Lady Bouvier's Lover - Cultural References

Cultural References

The episode's title is a play on the 1928 D. H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley's Lover. Grampa is hassled twice by lawyers representing the estates of long-deceased actor Charlie Chaplin, for his "unauthorized imitation" of the bread roll dancing scene from the 1925 silent film The Gold Rush (which is in the public domain, despite intervention by the lawyers). The second time he is approached by them is after imitating singer/actor Jimmy Durante. Grampa banging on the church window while shouting "Mrs. Bouvier!", and the subsequent getaway on the bus, are references to the film The Graduate, as is the closing song, a parody of "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. Mrs. Bouvier says her friends, Zelda Fitzgerald, Frances Farmer and Sylvia Plath, were jealous of her good looks and it drove them crazy. All three women were known for having been institutionalized, Fitzgerald and Farmer for schizophrenia and Plath for a breakdown that resulted in suicide. Mrs. Bouvier's favorite tune—played during the dance at the Springfield Community Center and later by Grampa at the wedding—is Glenn Miller's song "Moonlight Serenade". The swing tune played during Mrs. Bouvier and Mr. Burns's dance is the 1936 song "Sing, Sing, Sing", written by Louis Prima and performed by Benny Goodman. Bart and Lisa sing the 1980s advertising jingle used for Armour and Company's brand of hot dogs. Everyone then sings the advertising jingle for Chicken Tonight, complete with chicken dance moves.