Lisa The Greek - Cultural References

Cultural References

"Lisa the Greek" references both the Super Bowl and the National Football League (NFL). The episode aired only a few days before Super Bowl XXVI, and correctly predicted that the Washington Redskins would win the game. When a repeat of the episode re-aired the following year only days before Super Bowl XXVII, the staff redubbed the episode to mention the Dallas Cowboys instead of the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys won, making the episode accurate once again. It has continued to be accurate in later years when it has been redubbed, and Jean commented that he would always bet against Lisa's predictions, causing him to think "Why didn't I take Lisa's advice?" when he lost. As Lisa studies football at the Springfield library, she goes through the card catalog and finds an entry on Phyllis George, an American sportscaster. The title of the episode is a reference to the American bookie and sports commentator Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. The Duff Bowl advertisement that airs during the Super Bowl halftime show is a reference to the Bud Bowl advertisements for Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser family of beers.

In addition to the football references, the episode parodies the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. Homer tells Moe, who keeps his wallet in his shoe, "I used to hate the smell of your sweaty feet. Now it's the smell of victory," a play on a line from the film. In a commercial for his new television show, celebrity Troy McClure says that he plays "Jack Handle, a retired cop who shares an apartment with a retired criminal. We're the original Odd Couple!", referencing the television show The Odd Couple. When Marge and Bart goes shopping at the mall, Marge tries on a bottle of perfume by Meryl Streep. The perfume is called Versatility and the bottle is shaped like an Academy Award. The Globe and Mail's Liam Lacey commented on the similarities between the 2009 film Imagine That and this episode in a review of the film. He said the "message in each case is about the dangerous confusion of love and money. Naturally there's a turning point where the child begins to wonder whether her father really loves her or just her profitable talent."