Season 5 · Episode 12 · 1997
The Zoo Story
22 cultural references across 10 categories.
Film
5Rosemary's Baby
A 1968 horror film directed by Roman Polanski about a woman who suspects her unborn child may be the spawn of Satan.
“And Rosemary's Bebe.”— Frasier
Terms of Endearment
A 1983 Academy Award-winning film directed by James L. Brooks, starring Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger.
“A Pregnant Pause: Roz Doyle's Term of Endearment.”— Bebe
Charles Bronson
American actor known for starring in tough-guy action films, particularly the Death Wish vigilante franchise.
“I popped in the tape, and there was Charles Bronson blowing away street trash, but I actually got into it.”— Niles
My Dinner with Andre
A 1981 film directed by Louis Malle, consisting almost entirely of a conversation between Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn over dinner.
“that's the way Duke and I felt about "My Dinner With Andre." Talk about suspense! Will they order dessert? Will they leave a good tip?”— Martin
Nosferatu
A 1922 German Expressionist silent horror film directed by F.W. Murnau, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula featuring the vampire Count Orlok.
“You've never seen such cold, dead eyes! It was like bargaining with Nosferatu.”— Gil
Food/Dining
1Historical Figure
1Literature
1Music
2Oscar Hammerstein
Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) was a legendary American lyricist and librettist, known for musicals such as Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, and South Pacific.
“No, Niles, because he loves the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein!”— Frasier
Zither
A stringed musical instrument, flat and typically placed on a table or lap to be played, associated with European folk music.
“She pulled me down upon the bed and began playing my spine like a zither.”— Niles
Mythology/Religion
2666
The Number of the Beast, associated with Satan in the Book of Revelation in Christian scripture.
“Still 666, is it?!”— Frasier
Mormon
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Christian denomination founded by Joseph Smith in 1830.
“Well, when there's a dirty job to be done, you can't go wrong with a Mormon.”— Bebe
Other
5Meals on Wheels
A charitable program that delivers meals to homebound individuals, typically elderly or disabled people.
“I was making my last Meals on Wheels delivery and I swerved to avoid a pigeon.”— Ben
Mrs. Pavlov
fictionalA reference likely evoking Ivan Pavlov, the famous Russian physiologist known for his work on classical conditioning.
“cook some more borsht for Mrs. Pavlov”— Ben
Birds of Paradise
A tropical flower (Strelitzia) known for its striking, colorful appearance resembling an exotic bird.
“Birds of Paradise, I suppose that's her idea of floral irony.”— Niles
Howdy Doody
A popular American children's television show (1947-1960) featuring a freckle-faced marionette character known for his wholesome, naive demeanor.
“Well, it's your own fault for hiring Howdy Doody as your agent!”— Martin
Mouseketeer
A member of the Mickey Mouse Club, a Disney TV show featuring young, wholesome performers; used here to suggest someone naive and amateurish.
“Are you sure you want to send in that Mouseketeer?”— Martin
Philosophy/Psychology
1Theatre/Opera
2David Mamet
American playwright, screenwriter, and director known for his sharp, profanity-laden dialogue in works such as Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo.
“I walked out on that Mamet play, I can walk out on you.”— Ben
The Zoo Story
A one-act play by Edward Albee, first produced in 1959, about a chance encounter between two men on a park bench in Central Park.
“The Zoo Story”— Frasier
Travel
2Puget Sound
A complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways in the U.S. state of Washington.
“you'll be doing fog reports from a lighthouse in Puget Sound!”— Bebe
Salt Lake City
The capital of Utah, known as the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).
“Turns out Mr. Twembly and I both sang tenor for the same choir back home in Salt Lake City.”— Ben