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)