Half-Decent Proposal - Cultural References

Cultural References

The title, as well as the episode's premise, is based on the 1993 drama film Indecent Proposal and follows the story of the film loosely. The channel BHO is a reference to the real-life television network HBO. Moe's line "He is like a spy in the house Moe" is based on the Doors song The Spy from the Morrison Hotel album. The ball in Ziff's manor points back to a scene in the season 2 episode "The Way We Was", in which Marge danced with Ziff. Believing that Marge and Ziff will get married, Homer says that he'll "never be born", a line from Back to the Future. Comic Book Guy has several items of merchandise from the Star Wars franchise in his room, including sheets, pictures and a Jar Jar Binks doll.

In the video that Homer recorded for Marge, Homer holds two toys. The one in his left hand is a "Funzo", a fictional toy which first appeared in the season 11 episode "Grift of the Magi." The fictional area of "West Springfield" is modeled after the American state Texas. The scene in which Homer and Lenny are travelling to West Springfield is a reference to the last scene in the 1969 drama film Midnight Cowboy. The music heard during the scene is also made to resemble the theme from said film. The scene in which Homer and Lenny are working in an oil rig is a reference to the 1970 film Five Easy Pieces.