Pop Culture References

'This list is outdated, but still contains spoilers''. Proceed at your own risk!'''

Many, if not most or all, of Daniel's writings contain some amount of pop-culture references. For the moment, these only cover the original Azumanga Who, and then only to the production of Doctor Who or general references to various things (and even then it's only through Episode 27).

So if you've ever wondered "What does that refer to?", here you go.

Episode 1
- Howlaround effects were used in opening sequences of Doctor Who, especially the Third Doctor era (1970-73).
 * "Time flies, I suppose - or perhaps it swirls like a howlaround effect." -Narrator Daniel

Episode 2
- The traditional grocery store mishap, where a person (usually a janitor) is sent to clean up an accident.
 * "Cleanup on Aisle 3!" -Daniel

Episode 3
- As mentioned at the beginning of Episode 4, this is from the 2007 ABC game show National Bingo Night, where the Hindu judge would say "NOOOO BINGOOOO! Play still on!"
 * "NOOOO DRINKOOOO! Soberness still on!" -Daniel, smiling, to Yukari Tanizaki

Episode 4
- Said after he laid out the rules for stories with him and his girls; refers to numerous Public Service Announcements.
 * "And now with that little...Public Service/Covering-Up-My-Buttocks-From-Getting-Hurt Announcement out of the way..." -Daniel, to the camera

- Intended to be the original Doctor Who theme.
 * "Boo dum-dum-dum dum-dum-dum dum-dum-dum dim-dah-dum...dum-dum-dum dum-dum-dum dum-dum-dum dim-dah-dum...de-duh-le-do de-duh-le-do de-duh-le-do DIN-DIN...de-de-duh-le-doooooooooooo...WAAAA...eeee-oooooo....ah-ah-ooh...deeeee-doooo..." -Daniel's attempt at...er, "singing"

- This and the conversation afterwards are based on a character from the anime Cromartie High School who shoved a fistful of pencils into his mouth at least once.
 * "The train trip was fine but there were some scary-looking students from some high school named "Cromartie"...one guy was eating sharpened pencils - point first - like they were pizza sticks..." -Narrator Daniel

- The following sequence is of various Who toys.
 * "Oh...just some toys I bought on my Summer vacation." -Soval Yoccm, to Daniel

Episode 5
- Phrase frequently spoken by Bob Barker, former host of The Price Is Right, as a throw to commercial. Possibly spoken outside Continuity.
 * "More, more, more I say! -Daniel, before the story

- All those sports players, most notably baseball players, who used steroids to score home runs.
 * "DID YOU TAKE STEROIDS?" -Yukari, to Hannah Benfield

- The slide whistle is that of Bankrupt on Wheel of Fortune.
 * "With [Yukari's] appetite you'll be bankrupt... (deep sliding whistle is heard) "Ooooo....kay." -Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara to Daniel; Daniel himself

Episode 6
- Possibly refers to Clinton's tendency not to surrender in battle, although this line is spoken outside Continuity.
 * "And if I know President Clinton, America's already lost the battle..." -Daniel, to Osaka

Episode 7
- "I Want My MTV" was the original catchphrase of Music Television in the 1980s.
 * "And I want my MTV, but I'm not going to get it by barging into someone else's house and yelling I WANT MY MTV!" -Daniel, to Yukari

- Spoof of "Redneck Dictionary" on Blue Collar TV. One segment used "Harass" in the same way Daniel uses it here.
 * "She ate a 315th slice and harass grew bigger." -Daniel

Episode 8
- Spoof of Who production codes, which didn't work that way. Amusingly, the concept is now applied to all of Daniel's writings.
 * "Oh, and for those who wish to know: this is Serial DB." -Daniel, pre-story

Episode 9
- Refers to Strong Bad Email #91 (Caffeine), in which Strong Bad's original idea for the All-Wide Science Fair (before deciding to give Strong Sad caffeine) was "the effects of gasoline...on fire". Also, Yukari gets rather upset that she wasn't invited.
 * "Alright, class...today we'll do something different...the effects of gasoline - on fire." -Daniel

