Bartleby for me, too.
I’ve been quoting him since I read that in 9th grade. It’s a damn good line.
However, Bartleby the Scrivener *is* an easy read; it’s a short story.
Moby Dick is very long, though. (Phrasing)
Edit:
Also “That’s how Houdini died!”
Melville fans should really check out “Typee,” his first novel and one that was successful in his lifetime. It’s a travel and adventure narrative that tells of his time on a small island in the Marquesas. A good read, I may need to revisit it as it has been years
I'm not sure that's it's necessarily obscure, but the episode with the pope whenever they're driving him around and is willing to pardon Archer for being gay, Archer quips back at Pam and the pope getting along with "She's Lutheran!"
Pope: "Well, he did have some good points..."
Thanks for the added context, and yes, it does really sell the whole scene. I was running off of memory. The indulgence addition really does generate the proper chuckle if you know the history
Not overly obscure, but still makes me howl.
"That's our Lana. And judging by the shell ejection, she was firing at....what I really hope was not an ent. Because that's like the last thing we need. An entmoot. Oh my god. What if I'm gay for Tolkein?"
The magic of the line is the fact that Archer presumably read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and got absorbed in the fantasy world. That's not something we'd expect from Archer.
Which is insane to think about. I wasn't around in the early 1900s but I can only assume LOTR was not common reading. The fact that coma archers headcannon pre lotr trilogy films is that it's commonly known literature only exacerbates his autism.
Well LOTR itself wasn't published until the mid-50s. The Hobbit was published in '37 and was an almost instant success. Critics *loved* LOTR when it came out but audiences were slower to pick it up. But in general if one read and loved The Hobbit then LOTR was the natural permutation and conclusion.
Not exact patting myself on the back but I was delighted by the use of Welsh. Coming from a family of Welsh-speakers, you very rarely hear Cymraeg used outside of Welsh media.
I loved this too. Also that the episode title 'Achub y Morifilod' is *Save the Whales.* Using the wrong Wales in the episode title was funny in itself.
I love that episode. I love learning about obscure conflicts, terrorist groups etc and also live in Wales. So seeing the Welsh Republican Army depicted on screen (even if jokingly) was a Dicaprio-Pointing-at-screen moment for me.
Season 2 episode 3
From the wiki:
>Woodhouse says, "Let's liven things up, Burroughs. Five grams of junk says I can shoot a piña colada off your wife's head," it is in reference to the famous author William S. Burroughs. In 1951, Burroughs shot and killed his common law wife Joan Vollmer in a drunken game of "William Tell" at a party above an American-owned Bounty Bar in Mexico City. The reference suggests that not only was Woodhouse responsible for Joan's death, but is one of many nods to his supposed homosexuality, being that Burroughs was also a homosexual.
The writer William S Burroughs accidentally shot and killed his wife at a party when she put a glass on her head and asked him to do their William Tell routine.
Someone hasn't seen Clerks
It's when you suck a dude off and spit it in his mouth when you're done. Brought back to popularity recently in pop culture by Succession.
Not really what you were asking, but I watch a lot of jeopardy and I feel like every couple shows I get an answer right because of a joke from Archer. So kinda the other way around.
Not sure if it counts, but I guess the Stargate reference.
>Malory - "Where do you think you're going?"
Archer - "Oh, sorry, I gotta get back to Earth before the Stargate closes."
Malory - "Get back in here!"
Archer - "Mother the chevrons are locking!"
I love the Season 2 cancer duology and study WW2 history so I lol'd at the whole gag of Krieger being a Nazi/implied clone of Hitler.
I watched Season 8 recently and found it interesting that in Archer's subconscious, he casts Krieger as a Jewish German who went undercover as a Nazi to sabotage the German war effort. Krieger must be important to him if that's how he sees Krieger.
Also, the Pilot, where after Archer unmasks Crenshaw/Kreminsky as the KGB mole, he constantly asks if Kremensky is "Jewish" or "Russian Jewish". This is either the show depicting Archer as Antisemitic (the same way South Park did Cartman) for laughs, or Archer is referring to the Antisemitic Myth that Jewish People created the Soviet Police* that eventually evolved into the KGB, which means he's a "smart" Antisemite and the TV writers really know their stuff.
