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Shout Out / American Dad!

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NOTE: This page is a work in progress. Like its sister series, American Dad! has a large number of Shout Outs and it's nearly impossible to catch all of them on first viewing.

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    Season 1 

Pilot

Threat Levels

  • When Stan fires Francine's boss and says "You're fired", Donald Someone With Tiny Hands appears asking for money; this is a reference to the NBC reality show The Apprentice.

Stan Knows Best

Francine's Flashback

  • Stan says "Remember the deal, Whitney. First you sing, then you get your precious cocaine." In this scene, Stan is making fun of Houston's crack cocaine addiction, which was posted in all the tabloids in the late '90s.
  • Francine's quote "Not if you're gonna spend the weekend tinkling on Bob Guccione!" is a reference to Penthouse Magazine founder Bob Guccione, who produced and edited the 1979 film Caligula. The movie featured, among other perversions, the actresses playing the Emperor's sisters urinating on the corpse of a recently executed soldier.
  • The scene where the raccoon dances to, "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins, after surviving the explosion is reminiscent of the movie Caddyshack.
  • When Steve says that no human being could date a girl that ugly, Roger walks into the room saying "Hello." This is Squiggy's famous line from Laverne & Shirley, which he used whenever Laverne or Shirley would make a reference to something creepy or disgusting.
  • Stan runs into the port-a-potty and instantly goes out fully-dressed, in much the same manner Superman does in phone booths.

Roger Codger

  • Hayley's quote "Is this one of those Twilight Phones, but only with horrible, ironic consequences?" is a reference to The Twilight Zone series.
  • When Roger is lost in the city and trying to find his way home, he exclaims "Where's a trail of Reese's Pieces when you need one?" This is a reference to the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, where E.T. follows a trail of Reese's Pieces.
  • Duper's line "Lucy, you got some 'sploding to do" is a variation of Ricky Ricardo's line "Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do" on I Love Lucy. Duper even mimics Ricardo's accent while saying it.
  • The woman in the picture Father Donovan points to while explaining that self-aware robots don't go to Heaven is Pris from the film Blade Runner.
  • A Church sign reads "Bring your kids! Don't worry, we're Episcopalian." This is a reference to the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.
  • Roger saying "Who do you have to probe around here to get a Chardonnay?" is a reference to a line from the Broadway play The Boys in the Band, "Who do you have to fuck to get a drink around here?"
  • In the scene where Stan heads off to kill Roger at the museum, he personifies his gun by talking to it as does the titular character of the 1980s TV show Sledge Hammer!.
  • Stan's sarcastic "Thank you Larry David" to Francine is a reference to Seinfeld co-creator and writer Larry David, whose pithy and curt one liners were made famous on both that show and on David's Curb Your Enthusiasm.
  • When Roger and Gertie are visiting the White House and are in the Oval Office, Gertie tells Roger about all the good and important things that happened behind that desk and Roger says, "and under it too", referencing the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Homeland Insecurity

  • Stan's speech, "I'll be fun in the kitchen! I'll be fun in the bedroom! I'll be fun in the dining room! And I'll be fun at Costco when we're shopping for bulk paper towels. YEEEAAAAH!" is a reference to Howard Dean's overly emphatic 2004 democratic campaign speech.
  • Steve calls a local scout troop who are secretly troublemakers the "Psycho Rangers".
  • The pose Francine pulls at the end of the episode is a reference to the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse photos.

Deacon Stan, Jesus Man

  • Stan's quote "It's a bizarre situation. Not 8 Simple Rules, let's-keep-it-going-after-the-father-died bizarre, but close." is a reference to the show 8 Simple Rules, which the ABC network decided to keep going, despite the death of John Ritter who played the titular father under the original title of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
  • When Roger is "milked" by the machine he moans "Kill Me" which is a reference to the 1986 film Aliens when the marines find a colonist who begs to be killed.

    Season 2 

Bullocks to Stan

  • One of the stalls at the CIA fair holds the game "WMD Hunt". This is a reference to the hunt for WMDs in Iraq, a main justification for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and the perceived unfairness of carnival games. No contestant is able to find a WMD.
  • Bullock comes down from Hayley's bedroom singing Little Girls.
  • Dick's quote "I got the stapler!" is a subtle joke: Dick is voiced by actor Stephen Root, who played Milton in the film Office Space, a character who is obsessed about his missing stapler.
  • Stan refers to Hayley as "Squeaky Fromme". This is a reference to Lynette Fromme, former member of the Charles Manson "family" who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in September 1975.
  • The scene where Stan is trying to make Jeff more assertive by telling him a banana is an apple is a reference to the Red Dwarf episode "Camille", when Lister tries to teach Kryten to lie. It is also reminiscent of the famous 2+2 = 5 torture scene in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.
  • The scene where Stan and Bullock are trying to hunt Jeff is a reference to the story The Most Dangerous Game.
  • The name and logo of the TV network where Bullock is about to announce Stan's promotion is C-SPIN, a spoof off of the real network C-SPAN, including a portmanteau with spin.
  • When Jeff offers to perform "a blistering flute solo", this is a reference to hard rock band Jethro Tull, whose lead singer, Ian Anderson is known for playing a flute.

A Smith in the Hand

  • The 'offensive' TV show featured in this episode is a parody of The Simple Life, a series which aired on Fox from 2003 to 2007.
  • Stan tells Hayley to "Finish him!" as she is fighting Roger.
  • The motel Stan drives to is named "'Bates Motel", an allusion to the motel from Creator/Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

All About Steve

  • The episode's title is a reference to the film All About Eve.
  • One of the Star Wars fans Stan "fights" against at the Sci Fi Convention is the "Star Wars Kid", an Internet meme involving a video of a high school student wielding a golf ball retriever like a lightsaber.
  • Stan's home run speech includes quotes from Ronald Reagan's speech memorializing the Challenger explosion. In turn, both quotes from Reagan's speech originally came from the sonnet "High Flight".
  • The sequence of Stan running through the streets after realizing his son is a geek is a reference to Vanilla Sky.
  • Derek Jeter says that he thought the CIA was done with him but he still 'gets the headaches' and asks whom he killed in Munich. This is a reference to Jason Bourne, namely in The Bourne Supremacy.
  • At the end of the episode, while Stan is talking to Bullock, there is a poster for 'White Horse Comics'; A reference to Dark Horse Comics.
  • When Roger is conversing with people at the convention, he says "Nanu Nanu", which is the catchphrase of Mork, the alien character in Mork & Mindy.
  • When Roger is getting beat up by the Taco King, a reference to The Burger King, he asks, "Why does everyone hate The Juice", which is a reference to everyone hating O. J. Simpson after his murder case, as well as Anti-Semitism in hating Jews.

Con Heir

  • The title is a reference to the film Con Air.
  • The scene in Bullock's office when the bomb is counting last seconds parodies the 24 series.
  • Roger first meets Jack and refers to him as "Snake Plissken", a reference to the main character of the films Escape from New York and Escape from L.A..
  • The memorial graphic following the death of Stan's fake father is a parody of Six Feet Under.

Stan of Arabia, Part 1

Stan of Arabia, Part 2

  • The last part of Stan's daydream is a parody of the ending of It's a Wonderful Life.
  • Roger's attempt at putting off sex with his new husband by retelling the plots of American television shows is reminiscent of Scheherazade and One Thousand and One Nights.

Stannie Get Your Gun

  • The title is a reference to Annie Get Your Gun.
  • The National Gun Association previously appeared in the Family Guy episode "And the Weiner Is..."