- Refers to the British song "Chicken Song" (performed by the characters from the popular British series Spitting Image), which includes the lines "Throw a chicken in the air", "stick a deck chair up your nose", and "pretend your name is Keith".
 * (throws a plastic chicken upward and sticks a dollhouse-type beach chair in her nose) "Ah'm Keith!" (chicken lands in the fire) -Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga

- Last line spoken in the closing credits of The Jetsons.
 * "JANE, STOP THIS CRAZY THING!!!" -Daniel

- Refers to the film Don't Be A Menace To Society While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood.
 * I thought I had a win-win strategy...not only is she still a menace to society while drinking her beer in the hood but I'VE LOST 10,000 YEN!" -Daniel, to Minamo "Nyamo" Kurosawa

- Lines spoken by Rod Roddy on the final episode of the 1983 game show "Hit Man" in place of the Contestant Plug. Nyamo wonders what he's talking about.
 * Yukari (to Daniel) - ...Forget it.
 * Daniel (looking at his menu, mumbling) - And now back to Peter Tomarken.

- This (and the rest of the scene) talks about S. Tatus Quo, a man identified as one Daniel rather hates.
 * "Yeah...and thusly things revert back to normal thanks to Mr. S. Tatus Quo...can't say I like the guy, though..." -Daniel, to Nyamo

- First sentence refers to the whole "S. Tatus Quo" thing as an inside joke, while the last two are the chorus lines from the song "Disco Inferno".
 * Yukari - (snores) Inside joke... (snores) Take it outside... (snores) To burn, baby, burn... (snores) Disco Inferno...

Episode 10
- Refers to the final book in The Chronicles Of Narnia ("The Last Battle") in which Jill says "Get down, THEE better" followed by a comment by writer C.S. Lewis that she did it because "S" sounds are usually louder than others.
 * "I need to talk to you. Get your thithterth (sisters) up and get to the thip (Ship)." -Daniel, to Hannah

- Refers to "The Honeymooners", in which Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason) would say "BANG-ZOOM!" - usually whenever his wife Alice or neighbor/best friend Ed Norton made a fat joke.
 * "Yes, yes, I'M COMING! Waking me up, the friggin' morons...if it's Michael again going "Hey, I wanna cup of sugar!" then it'll be BANG-ZOOM!" -Daniel, as he runs down the stairs of his house

- Refer to the famous California intersection, and it also establishes that there is a realm "outside Continuity" as opposed to a single "What If?" occurrence in Episode 9.
 * "...and hence Koyomiko is here with me in my classroom on a Saturday somewhere outside Continuity on the corner of Hollywood & Vine." -Daniel, post-story

- Second sentence refers to Dennis James, who ended his shows by saying "Don't miss the show tomorrow (or "next week") 'cause if you do then we miss you."
 * "Because...we must say something to the viewers. This is Daniel Benfield saying don't miss the next Episode 'cause if you do then we miss you." -Daniel, post-story

- Reaffirms that the realm "outside Continuity" exists but also mocks the "Hollywood & Vine" intersection.
 * Daniel (post-story, to Nyamo) - What did she do, tell EVERYBODY? (mumbling) Boy, am I glad this is outside Continuity...
 * Koyomiko - On the corner of...Hall-e-wood and Fine!

