Pop Culture References

Pop Culture References

NOTE: The references encompassed in the Music section are not repeated here.

Check here for a list of the pop references in the foreign translations.

The 80's are alive when you're watching 'Misfits of Science' – the music, the fashions, the 'we can accomplish anything' attitude. It's hard not to be nostalgic for the era. And what an era it was, too. 1985... The episodes are further drenched in the culture of their time thanks to all the pop culture references placed throughout them (the majority in TV-watching Billy's off-the-cuff dialogue). Here's a bingo list of both: references that evoke the 80's, and the hip, name-dropping ones. There are probably ones I've missed, but I'll be happy to include any that someone spots.



3 Days Of The Condor

Episode's parody title of 'Three Days Of The Blender'.

(17)
The Ascent of Man

Anthropology book by Jacob Bronowski, in the stack of books El carries for Deanna.

(05)
Adam Ant

Inner from Adam Ant's 1983 album 'Strip' on bulletin board by Miss Nance's desk.

(05)
Albert Einstein

El's nickname when he was infiltrating the L.A. Wolves.

The Fly: "Look, I swallowed too much junk from you Einsteins already!"

(14)
Alexander The Great

Alt El: "Great. Now he's Alexander Hayes."

(15)
Amelia Earhart

Beef's demands.

Billy (because of Beef's demands): "That was the year Amelia Earhart disappeared."

(01-02)
Apollo space program

Harry: "I did it. The eagle has landed."

(04)
Arnold Schwarzenegger

TRIVIA:Kevin Peter Hall would later work with Arnold in 'Predator' in 1987.

Johnny B: "Thinks she's Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Johnny B: "Yo, Ahnold."

Bessie: "Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Bessie: "Guess Arnold feels like a ninety-eight pound weakling again, too."

Johnny B: "You'll always be Arnold to me."

(08)
AT&T

Billy: "Well, I think AT&T had a better idea, but... we communicated!"

(05)
AT&T

Johnny B: "Great. 'Reach out and bug someone'. Let's give Jasper a taste of his own stuff."

(17)
Beverly Hills

Montage of Rodeo Drive and other streets, showing shops, including: Gucci, Hermes, Cartier, Chanel, Tif (Tiffany & Co.), David Orgell, Fred, Diamonds on Rodeo, Il Fornaio - bakery & pasta, and Mr. Guy.

(03)
Big Boy

Billy: "I voted to save Big Boy."

(11)
Black September Organization

Newscaster: "...but an unnamed source in the Pentagon believes that the Misfits of Science pink and black uniforms tie them directly to the rose red and black colors of the dreaded Black September Organization."

(01-02)
Bo Diddley

Gina: "...does a fair Bo Diddley imitation..."

(06)
Bob Dylan

Working title to "Sort of Looking for Gina" was "Subterranean Homesick Blues".

(06)
Boy George

Name of the lab mouse is 'Boy Charles'.

El: "'Boy Charles' was Billy's idea. Look, I told him you were a girl, but he's into this gender-bender thing."

(08)
Bruce Springsteen

TRIVIA:Courteney Cox was in the 1984 music video for 'Dancing in the Dark'.

Johnny B: "Is Springsteen 'The Boss'?"

(01-02)
Bruce Springsteen

Cusak: "It's okay, it's okay. We'll work on the Springsteen concert."

(08)
Cabbage Patch dolls

Billy: "Is she looking a little Cabbage Patch to you these days?"

(04)
Carmen Cavallaro

Link walks over Carmen Cavallaro's star on Hollywood Boulevard.

(05)
Chuck Berry

Billy: "I can only take so much Chuck Berry, okay, El?"

Billy: "I mean, forty-six straight hours of—of C the B is—is a little intense..."

Billy holds up 'The Great Twenty-Eight' cassette, a 1982 hits compilation.

Billy: "It’s— Look, it’s—it’s Chuck’s greatest hits. Is that cool or what?"

(01-02)
Chuck Norris

Dickie: "So, this babe starts looking at this guy like he's Chuck Norris, or something."

(15)
Count Floyd

Billy: "Ooh, really scary, kids."

(06)
Cyndi Lauper

Mr. Kovich: "Hey, and I hear Cyndi Lauper's out there scouting out the local talent."

(16)
Dairy Queen

Billy: "Well, after those burgers, anyone feel like cruising for a Dairy Queen?"

