The ClueFinders 3rd Grade Adventures: The Mystery of Mathra - Cultural References and Parodies

Cultural References and Parodies

The game contains a number of parodies of and allusions to popular culture and other topics. These include:

• A "flower" living in the Goo Lagoon speaks with a Cockney accent and says "I'm a good girl, I am", referencing My Fair Lady.
• The name "Goo Lagoon" is a play on the Blue Lagoon.
• "Monquistador" is a play on "conquistador". The leader of the monkeystadors is named "Vasco da Bongo" in reference to Vasco da Gama.
• The "Rings of Fire" are a play on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a line of active volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean.
• The monster Mathra is a parody on Mothra from Toho Studios and Godzilla's films.
• The Four Flowers at Goo Lagoon resemble the four members of The Beatles. One wears glasses that resemble those worn by the Beatles guitarist John Lennon. The shortest flower has a deeper voice, making him easily recognizable as the drummer Ringo Starr, because he was the shortest member of the group and had a deeper voice than the other three. The rounded flower barely talks which resembles George Harrison, because he was the most quiet member of the group. They also all talk with a Liverpool accent that the Beatles talked with. They also performed parodies of several Beatles songs including "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite."
  • The game credits refer to these plants, as well as the other denizens of the Goo Lagoon, as "Livergooligans," a play on the word "Liverpooligan." This is another allusion to the Beatles.
• In the Lost City, one of the guardians speaks like Rod Serling of the Twilight Zone, and uses quotes such as "Picture as you will."
• The ancient inhabitants of the Lost City are called the "Numerians" which is a reference to the Sumerians.
• The monkey queen, Queen Itchabella is a reference to Queen Isabella.