Episode 11
- Refers to a line in the novel "Heart of TARDIS" by Dave Stone, in which the Doctor tells Wblk that the Universe can look after itself for a change.
 * "As time passed, I put the TARDIS out of my mind... Yes, I was still the Doctor but I was busy in Tokyo - as I once said to a man supposedly smarter than I, "The Universe can look after itself for a change"." -Narrator Daniel

- The rest of the spiel is a reference to the semi-sitcom Soap.
 * "Next time..." -Announcer, post-story

Episode 12
- Refers to the mostly dreck that both Disney and Fremantle have made (especially High School Musical and Temptation).
 * "Now, if you don't want to behave yourselves and do that I will - without a second thought - submit you to the worst kind of torture that's not made by Disney or Fremantle...YOMI WILL SING...Don't make me subject us all to that kind of surprisingly-not-made-by-Disney/Fremantle torture and have her sing, okay?" -Daniel, to a group of hecklers

- Refers to the tagline of the Palm Beach Zoo.
 * "Come see what's new at the Tokyo Zoo!" -Daniel, post-story

Episode 13
(NOTE: This particular Episode consists of spoofing classic Christmas carols.)

- Refers to the author's personal complaint that only 26 episodes were made of Azumanga Daioh.
 * "And then I wonder "Why the crap did you only make twenty-six Episooooodes?" -Daniel


 * End of the Episode mimics the final scene of St. Elsewhere, which suggested the whole series took place inside Tommy Westphall's mind. As mentioned in the following Episode, the whole thing was simply "a complicated reference hardly anybody would get" (that Who and Elsewhere are connected through several other shows).

Episode 14
- The following conversation takes place on the spaceship Red Dwarf (from the TV show of the same name) and features appearances by all five main cast members. Red Dwarf is also considered to be part of the "Westphall Universe".
 * Yukari - We don't know what he likes or dislikes, Nyamo.
 * Nyamo - ...For once you're making sense, Yukari. Maybe I should call him... (pulls out her cell phone and begins to dial)
 * Yukari - (snatches away the cell phone) I'LL call him! (presses random numbers)

Episode 15
- This and the beginning of Episode 16 refer to Episode 10 of Azumanga Help Desk, where Kimura did the same thing.
 * Koyomiko (pre-story) - Carrot cake! (runs a finger along it and eats the icing) Yummy!
 * Daniel - Made from real carrots!
 * (the top of the cake pops open...and Kimura begins to sing) HAPPY SIXTH EPISODE TO YOU! HAPPY SIXTH EPISODE TO YOU!

Episode 16
- See the entry on the previous Episode.
 * Hannah (pre-story, to Daniel) - I STILL don't know how he managed to hide in a cake I MADE FROM SCRATCH!
 * Daniel - Contaminated that thing...wearing nothing but a... (shudders) thong. Introduce the next Episode - I gotta wash these images out of my head...

- Long reference to both the song She Loves You and a spoof played on The Dr. Demento Show (two lines after this, Daniel states that he was getting tired of the double reference anyway).
 * "She loves you... Yeah? Yeah...yeah... She loves you... Yeah? Yeah...yeah... She loves you... Yeah? Yeah...yeah... And wants you to be hers..." -Yukari, Daniel, Osaka; Yukari, Daniel, Osaka; Yukari, Daniel, Osaka, Yukari

- "Come and knock on our door" is a line from the theme music of Three's Company.
 * "I see...well, I shall see you later, then. Come and knock on my door when you want to look at the cherry blossoms. Good day." -Daniel, to Nyamo


 * The "poem" Daniel reads is a modified version of the 1970s novelty song Who Is The Doctor, sung by Jon Pertwee against a version of the classic tune.

Episode 17
- Refers to the scene itself (a doppelganger of Yomi) and a piece of paper found in a casket nearly stolen from the archival vaults of Gallifrey in The Infinity Doctors.
 * "I hope this teaches people stuff... I don't know WHAT, exactly, but I think I know WHO...or OHM... Depends on how you hold it..." -Daniel

- Refers to the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
 * "So I have gaps in my memory and I'm in a building in the middle of nowhere with no way to get up, down, or out ... So when in the middle of nowhere, I should do what the...Middle-of-Nowhereans...do." -Daniel

Episode 18
- The fact that Daniel, when writing this Episode, had to look up the word "turbulence". In other words, Daniel admits that he didn't know what it meant.
 * Chiyo Mihama - Miss Osaka, turbulence is nothing more than an instability in the atmosphere that disrupts the flow of the wind to cause gusty and unpredictable air currents.
 * Daniel (low voice) - Encarta World English Dictionary (C)1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation, all rights reserved.

