Let's Go to the Hop
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“Let's Go to the Hop” | |
---|---|
Family Guy episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 7 |
Guest stars | Gregg Allman |
Written by | Matt Weitzman and Mike Barker |
Directed by | Glen Hill |
Production no. | 2ACX04 |
Original airdate | June 6, 2000 |
Episode chronology | |
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"Road to Rhode Island" | "Dammit Janet!" |
List of Family Guy episodes |
"Let's Go to the Hop" is an episode from the second season of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. Guest starring Gregg Allman as himself and Tara Reid as Connie D'Amico.
[edit] Plot summary
Lois and Peter become concerned when a toad-licking problem arises in school. After finding a toad in Chris's pocket they suspect him, but then they discover that Meg was holding the toad for one of the popular kids in the hope that doing so would secure her a date to the Winter Snow Ball. Peter talks about his nervousness when he first asked his high school crush, Phoebe Diamond, to the prom. Later, Lois and Peter decide they need to do something to protect their kids from this drug problem. So, Peter talks with Meg's principal about it and arrives at school the next day as "Lando Griffin," an undercover student.
Before long, Peter (as Lando) actually succeeds in convincing the kids at James Woods High that it's not cool to lick toad. Meg, seeing an opportunity, tells the cool kids that Lando has asked her to the Winter Snow Ball, which immediately increases her popularity. Meanwhile, Peter seems to be enjoying his "high school" experience and persona a little too much. In fact, when Meg shows up at school on the day of the big dance, she is stunned to learn that "Lando" is, in fact, going to the Winter Snow Ball with Connie, a member of the popular clique.
Lois can't believe Peter's preposterous behavior until Brian explains that Peter has transferred his feelings for his old crush, Phoebe, onto Connie. Against Lois's wishes, Peter sneaks out to go to the dance. Lois encourages Meg to go to the dance by herself. When Peter (as Lando) and Connie are crowned king and queen of the Winter Snow Ball, Peter uses the opportunity to tell the crowd that Meg was really his first choice as a date for the dance, which gets Meg lots of the attention she was seeking. "Lando" then drives recklessly off into the night, never to be heard from again.
[edit] Notes
- While some toads do produce venom that can cause a psychoactive effect (see psychoactive toad), merely licking the toad would not likely produce a strong effect. Also, there is no actual species of toad called the “Colombian Spotted Toad”; this toad was deliberately made up with a fictional effect being given when licked.
- At the beginning of the episode the two parachuting Colombians speak ungrammatical Spanish with Korean subtitles. The first Columbian says, "If the boss finds out, we're dead." The second asks, "Did you remember to close the garage door this morning?"
- When Meg is in her room with both her parents, being scolded about being in possesion of a toad, the sky outside the windows denotes a mid-day lighting. When the "reference" to the judges' acceptance ceremony is over, however, night has fallen.
- At the end of the episode, the flagpole outside James Woods High School is flying the American flag at half mast, in memory of the "deceased" Lando Griffin.
[edit] Cultural references
- The title is the refrain to the 1957 rock and roll hit "At the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors.
- The effects of toad licking cause one of the teenagers to “finally get” Aaron Sorkin’s cult television show Sports Night; “it’s a comedy that’s too good to be funny,” referring to the show’s complex but dry humor.
- Ironically, Sorkin was arrested a year later for possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
- The Griffins watch a Doublemint Gum commercial featuring conjoined twins, a parody of the brand’s commercials featuring identical twins.
- A slang term for licking toads is "Doing Kermit", a reference to Kermit the Frog.
- The anti-toad licking public service announcement parodies a classic Tootsie Pop ad.
- In a cutaway to "the good old days" of public education a girl correctly recites the quadratic formula, causing the class to deem her a witch and stone her. This is a reference to the Salem witch trials and the atmosphere of sexism and paranoia that facilitated it.
- Lando fakes his way through saying slang terms, one of them being "Poppin' Fresh", a reference to Pillsbury.
- Peter attempts to imitate Happy Days character Fonzie by saying the catch phrase “Aaaay” and pounding on a juke box in order to get it to start. However, it doesn't work, and in his second attempt, he breaks the jukebox, causing glass shards to get stuck in his hand. A similar gag appeared on The Simpsons, only it took one blow from Homer Simpson's fist to bust the glass; he shortly after began to succumb to severe blood loss.
- When Peter goes to detention, he exclaims, “Holy crap! It’s the Breakfast Club!" However, instead of the gang from the 1985 teen movie, he sees several breakfast cereal mascots including Toucan Sam, Tony the Tiger, the Trix Rabbit, Lucky the Leprechaun, and Cap'n Crunch. Tony The Tiger's line about how his dad gave him cigarettes for Christmas is similar to Bender's line in the film about how his father gave him cigarettes, except "a banner fuckin' year" was changed to "a banner freakin' year" and the "They're Grrr-eat!" line was added.[1]
- Peter spray paints "Thompson Twins Rule" on a school wall, referring to a 1980s new wave band. This is also a reference to the opening credits of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Will Smith is spray-painting an "F" on a wall and a cop catches him, with Will getting out of being blamed by pointing out the "F" was already on the wall and he was using the spray-paint can as a can of spray-on deodorant.
- The song "Give Up The Toad Now" is based off of "You're The One That I Want" from the 1978 film Grease.
- Peter resolves to "fight for my right to party," referencing the Beastie Boys' 1986 release “You Gotta Fight for Your Right (To Party)”.
- Peter's sneaking out of his room is a parody of Fast Times at Ridgemont High's Stacey sneaking out of her house, with the soundtrack featuring a ripoff of Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby", which featured in the original movie.
- “Lando” says goodbye to his classmates saying "I will ride recklessly into the night, and up Dead Man's Curve," parodying the ending of the 1982 movie Grease 2.
- The ending of the episode mirrors the ending of The Breakfast Club, even the song “Don't You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds.
[edit] References
- S. Callaghan, "Let's Go to the Hop." Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1-3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 86 - 89.
- A. Delarte, "Nitpicking Family Guy: Season 2" in Bob's Poetry Magazine, 2.May 2005: 20 - 21 http://bobspoetry.com/Bobs02My.pdf
Preceded by "Road to Rhode Island" |
Family Guy Episodes | Followed by "Dammit Janet!" |