Line #55 ShoutOut/Animaniacs


1	A whole lot. The show slightly dates itself with a lot of early 90's and other contemporary-at-the-time references, but it also abounds in references dating back to the dawn of television comedy. [[http://animaniacs-references.tumblr.com/ This Tumblr feed]] complies most of them.
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4	* "The Taming of the Screwy" is pretty much their version of Looney Tunes shorts like "Hollywood Steps Out", with moments like:
5	** Creator/RobertPatrick entering in a policeman's uniform, until Ralph tells him it's a Black Tie affair. At which point he [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay liquid-metal-shifts into a tux]].
6	** Creator/SusanSarandon and Geena Davis [[Film/ThelmaAndLouise landing at the red carpet in a falling car.]]
7	** Creator/MichellePfeiffer in her [[Film/BatmanReturns Catwoman costume]]. Yakko tells her there's something(or rather, some [[Film/TheAddamsFamily Thing]]) in her milk saucer. Creator/MichaelKeaton also appears in full Bat-costume.
8	** Creator/DannyDeVito in his [[Film/BatmanReturns Penguin costume]], eating whole raw fish, which he [[SpitTake spits out in disgust]] when Creator/BeaArthur says she's putting out a swimsuit catalogue.
9	** Creator/DannyGlover complaining that he's [[Film/LethalWeapon "Too old for this [shit]"]] at Creator/MelGibson's antics.
10	** Creator/SpikeLee begging [[Film/ShesGottaHaveIt "Please, baby!"]] -- to an actual baby.
11	** When the dance floor abruptly fills, the force of all the newcomers sends [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle and the Beast]] flying.
12	* See also the CRGA, mentioned above under RealLifeWritesThePlot. It's basically a huge repository of these.
13	* In the episode "Potty Emergency," when a character looks out of a window into space, above the window the letters [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]] can be seen.
14	* Dr. Scratchansniff's mantras for "clownophobia":
15	** "A clown [[Literature/{{It}} is not a big spider]]".
16	** "A clown will not bite me and throw me in the basement" is a reference to the famous SerialKiller John Wayne Gacy.
17	* This show provided probably the one and only spoof of ''Film/TheDayTheClownCried'' in the short, ''Hearts of Twilight''. Surprising since the movie was never released. On the other hand, Steven Spielberg ''has'' seen the movie, one of the few people Creator/JerryLewis has shown it to.
18	* When Wakko makes a face to freak people out - the one with the swirling eyes and tongue hanging out - it's referred to as a 'Gookie'. The facial expression itself is an homage to a similar face regularly made by Harpo of Creator/TheMarxBrothers: and Harpo revealed in his autobiography that this goofy face was made in mockery of a certain butcher in his New York City neighborhood named... Gookie.
19	* A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example: In "Sir Yaksalot", a background cart driver looks exactly like a medieval version of [[Franchise/LupinIII Daisuke Jigen]]. Not too surprising as TMS worked on the episode.
20	* In one of the "Good Idea, Bad Idea" segments ("Bad idea: having the circus come to you") the theme from Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus plays in the background.
21	* A Steven Spielberg reference: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWcNcJuTHVo this Katie Ka-Boom segment]] features Katie's younger brother making a tower out of mashed potatoes, much like the protagonist of ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind''.
22	* The name of the episode ''Garage Series/SaleOfTheCentury'', though it doesn't reference the show otherwise.
23	* The Swuit-shaped statue in "This Pun For Hire" is a nod to ''Literature/TheMalteseFalcon''.
24	* The Buttons & Mindy episode "Cat on a Hot Steel Beam" lampshades just how old the concept is by having a scene where [[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} a sailor]] and [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry a cat and mouse]] cross Buttons' path chasing their own babies.
25	* In "The Sound of Warners", Dot asks, "Why don't you go bug the kids on ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop''?"
26	* In "Brain Meets Brawn", the Brain only transforms into the Hyde monster when he gets angry, much like ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk''.
27	* In "Hello, Nice Warners", after the Warners reluctantly agree to star in Mr. Director's movie, [[AsideComment they remark to the viewers,]] "[[Film/TheFly1986 Be afraid. Be very afraid.]]"