- Refers to both the rapper 50 Cent and Homestar Runner character Coach Z, who mispronounces "job" as "jorb" in A Jorb Well Done.
 * "Herez fiddy sent...ged a...jorb...kicks." -Yukari, to Rebekah Benfield

- This, and the rest of the scene, refer to the CBS series Pee-Wee's Playhouse, which had the "secret word" as a gimmick.
 * Daniel - Down, out, and should be sinking in the Sea Of Japan right about now with an anvil tied to her boobs-
 * Tomo Takino - AHHHHHH!!!
 * Yomi - WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!?
 * Tomo - That's the special word. When you hear it, scream real loud!

- Refers to the "Weird Al" Yankovic song The Saga Begins.
 * "A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... - Oh, sorry...wrong...copyright-brand...thingy." -Daniel, talking in a poem style

- The following four scenes spoof game shows on at the time period this story was currently in, along with Daniel's hatred of Bob Barker.
 * Yukari - Show us another continent!
 * Daniel (sighs) - Didn't I just... Ah, whatever, I can try... (adjusts the travel settings and sets in a destination)

Episode 19
- Refers to the fact that the Seventh Doctor was called "Professor" by Ace.
 * (switches to a white background with Daniel in the second outfit worn by his seventh incarnation on the right-hand side holding a stick; The math problem appears in black, followed by it being personified: the math symbols and "X" remain as they are, but the numbers are played by Yomi, Chiyo, and Osaka...) -Narrator

- The scene (a dream by Daniel) is based on the "everybody's dead" fanfiction "Raspberry Heaven, I'm Coming Back To You".
 * (high on the rooftop of a building, Osaka stands in crutches on the edge while holding onto a pole) -Narration

(the Valeyard falls forward, dead; The black shadow grins) - The end of Daniel's dream refers to the Doctor Who Unbound story "He Jests At Scars...", which asked the question "What if...the Valeyard had won?"
 * Valeyard - You make an intriguing servant, Susan...
 * Black Shadow - Thank you, master...
 * Black Shadow - Now I rule the Multiverses! The eternal city of Chronopolis is MINE!

Episode 20
- Refers to Kagura being the head of the Army in Azumanga Politburo, written by Slightly Askew.
 * Hannah (about Kaorin while inside Osaka's mind) - I'd expect her to be in charge of the Army...
 * Daniel - No, that's Kagura.

- Another example of how much Daniel can't stand Barker.
 * Kaorin (to President Chiyo) - You have ended world hunger, solved the energy crisis, mass-produced water-powered cars, ended the war, and have silenced the elderly crusader who wanted to "have your pets spayed or neutered".
 * Daniel - HA!

- One of the few references made within this story to the internal "Doctor Who" universe that are obscure enough to merit a good explanation: Summer appeared in "Wonderland", the seventh Telos Novella which featured the Second Doctor plus Ben and Polly. Near the end of her life, Summer is found by the Fourth Doctor and goes off with him. Summer evidently left at some point and moved to Tokyo (since the TARDIS never landed in Tokyo before this adventure).
 * Woman (runs up to Daniel) - Oh, it's YOU!
 * Daniel (turns around) - May I help you?
 * Woman - Oh...you're not who I thought you were... (bows) My apologies. (runs off)
 * Yukari - Who was she?
 * Daniel - ......................Summer?