Star Trek

Not Particularly Desperate Housewife

Rough Trade

  • In the opening scene, Roger wakes to "I Got You Babe" just like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.
  • The new "Exoskeletal Weapon System" Bullock wants Stan to demonstrate is very similar to the Power Loader from the film Aliens.

Financed with Wolves

  • The title is a reference to the 1990 film Dances with Wolves.
  • The film Steve and his friends see is titled The Soiling, a reference to The Howling.
  • Roger says to Felicity that wants their relationship to be "totally Gilmore".
  • When Francine is putting her "penis jar" back in the cabinet, one of the jars says "Moist". This is a reference to the television series Dead Like Me in which the lead character's mother considers the word pornographic

It's Good to Be Queen

Roger 'n' Me

  • The episode title is based on the 1989 Michael Moore documentary Roger & Me.
  • Best Buddiez!, the game show featured in this episode, is a parody of The Newlywed Game.
  • Roger mentions that his favorite movie is Miller's Crossing and is seen to quote a number of John Turturro's lines from that film. Stan later incorrectly guesses that Roger's favorite movie is White Chicks.
  • When Stan has a yard sale in order to raise money for Francine's expensive hospital bills, he tries to sell Roger's porcelain dogs. Roger mentions that their names are "Gypsy Rose Lee" and "Mama Rose".
  • When Stan wants to hang up on Roger, he says the famous line from Fatal Attraction, "I will not be ignored Dan". Dan was switched to Stan.

Helping Handis

With Friends Like Steve's

  • The title is a play on the phrase, "With friends like these". The full phrase is "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"
  • Stan imitates an "obsessive Oingo Boingo fan circa 1985."
    Stan: It's a Weird Science Party, who could ask for more?"
  • When Steve tricks Evil Barry with his mind game, Barry remarks how he knows Steve has seen The Princess Bride. The mind game is the same as used in that movie.

Tears of a Clooney

  • The title of the episode is a word play of the song "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
  • In the final vineyard scene, Steve's "assistants" wear the slave girl outfit worn by Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi. When the foster children are taken away from them, the girls try to use their chains to strangle Steve in a similar manner to how Leia killed Jabba the Hutt in the same movie.
  • Francine wears the Bride's yellow jumpsuit from Kill Bill in the motorcycle chase.
  • Francine's line "What to The Coen Brothers see in him?" is a reference to the Coens' frequent collaborations with Clooney.
  • The scene where Francine stalks Stan in the dark while she is wearing night vision goggles is from The Silence of the Lambs.

    Season 3 

Camp Refoogee

  • The scene where Steve is being cornered by Stan, and ultimately saved by Francine is almost identical to the rescue scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
  • Roger and Francine's role-playing as a married couple is essentially taken from the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • When Steve gets the snake's fang necklace from Makeva he is told "With this you will always have the heart of Africa."
  • When the last race starts, the crowd shouts "Stevey bomaye". This is a reference to the Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman 1974 boxing match, where Ali's Congolese fans chanted "Ali bomaye" ("Ali kill him") prior to and during the match.
  • When Hayley says she wants to hold a refugee's hand to show that someone cares, Stan laughingly said " OK, Bono, settle down," in reference to the U2 frontman's charity works in Africa.
  • The girl Steve meets and falls for is named Makeva. This is a reference to a character that Thandie Newton, who voiced Makeva, voiced earlier on the show ER, named Makemba Likasu, the love interest and later wife of Dr. John Carter, whom he met while in Africa.
  • When Stan sits in front of Steve when the camp has been raided, and says "I don't know what to do". Steve now slaps him in the face, imitates Stan, and tells him "You can act like a man!".

The American Dad After School Special

  • Roger is hiding among the toy bears like ET.
  • The collar, which will detonate if Steve fails to ask the girl out within twenty four minutes, is a reference to Battle Royale where the children wore collars that would detonate if they failed to kill each other within a certain time frame.
  • Roger was on a date with Debbie dressed as Lestat from Interview with the Vampire.
  • Francine falling on top of the pool cover and sinking is a reference the film Unbreakable.
  • Stan hides food in his pants pockets and drops it in the yard like the prisoners in The Great Escape and The Shawshank Redemption drop dirt.
  • When Francine discovers that Stan has been by cheating on his diet by hiding his food in the pool, she angrily exclaims "He never cleaned his plate! He just moved the food!".
  • Whilst on their picnic, Steve and Debbie sit next to a grave for Jin from the TV show Lost.
  • Zach's disappearance parodies the Star Trek episode "Charlie X". Instead of him saying "stay" four times, he said "bro" four times.

Failure is Not a Factory-Installed Option

  • In the beginning of the episode, Stan interrogates an Arab named Achmed al Paula Abdul al Paul Anka al Casey Kasem bin Shakira.
  • When Francine and Hayley are cleaners, the lady acts in the same manner as Deborah from Spanglish, treating them as immigrants with no knowledge of English. She even goes as far as threatening them with the INS.
  • Roger makes a reference to Flowers for Algernon, calling Steve Algernon after he yells an idea out loud.
  • Before heading to the dealership at the end Stan tells Francine Farewell My Concubine.

Lincoln Lover

Dungeons and Wagons

  • The title is a reference to the popular role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons.
  • Steve and his friends and later, Jeff and Hayley are playing an MMORPG in the vein of EverQuest or World of Warcraft.
  • Hayley kills the monster in the same manner that Chief Brody killed the shark in Jaws. Except for the final word, she also uses the same line he did before she fires into its mouth: "Smile, you son of a..."
  • Steve's in-game character can be defeated by saying his name backwards, similar to the Superman character Mr. Mxyzptlk. The notable difference being that Agathor dies instantly whenever anybody says his name backwards, while Mxyzptlk must actually be tricked into saying it himself.
  • Stan finds Francine watching 2 Fast 2 Furious and concludes that she already saw the first film, as it's the only way for her to "understand the highly cerebral storyline".
  • Roger references the ending of Batman Begins.
  • The montage with Stan winning race after race and Francine posing on his car are based on the video for Whitesnake's single "Here I Go Again", in which Tawny Kitaen poses in the same manner. The song also plays during this sequence.
  • Jeff's game character is called Zamfir, a probable reference to noted panpipe virtuoso Gheorghe Zamfir.

Iced, Iced Babies

  • The title is a play on the song "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice.
  • Roger's line when he is posing as Professor Baxter, "Electric word, life. It means forever and that's a mighty long time," is the spoken prelude to Prince's song "Let's Go Crazy" from the album PurpleRain.
  • When Roger tries to put Hayley in detention, she corrects him by saying "There's no detention in college." Roger then "takes" 50 points from Gryffindor, a reference to the Harry Potter book series.
  • Ethan is portrayed, both in physical appearance and dressing, like Neil Perry in Dead Poets Society. Also, Roger's persona is based on Robin Williams' character from the aforementioned film.
  • When Stan stumbles around after getting pepper-sprayed by Francine, he turns on a radio, which is playing "My Sharona" by The Knack, and turns the TV, which is showing My Best Friend's Wedding.
  • The anime characters named Kichiro and Mojiro who guide Stan through the process are based on the mascots from the 2005 Aichi World Fair.
  • The final lines from Francine are an allusion to a scene in the film adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining.

