Ep. 23 - This Is Spinal Tap with Marko Djurdjic
Film and music writer Marko Djurdjic joins Adam and Nate to revisit Rob Reiner’s groundbreaking rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984), alongside the band’s Simpsons cameo in “The Otto Show” (S3E22).
Also in this episode:
How mockumentaries became the baseline in contemporary comedy
The attention to detail that make this the best faux documentary around
Marko’s guide to the sublime and the ridiculous in heavy metal
Why do we poke fun at the things we love?
Next time, Adam and Nate enroll in Police Academy (1984) and one of the many Simpsons slams on this movie in “Marge Be Not Proud” (S7E11).
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Every Simpsons Reference to This Is Spinal Tap
By our count, This Is Spinal Tap has been directly referenced twice in the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons. The first reference appears in “The Otto Show” (S3E22) from 1992, six years after the release of the movie.
Character Cameo
The Otto Show (S3E22): Just in time for the release of their 1992 album, Break Like the Wind, Spinal Tap made a guest appearance on The Simpsons for the Springfield stop on their world tour. Before the show, they are interviewed by the hosts of KBBL radio in the same naturalistic way as the rockumentary that made them famous, This Is Spinal Tap.
Bart and Milhouse attend the concert, where the band puts on a “good show” by their own assessment, complete with a half-inflated devil, a laser-related blinding, and a riot. Notably, their drummer did appear to survive the concert with only minor head wounds.
Small References
Bart's Friend Falls in Love (S3E23): During Bart and Milhouse’s climactic fight, we see that Milhouse has a Spinal Tap poster in his room when Bart clocks him in the face with a Magic 8 Ball.
Homer’s Barbershop Quartet (S5E1): At Comic Book Guy’s stall at the Springfield Swap Meet, a Spinal Tap album can be seen behind “Melvin and the Squirrels.” (Thanks to Marko for spotting this one!)
Homer’s Barbershop Quartet (S5E1): The Spinal Tap band members can be seen at the Grammy Awards after party, along with Aerosmith, “Michael Jackson,” George Harrison, and a pile of brownies.
A Tale of Two Springfields (S11E2): Much like Spinal Tap, The Who have an amp with one level above 10 called “Whuh-Oh!” (Unconfirmed)
Extra Credit
Looking for more like this or an interesting double feature? Here are our recommendations.
From Nate: Theater Camp (2023), Get Back (2021)
From Adam: A Mighty Wind (2003), Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)
From Marko: Wayne’s World 2 (1993), The Dirt (2019), Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), Fubar (2002), The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
Further Reading & Viewing
In the band’s final moments in the episode, Nigel Tufnel apparently refused to say the line, “Ow, my strumming arm.”