(08)
Dallas

TRIVIA:'Dallas' was on the competing network, opposite MoS.

Part of the "mindless images and random noises" used in the test: "You can forget it, J.R. I'm not leavin' Southfork."

(10)
Dance Fever

Harry: "Too 'Dance Fever'. Please!"

(04)
David Lee Roth

TRIVIA:Before MoS, Mark Thomas Miller had worked as a bodyguard for Van Halen and operated an afterhour club in Hollywood owned by David Lee Roth.

Billy: "Turn 'em into zombies, or really bad David Lee Roth imitations."

(08)
David Letterman

Billy: "We got, uh, we got 'Letterman'."

(05)
Days of Wine and Roses

Production title to a (presumably never-filmed) script is 'Days of Wine and Protest'.

(--)
Deely Bobbers

Gloria wears a pair at the dinner with Harry.

(04)
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

Episode's parody title of 'Sort Of Looking For Gina'.

(06)
Disneyland

Billy: "You got your airlines. You got, uh, you got... Disneyland."

(01-02)
Dolly Parton

Picture shown on monitor during test with Lonnie.

(10)
Don Ho

Billy: "...and I got all Don Ho's hits – I bought all of his greatest hits..."

(06)
Doug Henning

Billy: "But, you know, man, if you want just some sort of Doug Henning kind of, you know, clap your hands, he reappears... You got it."

(12)
Dr. Frankenstein

Sonny: "I'm playin' 'Ghostbusters' with a couple of Dr. Frankensteins!"

(14)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Use of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", which was iconically used in the 1964 movie.

(01-02)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Working title of "Fumble on the One or: How I Recovered the Football and Almost Saved the Free World".

(09)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (1982)

Billy: "Richard, turn your back on E.T.?"

Kelp: "What is this, 'E.T.'?"

(04)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (1982)

Billy: "I mean, look, what's female? What's male? I-I cried at 'E.T.' I watch 'Donahue'."

(17)
Eliot Ness

Billy: "It’s alright, really, because, well, I happen to be a-a very close and personal friend of—of Eliot Ness, and—"

(04)
Elvis

Johnny B's costume and Elvis voice in Billy's wrestling nightmare.

(16)
Eskimo Pies

Billy: "I am supposed to be his manager, ya know. I should arrive with him. Not with a bunch of Eskimo Pies. It's humiliating."

(14)
Eugene McCarthy

Harry's robot: "Hello, my name is Eugene McCarthy. Would you like some coffee?"

(04)
Eveready batteries

Billy: "Eveready good."

(06)
Fidel Castro

Newscaster: "Speculation that the Misfits of Science are backed in part by Castro is apparently running rampant in Washington."

(01-02)
Flipper

Billy: "No, like Flipper!"

(07)
Fred Astaire

Johnny B: "The guy's a regular Fred Astaire!"

(05)
General Sherman

El: "That's what General Sherman said in downtown Atlanta."

(10)
Ghostbusters (1984)

TRIVIA:Tartikoff says the project was inspired by the dynamics of Ghostbusters and Parriott says that's the flavor he's seeking.

Billy: "Nice shootin', Tex!"

(09)
Ghostbusters (1984)

Sonny: "I'm playin' 'Ghostbusters' with a couple of Dr. Frankensteins!"

(14)
Giorgio Armani

El: "What do you want: Giorgio Armani?"

(01-02)
Gloria Swanson

Link walks over Gloria Swanson's star on Hollywood Boulevard.

(05)
Godzilla

Billy: "...'cause we're talking an ego the size of Godzilla."

(09)
Gone With The Wind

Johnny B: "Hey, what's with Rhett Butler?"

(14)
The Gong Show

Billy: "Wrestling is to sports what 'The Gong Show' is to 'Star Search'."

(16)
GQ Magazine

Billy: "...with his GQ clothes, you know..."

(09)
Henry Kissinger

El: "Billy woke up this morning, and he thought he was Henry Kissinger."

(12)
The Hilton

Billy: "It's not exactly the Bunny Hilton, is it?"

(11)
Hollywood sign

Shown during montage.

(05)
Hulk Hogan

Billy: "But a deranged Hulk Hogan?"

(08)
I Stole A Million

Movie poster in hallway outside the lab.

Indiana Jones

TRIVIA:Only 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981) and 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984) were made at the time.

