Filthy Lucre (Californication) - Cultural References

Cultural References

• Karen tells Hank her favorite authors are Virginia Woolf, Martin Amis, and Charles Bukowski. Karen can later be seen reading Bukowski's book, Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, The Line, The Way: New Poems. Hank Moody, Duchovny's character, is based on Charles Bukowski's literary alter ego Henry Chinaski.

• Charlie says that after his spin job, the public won't be able to tell whether Hank's next book is "a piece of shit" or "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius," which is the name of a Dave Eggers book. To this, Hank replies "There's a difference?"

• Hank tells Karen "Words are all I have left to play with", quoting Humbert Humbert, the protagonist of the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. In addition, when asked to describe his new novella, he calls it "a modern-day answer to Lolita". He then says Becca should put on her best frock, a more subtle reference to the novel.