Four Horsemen of the Apopcalypse – Pop culture references in The Colbert Report: October 12-15, 2009
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Welcome to No Fact Zone’s weekly roundup of cultural references on The Colbert Report. From Darcy to Danger Mouse, String Theory to Shakespeare, we’ve got the keys to this week’s obscure, oddball, and occasionally obscene cultural shout-outs (hey!).
Hey Zoners! Another break, too soon, too soon! At least we had a great week of shows leading into the break. Personally, I’m looking forward to the Fangirl Suit Report, for recaps of all the ludicrous costumes. I so want a Rapture Helmet! Kudos to the editing team for that hilarious Money Shot segment, too. Have a favorite joke or reference this week? Post it in the comments! (* = TCR/TDS link)
Monday: War of Peace
“It was the brilliant idea of dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel. Fun fact, he also coined the phrase ‘And boom goes the dynamite’”
Poor Brian Collins, he had no idea he was headed for internet fame when, as a college freshmen, he agreed to fill in for the regular sportscaster on his campus news station. Teleprompter malfunctions, inexperience, and nerves left Collins fumbling painfully for words, and saying “boom goes the dynamite” to describe a dunk shot. The video became an internet sensation, and the phrase popped up everywhere, including The Family Guy and Will Smith’s 2009 Ocscars presentation. We do love an epic fail, don’t we (the agony of defeat!)?
“In fact, last week an international poll was released that showed that thanks to Obama, America is now the most popular country in the world. Either that, or they’re just setting us up to pour pig’s blood on us.”
America as Prom Queen, that’s nice. “Stephen” would surely be her date – * or possibly he’d be Queen? In the 1976 horror film Carrie (based on a Stephen King novel) , Sissy Spacek plays a misfit teen with psychic powers. In a cruel scheme, classmates rig the prom voting, kill a pig, drain its blood, and then arrange for the blood to be dumped on Carrie just as she is crowned Prom Queen. But with her telekinetic powers and a bad attitude, Carrie does get her revenge.
Tuesday: Intro & The Wørd – Symbol-Minded
“Now I’ll never be able to deep-fry a merman.”
You just know that * Chuck Noblet would have done it if he could ever find a Fry Poppa big enough.
“You will be avenged, Archduke Ferdinand! What, we were on the other side? You had it coming, buddy!”
How would you like your life’s legacy to be as the person whose assassination led to the outbreak of a World War and the eventual death of some 16 million people? On the one hand, you’re famous worldwide. On the other, dead. Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and a cascade of allied countries were drawn into the conflict, culminating in the outbreak of World War I.
Wednesday: Pat Roberts Warns Against Health Care Box Canyon & The Obesity Epidemic
“I am angrier than an Eskimo. Because I have 300 words for Snow, and I can’t say one of them on TV.”
Did you know Eskimos have over 15,000 words for snow, and English doesn’t even have one? Check out the 5/7/2009 (Thursday) Apopcalypse for a peek into the the story behind this myth.
“Evidently Ralph Lauren has started making clothes for Pez dispensers”
Highlighting important issues in the fashion industry? No surprise – Stephen’s always been * a bit of a fashion hound. As if model Fillippa Hamilton isn’t thin enough at 5′10″ and 120 pounds, the Ralph Lauren advertising folks decided she needed to be put on a digital diet. The resulting photoshop disaster was skewered by Boing Boing (who graciously thumbed their noses at the resulting take-down notice from Lauren), among others. Even worse, Hamilton claims she was fired from her job at Ralph Lauren for being too fat to fit into sample clothes. Well, duh, with a head bigger than your pelvis, how are you ever going to pull a sweater on?
“Well, folks that is tonight’s show. If you liked it, you shoulda put a ring on it.”
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1 Comments
October 16th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I was fortunately watching with someone who could explain the Carrie reference to me on Monday. I knew it was an image I’d seen before and should have recognized, but I didn’t know it was that specific movie. I got boom goes the dynamite from that night, though, so I guess I’m just too internetty.
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