Of Ice and Men

  • The title is a reference to Of Mice and Men.
  • Clifford is a parody of Ed, the guardian of comedian Jack Benny's money vault.
  • Francine has a tricorder-like device, "Is it the Olympics or Not?" with sounds taken from the NES version of Tetris.
  • The "framing device" of a now-human Klaus telling his grandson a story parodies The Princess Bride.
  • When Stan performs an incorrect salchow, Roger remarks, "It looks like you have mad salchow disease", a play on "mad cow disease".
  • When Roger tells Stan that he "was born ready", a reference to Smokey and the Bandit II. The same line was also used in Big Trouble in Little China.
  • Their former maid Maria was impaled the same way as a traitorous guide of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Irregarding Steve

  • The entire subplot is basically What's Eating Gilbert Grape with the cast replaced by squirrels. The "Arnie" squirrel even copies Arnie's head-tapping and hand gestures.
  • Steve prostituting himself in New York dressed as a cowboy because told to do so by Roger, is an reference to John Schlesinger's movie Midnight Cowboy.
  • When Roger and Steve announce their departure to New York City, Steve is wearing a red hunting hat similar to that of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. The hat, a symbol of Holden's perceived individuality, is used similarly in the episode.
  • Roger's line, "apres moi, le deluge" translates to "after me, the flood" in French and is a reference to what Madame du Pompadour said to King Louis XV.

The Best Christmas Story Never Told

  • The plot of this episode is similar to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Stan asks the paper boy what day it is, which is a direct reference to a scene in the story.

Bush Comes to Dinner

  • When Stan sends the e-mail, the computer sings "let the e-mail soar". This is a play on John Ashcroft's song "Let the Eagle Soar".
  • Stan's line "even the younglings?" is a reference to Revenge of the Sith.
  • Steve's dream is a reference to The Empire Strikes Back.
  • When Steve stands up from the tub, part of his stomach is labeled "sweetbreads," indicating that Roger misunderstood Hannibal Lecter's labeling in Red Dragon.
  • When Roger explains his theory about Osama bin Laden to Steve, his room is littered with magazine and newspaper clippings connected by string in a nonsensical fashion. This is a reference to a similar scene involving John Forbes Nash in A Beautiful Mind.
  • George W. Bush's choking on a Hot Pocket parodies a real-life incident where he choked on a pretzel.
  • When President Bush is discovered drunk he says that his wife would run him over is a reference to an incident where Laura Bush was in a car accident where a friend was killed.
  • When President Bush is reciting all the alcoholic drinks he made or drank at Hayley's age, it's a reference to the fireworks scene in Joe Dirt.

American Dream Factory

  • Roger, dressed in the persona of a rock musician who took over Steve's band, tells Steve that he "just saw a million faces" and "rocked them all", an adaptation of the line "I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all" from the song "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi.
  • Roger's character, Krispy Kreme McDonald, resembles Harry Shearer's character Derek Smalls in the movie This is Spın̈al Tap.
  • At the end of the episode, the farmer compares the Mexicans to Speedy Gonzales.
  • The end of the episode is a reference to the ending of The Sound of Music.

A.T. the Abusive Terrestrial

  • The episode contains numerous references to the film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, including the title, the scene in which Henry finds Roger in his shed and to the Reese's pieces marketing campaign tie-in with E.T..
  • A yellow glove on top of a bottle passes by on the Mr. Pibb bottling line, a reference to the opening theme to Laverne & Shirley.

Black Mystery Month

An Apocalypse to Remember

  • The episode title is a parody of the novel and the 1958 film A Night to Remember.
  • Buckle is based on the title character from The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.
  • The scene in which Stan is chased by the deaf children is a parody of the opening from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
  • The store Roger and Sharri get registered at called Crate and Roundish Cylinder is a reference to the retail chain Crate & Barrel.
  • Buckle appearing in the window during the lightning strike parodies the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".

Four Little Words

  • Roger announces that he "lost half a pound since Tuesday".
  • Stan exclaims "What in the name of Phil Spector happened?" when discovering that Bullock killed Melinda, a reference to the record producer's murder trials.
  • Many of Roger's moves in his dancing montage were taken directly from Footloose which starred Kevin Bacon, the actor he happened to be disguised as.
  • Francine's adoption of an Indian baby is a reference to celebrities such as Madonna and Angelina Jolie adopting kids from foreign nations.
  • The way Stan disposes of the body in a wood chipper is similar to the way Peter Stormare's character disposes of Steve Buscemi's in the film Fargo.
  • During Bullock's flashback of what happened on his date with Melinda, several subtitles are shown on the screen in the form of the subtitles shown on the television show Blind Date.

When a Stan Loves a Woman

I Can't Stan You

  • The title of the episode is a play on the phrase "I can't stand you."
  • The incident where Roger splashes hot coffee on Steve references a lawsuit by a customer at a McDonald's that spilled hot coffee on themselves.
  • The Cornfield Motel and the theme of the entire episode is loosely based on the Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life", in which a young boy with amazing psychic powers sends people who don't like him into a cornfield where they are never seen again.
  • When Stan hears people at the motel criticizing others, one of them says that Linda has so much hair, that she "feels like Jane Goodall", who is known for her extensive studies on gorillas.

The Magnificent Steven

Joint Custody

  • The opening scene and the music is a reference to the 1932 Disney short, Flowers and Trees. The music that plays in the scene is from the "William Tell Overture" by Gioachino Rossini.
  • Roger's bounty hunter montage consists of:
    • Boba Fett from Star Wars
    • Greedo from Star Wars
    • Predator from the Predator franchise
    • Dog the bounty hunter, alhough Roger calls himself Horse Renoir.
  • Roger attempts to free himself and Stan by setting the barn on fire, after "seeing it in a movie." However, Roger apparently did not realize that in the movie, the room was set on fire after they attempted to burn the ropes with a lighter.
  • Steve's psychic powers are a reference to the film The Dead Zone, with his hair mimicking that of Christopher Walken's character.
  • Jeff's criminal number is 7OU81215, which incorporates Van Halen's album OU812.

    Season 4 

The Vacation Goo

  • The island is revealed to be "Jimmy Buffett's Most Dangerous Game Family Retreat"
  • Roger's actress name; Betty Bea Getty McClanahan is a references to the four leading actresses on The Golden Girls.
  • Stan saying he thinks he would shoot himself in his study is a reference to Dead Poets Society.
  • On Roger's acting portfolio sheet, one of his stills has him imitating Trinity from The Matrix.

Meter Made

  • Stan's plot is a parody of the film GoodFellas. There are multiple points in the episode where Stan and Francine even say lines from the film word for word.

Dope & Faith

  • The episode's title is in reference to the sitcom Hope & Faith.
  • The episode contains many references to the Harry Potter series.
  • Roger is dressed like Tony Montana from the movie Scarface.

Big Trouble in Little Langley

Haylias

  • The title is a parody of the TV show Alias, which is also mentioned in the episode.
  • Roger's character's name is "Braff Zachlin", a play on the name Zach Braff, the actor who plays J.D. in Scrubs.
  • Stan references the "At the Dance" segments in The Muppet Show.
  • Hayley's secret agent name is "Small Wonder".