El: "One old map and now you're Indiana Hayes."

Johnny B: "And I can't believe I'm playing along with Indiana Hayes on the word of that kid."

Johnny B: "I hope you're right about this, 'Indiana Hayes', 'cause I really hate it down here."

Billy is wearing a Raiders ball cap.

Billy: "Maybe you guys were right about the Indiana Hayes thing."

Johnny B: "Looks like Indiana Hayes finally scored one."

Jane gives Billy a gift of a look-alike fedora.

(03)
The Inquisition

El: "Are you kidding? Billy, come on. It's a polygraph, it's not the Inquisition."

(17)
The Invisible Man

TRIVIA:The full name of H.G. Wells (English author of the science fiction novel) is Herbert George Wells.

Herb, one of Billy's referred-to patients, is called The Invisible Man.

The Invisible Man

Miss Nance: "Mr. Miller, The Invisible Man, called again. He said he's been in to see you six times, but you treat 'im like he's not even here."

(01-02)
The Invisible Man

Miss Nance: "Oh, The Invisible Man was here today, for x-rays. They came out blank, but we're not sure he was standing in the right spot."

(06)
The Invisible Man

Miss Nance: "Herb, The Invisible Man, called. This is his seventh day at the tanning salon, but he can't tell if it's working."

(07)
Iwo Jima

Announcer: "The Marines may have succeeded at Iwo Jima, but they have failed to breach the security at the military test site."

(01-02)
J'accuse

Billy: "I'm reading one now, about this, um, hot tub salesman that gets framed as a spy. It's called 'J'acuzzi'."

(17)
James Bond

Billy: "Hey, goodnight to you, too, Odd Job."

(17)
Janis Joplin

El: "And there's only so much Janis Joplin and outer space and robots you can talk about before you just have to draw the line."

(04)
Jaws

Billboard to the ride at Universal, seen in background.

(05)
Joe Montana

Billy: "We're talking Joe Montana and the floating pocket here."

(09)
John Candy

Billy: "...you'll start looking like John Candy here."

(08)
John F. Kennedy

Photo on bulletin board by Miss Nance's desk.

John F. Kennedy

Photo Nikolai shows little Tatyana.

Excerpt from Kennedy's 1963 speech in Berlin, played in Berlin scene at beginning.

Nikolai: "He was an American. John Kennedy."

Nikolai: "It's not what your country can do for you..."

(12)
Johnny B. Goode

Johnny B's stagename of 'Johnny B'.

All
Johnny Carson

Billy: "We can do 'Carson'."

(05)
Johnny Mathis

Johnny B: "The Johnny Mathis of safecracking."

(14)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Billy: "And that you made Kareem look like an old lady with a bladder problem."

Billy: "Listen, Kareem doesn't have Glo, alright?"

(14)
Ken Doll

Billy: "Ken's jogging suit, El?"

(01-02)
Ken Doll

El: "Malibu Ken."

(07)
KISS

Miss Nance: "I learned to do this when I dated KISS."

(12)
Kreskin

Billy: "What's that make me, Kreskin?"

(10)
Lassie

Johnny B: "What, like Lassie?"

(07)
London Philharmonic

Johnny B: "What d'you have in here? The London Philharmonic?"

(06)
Madonna

Johnny B: "Madonna to Mantovani."

(04)
Madonna

Deejay: "For the record collection and the car, just state the last five Madonna songs we played, in order."

(07)
Mafia Princess

TRIVIA:This TV movie actually did air on January 19th 1986 – the month before this episode of MoS.

Billy: "I mean, I never even watched 'Mafia Princess' last month."

(16)
Magic 8-Ball

Lonnie uses one.

(10)
Mantovani

Johnny B: "Madonna to Mantovani."

(04)
Masters Of The Universe

TRIVIA:The live-action movie wasn't made yet, not until 1987, but it did have Courteney Cox in it coincidentally.

Billy: "We're talking Masters of the Universe with a severe case of cabin fever!"

(08)
Mata Hari

Billy: "We're talking about the guy's daughter here. Not Mata Hari."

(12)
Miami Vice

TRIVIA:'Miami Vice' was in the timeslot directly after MoS on NBC.

Billy: "See, this is the one that those vice cops drive on TV."

Billy and El's get-ups.

El: "After you, Doctor Crockett."

Billy: "After you, Doctor Tubbs."

