAnimation/CouragetheCowardlyDog'', ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeforImaginaryFriends'', ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresofBillyandMandy'', and ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor''. As for modern shows, ''Franchise/Ben10'', ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', and ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' are the only ones that exist.
20	* With Creator/DisneyTelevisionAnimation, the only shows ever brought up by most people are ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', ''Franchise/DuckTales'' (usually [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987 the original]] for older folks and [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017 the reboot]] for younger ones), ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''. Disney Junior wise, your best bets are probably ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseClubhouse'', ''WesternAnimation/DocMcstuffins'', and ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst''. Maybe ''WesternAnimation/PJMasks''[[note]]a French cartoon distributed by Entertainment One[[/note]] and ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}''[[note]]an Australian cartoon produced by Ludo Studio and [[Creator/AustralianBroadcastingCorporation The ABC]] and distributed by Creator/TheBBC[[/note]] if you only associate them as Disney series.
21	* Creator/AdultSwim: As far as their original programs go, the block is more likely to be associated with ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'', and/or ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' than anything else.
22	* Creator/PBSKids - ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'', ''WesternAnimation/CliffordTheBigRedDog'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Caillou}}'', ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'', and possibly ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'' are the only cartoons that get brought up by most people, [[Series/ReadingRainbow as]] [[Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy their]] [[Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood live]]-[[Series/SesameStreet action]] [[Series/BarneyAndFriends programming]] come to mind more.
23	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Ah, the all American yellow family.
24	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': [[AnimatedShockComedy All animation for adults]] is ''South Park'', not to mention gross…
25	* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' are the only science fiction comedy cartoons.
26	* The Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon is the only thing in Western Animation that has artistic merits. The only other animated features with any kind of artistic merit are Anime.
27	* If it's a Canadian cartoon, it's either ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'', ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', or one of Creator/{{Nelvana}}'s [[PreschoolShow preschool shows]] like ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'' or ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'' (with most completely ignoring the fact that Nelvana also makes shows for older kids, such as ''WesternAnimation/{{Detentionaire}}'' or the aforementioned ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', and has even made cartoons for adults such as ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh''); ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' might get mentioned too, and maybe ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' if you're really lucky. Ironically, the first two (and ''[=MLP:FIM=]'') are co-productions with the United States, and several other shows mentioned above are Canadian productions (like ''Caillou'' and ''PAW Patrol'') or also Canadian-American (like ''Arthur'' and ''Dragon Tales''). Due to the infamy of ''Johnny Test'' though, these Small Reference Pools also typically assume [[MadeInCountryX all other Canadian animated shows have the same kind of perceived low production/entertainment quality]] [[HitlerAteSugar the show's vocal hatedom views it as having]].
28	* With Australian cartoons, it’s '' WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'', maybe ''WesternAnimation/TheKoalaBrothers''[[note]]Which is actually an Aussie-UK co-production.[[/note]] and pretty much nothing else.
29	* The only channels that air animated shows are Creator/CartoonNetwork, Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}, and Creator/DisneyChannel (as well as their respective spinoff channels, like Creator/AdultSwim or Creator/DisneyXD). Oh, and Creator/{{Fox}}, since ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' exist, not to mention Creator/ComedyCentral for ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. Creator/TheHub might get mentioned too for ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Every country only has international variants of these channels. Except Canada, which only has Creator/{{Teletoon}} and Creator/{{YTV}} (even though actual Canadian versions of their American counterparts have existed for over a decade there); Creator/FamilyChannel, Creator/{{CBC}} Kids, Creator/TreehouseTV? What are those?[[note]]And due to the above-mentioned infamy of certain Canadian productions, don’t expect [[AmericansHateTingle any mention of the Canadian channels to be positive.]][[/note]]
30	* ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'' is always the original 80s specials or the Creator/DICEntertainment series from the 2000s.
31	* The only Spanish cartoons are ''WesternAnimation/TheWorldOfDavidTheGnome'', ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'', ''WesternAnimation/DogtanianAndTheThreeMuskehounds'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocoyo}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/JellyJamm''[[note]]The latter 2 of which are actually Spanish-British[[/note]]
32	* French cartoons known to people outside of France: ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'', ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'', ''WesternAnimation/OggyAndTheCockroaches'', ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTintin1991'', and maybe ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}''. ''WesternAnimation/{{Madeline}}'' will also get lumped in just because it takes place in France, even though the cartoon is actually Canadian. ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' may get a mention, even though its a French-American co-production (with the writing done in the US and the pre-lay recording being done in English). The only reason why anyone outside of France knows about ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' is because of it being [[Administrivia/EntryPimp everywhere]] on this very wiki. British people may also name ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicRoundabout'', although it's arguably better associated with the UK.
