Spuds MacKenzie - Cultural References

Cultural References

• Cincinnati Reds third baseman Chris Sabo was given the nickname “Spuds MacKenzie” by manager Pete Rose in 1988, the year Sabo won National League Rookie of the Year honors.

• The character Slurms MacKenzie (“The Original Party Worm”) from the television series Futurama is a parody of Spuds, as is Santa’s Little Helper’s stint as “Suds McDuff” on The Simpsons.

• In his late-1980s anti-“sellout” anthem, “This Note’s for You” (the title of which parodies Budweiser’s “This Bud’s for You” ad campaign), Neil Young says he “ain’t singing for Spuds” in the title track. The dog also appears throughout the music video for the same song.

• The commercial's use of skinny females as a standard of beauty inspired Sir Mix A Lot to write "Baby Got Back" in retort.

• Referenced in an episode of The Golden Girls, titled Larceny and Old Lace, which first aired in 1988.

• The song "Ice Cream" by Raekwon featuring Ghostface Killah includes a line in which Ghostface raps "If I was jiggy, you'd be spotted like Spud MacKenzie."

• The song Ring Ding by M.O.P. gives a shoutout to Spud MacKenzie

• Referenced in the Mama's Family episode "Workman's Holiday". Thelma refers to an old handmade lunchbox she created named "Binky Bunny" as "The Spuds McKenzie of his generation."

• In the Family Guy episode "A Fish out of Water", a drunk teen at a Spring Break celebration sees a dog resembling Spuds MacKenzie and is bitten by the dog after mistaking it for the Bud mascot.

• The comic Badger #39 references the then-current pit bull controversy by having Badger save a Spuds-like mascot, Buddy McBride, from a murder accusation.

• The comic Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg! volume 2, #7 briefly features a Spuds-like, surfing spokesdog named Spuzz MacFarlane, who is promptly shot by Raul, the sentient cat.

• The song "Funky Cold Medina" by Tone Lōc refers to Spuds MacKenzie (as well as Stroh's beer mascot Alex the Dog) as being attracted to Lōc's aphrodisiac-drinking dog.

• The song "Selfish" by Slum Village featuring Kanye West includes a line in which West says "I spotted her like Spud MacKenzie.

• The song "Mans Best Friend" by Ice Cube off his album Death Certificate includes a line "And I can't do that with Benji, Rin Tin Tin Or Spuds Mackenzie"

• In the Family Guy episode “Brian Writes a Bestseller,” a very old Spuds MacKenzie is portrayed to be in a reality show like Rock of Love, with a group of women told to sleep with Spuds as he lies on the couch.

• An issue of MAD Magazine in the late 80's had a study of how cultural standards are going downhill, as one example, tracing how America's favorite dog went from Lassie to Benji to Spuds MacKenzie.

• A story arc in the comic strip Bloom County involved a drunken Spuds wandering into town and causing chaos.

• In the April 19th 2012 episode "Live Ammo" of the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation," a background information sheet on a bull terrier up for adoption is noted as being the great-grandson of Spuds MacKenzie.