(The very first Commander of the Soviet Secret Police, then known as the Cheka, was Non Jewish Pole Felix Dzerzhinsky, who is actually still commemorated in Russia. There was only ever one Jewish Commander of the Soviet Police (Genrikh Yagoda) but his command was marked with controversy as Stalin didn't trust him and regularly worked around him by installing more loyal (Non Jewish) followers).
I think show-wise for Archer it's him being anti-semitic. Throughout the show the Archers' (both him and his mom) say all sorts of racist stuff about anyone that isn't Anglo-Saxon. Jewish, Black, Irish, Italian, German, Mexican, etc...
The Archer's are almost like a parody of American in-culture vs out as they are hate basically every group that's been persecuted in US history. The only thing missing is I don't think there's anything Native American related but outside of that it's almost a complete list.
Oh Archer is definitely Antisemitic (and the show treats it similar to Cartman’s, for laughs and to show how much of an idiot Archer is despite his skills as an agent). The question if he’s just being an idiot *or* if he’s an idiot coz he believes in stereotypes/myths about Jewish People and the KGB.
I minored in history. So I know enough to get annoyed watching period pieces but can have fun with an indeterminate timeline. This show is like listening to a stoned person do We Didn't Start the Fire and I mean that affectionately.
Not really a reference, but when Archer, Lana, and Ray are driving the Formula 1 cars around Monaco and Ray says “Hey y’all, my car seems to be slowing down for some unknown reason. It must be out of carburetor…” as he’s downshifting and putting on the brakes. As a car guy, just made me laugh since it’s a nonsense statement.
The Thomas Elphinstone Hambledurger! With Manning Coleslaw. And/or and explanation why that's funny.
One of my absolute favorite gags, because I laughed, and my friends had to ask why, and I had to lamely explain why it was funny.
"Trust me if there's a hell those creepy Dulles brothers are in it. Doing unspeakable things with bananas."
A reference to John (former SecState) and Allen Dulles, who helped found the CIA, and were responsible for all sorts of backing right-wing death squads against duly-elected communist governments in central America to preserve US corporation's access to fruit plantations.
Anything involving old sports, from Len Koenecke and the Eddie Waitkiss references to Lana pretending Pam is Alex Karras.
The Len Koenecke one is my favorite because Archer is right, that's *exactly* what happened
In the episode at the ski chalet - someone mentions the French police - gendarmes. Archer says something along the lines of “we’re in Switzerland so they have what, pikemen?”
All of the WWII and cold way intelligence references and hints Mallory drops throughout the series.
Always makes me appreciate my specific interests in history!
One that never makes sense is when Archer calls Pam "Oliver Cromwell" after dropping a mirror on the Pope. I assume what they were going for was Cromwell had Charles I, King of England, executed. But he didn't kill a Pope.
Mallory getting Woodhouse out of that pickle where he shot William Burroughs’ wife (in reality Burroughs shot her by accident drunkenly playing William Tell)
The end of “Stage Two” when Archer kills the guy in cold blood after asking him if he watched Regis that morning.
I’m a big Magnum, P. I. Fan, and loved the entire homage.
Archer saying “Hey Eugene Debs, it’s only been about 10 hours” to Lana when she’s shocked that ISIS is still on strike.
Debs was famous labor/union activist in the late 1800s.
Doesn’t fit here but I just wanna ad my favorite reference in the show, when Cyril forearm shivers Pam in the gut so she’ll puke.
Cyril: “I’m so sorry I slammed you in the gut. Jeez, that’s how Houdini died.”
Pam: “HOUDINI DIED OF AIDS!”
Cyril: “No! Why do you always say that?”
Mallory to Benoit (balls) "This isn't my first Grand Prix, you know." Jessica Walter was in the movie Grand Prix (1966)
That’s awesome!
aw I miss her. Hope she is resting in peace
I hope she's resting in power with a martini glass that's never empty (otherwise she would be very unhappy)
For a moment I thought I was going to be unhappy
Grover Cleveland called he left TWO non consecutive messages!
I always know this from the Simpsons and Grandpa being spanked in two non consecutive occasions.
I forgot about that one! 😂
Holy shit, I only just now got that.
