Episode Capsule: [3ACV08] That's Lobstertainment!

Title: That's Lobstertainment!
Written by: Patrick M. Verrone
Directed by: Bret Haarland
Opening theme promotion: DECIPHERED FROM CROP CIRCLES

Synopsis

Dr. Zoidberg tries his luck as a part time comedian much to the dislike of his audience. He decides to get professional help - his old uncle formerly famous Harold Zoid. Zoid sees no comedy talent lurking within Zoidberg though and decides to go with drama. They get AMC actor Calculon to do a main role by promising him an Oscar.

Voice Credits

Starring

Billy West (Fry, Dr. Zoidberg, Prof. Farnsworth)
Katey Sagal (Leela)
John DiMaggio (Bender)
Tress MacNeille (Tour Guide)

Guest Starring

Phil Lamarr (Hermes Conrad)
David Herman
Hank Azaria (Harold Zoid)

Also Starring

Maurice LaMarche (Calculon)

Did You Notice…

A school hoverbus at the parking lot? — Me
Mel Gibson's head being drawn exactly like on The Simpsons? — Me
Amy, Kiff, Zapp, and Petunia, Morbo, Jar-Jar's head in the jar, Pauly Shore, Michelle and Monique at the Academy Awards? — Me
Zoidberg using his claws as film clappers when making 'The Magnificent Three'? — Joe Klemm

External References

That's Entertainment (Movie)

Episode Title — Joe Klemm Star Trek (TV Series)
"The Pepsi Generation" soft drink placement could be a reference to "The next generation". — Me They Call Me Mr Tibbs (Movie)
"They call me Mr Pibb" soft drink placement — Larry They Call Me Mello Yellow (Song)
"They call me Mr Pibb" soft drink placement. Mellow Yellow is also a soft drink. — Mike Zaite Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (Fairy Tale)
Snow White and the 7Ups — Me Harold Lloyd
Harold Zoid's name — Joe Klemm Franklin D. Roosevelt
harold Zoid as a wheelchair-bound president — Joe Klemm Andy Warhol (Artist)
Calculon painting in the style of the artist — Joe Klemm Wallace & Gromit's A Close Shave
'A Close Shaving' could be a reference to this — Fen Phen Star Tours (the ride)
the bus — Me Calvin Klein (clothing)
Calvin Klone shop in Hollywood — Marc Wichterich Hugo Boss (clothing)
Hugo Bott shop in Hollywood — Marc Wichterich Charlie Chaplin
Horald Zoid's role in the silent hologram is a reference to this silent film star — Joe25

Futurama References

[1ACV07] My Three Suns

The water being Florp from this episode is performing as an amateur comedian — Marc Wichterich [2ACV16] Anthology of Interest 1
Zoidberg mentions that he got booed off stage in "The famed Apollo Theater" — Marc Wichterich [2ACV08] Raging Bender
Calculon has a poster of All My Ciruits: The Movie which was shown in this episode — Joe25 [2ACV13] Bender Gets Made
Zoidberg is responsible for a lot of dead patients — Michael Nissen

Freeze Frame Fun

Sign outside "All My Circuits" studio:
* TAPING IN PROGRESS PLEASE ANNOUNCE SELF WITH BULLHORN
* LA BREA TAR PITS AS SEEN ON THE TAR CHANNEL
* OSCAR PARTY NO LOSERS ADMITTED

Headlines in DAILY VARIETY:
OSC NOMS ANNOUNCED
Also, oscar Nominations Announced

NAAPC Complains of Low Computer Hirings

Fox Exex Bax Sex Pix, 
Flix Lax Crux Bux, 
Stox Sinx, Ax Prex.

The Comedy Simulator
Amateur Nite

Amateur Valet
Parking  Nite

Farnsworth's disc:
78 Million RPM HoloDisk

The B&W Movie:
"Your finest trim, please."
"You are a buffoon. Now cut my beard."
"Sir, you forgot your hat!"
THE END
Buy Moxie

Hollywood Vine:
FINAL CURTAIN
Old Actors' Home

STAR TOURS
Note: Bus does not leave Earth

Universal Studios
Parallel Universal Studios

Harold Zoid Presents
The White House.
Washington D.D. [correction] D.C.

Oscar after-party in the Ebola:
OSCAR PARTY
NO LOSERS ADMITTED!

LA subway - 2nd Station Opening Soon

Animation, Continuity, and Other Goofs

Two weeks (as hinted by how long Fry and Leela were stuck in the tar pits), is not enough time for a film to released, win at the Golden Globes, be nominated for an Oscar, and win the award (The time between nominations and the ceremony may change in the future, but the film would have to be eligible for next year's awards). — Joe Klemm
Don't forget the total lack of smog, gun toting children, and abandoned ruins in L.A. or the fact that the Hollywood sign is now whole again. — Mike Zaite
Harold's patch on his left arm of his jacket disappears and re-appears at different camera angles. — Reed
If the party is no losers admitted why is Stallone allowed in? — Reed
Were did Stallone's skeleton come from all of a sudden ? It's been more than 2 weeks since Fry and Leela passed it in the tar pit. If it stuck to the PE ship for some magical reason, it would be above the cockpit. Nowhere near Fry's feet when he walks down the stairs. — Michael Nissen

Comments and Other Observations

The joke about Calculon winning the Golden Globe makes fun of an infamous incident that caused the Golden Globe Awards to be the laughing stock of the awards ceremony circuit for a many years. In 1982, the Best Female Newcomer award went to Pia Zadora for a film that was so awful, that she didn't deserve the award in the first place. However, through bribery by her husband at the time, she was able to get her hand on the award, thus proving to be a major embarrassment for the Hollywood Foreign Press. — Joe Klemm
The crack about Marisa Tomei refers to the 1993 Oscar ceremony. At that ceremony, she was the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Joe Pesci's girlfriend in the film My Cousin Vinny. However, there is a urban legend going that she wasn't the name that was in the envelope. Instead, it is believed that Jack Palance, the person presenting the award, ignored the name in the envelope and announced Tomei, who was the only American lady to be nominated in the Supporting Actress category that year, as the winner. — Joe Klemm
There's a remark about writing being categorized as a minor technical award. In cartoons there are two camps, writers and animators. Currently for the Emmys(tm)(r)(c) the awards for the animated shows are given at the technical awards which are judged by a small blue ribbon panel and the winners are announced ahead of time. The animators prefer this as they want to be voted by their colleagues. The writers would rather have a larger body of the TV academy vote for the animated series along with the other prime time TV shows. — Zikron the Insistent
Notice how Bender is an "executive producer". In tv that's just a writer that's been around long enough. — Zikron the Insistent
I noticed that Hollywood and Vine is a residential area in the year 3000. I'm wondering if the streets have been renamed, or Graumann's was moved (or rebuilt) because it's just a couple of blocks from this corner in Downtown Hollywood, if I remember correctly. And you can see the El Capitan in the background (wonder if Disney still owns it). And it's quite a walk from the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire to Graumann's Chinese (probably three to five miles). And I seriously doubt that the subway was built under the tarpits. The sewer lines nearby get flooded with tar. The subway wouldn't have a chance. — Robert J. Muldoon

Original capsule author: "Me whose name I prefer not to mention"