Bye Bye Birdie (musical) - Cultural References

Cultural References

• "We Love You Beatles" was a 1964 spoof song by The Carefrees based on "We Love You Conrad".
• "Put on a Happy Face" has been used in various television commercials, including for Wal-Mart in the 2000s for an advertising campaign with its smiley logo. The song was used in the 1970s for a Kool-Aid commercial featuring a very young Jimmy Osmond, a 1980's ad for Windex spray (Put on a Windex shine) and in a cold sore medicine commercial. Instead of "Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up", the jingle ran, "Cold Sores Are Gonna Clear Up...".
• On the BBC television program Keeping Up Appearances, the song is used as dance music in the Christmas episode, "Sea Fever", aboard the QE2 when Hyacinth Bucket finds out that her brother-in-law Onslow won a cruise from horse racing. Wal-Mart used the song "How Lovely to be a Woman" in a 2009 commercial. The advertisement showed women using various make-up and cosmetic products.
• A parody of Bye, Bye, Birdie was done in the animated TV series Home Movies in the fourth episode of the fourth season, called "Bye Bye Greasy". The episode involved the main characters directing and performing in a school play named Bye Bye Greasy. The plot of the play featured a mix of other works including Grease, and Rebel Without a Cause.
• The song "Kids" was covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks for the episode "A Rash of Babies" from their TV series.
• The song "A Lot of Livin' to Do" plays on the radio in the car in the beginning of the film Secondhand Lions.
• An episode of One on One, Duane Knox announces, "It's bye bye, birdie!" when the mascot for the Baltimore Orioles intercepts a jersey that Cal Ripken throws at him.
• In an episode of The Golden Girls, Rose brings home a chicken who plays the piano. When Rose says, "He takes requests," Blanche replies with, "How about 'Bye Bye Birdie'".
• An episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, "Birdman of Boston", Mr. Moseby is annoyed by a hawk circling the hotel and announces "That's it! After tomorrow it's bye, bye birdie!" Then, the hotel's restaurant host, Patrick, pops up and says, "Oh! I love that musical! Like when the kids are on the phones in the squares".
• In Nancy Drew Notebook #67, the "Eric Stanley fan club" sings the song "We Love you Conrad"" while substituting Eric for Conrad.
• An episode of the British TV series Are You Being Served?, "The Punch and Judy Affair", the characters take their closing bows during the credits to a rendition of the song "Kids".
• An episode of Mad Men, "Love Among the Ruins", references Ann-Margret's performance of the title song.
• An episode of The Simpsons, "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken", features a musical number in the tradition of the song "Kids".
• An episode of Family Guy features the Paul Lynde character of Harry McAfee in a brief scene.
• In the Gilmore Girls episode "Lost and Found", Jess is mocking about the "I’ve been pinned’ Bye, Bye, Birdie kind of implication" Rory's bracelet has. She had gotten it from her boyfriend Dean (on which Jess is jealous) and from that moment, they later say, they were a couple.
• A cartoon version of US President Barack Obama plays the song "Honestly Sincere" while dressed as Conrad Birdie in an episode from the ninth season of Family Guy, entitled "New Kidney in Town".
• The Family Guy episode We Love You, Conrad takes its title from the song in Bye Bye Birdie.
• In the final episode of Seinfeld (The Finale Part 1, aired May 14, 1998) as Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are walking to their prison cell to begin their one year incarceration Cosmo Kramer suggests that, "We could put on a show - maybe 'Bye Bye Birdie' or 'My Fair Lady'. Elaine, you could be Liza Doolittle!" The suggestion is immediately shot down by Elaine as she replies, "Why don't you just blow it out your ..."