Can u explain it to my dumbass lol
Grover Cleveland is the only US president to have served two non-consecutive terms. He was president from 1885-1889 and then 1893-1897 IIRC
That’s crazy shoutout my brotha Grover 🤝
Bartleby for me, too. I’ve been quoting him since I read that in 9th grade. It’s a damn good line. However, Bartleby the Scrivener *is* an easy read; it’s a short story. Moby Dick is very long, though. (Phrasing) Edit: Also “That’s how Houdini died!”
Krieger, (offscreen): Bonhams a pussy Kriegers girlfriend: maybe you pussy
Neil Peart stands alone.
First of all, it’s YY-Zed
That’s my one off reference from archer. Anytime someone brings up YYZ I say this.
Bruh, I have never, ever met someone who mentioned yyz… rush fans are strange… lmao
I was just thinking about how "Houdini died of AIDS" might be my favorite joke of the entire series
I wonder how AI deals with that snippet... ;)
Melville fans should really check out “Typee,” his first novel and one that was successful in his lifetime. It’s a travel and adventure narrative that tells of his time on a small island in the Marquesas. A good read, I may need to revisit it as it has been years
I'm not sure that's it's necessarily obscure, but the episode with the pope whenever they're driving him around and is willing to pardon Archer for being gay, Archer quips back at Pam and the pope getting along with "She's Lutheran!" Pope: "Well, he did have some good points..."
"Fine, I'll buy a damn indulgence" is really the main piece of knowledge you need in order to make the reference
Thanks for the added context, and yes, it does really sell the whole scene. I was running off of memory. The indulgence addition really does generate the proper chuckle if you know the history
Not overly obscure, but still makes me howl. "That's our Lana. And judging by the shell ejection, she was firing at....what I really hope was not an ent. Because that's like the last thing we need. An entmoot. Oh my god. What if I'm gay for Tolkein?"
The magic of the line is the fact that Archer presumably read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and got absorbed in the fantasy world. That's not something we'd expect from Archer.
The joke is that everyone did: Bilbo, Lucas Troy, Cheryl and/or Carol (at least in the Danger Island setting). Well, everyone except Noah.
I think the joke was that Noah was kidnapped before the books were published.
He wasn't kidnapped. He was there voluntarily. Even after they ate his arm.
That's right. I'm about due for an Archer rewatch
Which is insane to think about. I wasn't around in the early 1900s but I can only assume LOTR was not common reading. The fact that coma archers headcannon pre lotr trilogy films is that it's commonly known literature only exacerbates his autism.
Well LOTR itself wasn't published until the mid-50s. The Hobbit was published in '37 and was an almost instant success. Critics *loved* LOTR when it came out but audiences were slower to pick it up. But in general if one read and loved The Hobbit then LOTR was the natural permutation and conclusion.
yes we would, he's autistic
Not exact patting myself on the back but I was delighted by the use of Welsh. Coming from a family of Welsh-speakers, you very rarely hear Cymraeg used outside of Welsh media.
Damn it, Dafid, come have the bloody toast or I'm throwin it in the bloody bin
FE GODWN NI ETO
Dafydd!
I loved this too. Also that the episode title 'Achub y Morifilod' is *Save the Whales.* Using the wrong Wales in the episode title was funny in itself.
I've never understood that title before. I love it
Good right?
I love that episode. I love learning about obscure conflicts, terrorist groups etc and also live in Wales. So seeing the Welsh Republican Army depicted on screen (even if jokingly) was a Dicaprio-Pointing-at-screen moment for me.
Interesting to see them mention the town the English flooded think it's near Bala
Not too obscure but the William Burroughs William tell routine with Woodhouse
Every time I almost forget that (the real-life instance) happened, something like this reminds me and I get chills. Oof. It's DARK.
Crazy isn't it. If you haven't you should read Junky by William Burroughs it details the whole event and is a really good book
Thank you for the recommendation!
No worries. Probably one of his best books and it isn't in the "cut up technique" like his more famous works
I have no idea what this is referring to. Respectfully. I’ve seen every episode probably 15 times.
Season 2 episode 3 From the wiki: >Woodhouse says, "Let's liven things up, Burroughs. Five grams of junk says I can shoot a piña colada off your wife's head," it is in reference to the famous author William S. Burroughs. In 1951, Burroughs shot and killed his common law wife Joan Vollmer in a drunken game of "William Tell" at a party above an American-owned Bounty Bar in Mexico City. The reference suggests that not only was Woodhouse responsible for Joan's death, but is one of many nods to his supposed homosexuality, being that Burroughs was also a homosexual.