42-Year-Old Virgin

  • The title and plot is a parody of the film The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In the poker scene, Stan is being questioned how he recently killed the man in the beginning and it turns out he did not kill anyone at all. This is a close reenactment from the film when Andy Stitzer is being questioned what he does during intercourse and everyone finds out that Stitzer is still a virgin.
  • When Stan says that polar bears should not give their cubs sodas after downing an entire can of pop in one go, it is a reference to a Coca-Cola commercial in which a polar bear gives a Coca-Cola to its cub.
  • Randy's character is a reference to the character Ronald James McGorvey from the film Little Children.
  • The scene depicting Stan's first attempted kill is a reference to The French Connection where Popeye Doyle repeatedly enters and exits the train in an attempt to follow a suspect.
  • Bad Larry's last words "I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" were actually Obi-Wan Kenobi's last words in A New Hope.
  • Steve and Stan's "guy talk" is a reference to Howard Stern encouraging listeners to interrupt high-profile political and media events and give him publicity, often shouting "Baba Booey," as a codeword.

Surro-Gate

  • The title is a pun on the word "surrogate" and scandals that have been nickname with the suffix "-gate" that derive from the Watergate scandal.

The Most Adequate Christmas Ever

Franny 911

  • The title of this episode is a parody of Nanny 911.
  • When Roger returns to the house and promises to be nice, he is dressed like Alfalfa from The Little Rascals.
  • In a flashback scene, Roger says he is playing Pulp Fiction. Stan complains about Roger putting a syringe in his chest. Roger explains "The bitch was OD-ing on me", a reference to Uma Thurman's character having an overdose in the film.
  • When Steve is dancing, Stan says that he should be outside turning his tool shed into Mordor or Endor, a reference to the land of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings and the planet Endor, home of the Ewoks from the Star Wars saga.
  • The flower linked to Roger's health is a reference to the film E.T.
  • When the crow flies into the window, Roger says "When I get four and twenty of them I am going to bake them into a pie." This is a reference to the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence.

Tearjerker

Oedipal Panties

  • The title is referring to Oedipus the King, the Greek tragedy about a man, unknowingly killed his father and married his own mother as a consequence of his father trying to fight fate. Here, Stan is implied to have an Oedipus Complex.
  • Roger's disguise while Betty visits is Cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch, although he calls himself "Phil" instead of "Oliver".
  • Stan's actions of abducting his mother's dates is a reference to Psycho.
  • The strange helmets worn by the plane to Greece's attendants are reminiscent of that worn by the Greek God of Travelers, Hermes.

Widowmaker

  • Steve says "...the pride of the hive, Queen Jamie Lee Curtis. Rumor has it she was born a drone." This is a reference to the rumor that Jamie Lee Curtis was born a hermaphrodite.
  • Roger says "In nature, a horse will not offer you his hoof until you gain his trust." This is a reference to the film 28 Days, about an alcoholic who enters rehab.
  • The subplot where Steve tries to control a swarm of bees is a parody of the film Willard.
  • Roger's telephone operator disguise is based on Earnestine, a character created by comedienne Lilly Tomlin.

Red October Sky

Office Spaceman

  • The title is a reference to the film Office Space.
  • Roger's photographer identity, Parker Peters, is a reference to Peter Parker, another photographer who took pictures of himself as Spider-Man.
  • When Roger mentions where the alien is, he says "Aruba, Jamaica, Key Largo, Montego and "a place called Kokomo"". Bullock finishes the joke by saying "Book a flight, get there fast and then take it slow".
  • When Roger is undressing at Stan's demand, he quotes the character Sean's dialogue to Coco in the film Fame.
  • Stan's offhanded comment about excreting the alien is similar to Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, in which people who swallow alien spores incubate wormlike aliens that exit the body rather gruesomely through the rectum.
  • After Stan knocks out Deputy Director Bullock, the CIA agents and himself with the gas, Roger states that Stan "Superman II'd me."
  • The Langley Falls Post insignia on top of the building is similar to the classic Daily Planet emblem seen in Superman lore.
  • Roger's chanting "Bloody Mary" into a mirror is a reference to an urban legend on summoning spirits.

Stanny Slickers II: The Legend of Ollie's Gold

  • The title is a reference to the film City Slickers and its sequel, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold.
  • Roger asks a co-worker "Did you see that episode of Seinfeld last Thursday 10 years ago?", referencing the sexual harassment trial that took place in the mid-90's after a man was fired for discussing risque events with a female co-worker in "The Junior Mint" episode.
  • Stan's outfit near the end with Ollie's gold looks exactly like Indiana Jones' outfit.
  • Roger's alter ego Laura Vanderbooben's name is a parody of Laura Vandervoort.
  • Stan's song explaining the Iran-Contra affair was done in a style of Schoolhouse Rock!. Roger's appearance when he says "Crap! That's the end." parodies the "Darn! That's the end" closing of the song "Interjections!"
  • When Stan first attempts to stage the discovery, he says "Here's looking at you, gold!", a parody of the famous line from Casablanca "Here's looking at you, kid."
  • When he peers through the hole in the living room floor, Stan's words parody the reaction of Howard Carter when he first opened the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Spring Breakup

    Season 5 

1600 Candles

  • The title and the final scene are references to Sixteen Candles.
  • The scene of Steve's pubic hair floating in the air, along with the music, is a parody of the opening scene of Forrest Gump where a feather flies through the air.

The One That Got Away

One Little Word

  • The position of "Number One" is Patrick Stewart, the voice of Avery Bullock, providing a reference to his role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Picard often referred to his first officer William T. Riker as "Number One". In addition, a fish tank can be seen in Bullock's home that is similar to the one that was in Picard's ready room.

Choosy Wives Choose Smith

Escape from Pearl Bailey

  • When Debbie refers to a "thirty year old TV show", the scene cuts to nerds in the audience, wearing costumes based mainly on the Fourth and Eighth incarnations of the Doctor of Doctor Who.
  • The scene where the Goth kids allow Steve and his friends to escape is a reference to Gandalf's confrontation with the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
  • One of the PBHS cliques is the "The Red-Headed League", an allusion to a Sherlock Holmes story about a phoney club made up exclusively of red-haired men.
  • Steve's line "You want to get nuts, come on. Let's get nuts!" is a reference to the 1989 film Batman.
  • The audience is shown Steve taking revenge on the girls in chapters à la Kill Bill, even going as far as Toshi giving Steve a katana for his "Holy Revenge", instead Steve sells it.
  • The way the boys have to escape the school, by passing all the school gangs, is similar to the way the Warriors escape to their turf by passing all other gangs' turfs in the film The Warriors, and also features the same song as in that film's escape scenes. The principal's announcements over the PA system reference the commentary provided by a radio DJ in the film. The escape sequence can also be seen as an allusion to the film Escape from New York, which is referenced in the episode title.
  • The mask worn by Steve when he takes his revenge is a reference to the film Navajo Joe which featured a similar mask.
  • When Steve and his friends are escaping through the bleachers, it mirrors one of the final scenes in The Faculty.
  • The final scene in which Steve and his friends take on the school in a fight is a reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
  • At the end when Steve and his friends are in the bus. Bagpipes play in the background and Steve references Braveheart.
  • When in the school bus at the end, Toshi says, "Bastard! You've killed us!"

Pulling Double Booty

  • In a flashback of a Hayley going on a rampage at elementary school, she tears a copy of Superfudge in half.
  • As Hayley is going on another rampage after Jeff broke up with her in the mall, she has descended into the point where she is spouting nothing but animalistic Angrish, grabbing a nearby female doll and ascending a giant toy replica of the Empire State Building, a la King Kong (1933), complete with motorized toy biplanes buzzing around her. Then, the camera cuts to reveal two mall security cops, holding oversized controllers. This exchange takes place:
    Mall Cop #1: Why are we doing this?
    Mall Cop #2: Why? Aren't you having fun?
  • After Roger brutalizes Steve's pets then hits him with a steel chair: "Haha - just like in the movies, bitch!"