Billy: "What would Sonny Crockett do in a situation like this?"

(07)
Michael Jackson

TRIVIA:The Michael Jackson doll appeared in stores in May 1984 and there was a 'Thriller' outfit to go with it.

El's outfit.

Johnny B (seeing El's outfit): "Michael Jackson?"

(03)
Michaelangelo

Alt El: "Hey, Michaelangelo. Do you mind?"

(15)
Mighty Mouse

Billy: "I mean, Mighty Mouse is one thing, okay?"

(08)
Mission: Impossible

Billy: "Anyone else feel like Peter Graves?"

(09)
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Johnny B: "And I'll go pay a visit to Mr. Rogers' neighborhood."

Billy: "Mr. Rogers is just gonna be a number in his new neighborhood."

(16)
Moses, the parting of the Red Sea

Gloria parts the sprinklers.

Johnny B: "Man, Moses ain't got nothin' on you."

(14)
Mother Goose

Code name of the missile.

(04)
Mr. Clean

Dickie: "What are you, the black Mr. Clean, or what?"

(15)
Mr. Coffee

Billy: "El, have you paid a second visit to Mr. Coffee?"

(10)
Mr. Coffee

Billy: "But I'm telling ya right now, you better keep an eye on your Mr. Coffee."

El: "That's Comrade Coffee to you."

(17)
Mr. Potato Head

Narrator: "Mr. Potato Head led Billy outside to the yellow turban on the patio."

(09)
Mr. Potato Head

Two volunteers are playing with ones in a lab experiment.

(11)
Ms Magazine

Parody magazine Miz in end credits.

(01-02)
National Geographic

El: "I read that. National Geographic I think it was."

(05)
Ouija board

Miss Nance is using one when the phones aren't working.

(17)
Pac-Man

Arcade machine Mob crony is playing.

(16)
Pan Am Airlines

Billy: "Pan Am just bought a first class upgrade."

(14)
Paul Harvey News

Dick: "Excuse me. Do you think that, maybe, you could get Paul Harvey and the news?"

(05)
PBS

Harry (referring to classical music coming from radio): "Too PBS."

(04)
Penthouse Magazine

Dickie: "I read in Penthouse magazine how dreams is actually like secret messages from people's brains."

(15)
Pepsodent

Billy: "...and his Pepsodent smile."

(09)
Phil Donahue

Billy: "We can do like the 'Donahue' thing."

(05)
Phil Donahue

Billy: "I mean, look, what's female? What's male? I-I cried at 'E.T.' I watch 'Donahue'."

(17)
Philadelphia Story

Jaye: "'Philadelphia Story'! I like that one."

(13)
Playboy Magazine

Parody magazine Partyboy in end credits.

(01-02)
The Police

Gina holds up The Police's 1978 'Outlandos d'Amour' album.

Gina: "Could you buy me Sting instead?"

Gloria: "Bit too hard to get through Sting, huh?"

(06)
Poseidon Adventure

Billy: "I'm sorry, the guy's a disaster, okay? We're talkin' 'The Poseidon Adventure'."

(14)
Princess Caroline

Billy: "I mean, now I've heard of Princess Caroline..."

(13)
Princess Diana

Billy: "..I've heard of Princess Diana."

(13)
Psycho

The wrestler who fights Milt is named 'Bates Motel'

(16)
Ray-Ban sunglasses

Johnny B's band name, 'Johnny B and the Ray Bans'.

Gina: "Johnny Bukowski, Johnny B, used to play with the Ray Bans..."

(06)
Ray-Ban Wayfarers

Johnny B's everpresent shades.

All
Reagan & Gorbachev

Caricatures in final scene.

(17)
Richard Nixon

Picture hanging in lab.

Richard Nixon

Billy: "Anyone ever tell you, you look a lot like Richard Nixon?"

(12)
Richard Nixon

Billy: "Why don't we just re-elect Nixon. Huh?"

(14)
Robert DeNiro

Pusher: "Yeah, man, I'm Robert DeNiro."

(05)
Rod Stewart

Johnny B: "Rod Stewart's place had more class."

(14)
Rodney Dangerfield

Dick: "No respect. I feel like Rodney Dangerfield."

(15)
Rolling Stone Magazine

Parody magazine Roving Stone in end credits.

(01-02)
Rolling Stones

Billy: "Richard, the only secret I know about is between Miss Nance and the Rolling Stones. And if they're interested in that stuff..."