28	* 'Woodstock Slappy' riffs relentlessly on the famous 'Who's on First' vaudeville exchange popularized by Abbot and Costello.
29	* Creator/TheMarxBrothers are also given the greatest honor any comedy series can bestow on any other comedy series: stealing its jokes.
30	--> '''Dot/Chico:''' I can't think of the end of this [song/episode.]\
31	'''Yakko/Groucho:''' I can't think of ''anything else.''
32	** "King Yakko" goes one further by stealing the plot of ''Film/DuckSoup''.
33	* "Googy Goop" in the episode "The Girl With the Googily Goop", a full-on parody of the ''WesternAnimation/BettyBoop'' cartoons. She had a red nose like the Warners', but otherwise looked exactly the same as Betty.
34	* In one of the episodes featuring the Wheel of Morality, Wakko [[Series/WheelOfFortune wants to buy a vowel]] but Yakko says "wrong wheel" in reply.
35	** In "Bumbie's Mom", Skippy's bawling rocks Slappy from sleeping at the movies. Her WakingNonSequitur is "PAT! I'd like to buy a vowel!"
36	* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' seems to have been a favorite target.
37	** In "King Yakko", Belle and the Beast are seen dancing during the second instance of the "Polka Dot" RunningGag.
38	** The Rita and Runt short "Witch One" features spoofs of several songs from the movie. The Witch Hunter General who goes after our heroes is a CaptainErsatz of Gaston.
39	** Belle and the Beast also have cameos in "The Taming of the Screwy" (see above) and "A Hard Day's Warners".
40	** "Cutie and the Beast" is a WholePlotReference episode, with the Tasmanian Devil guest starring as the Beast.
41	* "Jokahontas", along with spoofing ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'', also takes pot shots at the whole Disney Princess franchise with a song titled "Just the Same Old Heroine", where Dot appears as [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jasmine]], [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ariel]].
42	* ''"[[Franchise/StarTrek Star Truck]]"'' cleverly spoofs the original television series of Star Trek. It throws in references to actual Star Trek episodes "City on the Edge of Forever", "Mudd's Women", "Spock's Brain", and "The Trouble with Tribbles", as well as three Star Trek movies, ''[[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan The Wrath of Khan]]'', ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome The Voyage Home]]'', and ''[[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier The Final Frontier]]''.
43	* The final issue of the comic book adaptation features a race car. Minerva Mink's car looks like ''[[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces the Compact Pussycat]]''; the Warner Siblings are dressed like ''Anime/SpeedRacer'', Spritle and Chim-Chim and their car looks like the Mach-5; the Hip Hippos are driving a parody of ''Film/TheLoveBug''; and Skippy and Slappy are in ''[[Series/TheDukesOfHazzard General Lee]]''.
44	** As another reference to ''Wacky Races'', Minerva wonders if the sponsor is Brad ''Pitt-Stop''.
45	* in ''A Quake'', Yakko references ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}'' and it's narrative catchphrase verbatim "This is the city: Los Angeles, California..."
46	* There are a few full-on segment parodies of Broadway shows:
47	** "West Side Pigeons": ''Theatre/WestSideStory''
48	** "Les Miseranimals": ''Theatre/LesMiserables''
49	** "Pigeon on the Roof": ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof''
50	* The Goodfeathers are NoCelebritiesWereHarmed parodies of Creator/RobertDeNiro (Bobby), Creator/JoePesci (Pesto) and Creator/RayLiotta (Squit) in ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}'', while the Godpigeon resembles Creator/MarlonBrando in ''Film/TheGodfather''. Pesto's RunningGag of [[ComplimentBackfire mistaking Squit's innocent remarks and compliments for insults]] is a parody of Pesci's "What do you mean I'm funny?" scene in ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}'' – in "Bad Mood Bobby" he even says "You think I'm funny?" Also, their theme song is a parody of [[Music/DeanMartin ''That's Amore''.]]
51	** The cartoon "Raging Bird", fittingly starring Bobby, is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/RagingBull'', with shout outs to ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' and ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'' too. Bobby's trainer Max is an owl {{Expy}} of ''Film/{{Rocky}}'''s Mickey.