Phantom of the Telethon

Chimdale

  • The girls peeping into the boys shower is a reversal of a similar scene in the film Porky's.

Stan Time

  • Pizza Overlord is a reference to Pizza Planet from the film series Toy Story. The Overlord also bears a striking resemblance to Emperor Zurg.
  • Roger trying to talk to Steve and finally saying "pass, go to the next one" is a reference to the various incarnations of the game show Pyramid.

Family Affair

Live and Let Fry

  • The episode title is reference to the James Bond film Live and Let Die.
  • After Klaus mentions his inheritance to Roger and hints that he would appreciate Rogers' cooperation by wearing a disguise, Roger pops up with an old English costume and makes a reference to Jack the Ripper when talking about his involvement in a string of prostitute homicides.
  • When Steve wakes up from his medically induced coma he discovers that the family has recently become worried about Roger and his runaway banana boat.

Roy Rogers McFreely

  • The monologue Roger does under the spotlight is from The Silence of the Lambs, specifically Clarice Starling's speech to Hannibal Lecter.
  • Roger's statement about one of his team being sent to the hospital and his plan to send one of Stan's team to the morgue is from the film The Untouchables.

Jack's Back

  • Stan compares meeting his father in prison to an M. Night Shyamalan film plot. He also asks if “M-Dawg” will make a cameo, a reference to Shyamalan's practice of inserting himself into his films. At the end of the scene, a character resembling Shyamalan introduces himself as Sanjay Bhudapar, the prison warden.

Bar Mitzvah Shuffle

  • The heist plot is very similar to the ones in Ocean's 11, with the heist happening in real time as Steve explains in detail the events to occur.

Wife Insurance

Delorean Story-an

  • The license plate on Stan's DeLorean reads "STN TYM", a reference to "Stan Time" as well as a parody of the Back to the Future DeLorean's "Outtatime" plate. In addition, Steve leaves gasoline behind the DeLorean and unscrews the car's license plate is so he can leave a fiery trail and have the license plate spin off as in the film. Mr. Kirkoff is dressed as Marty McFly and an instrumental version of "Johnny B. Goode" playing during the episode's climax. Also during the climax, Joel McNeely plays music similar to Alan Silvestri's score from Back to the Future.
  • The gas station, Gas of the Mohicans is a pun on The Last of the Mohicans.
  • The subplot about the tortoise crying over a hare who was accidentally killed from colliding with Steve's head is a very morbid parody of The Tortoise and the Hare.
  • Roger says he prefers Criss Angel and calls him a "Mind-Freaker".

Every Which Way But Lose

  • The episode's title references the film Every Which Way but Loose.
  • Steve's football team, the "Nexus Six Series Replicants", is named after the android-like machines that Deckard (Harrison Ford) chases in Blade Runner.
  • Roger's disguise is based on Walter Matthau's character in The Bad News Bears. Likewise, many scenes are parodies of that film including drinking beer in the car at the field.
  • Stan and another player quote lines from The Karate Kid.
  • Stan's team is called the "Wolverines".
  • Steve's speech at the end is a reference to the film A Time to Kill. It parodies Matthew McConaughey's closing arguments at the end of the trial. Except instead of ending with "now imagine she's white" Steve ends on "now imagine that boy is you." The speech is further lampooned in the fact that Stan interrupts the story at the beginning asking if the boy in Steve's story is white.
  • Roger calling himself "Jack Tripper".

Weiner of Our Discontent

  • The episode title is a pun on "winter of our discontent", which comes from the opening line of Richard III.
  • At the start of the episode, Roger is shown being a jerk in a diner in Cedar City, Iowa in 1956, The Motor City Roller Rink in Detroit Michigan in 1975, and a coffee shop in Seattle, Washington in 1994. Roger's disguise in the coffee shop bears a resemblance to Kurt Cobain in the music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
  • Steve is worried about not being able to defeat a tiny Asian boy at eating hot dogs. a reference to six-time winner of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, Takeru Kobayashi.
  • Stan and Roger's flight to Roswell happens aboard Southwestern Airlines, a play on the major airline carrier, Southwest Airlines

Daddy Queerest

  • The episode title refers to Mommie Dearest.
  • The scene in the football stadium where Stan begins chanting "Rudy" and the crowd does the same is a reference to the film Rudy about a determined college football player.

Stan's Night Out

  • The bet to start the mower 10 times or have his leg cut off references the Roald Dahl short story Man from the South, later used in the Quentin Tarantino story from Four Rooms, "The Man from Hollywood".
  • At one point, Roger makes a reference to seeing how purple a guy's majesty will get. When a guy asks what Roger is talking about he says its from a song. The song he is referring to is "America the Beautiful".

    Season 6 

In Country...Club

  • Steve says his a capella group is called "Here Comes Treble".
  • The episode is based on films that take place during The Vietnam War such as Platoon, Apocalypse Now and Forrest Gump. The title comes from the film In Country.
  • The later parts of the episode are based on First Blood right down to Stan's army uniform and the final scenes.
  • When Stan is held captive by Roger for the code, his line "I'll make ya feel good" is based on a line from the film Boyz n the Hood.
  • Steve's performance at the end of the episode pays homage to Freddie Mercury (outfit) and Michael Jackson (singing).
  • Roger, dressed as a Vietnamese while torturing Stan, parodies The Three Stooges by waving his hand around Stan's face and then slapping him, then saying, in an Asian portrayal of Moe Howard's voice "A wise guy, eh?"
  • When Steve was in the hospital, his roommate's name was John and they were in room 117. In the Halo series, the main protagonist, Spartan 117's first name is John.
  • The Sex and the City draft Roger reads features Bugs Bunny's quote "What's up, Doc?"

Moon Over Isla Island

  • The episode and title are based on the film Moon over Parador.
  • When Roger and Stan go to the mall, Roger's wig and clothing match that of the character Paulie Gualtieri from The Sopranos.

Home Adrone

  • The episode title is a reference to the film Home Alone.
  • When Barry says, "They found us, we're getting off the island!" it is a reference to Gilligan's Island.
  • Stan's battle on the truck such as dropping down the front and climbing back onto the back copy moves made by Dr. Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
  • The brief scene where Rivers releases a bird from his prison cell is a reference to Brooks Avery in The Shawshank Redemption who has an identical scene.

Brains, Brains and Automobiles

Man in the Moonbounce

  • There is an old man named Rivers in the prison that Stan gets sent to. This is a reference to the character Brooks in the film The Shawshank Redemption.
  • The episode's title is a reference to the film Film/Man In The Moon.
  • The machine in the background of the Arcade scene is labeled "KRON."

Shallow Vows

  • Steve says that when Roger (as Valik) is thinking about him because his scar burns. This is a reference to Harry Potter.
  • The ending of this episode is similar to Silence of the Lambs. In the film, Hannibal gets off the phone and follows Chilton. At the end of this episode, Roger is seen getting off the phone and follows Steve and Hayley.
  • Roger's paraphrased quote "We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of dreams" originated in the poem Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy. The film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory also paraphrased the quote.