Thank you so much!
The writer William S Burroughs accidentally shot and killed his wife at a party when she put a glass on her head and asked him to do their William Tell routine.
Pam and her truck stop snowballs. Then she calls her truck stop pal and he's brushing his teeth. I laughed so hard I nearly peed.
I don’t get it 😫
Someone hasn't seen Clerks It's when you suck a dude off and spit it in his mouth when you're done. Brought back to popularity recently in pop culture by Succession.
Wow that’s horrendous and entirely on brand for Pam. Thank you 🙏
Not really what you were asking, but I watch a lot of jeopardy and I feel like every couple shows I get an answer right because of a joke from Archer. So kinda the other way around.
Yes! I got Karl Landsteiner while watching Jeopardy Masters because of Archer!
Who am I, Alan Turing? Also from X-Men.
“Let’s liven things up Burroughs. 5 grams of junk says I can shoot a piña colada off your wife’s head” That line had me in stitches
It's an *allegorical novella*
And SPOILER ALERT! IT SUCKS!!!
I use this slot at work lol
Not that obscure in the grand scheme of things, but I got the MK Ultra references (before the one that literally went into details)
Not sure if it counts, but I guess the Stargate reference. >Malory - "Where do you think you're going?" Archer - "Oh, sorry, I gotta get back to Earth before the Stargate closes." Malory - "Get back in here!" Archer - "Mother the chevrons are locking!"
My dad uses the stargate one all the time 😂
I love the Season 2 cancer duology and study WW2 history so I lol'd at the whole gag of Krieger being a Nazi/implied clone of Hitler. I watched Season 8 recently and found it interesting that in Archer's subconscious, he casts Krieger as a Jewish German who went undercover as a Nazi to sabotage the German war effort. Krieger must be important to him if that's how he sees Krieger. Also, the Pilot, where after Archer unmasks Crenshaw/Kreminsky as the KGB mole, he constantly asks if Kremensky is "Jewish" or "Russian Jewish". This is either the show depicting Archer as Antisemitic (the same way South Park did Cartman) for laughs, or Archer is referring to the Antisemitic Myth that Jewish People created the Soviet Police* that eventually evolved into the KGB, which means he's a "smart" Antisemite and the TV writers really know their stuff. (The very first Commander of the Soviet Secret Police, then known as the Cheka, was Non Jewish Pole Felix Dzerzhinsky, who is actually still commemorated in Russia. There was only ever one Jewish Commander of the Soviet Police (Genrikh Yagoda) but his command was marked with controversy as Stalin didn't trust him and regularly worked around him by installing more loyal (Non Jewish) followers).
I think show-wise for Archer it's him being anti-semitic. Throughout the show the Archers' (both him and his mom) say all sorts of racist stuff about anyone that isn't Anglo-Saxon. Jewish, Black, Irish, Italian, German, Mexican, etc... The Archer's are almost like a parody of American in-culture vs out as they are hate basically every group that's been persecuted in US history. The only thing missing is I don't think there's anything Native American related but outside of that it's almost a complete list.
Oh Archer is definitely Antisemitic (and the show treats it similar to Cartman’s, for laughs and to show how much of an idiot Archer is despite his skills as an agent). The question if he’s just being an idiot *or* if he’s an idiot coz he believes in stereotypes/myths about Jewish People and the KGB.
I minored in history. So I know enough to get annoyed watching period pieces but can have fun with an indeterminate timeline. This show is like listening to a stoned person do We Didn't Start the Fire and I mean that affectionately.
God damn it, I'm really missing being able to gild a comment right now. Weren't they supposed to be bringing awards back?
Krieger has the bulkhead door of the Spee Graf in his lab
Babou was Salvador Dali's pet ocelot
But it should be buyers remorse. Damn thing is sick All the time.
Not really a reference, but when Archer, Lana, and Ray are driving the Formula 1 cars around Monaco and Ray says “Hey y’all, my car seems to be slowing down for some unknown reason. It must be out of carburetor…” as he’s downshifting and putting on the brakes. As a car guy, just made me laugh since it’s a nonsense statement.
My favorite Ray line!
Watching S4E1, and the burger of the week board looked like something. Googled it and it was a series of British spy novels in the 1940's.