33	* The only Italian-made animated productions are ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' and [[WesternAnimation/TitanicTheLegendGoesOn that]] ''[[WesternAnimation/TitanicTheLegendGoesOn Titanic]]'' [[WesternAnimation/TitanicTheLegendGoesOn movie with the rapping dog]].
34	* All British cartoons (known to those outside of the UK) are for preschoolers or animated in stop motion: ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends''[[note]]''Thomas'' was not actually stop motion, [[UsefulNotes/{{Supermarionation}} but filmed with model trains]][[/note]], ''WesternAnimation/BobTheBuilder'', ''WesternAnimation/PostmanPat'', ''WesternAnimation/FiremanSam'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}''[[note]]Though the show was created in Switzerland, the later seasons were made in the UK[[/note]], ''WesternAnimation/PeppaPig'' (and by extension, ''WesternAnimation/BenAndHollysLittleKingdom''). ''WesternAnimation/HorridHenry'' and maybe ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' as examples of a show for all ages, as well as ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'' if you associate it as a British series, since it is a co-production with Canada.
35	** The only Welsh cartoons are the aformentioned ''WesternAnimation/FiremanSam'' and ''WesternAnimation/SuperTed''.
36	* The only Irish-made animated productions are the works of Creator/CartoonSaloon.
37	* The only animated productions ever made in Germany were the works of Creator/DingoPictures and ''WesternAnimation/{{Felidae}}''; mention ''Literature/BibiBlocksberg'', ''Literature/BenjaminBlumchen'' or ''Unser Sandmännchen'' to somebody from outside Germany and expect to receive a blank stare. ''WesternAnimation/SimsalaGrimm'' may get a very rare mention as well. Even in Germany itself, this trope is in play -- modern generations assume the East German version of ''WesternAnimation/{{Sandmannchen}}'' (the aforementioned ''Unser Sandmännchen'') was the only one made, the West German version (''Das Sandmännchen'') is pretty much forgotten unless you grew up in West Germany in the Cold War era.
38	* The only Belgium cartoons are ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' (both the [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 1981]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs2021 2021]] incarnations and the Studio 100 remakes of ''Literature/MayaTheBee''' and ''Literature/{{Heidi}}''.
39	* Danish Animation = Anything based on Lego (although most Lego shows are actually American).
40	* The only Latin American cartoons are ''WesternAnimation/{{Doki}}'' [[note]]The character originated in Latin America, but the TV Series was made in Canada[[/note]], ''WesternAnimation/ElChavoAnimado'', ''WesternAnimation/VillainousCartoonNetwork'', ''WesternAnimation/JorelsBrother'', and ''ComicBook/MonicasGang''.
41	* The only Finnish cartoons are the addaptions of ''Literature/TheMoomins'' (the most famous adaption of which was actually Japanese).
42	* The only Swiss cartoon is ''WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}''.
43	* If it's a Western MagicalGirl cartoon, it's either ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' or ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}''; and ''maybe'' ''WesternAnimation/{{Mysticons}}'' or ''WesternAnimation/{{LoliRock}}'' as well, along with an extremely rare mention of ''WesternAnimation/AngelsFriends''.
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46	[[folder:Notable exceptions and aversions of this trope from Western Animation shows]]
47	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' has continuous references that often require a good Wikipedia search just to decipher. In the first season Archer references Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" in a pretty accurate way.
48	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', lowbrow show that it is, occasionally allows Brian and/or Stewie to show their considerable knowledge of the arts - Brian was once enraptured by an old woman's rendition of "Habanera" and Lois deplored Peter's jazzed-up version of ''Theatre/TheKingAndI''. It's perhaps the only show where you can hear the characters talking about Matisse, then hear a fart joke.
49	** Lampshaded when Peter makes a remark about UsefulNotes/BenjaminDisraeli, and we cut to a cartoon version of Disraeli writing for several seconds before [[BreakingTheFourthWall turning to the audience]] and saying "You don't even know who I am!"
50	** Further lampshaded when Peter says that Kathy Ireland has betrayed him "worse than Lady Theatre/{{Macbeth}} betrayed Duncan" - cut to a bear fighting Lady Macbeth on a spaceship - Peter says "I uh, I don't know Shakespeare very well."
51	** Or how about single-handedly making "Shipoopi" from ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' into a viral Website/YouTube sensation... thanks to an excessive touchdown celebration?
52	** "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing"
53	--->'''Frank Sinatra Jr.''': Hey, you girls thirsty? Could I interest you in a couple of Rob Roys?
54	--->'''Woman''': What's a Rob Roy?
55	--->'''Frank Sinatra Jr.''': Only the drink of Mr. Peter Lawford.
56	--->'''Woman''': Who's Peter Lawford?[[note]]In fairness, he IS the member of the Rat Pack most likely to be listed as "... and that other guy, what was his name ..."[[/note]]
57	--->'''Frank Sinatra Jr.''': What, am I hitting on [[Creator/AbbottAndCostello Lou Costello]] here?