My Morning Straightjacket

  • The songs "I Will Sing You Songs", "Mahgeetah" and "Wordless Chorus" are referenced in dialog.
  • The robot that says "And #5 feels... alive!" is a reference to the film Short Circuit.
  • Roger's groupie disguise, which he calls, "Abbey Road", is a reference to the character "Penny Lane" from the film Almost Famous. Both character's names are references to The Beatles. Stan's disguise is also a reference to the lead character, "William Miller", from Almost Famous.

G-String Circus

  • The title refers to "three ring circus."
  • When Roger puts the sheets over the dead body he tried to do surgery on, he has an internal monologue before a black surgeon appears. The monologue, surgeon, and mentions of Carla and the mean janitor are all references to the TV series, Scrubs.
  • Hayley inquires if Tanquaray is getting a "de-lux apartment in the sky," quoting a line from the theme song to the television show The Jeffersons.
  • The name of the strip club which the CIA go to is XanaBoobs, a reference to the film 'Xanadu.
  • When appearing on stage, Stan is credited as "Michael Dangelo", a reference to the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo.
  • The boys escape Space Camp by digging their way through the mud during a rain storm while screaming, just like John Goodman and William Forsythe in Raising Arizona.

Rapture's Delight

  • The episode title is a reference to the song "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.
  • The Antichrist's costume is styled after the Riddler from Batman.
  • The music and setting of the world after The Tribulations are reminiscent of John Carpenter films, notably the Escape from New York / Escape from L.A. films.
  • In the final battle, Jesus is seen wearing two "Holy hand-grenade"s which is a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
  • The final scene of Klaus wearing the Santa hat is reminiscent of the final scene of several film versions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, notably the 1970 version of Scrooge when Scrooge places the Santa hat on the door knocker.
  • When Jesus enters the bar to recruit Stan, Lord Humungous and many of the other raiders from Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior can be seen in the background.
  • One of the people in the bar wears clothing reminiscent of Dengar's from The Empire Strikes Back.
  • Jesus’ comment regarding his father’s dead jester is a reference to Yorick in Hamlet.
  • During the fight with the anti-Christ when Stan shoots the wisemen down from the ceiling, he says, "It's raining wisemen, hallelujah." This is a reference to the Weather Girls song "It's Raining Men".

Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth

  • The title is referring to the old saying "Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth".
  • The Muppet TV movie Stan is referring to when praying is It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, where Whoopi Goldberg played a representation of God.
  • Roger's outfit of a red jacket, green trousers and country hat resembles Tobey Maguire's in Seabiscuit.
  • Francine tells Stan to win and Roger asks "What are we waiting for?", imitating a scene from the film Rocky II.

A Jones for a Smith

  • Stan cries when discussing David Hasselhoff, referring to an internet meme of him crying while trying to eat a cheeseburger while intoxicated.
  • Stan's crack dream is a reference to 'male enhancement' products such as Levitra and Cyalis.
  • During a Biology class, Steve animates a partly dissected frog whilst singing "Hello! Ma Baby", a reference to the Looney Tunes cartoon, "One Froggy Evening". Steve then animates the frog while singing a parody of "Drop It Like It's Hot", by Snoop Doggy Dog, dubbing the frog, "Snoop Froggy Frog".

May the Best Stan Win

  • The title is referring to the phrase "May the Best Man Win".
  • Yakety Sax by Boots Randolf is played during Barry's romp through Toshi's house in a parody of The Benny Hill Show.
  • A parody of Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory appears and is killed at Hershy Park.

The Return of the Bling

Cops and Roger

  • The name of the episode is a reference to a game called Cops and Robbers.
  • The scene where Roger and Stan are running on the beach along with the zooming in of their legs is reminiscent of the scene in Rocky III when Rocky and Apollo are training.
  • The scene where Roger pulls over Barry and torments him is reminiscent to a scene in the film Bad Lieutenant.
  • Roger mimics the setup and opening theme to Charlie's Angels in the kitchen.

Merlot Down Dirty Shame

  • The title is a reference to the film A Low Down Dirty Shame.
  • Peter Fonda's motorcycle from the film Easy Rider sits outside of O'Day's Inn.
  • When Hayley and Klaus are tricking Steve, Klaus says "who stole the tarts".
  • Roger dresses as Paul Giamatti's character from the film Sideways.

Bully for Steve

  • When Stan follows Steve to school to see how wimpy he is, his wordplay references Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
  • When Reginald greets Hayley, he mentions Demi & Whoopi, referencing the film Ghost (1990).

An Incident at Owl Creek

Great Space Roaster

  • The title refers to the syndicated television show The Great Space Coaster.
  • Roger's roasting sequence is an homage to "The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts".
  • The episode has references to the Alien series during the space-based conclusion; examples include a monster performing an Enemy Rising Behind and the protagonist wielding a flamethrower and wearing a vest with very revealing underwear.
  • According to the DVD commentary, Roger's speech in church is an homage to The Wire.

    Season 7 

100 A.D.

  • In the beginning, Roger acts like the Crypt Keeper from the TV series Tales from the Crypt.
  • Roger mentions The Simpsons two-part episode, "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" where at the end it was revealed it was Maggie.
  • Reginald states that Jeff smells like "cheap weed and applesauce," paraphrasing The Brady Bunch quote from Peter Brady. Peter asked Alice, the housekeeper, what she was making for dinner and Alice said "pork chops and applesauce". Peter repeated this line in an accent that sounded like a Bogart or Cagney type manner..."pork chops and applesauce...that's swell".
  • After Stan reads Hayley's letter, he fantasizes flying around the planet and reversing its time like in Superman: The Movie.
  • The artist's rendering of Hayley and Jeff is that of Shaggy Rogers and Velma Dinkley from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! When Jeff sees it, he says, "Zoinks!", Shaggy's catchphrase from the show.
  • The professor demanding to know who solved his math problem and the janitor running away is a reference to the film Good Will Hunting.
  • At the end of the episode, Jeff transforms his van into the flying car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang while an instrumental version of the song of the same name from the film of the same name plays in the background.
  • Terry's defacing of the speed limit sign with spray paint is a reference to the films The Cannonball Run and The Cannonball Run II, with the original spray painting an "X" on the sign and the second adding an extra "1" to the posted limit.

Son of Stan

  • The title is a reference to David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" serial killer.
  • Stan mentions The Council of 12, referring to a group of non-physical beings that assist the growth and development of souls on this and other planets in the universe.

Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls

  • The title is a parody of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
  • At one point, Stan is dressed up as a lion with fishnets and says, "Guilty as charged" in an impersonation of Bert Lahr.
  • When Terry is dressed as Lady Gaga, he references two of her songs "Paparazzi" and "Poker Face".
  • Stan makes reference to Scared Straight!, a 70's documentary aimed at rehabilitating teenage trouble-makers.
  • Barry is dressed up for Halloween as Seth from Superbad.
  • During the fight scene at the end, the music parodies the music used in Kill Bill.

Stan's Food Restaurant

  • Roger's main costume is mimicking the world renowned chef Gordon Ramsay.

White Rice

There Will Be Bad Blood

  • The title is a reference to the film There Will Be Blood.
  • Roger's "Felicity the wolf" story is a reference to the story of Christian the lion.
  • Roger's Spice Girls reference refers to their video "Say You'll Be There".
  • Roger toast's Lionel Richie for putting a blind girl in a video is in reference to the music video for "Hello".