52	** In "Goodfeathers: The Beginning", when Bobby and Pesto are walking down the street together at the beginning, Pesto says [[Film/MidnightCowboy "I'm walkin' here!"]] and Bobby says [[Film/TaxiDriver "Are you walkin' with me?"]]
53	** "The Boids" revolves around the Goodfeathers acting as stunt-birds in ''Film/TheBirds'', complete with a caricature of [[Creator/AlfredHitchcock the real film's director]] and appearances by Creator/TippiHedren and Creator/AnthonyPerkins too. Bobby also says [[Film/TaxiDriver "Am I talkin' to me? Am I talkin' to me?"]] when he gets knocked silly in one scene.
54	* The Rita and Runt cartoon "Of Nice and Men" is a loose WholePlotReference to ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen'', with a cameo appearance by Lennie and George as portrayed by Creator/LonChaneyJr and Creator/BurgessMeredith in the 1939 film version. Also, when Runt sings a cheesy lullaby, Rita remarks "It's a cartoon! What d'ya expect? [[Creator/StephenSondheim Sondheim?]]" (This doubles as an ActorAllusion, since [[Creator/BernadettePeters Rita's voice actress]] is famous for her Sondheim roles.)
55	* In "Windsor Hassle", when Prince Edward dances ballet, he exclaims "[[UsefulNotes/ElizabethII Mummy]], look at me! I'm Papageno in ''Theatre/TheMagicFlute''!" (FridgeLogic: ''The Magic Flute'' is an opera, not a ballet.)
56	* In "Meet Minerva," a fly that looks like Creator/SpikeLee buzzes [[Film/ShesGottaHaveIt "Please, baby! Please, baby!"]] when he sees Minerva. Then, when Newt the Dog sees her for the first time and does a WildTake, he manifests a '50s suit on himself and exclaims "Ooh, baby, that's what I like!" quoting Music/TheBigBopper's "Chantilly Lace" – Minerva does the same thing in the end when Trudy's sexy cousin shows up.
57	* "Le Bouton et le Ballon" is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/TheRedBalloon'', with Mindy chasing a red balloon through Paris. It also includes cameo appearences by Literature/{{Madeline}} and by the Warners [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame dressed as hunchbacks, ringing the bells of Notre Dame and shouting "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"]]
58	* Baloney the Dinosaur, is, of course, a parody of [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney.]]
59	* "Of Course You Know, This Means Warners!"(the title is a riff on a catchphrase WesternAnimation/BugsBunny borrowed from the Creator/MarxBrothers) is itself a full-on parody of classic [[WartimeCartoon World War II Cartoons]], with Yakko, Wakko and Dot helping the war effort at home. At one point, J. Edgar Hoover gives them medals for their efforts.
60	-->'''Yakko''': [[Film/TheWizardOfOz Hey, Lookit my medal, it says "Courage"! Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth?"]]
61	* The skit "HMS Yakko" is a glorious AffectionateParody of Creator/GilbertAndSullivan's works ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance'' and ''Theatre/HMSPinafore'' (complete with a MajorGeneralSong {{parody}}).
62	* The ''Pinky and the Brain'' short "Yes, Always". Creator/MauriceLaMarche has admitted that the Brain's voice was mainly inspired by Creator/OrsonWelles, and he used the infamous "Frozen Peas" audio (where Welles got frustrated over the writing and directing of a commercial for which he was doing a voice-over) as a sound check. The aforementioned short centered on the Brain doing commercial voice-overs. Guess where 99% of the dialogue came from?.
63	* From the 2020 revival:
64	** A poster of Ralph the bodyguard starring In a ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' parody.
65	** Chicken Boo's portrayal in the revival, involving kidnapping and taxidermying people and considerably more BodyHorror, echoes the eldritch fear god known as The Stranger from the horror podcast ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'', a series which, amusingly, featured a recurring villain who would disguise itself as various people and cloud the minds of those around it to prevent them from noticing except for one single person at a time who would notice that their acquaintance had been replaced.

Context ShoutOut / Animaniacs