58	--->'''Woman''': Who's Lou Costello?
59	** The episode that had Chris working in a video store had him tell his coworker about a number of fairly obscure (but real) films that Chris remembers [[BestKnownForTheFanservice only because they had female nudity in them]].
60	** Bottom line, for all the references to huge pop culture phenomena like ''Franchise/StarWars'' that the show makes, it makes almost as many references to stuff that only a small portion of the audience would be familiar with, be it a forgotten old jazz musician or an obscure kids cartoon from the seventies.
61	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'', the characters attend a ballet; the performance is Prokofiev's ''Cinderella''. This was a good choice on the part of the writers--even if only a few audience members were familiar with Prokofiev's ballets, it was immediately obvious from the costumes and props what the story was. Also notable is that the act's closing scene parallels Anya and Dimitri's relationship at that point; such an effect is not as easy to pull off when this trope is played straight.
62	* The 80s children's stop-motion series ''WesternAnimation/{{Moschops}}'' had a variety of saurians, from Allosaurus to Icthyosaur. None of them ate each other, though Uncle Rex was a bit fierce.
63	** And the main character was a Moschops? That is not a reptile anyone will have ever heard of without purposely doing the research.
64	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa has previously mentioned the likes of Creator/GoreVidal and Creator/PabloNeruda.
65	-->'''Lisa:''' Bart, Pablo Neruda said, "Laughter is the language of the soul."
66	-->'''Bart:''' (irritably) I am ''familiar'' with the works of Pablo Neruda.
67	** One episode has Mr. Burns joking that the power plant's profit margins are "thinner than Louise Brooks' negligee". When Homer fails to respond, Burns is compelled to explain the reference. This is done, though, to show how much Burns is out of touch with recent pop culture.
68	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' gets a lot of humor from Fry's 20th century background, so a lot of the jokes aren't exactly obscure. But many of them are much more subtle and academic. Examples include Klein Beer (guess what the bottle looked like) being sold in a store advertising free bags of ice-9 and the holophonor, a recurring plot device based on the Visi-Sonor from the ''Franchise/{{Foundation}}'' series (extra points for being possibly the only ''Foundation'' reference in mainstream pop culture ''ever''). Also made jokes about orders of infinity (a cinema called ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleph_number aleph]]''-0-plex, likely meant to one up "The Googlplex" cinema in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle's "observer effect" (scientists change the result of a horse race by observing it).
69	** More GeniusBonus: Bender advertises his computerized dating service as discreet and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrete_mathematics discrete]]. In one episode a closet contains two boxes, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P_(complexity) P]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NP_(complexity) NP]], and a robot planet named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karel_Capek Chapek 9]].
70	** In the commentary on one of the movie [=DVDs=], they talk about one of their favorite gags was to throw in as many obscure mathematical references as they could.
71	* Most if not all episodes of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''. One of the few shows designed [[MultipleDemographicAppeal to appeal to small children, big children, astronomy professors, professional historians, and so on]]. The checkable facts were well researched, much better than network or cable news shows for example, except where obvious humour was intended - and sometimes even then.
72	* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' managed to work in references to ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''. It also has a villain named Taurus Bullba, a gag on Taras Bulba, a fictional Ukrainian folk hero and film starring Yul Brynner [[note]]And the Nikolay Gogol novel, for crying out loud![[/note]].
73	** How about the engines on the air pirates' ship in ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' being modeled on the one from ''Master of the World'' starring Creator/VincentPrice? Or Sea-Duck using a version of the [=WWII=]-era overdrive system known as "war emergency power", in the multi-part pilot (Baloo burns it out, so they can have a cool scene without keeping around a potential story-breaker)?
74	** Many of the episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' are named after [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood Golden Age]] films that children wouldn't be aware of, and often contain some {{Parental Bonus}}es that may go over the head of a few adults. One particular episode was full of obscure references, including a possible cameo by a young Franz Kafka (or an {{Expy}}) and a reference to UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan's autobiography.
75	* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' has so many pop-cultural references that it is ''bound'' to have at least a few obscure ones. It lampshaded a reference to ''Film/SleepawayCamp'', [[LampshadedTheObscureReference followed by a person being shocked that someone actually remembered it to make a reference]]. It also featured an extended parody of ''VideoGame/ParappaTheRapper''.
76	* ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'' features a character named "Die Fledermaus," a ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' pastiche dressed like a bat. The name doesn't make a lot of sense until you realize that it is German for "the Bat" and the name of a popular German operetta. Consequently, unless you speak German you need a working knowledge of light opera. And honestly, who can name a light opera not made by Creator/GilbertAndSullivan? Not many, that's who.
77	** The ''Series/{{Batman\|1966}}'' 1960's TV series actually used a reference to Batman being called "Die Fledermaus-mensch" and helpfully explained what it meant, so no, you don't need to speak German or know opera to understand it.