The People vs. Martin Sugar

For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls

Fart-Break Hotel

  • The title is a reference to the Elvis Presley song "Heartbreak Hotel".
  • Steve's story parodies the film Somewhere in Time. Additionally, when Steve looks at the painting, Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, variation No. 18" plays which was also featured in the film.
  • When Steve "travels through time," he wears the same outfit Marty McFly did in Back to the Future.
  • "Reganomics Lamborghini's" hair catching fire parodies other 1980s incidents of Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor's hair catching fire.
  • Francine wonders how did she get Paulie Walnuts' hair, referring to the character Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri from The Sopranos.

Stanny-Boy and Frantastic

A Piñata Named Desire

  • The title is a parody of the play A Streetcar Named Desire.
  • During a handshake, Stan and Roger yell "This is Sparta!" to each other.
  • When Stan and Roger fight, they transition to a parody of "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun.
  • The four kids in the fashion store are miniaturized versions of the four main characters of the show Entourage, even the title card calls them "Lil' Entourage."

You Debt Your Life

  • The title is a parody of the game show You Bet Your Life.
  • When Roger is about to get run over by the bus, he holds his arms out and says, "I did it perfectly!"
  • The opening scene with Roger drunk and dancing in a bar is a reference to the film The Accused. His outfit copies that of Jodie Foster's character of Sarah Tobias.
  • When Steve and his friends walk past Miss DeGaul's classroom, Steve tells her, "I see you baby, shakin' that derriere." This is a reference to the Groove Armada song "I See You Baby".

I Am the Walrus

  • The title refers to The Beatles song "I Am the Walrus".
  • The scene in which Steve demonstrates his dance moves is a reference to a video of several African American boys humping an ottoman while the song "Late Night Special" by Pretty Ricky plays. However, the music used in the episode is "Pony" by Ginuwine.
  • Roger's disguise as Ace Chapman is a reference to Kobe Bryant's sexual assault allegations.

School Lies

  • The title is a reference to the film School Ties.
  • The scene where Roger and Cookie are taking drugs and see random flashes of images is a reference to Requiem for a Dream.
  • The scene where Steve yells "Sandy!" is a reference to the play Annie

License to Till

  • The title refers to the James Bond film Licence to Kill.
  • The plot involving Steve and Roger is similar to the movie She's All That.
  • When Roger slips the kielbasa into Steve's pants, he claims "The best part of waking up is bulges in your cup", parodying the Folger's coffee jingle.

Jenny Fromdabloc

  • The title is a reference to the Jennifer Lopez song "Jenny from the Block".
  • The second belt buckle Principal Lewis shows off contains a lyric from the Janet Jackson song "Nasty".
  • When Stan is buzzed, he hallucinates Francine in the animated Bewitched title sequence.
  • The ending tag with Steve staring at the ball concludes with the sound heard at the end of every Lost episode.
  • Snot's basement bears similarities to Eric Foreman's on That '70s Show. Notably the cable spool coffee table, the single couch with an extra old dining room chair for seating and background clutter.
  • Steve's phone makes the hailing sound from Star Trek: The Original Series.

Home Wrecker

  • The cast reenacts a scene from Grease.
  • The B-story is a parody of the movie Rain Man. Principal Lewis even calls Barry at one point "Rain Kid".

Flirting with Disaster

  • The title of this episode comes from a 1996 film of the same name.
  • The first act of the episode parodied the NBC's The Office, including its intro, the camera angles, and dialog. David Koechner, who currently voices Dick Reynolds, guest starred in that show as Todd Packer.

Gorillas in the Mist

    Season 8 

Hot Water

  • This episode is a parody of the 1960 film and subsequent musical Little Shop of Horrors, the hot tub store is even called the "Little Shop of Hot Tubs". It is worth noting that until the 1986 remake, all of the characters except the plant die, parallel with Stan, Francine and Principal Lewis all dying here as well.

Hurricane!

  • The house flipping upside down and the subsequent scenes of the family trying to reach higher ground parody scenes from The Poseidon Adventure.

A Ward Show

  • The title is a play on the phrase "award show".
  • When Roger says: "You kings of New England, you princes of Maine", it's a reference to the novel The Cider House Rules.

The Worst Stan

  • The scene where Stan is sitting on a bus writing best man toasts is a reference to the film 8 Mile.
  • The two episodes of Diff'rent Strokes Principal Lewis alludes to are "Bicycle Man" and "Where There's Smoke".

Virtual In-Stanity

  • The episode title is a play on the phrase "virtual insanity", a reverse reference to "virtual reality".
  • The horn in Roger's limo blares "Dixie" in the style of the General Lee on The Dukes of Hazzard.
  • The bowling team is named "Lanes Addiction".
  • When Roger kills the thug in the bathroom, a mixture of blood of water goes down the shower drain. Also, before the guy dies, he's reading a magazine that says Maxum, a parody of Maxim.
  • Francine's lift mecha contains elements from the film Aliens and Avatar. Francine also parodies Sigourney Weaver's line from Aliens when she tells Phyllis to "Get away from him, you bitch".
  • Roger killing the kids contains elements from the films The Car, Christine and the Final Destination films.
  • The CIA lab doors imitate the sounds of doors opening and closing in Star Trek.
  • The DVD commentary credits the television show The Wonder Years as the inspiration for the home movie montage of Steve growing up.

The Scarlett Getter

Season's Beatings

  • The episode's title is a pun on the term "Season's Greetings".
  • The plot with Hayley and Jeff's child turning out to be the Anti-Christ is an homage to the 1976 horror film The Omen.
  • The Aramaic phrases Steve chants while under Nemo's control are the text of chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel, specifically the "writing on the wall".
  • Nemo's head starts spinning and vomiting like Linda Blair's in The Exorcist.

The Unbrave One

  • Roger's throne is a parody of the rock band Queen's logo.
  • The episode title is reference to the film The Brave One.

Stanny Tendergrass

  • The title is a play on the R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass.
  • The episode contains many references to the film Caddyshack including when Stan imitates comedian Rodney Dangerfield's abrasive Al Czervik character.
  • Stan inquires as to why Steve is dressed like Ernie Hudson in the jumpsuit and Steve responds with Winston Zeddimore, a character Ernie portrayed in the film Ghostbusters. Likewise, Roger asks Steve why he's dressed like Peter Venkman, Bill Murray's character from the same film.
  • When Stan accepts his membership key, he says "Membership has its privileges," quoting the motto for American Express.

Wheels & the Legman and the Case of Grandpa's Key

  • The title "Wheels & the Legman" is a reference to Jake and the Fatman, while the wheelchair-bound detective is one to Ironside (1967). Additionally, the title caption states the show was written by Stephen J. Cannell.
  • One of Stan's hats was the one worn by The Man with the The Yellow Hat from Curious George.
  • The shop next to the MailBox CopyStore is P. Falk & Co., a reference to the late actor Peter Falk complete with his catchphrase "Just one more thing."
  • Roger alludes to "Kaiser Soze", a villain who is a fiction-within-a-fiction from the film The Usual Suspects when he gives "Wheels" the full name of "Squirt "Wheels" Cinnabon" based on items left on top of a cabinet.
  • When Steve and Roger discover the satchel, they open it and it glows back at them. This a reference to the film Pulp Fiction.

Old Stan in the Mountain

  • The title is a play on the phrase "Old Man in the Mountain".
  • The plot is similar to Stephen King's novel and film Thinner.
  • Klaus claims that, in The Santa Clause, Tim Allen has to deliver all of Santa's presents to break his cocaine curse, a reference to Allen's 1978 conviction for cocaine trafficking.
  • When Stan drives the tank into the stands and the people fly into the air is similar to the climatic scene of Animal House.