(12)
Scarface (1983)

Billy: "First I find out the girl of my dreams is playing house with Scarface."

(07)
Shamu

Billy: "I mean, Jane's looking like a blonde Shamu."

(04)
Shape Magazine

TRIVIA:Courteney Cox was later on the cover of Shape magazine in 1989.

Parody magazine Shapely in end credits.

(01-02)
The Six Million Dollar Man

TRIVIA:James D. Parriott (creator of MoS) was writer and producer on 'The Bionic Woman'.

Brick Tyler is 11.4 million dollars bionic.

The bionic sound when Brick is running.

(09)
Slinky toy

Gloria is playing with one on the stairs.

(07)
Slinky toy

There's one in the lab on the tray full of non-metal items.

(11)
Slinky toy

Alt Billy: "Did we ever have a Slinky toy in the lab?"

(15)
Snickers candy bars

Billy: "Quick, get out the Snickers."

Jane: "The Snickers?"

Billy: "You forgot the Snickers?!"

Beef is given frozen Snickers bars to eat.

(01-02)
Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs

Milt: "Yeah. Did you hear the one about the Seven Dwarfs?"

(16)
Sony Walkman

Gloria: "I brought your Walkman."

(06)
Spam

Billy: "...an-and some of the ones with the little squiggly Spam stuff on top."

(06)
Sports Illustrated

Billy: "That's it, El. I'm canceling Sports Illustrated."

(14)
Stargate

Arcade machine of the 1981 game.

(17)
Star Search

Billy: "Wrestling is to sports what 'The Gong Show' is to 'Star Search'."

(16)
Star Trek

Picture of the Enterprise on the lab's bulletin board.

Star Trek

TRIVIA:'Star Trek: the Next Generation' hadn't yet aired, not until 1987.

Josh: "I mean I really want them to find me in there on the starship Enterprise, right?"

Billy: "We're talking major breakthroughs. We're talking to 'go where no man has ever gone before'."

Bobby: "Is Captain Kirk under siege by the Klingons?"

Harry: "What would Captain Kirk say? 'Beam me aboard, Scotty'."

(04)
Star Wars

Josh: "Well then, what's he doing in there looking for Wookies?"

(04)
Steven Spielberg

Kelp: "A Steven Spielberg production."

(04)
Sting

Tough little kid: "Hey, are you Sting?"

(16)
Superman

Billy: "Okay. Someone wanna show us where the kryptonite is?"

(08)
Tarzan

Johnny B: "Jane, Tarzan. The original."

(05)
Terminator

TRIVIA:'Terminator II' (1991) wasn't filmed yet, only 'Terminator' (1984).

Billy: "...and then I'm just going to drop it off with the Terminator over there."

(05)
Thompson Twins

Billy: "Glo, you wanna release the Thompson Twins and let's go?"

(01-02)
The Three Musketeers

Gloria: "It's this family thing: 'One for all and all for one'."

(01-02)
The Three Musketeers

Alt Billy: "We were a team. We worked together. 'One for all, all for one'."

(15)
Time Magazine

Parody magazine Timely in end credits.

(01-02)
Tina Turner

Billy: "Will a Tina Turner Fan Club card do?"

(01-02)
Tina Turner

Johnny B: "Can Tina Turner sing the blues?"

(08)
The Twilight Zone

Angel: "Oh, man. I think I seen this on 'The Twilight Zone'."

(03)
Vanity

El: "My choice, was 'Vanity'."

(08)
Watergate

Gloria: "I'm reading about Watergate in school, Billy."

(09)
We Are The World,
1985 charity single and album

Billy: "I mean, I bought 'We Are The World'."

(11)
Wilt Chamberlain

Strickland: "You, 'Wilt the Stilt', this entire flaky program are out the door."

(01-02)
The Wizard Of Oz

Episode's parody title of 'Against All Oz'.

Alt El: "Then why don't you just go back to sleep, and click your heels three times, and maybe you'll wake up in Kansas with Toto in your arms."

Alt Billy (to audience): "There's no place like home."

(15)
Woodstock

Poster in Harry's garage.

(04)
 

There's a row of photos, in the convenience store, that look to be promo photos for other TV shows on the air in '85. The two on the right: David Hasselhoff ('Knight Rider') and Michael Landon ('Highway to Heaven').

(01-02)

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