- Refers to both the song Close To You ("Why do birds suddenly appear...every time you are near? Just like me...they want to be...close to you") and a song in Episode 13 (which took place completely in the Realm of Possibility).
 * "Why do turds suddenly appear...every time I eat here... Wait a minute...this isn't Britain! Am I in Apocalypto Wonderland?" -Possibility Daniel

- Refers to a common line in "Pinky And The Brain", in which Pinky (the dumb one) would usually say the second line.
 * Hannah - Hmm... (her face suddenly lights up with an idea and she smiles) Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
 * Daniel - I think so, my child, but nobody sells underwear in THAT size.

Episode 21
- Refers to the film "This Is Spinal Tap".
 * Hannah (pre-story) - THIS...IS...SPINAL TAP! (hoots and applause) SETTLE DOWN!

- The "Darrin Syndrome", in which an actor in a series is replaced without explanation - the namesake example being the replacement of Dick York with Dick Sargent in the role of Darrin Stevens on Bewitched. Shortly after York left the show but before Sargent took his place, Darrin was frequently referred to but never present on-screen.
 * "Probably in the TARDIS working on getting rid of those ROP patches - that's what father called the Realm of Possibility - but I must say I know how Dick York felt..." -Hannah, to Chiyo

- Line from the Partridge Family song I Think I Love You.
 * "I think I love you...but what am I so afraid of?" -Nyamo, whispering

- Refers to "Pokemon". In fact, when greeting Mayaa later, Osaka says - ''Hi, Pikachu! Pika-pika, huh, chu?''
 * Osaka - It's nice that Pika Meow-Meow came here...
 * Chiyo - It's not Pika Meow-Meow.
 * Osaka - Huh? Pika...Pika...Meow? Pikka? Pie-ka? Pee-ka...chu?
 * Hannah - I'm not touching that reference with a ten-foot pole.
 * Osaka (smiling) - Pikachu! PIKA-PIKA!
 * Yomi (clasping Osaka's mouth) - SHUT UP OR WE'LL GET SUED!

- Kashyyyk: "Star Wars" planet that debuted on the 1978 "Holiday Special". The "white soldiers" are Stormtroopers, "their black-clad master" is Darth Vader. A Stormtrooper's helmet, when turned upside-down, looks like a smiling face.
 * Rebekah - Kashyyyk...
 * Sarah Benfield - Len'coz'tran'eg II... (turns to Rebekah with a look of wonderment) Kashyyyk?
 * Rebekah - Remember? Those white soldiers and their black-clad master? Remember Daniel turned one of those white helmets around and it made a happy face?

Episode 22

 * The majority of the Episode is based on the Gerry Rafferty song Baker Street, reflected in the ROP scene.

- Refers to the fact that Mew is a Pokemon and is thusly a copyrighted character. He is also pink, which is typically the colour associated with male homosexuals.
 * "You know, I think Mr. Benfield may need a friend right about now, Miss Tanizaki - I suggest you help him in his time of need. Says the big gay talkin' lawsuit waitin' to happen!" -Mew, then Yukari

- Reference to both the theme of The Greatest American Hero ("Believe It or Not") and a mangled version of the spoof "sung" by George Costanza on an episode of Seinfeld.
 * "Buh-lieve it or not Daniel's not at home; Please leave a message af-ter-the-beep. I must be gone or else I'd answer the phone - Where could I be-ee? Believe it or not - I'm not home." -Daniel, on the TARDIS answering machine

Episode 23
- Intended reference to the short-lived FOX series Parker Lewis Can't Lose.
 * "There's no hope for ya, Tomo...none at all. WHAT?!? TOMO TAKINO CAN'T LOSE!" -Osaka, then Tomo

- Jack Benny was usually portrayed as a stingy scrooge on his TV shows.
 * "No, sometimes father's just all Jack Benny with all the Yen he makes - which is understandable sometimes." -Hannah, to Chiyo

Episode 19.3
- Refers to the overused sitcom plot of surprise parties.
 * "...But even here I get snubbed with the stereotypical "I Gotta Do Something That's So Obviously Fake Because I'm Really Helping To Set Up A Surprise Party For You" gimmick...or IGDSTSOFBIRHTSUASPFY." -Daniel

- See previous entry.
 * "Hannah, I'm not falling for it. I've seen this one too many times - the stereotypical "I Go Inside My Ship At A Lackey's Insistence And Everybody Gets To Scare The Crap Out Of Me With A Surprise Party" gimmick...or IGIMSAALIAEGTSTCOOMWASP." -Daniel


 * The ROP scene features many real-life references to the number 20 and the date of August 23 in history.