The Wrestler

  • Steve's entry into the house with his report card parodies West Side Story (1961).
  • Roger's attempt to cripple Barry is repeatedly mentioned as resembling the 6 January 1994 attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, ordered by her rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband.
  • When everything in Stan's museum comes alive at night, this is a reference to the Night at the Museum films.
  • Roger's persona of Demitri Krotchliknioff is intended as a parody of Ivan Drago.
  • The words "Some Ass" woven into a spiderweb is a reference to Charlotte's Web. Also the words "You Gonna Cry, Stan? You look like a bitch" etched into her web is a paraphrased quote from Pulp Fiction.

Dr. Klaustus

  • The title is based on the play Doctor Faustus.
  • Roger's time in Iraq is reminiscent of The Hurt Locker.
  • "Alive With Pleasure" from Roger's cigarette was the slogan of Newport brand cigarettes.
  • The fact that Roger's soldier persona is named Sgt. Pepper.

Stan's Best Friend

  • The title is a play on the phrase "Man's best friend".
  • Stan says he's going Lorenzo's oil in seeking his own cure for Kisses, referring to the film of the same name about the true story of two parents search for a cure for their son Lorenzo's adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).
  • Roger trying to trick Stan with popcorn on his crotch imitates a scene from the film Diner.

Less Money, Mo' Problems

The Kidney Stays in the Picture

  • The title is a parody of the book The Kid Stays in the Picture.
  • The scene at the end of episode where Roger dances around Joel Larson while taking out his kidney parodies a scene from the film American Psycho.
  • When Klaus becomes Roger's secretary, he changes his appearance to that of Joan Holloway of Mad Men.
  • Buffalo Crazy Wings is a parody of the restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings.
  • Between gulps of her kidney-killing shots, Hayley shouts "Pistore!"

Ricky Spanish

  • The title is a parody of the film Johnny English.
  • Stan wants to know if Tungee will surprise them by being the prince of Zamunda, referring the fictional African nation in the film Coming to America.
  • "Plantain Republic" is a parody of Banana Republic.

Toy Whorey

  • The title of the episode is a pun on Toy Story. Also, a scene where Steve says "To Forever And Above" is a parody to Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase "To Infinity and Beyond".
  • The purple figure driving the jeep-like vehicle is a parody of Gumby.
  • "Train" is a parody of Thomas The Tank Engine.
  • Roger's bike riding off by itself in front of the Thick Bush French Market parodies a scene of the dentist's motorcycle in the remake of Little Shop of Horrors.
  • The brothelmaster with a female face drawn on each hand parodies noted "hand" puppeteer Señor Wences.

    Season 9 

Love, AD Style

Killer Vacation

Can I Be Frank with You?

American Stepdad

Why Can't We Be Friends

Adventures in Hayleysitting

National Treasure 4: Baby Franny: She's Doing Well: The Hole Story

Finger Lenting Good

The Adventures of Twill Ongenbone and His Boy Jabari

Blood Crieth Unto Heaven

Max Jets

Naked to the Limit, One More Time

For Black Eyes Only

Spelling Bee My Baby

The Missing Kink

The Boring Identity

The Full Cognitive Redaction of Avery Bullock by the Coward Stan Smith

Lost in Space

Da Flippity Flip

    Season 10 

Steve & Snot's Test-Tubular Adventure

Poltergasm

  • The title and plot are a parody of Poltergeist.
    • Roger's persona Ruby Zeldstein is a parody of Zelda Rubinstein's medium character from the franchise.
  • Stan finds out that Francine was faking her pleasure when he compares her sex face to that of Meg Ryan's character from When Harry Met Sally...
  • Stan's sexual training montage is a parody of Rocky's training from Rocky IV.

Buck, Wild

Crotchwalkers

Kung Pao Turkey

Independent Movie

Faking Bad

Minstrel Krampus

  • The living objects in the Krampus' castle, Steve being captured by the beastly Krampus only to learn that he's not such a bad guy after all, and Jack's transformation into the new Krampus are a reference to Beauty and the Beast.

Vision: Impossible

Familyland

  • Numerous references to the Disney Theme Parks
    • Roy Family is a parody of Walt Disney. Him being frozen into a statue is a nod to the famous urban legend of Walt being cryogenically frozen.
    • Mikey Muskrat is a parody of Mickey Mouse.
    • The Simpler Times Mountain attraction is a parody of Splash Mountain, as well as the controversies regarding the film it's based on, Song of the South.
    • The attraction Brokeback Splash Mountain parodies both Splash Mountain and Brokeback Mountain.
  • "Black Stan" is dressed as Clint Eastwood's character from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. His followers are called "Italian Stallions", the nickname of Sylvester Stallone's character from the Rocky franchise.
  • Steve and Hayley dressed up like Joffrey and Daenerys from Game of Thrones.

Cock of the Sleepwalk

Introducing the Naughty Stewardesses

I Ain't No Holodeck Boy

  • When Steve armors up to save his dad from the video-game zombie he created, his moss green exoskeleton with orange visor bears resemblance to that of the Master Chief

Stan Goes on the Pill

Honey, I'm Homeland

She Swill Survive

Rubberneckers

Permanent Record Wrecker

News Glance with Genevieve Vavance

The Longest Distance Relationship

    Season 11 

Roger Passes the Bar

A Boy Named Michael

Blagsnarst: A Love Story

    Season 12 

Blonde Ambition

  • DJ Iron Monkey is a parody of deadmau5.

CIAPOW

Scents and Sensei-bility

Big Stan on Campus

Now and Gwen

Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas

  • The title is a parody of the opening line to the song "White Christmas".

LGBSteve

Morning Mimosa

My Affair Lady

A Star is Reborn

Manhattan Magical Murder Mystery Tour

The Shrink

Holy Shit, Jeff's Back!

American Fung

Seizures Suit Franny

    Season 13 

Roots

The Life Aquatic with Steve Smith

Hayley Smith, Seal Team Six

  • The regressed Hayley sleeps with dolls of Anna and Elsa from Frozen.

N.S.A. (No Snoops Allowed)

Stan Smith as Keanu Reeves as Stanny Utah in Point Breakers

Kiss Kiss Cam Cam

The Devil Wears a Lapel Pin

Stan-Dan Deliver

Anchorfran

The Two Hundred

  • The episode's title and premise is very similar to the television series The 100, which takes place after a blast wipes out the human race.

Misc

  • Boys 12 is quite clearly a shout out to Super Junior.
  • When convincing Stan that having a kink is completely normal, Roger bursts out into what is a clear parody of I've Got a Dream from Tangled called You've Got a Kink. It even takes place in a bar.
  • In "Da Flippity Flop", Roger has built a gym in the house's attic and is giving a tour to Steve. His choice of clothes and wig makes him look an awful lot like Chad.
  • In one Christmas episode, Stan (as Mall Santa) gets into a bloody fist-fight with Roger (playing Jesus Christ in a passion play). The resultant bloodshed is very reminiscent of the South Park pilot episode, which features a Christmas fight between...
  • While Haley and Roger are exploring a spaceship belonging to an alien race called the Collectors, an Infinity Gauntlet can be seen hanging on the wall.
  • Much to the bafflement of an American audience, one episode sees Director Bollock of the CIA, in his downtime in between appointments, pick up a banjo and perform "When I'm Cleaning Windows". Patrick Stewart even performs this in his native broad Yorkshire accent. Which must really bemuse Americans.

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