Sealab 2021 - In-joke

June 30, 2006 8:17 PM

What does this (seemingly an inside joke) comment on Sealab 2021 mean?

In the Sealab 2021 episode "Sharko's Machine", Captain Shanks mutters something about not being able to breed out undesirable characteristics of a cow. Then he turns to the "camera" and says "..and I'll mail five dollars to anyone in America who gets that reference." Later on in the episode, as he's riding the cow, Sparks yells at him "nobody gets that joke!"

Also, various characters in this episode keep saying "Cincinnati hot plate" - what's that mean??

posted by ostranenie to media & arts (6 comments total)

I don't know about the cow one, but "Cincinnati hot plate" is a play on all kinds of crazy sex acts, akin to the "Dirty Sanchez" and the "Cleveland Steamer" (more here). I think the joke is that it doesn't actually mean anything.
posted by borkingchikapa at 8:33 PM on June 30, 2006

I wonder if any of this has to do with a movie called "Sharky's Machine"?
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 8:40 PM on June 30, 2006

Riding the cow is apparently a reference to The Electric Horseman. At least, according to tv.com.
posted by sysinfo at 8:43 PM on June 30, 2006

I think a lot of the jokes on that show don't mean anything.
posted by Melsky at 3:35 AM on July 1, 2006

It might be a Simpsonsesque retaliation against anal fans. The Simpsons has had weird jokes and references that were designed to confuse the anal fans who'd discuss the minutae and errors of every episode online.
posted by wackybrit at 9:06 AM on July 1, 2006

There's was a set up close to that which was reference to the book/movie "Bless the Beasts and the Children" but the joke was different and was followed by a "that's a really obscure reference."
posted by drezdn at 9:59 AM on July 1, 2006