78	** Handy: "Even now, [the Tick] sulks like Achilles in his tent." [blank looks from everybody] "Achilles? The Iliad? It's Homer! READ a BOOK!"
79	* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' is naturally filled with references to computer technologies, many of them antique when the episodes were made.
80	--> '''Enzo * complaining about going to ''ancient language'' class instead of hanging out with Bob* :'''"[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COBOL COBOL]]? [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran FORTRAN]]? They're dinosaurs!
81	* Although ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', being an Creator/{{MTV}} show, kept a fair handle on pop culture jokes in general, the eponymous protagonist had a great habit of referencing obscure, deep, and intelligent literature in relation to her present circumstances, most of which went right over audiences' heads.
82	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' sneaks in a reference to ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising'' by having Mikey mention a "Great Uncle Merry", who the characters in "Over Sea, Under Stone" visit.
83	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', [[BollywoodNerd Baljeet]] imagines himself as "Hanumanman", a superhero modelled after the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, who plays a major role in the Indian epic poem ''Literature/{{Ramayana}}''. Hanuman is well known in India, but how many Western viewers had ever heard of him before?
84	** If you saw the ''Series/SesameStreet'' special in which Big Bird visits China, you'd recognize Hanuman as the Indian version of the Chinese "Monkey King."
85	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' features plenty of classical musical cues, some of which are not very well-known, like Chopin's "Ballad in F-Minor Op. 52", or Josef Suk's "Asrael" symphony, or Claude Debussy's "Canope", or Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Francesca da Rimini".
86	* ''Definitely'' ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' One major character is the Phantom Limb, who is named after a medical condition, dresses like ComicStrip/ThePhantom, and is a descendant of Literature/{{Fantomas}}. Who was a member of a Guild with Eugen Sandow, Creator/OscarWilde, Creator/AleisterCrowley, and UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla. And who went on to recruit Music/BuddyHolly and the Big Bopper, preventing them from getting on the doomed flight that killed them in real life. And the guild is ''now'' run by Music/DavidBowie and Music/BrianEno, and used to also include [[Music/TheStooges Iggy Pop]] and Klaus Nomi. And all that barely scratches the surface.
87	** According to director commentary, the show frequently goes into this so hard that the writers have had to tone it down: the aforementioned Guild was, in earlier drafts, going to feature the Goncourt brothers, Sar Peladin, and Rudolf Steiner. Jackson Publick pointed out that most audiences would be lucky to recognize even one of those names, much less enough of them to understand the intended "[[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy alliance of the era's greatest geniuses]]" connotation.
88	** In one episode Henchman #21 wants to say "Sic semper tyrannis," (translation: Thus always to tyrants) which is what UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln's assassin was alleged to have said. He ''actually'' says "Semper fidelis tyrannosaurus," (mixing the Marine Corps famous slogan "Always Faithful" with the dinosaur name, to produce "always faithful terrible lizard") but Killinger does tell him what the right quote was. 21 actually thinks the bad translation sounds pretty cool.
89	** In another episode, we get a lampshading of the trope when Phantom Limb tries to sell a stolen Rembrandt to a dumb sounding mobster. He claims he wants the Mona Lisa, which causes Limb to frustratedly remark that just because a painting is better known, that doesn't make it ''better''.
90	* Minor example, played mostly due to RuleOfFunny. An episode of ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'' features a short appearance of a group of people referred to as the Presidents of the United States, consisting of the four LEAST known US presidents. Dodgers' reaction is understandable.
91	* ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' is largely an UnintentionalPeriodPiece for TheNineties, but worked in a lot of parodies of/references to older films, largely to contrast Jay's ideals to the LowestCommonDenominator fare he was stuck reviewing. For instance...
92	** He wasn't too happy to find that ''The Red Balloon 2: Revenge of the Balloon'' was an ActionizedSequel to a beloved French short film.
93	** The formal name he gave a stray puppy he briefly housed? Film/UnChienAndalou.
94	** Creator/BillCosby stars in a ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'' remake and suggests that his opponent in a knife fight swap out his weapon for a spoon to eat delicious Jell-O Pudding.
95	** A less-idealistic critic takes a bribe in exchange for the rave "This movie makes ''Hud'' look like ''C.H.U.D.'', and I loved ''C.H.U.D.''!"
96	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'': Rather than the usual Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, the show features numerous cryptids that only a cryptozoologist could recognize (Hibagon and Orang-pendek anyone?).
97	* Played for Laughs in ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' where Michaelangelo only thinks of the past in terms of the last 100 years (specifically thinks the middle ages are the 1980's and the Stone Age was the 60's) and when finding himself in an alternate dimension thinks he's in Pittsburgh.
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Context SmallReferencePools / WesternAnimation