NationStates Jolt Archive

Plenty of TV shows and movies, especially those whacky kind of fun shows I love to watch, are chock full of references to other whacky kinds of fun shows; sometimes they're minute and hidden in large heaps of dialogue, other times they're in prime focus. Normally it's not a problem, normally it's wonderful 'cause I get the references and laugh heartily at the witty remarks, but what do you do when you just don't get the reference (Apart from go on-line and bitch about it, I mean)? You know they're referring to something, whether it's how they said whatever they said or what happened when they did, and you know it's probably a good reference, too ('Cause you wouldn't watch a show that had bad references), but try as you might you just can't figure out what the heck they're talking about.

It hit me over the head a few days ago when I was rewatching one of those glorious shows from my youth, that fantastical CGI geek-fest ReBoot. You remember ReBoot, the worlds first CGI TV show, out and wonderful before Toy Story hit it big on the big-screen and taking the "living in a computer" scenario to a level Tron never dreamed of (Although that's not me knocking Tron in any way, any villain who's later co-oped as Moses is definitely Grade-A Awesome). Last week I downloaded the series in its entirety and watched it through the whole way, giggling the entire time (The show simply rocks, just as much now as when I was eight....Jesus, I was eight when this show premiered), and got to "The Episode With No Name," which, as its name implies, was chock-full of Leone references (There was a standoff that Honest-to-God could only have been better if Eli Wallach had made an appearance). Howevere, there's this one line that I know is some sort of reference, some sort of nod to another media (ReBoot is chock-full of references to every genre and decade of TV and film like you would not believe; one episode had Enzo wardrobed as Michael Jackson, Dot doing a full-on Morticia Addams/Elvira cameo, and even the Best Damn Ash Williams representation you will ever see), but I can't figure out what the heck they're trying to say. It's said twice, both times by characters "trapped" by hostle forces who they're about to royally mess up: "Do your drones have personality chips?" (The second time was a slight modification, "He was wondering if your done has a personality chip"). The "drones" are little robotic combat thingies that, once the character in charge of the drones responds "no," are promptly blown to the smithereens (Actually, the second time the drone turned tail and ran away after the question was asked, but you know what I mean). The line is clearly a reference to something, you can tell by the way it's said, but for the life of me I can not figure out what that is.

What do you do when you hit this point? How do you react when you hear something which you know you should understand, but you just don't get? How can you finally put it behind you and get some sleep, 'cause it's just driving you nuts!?!?!?

Of, if anybody does know that reference, I'd appreciate a hint.

Google it. It's what I do on the rare occasion I don't get a reference.

Hard-to-find movie references kill me. Google handles most of them, and IMDB.com's "movie connections" link helps sometimes, but on other occasions, you're out of luck until you can remember yourself.

One that got me recently was a t.v. show that used a harmonica riff that woke up my memory immediately, but not enough so that I could place the music. It took me two days to remember where I'd heard it: the dancing chicken tune from the end of "Stroszek". Most of you will know what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUcTvhyof8I

Imagine having *that* in your head for two days until finally placing it. :tongue:

I don't understand how you can recognise something as being a reference if you do not know what it is a reference to.

I usually get stumped by any reference or comparison to "Gilligans Island".....

I usually get stumped by any reference or comparison to "Gilligans Island".....

Okay Skipper!

Maybe a reference to Data of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes dealing with his "brother" and a personality chip? Not to mention I believe the chip is noted in a couple of the Star Trek movies as well.

I dunno. First thing that came to my mind tho.

I don't understand how you can recognise something as being a reference if you do not know what it is a reference to.Have the never watched family guy? That show is nothing but. But also I think the OP means that sort of deja vu feeling. Have the ever bumped into someone and recognized their face, but known where you know then from -- I think that's what the OP means though.

I usually end up ignoring references I don't get as I've usually forgotten them by the end of the show, otherwise google is your friend. The exception is when it's when you recognize a song... that can be mind shatteringly annoying.

Plenty of TV shows and movies, especially those whacky kind of fun shows I love to watch, are chock full of references to other whacky kinds of fun shows; sometimes they're minute and hidden in large heaps of dialogue, other times they're in prime focus. Normally it's not a problem, normally it's wonderful 'cause I get the references and laugh heartily at the witty remarks, but what do you do when you just don't get the reference (Apart from go on-line and bitch about it, I mean)? You know they're referring to something, whether it's how they said whatever they said or what happened when they did, and you know it's probably a good reference, too ('Cause you wouldn't watch a show that had bad references), but try as you might you just can't figure out what the heck they're talking about.

It hit me over the head a few days ago when I was rewatching one of those glorious shows from my youth, that fantastical CGI geek-fest ReBoot. You remember ReBoot, the worlds first CGI TV show, out and wonderful before Toy Story hit it big on the big-screen and taking the "living in a computer" scenario to a level Tron never dreamed of (Although that's not me knocking Tron in any way, any villain who's later co-oped as Moses is definitely Grade-A Awesome). Last week I downloaded the series in its entirety and watched it through the whole way, giggling the entire time (The show simply rocks, just as much now as when I was eight....Jesus, I was eight when this show premiered), and got to "The Episode With No Name," which, as its name implies, was chock-full of Leone references (There was a standoff that Honest-to-God could only have been better if Eli Wallach had made an appearance). Howevere, there's this one line that I know is some sort of reference, some sort of nod to another media (ReBoot is chock-full of references to every genre and decade of TV and film like you would not believe; one episode had Enzo wardrobed as Michael Jackson, Dot doing a full-on Morticia Addams/Elvira cameo, and even the Best Damn Ash Williams representation you will ever see), but I can't figure out what the heck they're trying to say. It's said twice, both times by characters "trapped" by hostle forces who they're about to royally mess up: "Do your drones have personality chips?" (The second time was a slight modification, "He was wondering if your done has a personality chip"). The "drones" are little robotic combat thingies that, once the character in charge of the drones responds "no," are promptly blown to the smithereens (Actually, the second time the drone turned tail and ran away after the question was asked, but you know what I mean). The line is clearly a reference to something, you can tell by the way it's said, but for the life of me I can not figure out what that is.

What do you do when you hit this point? How do you react when you hear something which you know you should understand, but you just don't get? How can you finally put it behind you and get some sleep, 'cause it's just driving you nuts!?!?!?

Of, if anybody does know that reference, I'd appreciate a hint.

Heheh what I find funny about this post is the length of it all asking what do you do when you don't get a referance?

Bloody hell man, you simply ask! And then say 'ohh shit yeah I never saw that'

I usually get stumped by any reference or comparison to "Gilligans Island".....
The whole of Farscape elude you, then?

It's not a reference to something in particular. Earlier in that particular episode, if memory serves, Turbo and Enzo (Matrix) had asked the villian of her drones had personality chips, when she answered no, they blew them away. A "personality chip" being, essentially, sentience and conciousness. As in, these drones have no personality or conciousness, so we don't feel bad for obliterating them.

So later in the episode when the dog (Frisket) growls and Andraia translates as "he's wondering if your drones have personality chips", it's not a refernce to anything outside, but an internal reference to the previous scene, with the implication of "because if not, he's going to eat them".

The drone (presumably which DOES have one) realizing the implication, runs away.

I don't have that problem. You see, I don't have any type of television in my errr... humble crapshack.

sure SOUNDS like a referance to cyrus cybernetic's genuine people personalitites, ala doug adams hitchhiker's guide et al.

sure SOUNDS like a referance to cyrus cybernetic's genuine people personalitites, ala doug adams hitchhiker's guide et al.

except that i would guess that that itself was a nod to earlier works