Episode 24
- Reference to a one-off sketch in Series 2 of Harry Enfield and Chums, which parodied the then-recent casting of Paul McGann as the Doctor in the 1996 TV movie.
 * "Where's all those bleedin' Daleks? I'll exterminate youze!" -Twelfth Doctor

- Another internal universe reference that is just obscure enough to need an explanation: Dr. Kevin Vasavious and Princess Tasha were companions of the Doctor as played by Vincent Savage and David Segal in the Doctor Who Audio Dramas. Barbara Who appeared in the 1965 film Dr. Who and the Daleks, starring Peter Cushing (whose Doctor appeared in Episode 21 as Dr. Ishihara).
 * "I saw many Doctors and companions inside that dome. Some people I recognized (such as Dr. Kevin Vasavious, Princess Tasha, and Barbara Who), while others were completely new to me." -Narrator Daniel

- "BONK'D!" is a reference to "Teen Girl Squad", a series of cartoons on Homestar Runner. Strong Bad, who narrates the stories, uses words such as "BONK'D!" to describe pain.
 * (Sakaki throws the ball at Yukari, hitting her in the face; We see a "BONK'D!" graphic as she gets hit) -Narration

Episode 25

 * The scene with Osaka pushing the ball to the tune of "Katamari Damacy" refers to the series of Namco games.

- The following scuffle mirrors that seen in "The Sea Devils", a Third Doctor story (especially notable in the portion where M stabs the swords into the table and quips).
 * Master - A sword for the man I shall fight? (tosses a sword in M's direction)
 * M (picks up the sword) - Indeed. And for this I shall... (presses a button on his belt and turns into a man with blond hair and a "smoking" jacket) Fight with honour.

- The following scene plays on said game show. (So what if it wasn't on in 2002? This is Susan Wise.)
 * "This is the Moment of Truth!" -Mark L. Wahlberg

Episode 26
- Princess Leia gave a holographic message to Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
 * Daniel (snatching an item back from Tomo) - It seems to be a message... (places it on the ground) If this is a stickybun-wearing lady saying you're her only hope (taps a button on the top) I'm tossing this thing before it becomes a saga...

- The first line was seen as a challenge to Slightly Askew (who sent Daniel the note from his Tomo seen before this line and eventually wrote Azumanga Politburo: Project Alice) while the second is a reference to the song of the same name.
 * "I am reasonably certain that, unless the "People's Revolutionary Democratic Socialist Whatever-It-Is" has invented something that can travel between Universes, I doubt we'll have a problem... Besides, seventeen was a very good year." -Daniel, to Tomo

- The race, "Hannah" being like she is, and Susan's "round floating machine" all refer to the "Sonic vs. Metal Sonic" stage in Sonic CD, in which Dr. Eggman blasted away at the track behind Sonic and the loser died.
 * "As the race progressed, a thought went through my mind - I had seen this exact thing before..." -Narrator Daniel


 * The first scene with Osaka is an obvious reference to Alice In Wonderland aka Through the Looking Glass.

Episode 27

 * The very first scene, Hannah finding Death's Head, refers to a battle the machine had with the Seventh Doctor (in fact, the usage of "Dogbolter" refers to the comic Time Bomb, which had Dogbolter pay Death's Head $20,000 to steal the TARDIS and $20 to kill the Doctor).


 * In the Rebekah/Sarah scene, the fourth Inmate's speech patterns somewhat resemble Daniel's (although it isn't him).