Season 9 · Episode 4 · 2001
The Return of Martin Crane
14 cultural references across 5 categories.
Fashion
1Film
2Mrs. Doubtfire
A 1993 American comedy film starring Robin Williams as a father who disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children after a custody ba…
“Niles: Yes, but you're forgetting that the next night, we rented "Mrs. Doubtfire," which was definitely a "you" movie.”— Niles
Tampopo
A 1985 Japanese comedy film directed by Juzo Itami, often described as a 'ramen western,' focusing on food culture and culinary art.
“Daphne: Except they didn't have it, so we rented "Tampopo," which I believe we found in the "you" section.”— Daphne
Historical Figure
2Declaration of Independence
The 1776 founding document of the United States of America, declaring independence from Britain, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson.
“People have written the Declaration of Independence on a grain of rice!”— Frasier
Rockefeller
Reference to the Rockefeller family, particularly John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest Americans in history, used here to imply extravagant spending.
“Victoria's Secret? Whoa, whoa, Rockefeller, I'm talking Kmart!”— Kenny
Music
5Wedding March
A well-known piece of music traditionally played at weddings, most commonly referring to the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin or Mendelssohn's Wedding Marc…
“From Tom's end comes the sound of the "Wedding March" being played.”— Tom
Billy Joel
American singer-songwriter and pianist known for hits like 'Piano Man,' 'Uptown Girl,' and 'Just the Way You Are.' One of the best-selling music artists of all …
“Daphne: Oh my God, tickets to the Billy Joel concert!”— Daphne
Mongolian throat singing
A traditional form of singing originating in Mongolia (and other Central Asian cultures) where the singer produces multiple pitches simultaneously through speci…
“Niles: Yes... tickets to the Mongolian Music Festival? That's four solid hours of throat singing!”— Niles
Everly Brothers
An American rock and roll duo consisting of brothers Don and Phil Everly, known for their close harmony singing style in hits like 'Bye Bye Love' and 'All I Hav…
“Martin: Kind of like the Everly Brothers.”— Martin
Piano Man
A 1973 hit song and signature tune by Billy Joel, about characters in a bar listening to a piano player. Also used as Billy Joel's nickname.
“Niles: He's the "Piano Man."”— Niles
Other
4Kmart
An American big box department store chain known for affordable, budget-friendly merchandise.
“Kenny: Victoria's Secret? Whoa, whoa, Rockefeller, I'm talking Kmart!”— Kenny
NPR
National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit media organization known for its news, cultural programming, and intellectual conten…
“And we listened to NPR on the way there and on the way back, don't think I didn't notice that.”— Daphne
Korean War
The 1950-1953 conflict between North and South Korea in which the United States was a major participant. Martin references being shipped off to Korea as a soldi…
“Martin: Oh, enough with the pictures! People didn't make this much fuss when I shipped off to Korea!”— Martin
Berber carpet
A type of carpet characterized by its looped pile construction, originally associated with the Berber people of North Africa, popular in home flooring.
“Martin: Fine, then I hope your Berber carpet is waterproof.”— Martin