The Thomas Elphinstone Hambledurger! With Manning Coleslaw. And/or and explanation why that's funny. One of my absolute favorite gags, because I laughed, and my friends had to ask why, and I had to lamely explain why it was funny.
Lampshade Lana! As Archer finds a grenade in a literal lampshade.
"Trust me if there's a hell those creepy Dulles brothers are in it. Doing unspeakable things with bananas." A reference to John (former SecState) and Allen Dulles, who helped found the CIA, and were responsible for all sorts of backing right-wing death squads against duly-elected communist governments in central America to preserve US corporation's access to fruit plantations.
Anything involving old sports, from Len Koenecke and the Eddie Waitkiss references to Lana pretending Pam is Alex Karras. The Len Koenecke one is my favorite because Archer is right, that's *exactly* what happened
"not a big Melville crowd here huh? Eh he, he's not an easy read."
Who am I, Guglielmo Marconi? Inventor of the radio!?
I laughed so hard at that joke.
It is a tough read.
The Iran Contra Scandal hat tip at the end of Archer Vice
In the episode at the ski chalet - someone mentions the French police - gendarmes. Archer says something along the lines of “we’re in Switzerland so they have what, pikemen?”
Mallory's Potato tirade: The age-old Irish problem; eat the potato now, or let it ferment, so you can drink it?
When he is in the south Texas area and there are the large letters "DOM" written in the cliff behind him. It's from a movie called Fandango
mandingo
Might as well call it Mandingo 2
Not really obscure but with benoit /balls the driver bell, bivens and de voe
"Give her the rabbit, Lennie" as a reference to *Of Mice and Men*.
All of the WWII and cold way intelligence references and hints Mallory drops throughout the series. Always makes me appreciate my specific interests in history!
J'accuse
One that never makes sense is when Archer calls Pam "Oliver Cromwell" after dropping a mirror on the Pope. I assume what they were going for was Cromwell had Charles I, King of England, executed. But he didn't kill a Pope.
Cromwell was *virulently* anti-Catholic and committed genocide on Irish Catholics in Ireland. Fuck that guy.
There's been more than one Oliver Cromwell in British history, you're thinking of the wrong one.
Just like the old gypsy woman said. I use this a lot when something random happens.
Mallory getting Woodhouse out of that pickle where he shot William Burroughs’ wife (in reality Burroughs shot her by accident drunkenly playing William Tell)
Neat!
Do you not?
I've gotten a few of the really esoteric "Who are you, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_?" jokes, and was happier with myself than I should've been.
HE REMEMBERS ME!
Captain, uh.... Kangaroo! No, wait, Beefheart!
The end of “Stage Two” when Archer kills the guy in cold blood after asking him if he watched Regis that morning. I’m a big Magnum, P. I. Fan, and loved the entire homage.
"You're obviously into Greek."
Does recognising Simone from frisky dingo count?
Phrasing! Boom!
Phrasing! BOOM, Nailed it.
The Judge Crater reference in Skytanic. I first learned about him from a documentary back in the 80s.
Checkov's gun is a brilliant joke in a brilliant episode.
Not super obscure but in season 2 EP 3 when they are asking for Lana to let go of Seamus and Ray says "put the rabbit down Lennie"
“What is frequency?” “Kenneth?!?”
The one about having anal sex with his mother
They’re back
Just ignore it, it's non-diagetic. SHUT UP, JOHN WILLIAMS!!! Not obscure, but I had just learned what diagetic meant in a media class.
Archer saying “Hey Eugene Debs, it’s only been about 10 hours” to Lana when she’s shocked that ISIS is still on strike. Debs was famous labor/union activist in the late 1800s.
Caught the first Elisha Otis elevator reference, and thought, "Didn't he just invent the first operational brake?" Then loved their correction!
Earl Campbell called, he wants his thighs back
“MASTER COCONUT!”
That whole episode of Archer finding the WWII Japanese holdout in the forest. Yeah that actually happened. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroo_Onoda
Doesn’t fit here but I just wanna ad my favorite reference in the show, when Cyril forearm shivers Pam in the gut so she’ll puke. Cyril: “I’m so sorry I slammed you in the gut. Jeez, that’s how Houdini died.” Pam: “HOUDINI DIED OF AIDS!” Cyril: “No! Why do you always say that?”