Flaming Moe's - Cultural References

Cultural References

The basic premise of the episode is similar to the film Cocktail. Several references are made to the sitcom Cheers. Collette the waitress is a parody of Cheers character Diane Chambers, and the "theme sequence" for Flaming Moe's, is a direct parody of the famous Cheers theme. Barney Gumble is given a Norm Peterson entrance. Aerosmith sings "Walk This Way" in Moe's Tavern and "Young Lust" during the closing credits. When Homer reveals the secret of the "Flaming Moe", the scene has many parallels to The Phantom of the Opera including Homer standing high up in the roof, covering half of his face. The scene in which Professor Frink analyzes a "Flaming Moe" is an homage to The Nutty Professor. The scene where Bart runs away from Lisa and her friends makes reference to the Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest. Lionel Hutz says that a drink can not be copyrighted, citing the "Frank Wallbanger case of '78". This refers to the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail. Near the end of the episode, several bars with names similar to "Flaming Moe's" can be seen. This parodies Ray's Pizza in New York City where dozens of individual establishments have similar names.