The King Is Dead/References

• Peter's toy Mr. Zucchini Head is a parody of Mr. Potato Head. Peter puts a small cap atop the head of Mr. Zucchini resembling a condom, a pair of rounded shoes resembling testicles, and flips a switch in its back causing it to vibrate, rendering it little more than a vibrator.
• Lois mentions the "mindless jobs" of famous creative people. She is correct that Moby Dick author Herman Melville worked as a customs agent and scientist Albert Einstein worked in the patent office, although it was the Swiss patent office not that of the US. Also, Michelangelo's father, and later the artist himself, owned a rock quarry but he was never a laborer in one.
• When auditioning for the play, Brian sings "If Ever I Would Leave You" from the musical Camelot.
• Stewie auditions with the "winter of our discontent" soliloquy from Shakespeare's Richard III, which he will repeat again in the beginning of "And the Wiener Is...."
• Stewie "quotes" “first lady of the American stage” Helen Hayes in telling Lois “I'm going to kill you.” This is not an actual quote from Hayes.
• Thinking the audition a mere formality, Peter gives an off-key rendition of the theme song of children's television series Land of the Lost.
• Cleveland says he once met singer/actress Pearl Bailey at a book signing. Later, in American Dad, Pearl Bailey becomes the name given to the local high school.
• A flashback shows an independent film starring Diane during her college days. It includes many clichés of student films, including a non-linear plot, gloomy music, surreal images, and a pointless close-up of an object.
• A cutaway shows a writing team of monkeys writing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a reference to the infinite monkey theorem.
• Stewie says that Peter is the worst thing to happen to musical theater since Andrew Lloyd Webber.
• The Brine theater marquee says “A Peter Griffin Joint,” a nod to director Spike Lee, whose films are credited as “A Spike Lee Joint.”
• Before the play, Brian rehearses lyrics to “Sussudio” by Phil Collins.
• Peter’s final version of The King and I contains many generic elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction and B-movies.
• The showstopping musical number from the show, “Anna Rules,” is loosely set to the tune of “Shall We Dance?” from the original The King and I.
• Sean Penn’s destruction of the camera is a reference to his assault of a paparazzi.
• At one point in the episode Peter mentions the musical Rent, saying something to the effect of, “Well if you wanted to do a bad show, why don't we just do Rent?”
• "Yeah, this is a real SNAFU!" SNAFU: Situation Normal All Fouled Up. Slang abbreviation of military origin. "Fouled" is a euphemism for the actual "F*cked."
• "Steel town girl on a Saturday night" - Lyrics from the song "Maniac" from the movie "Flashdance". The torn sweatshirt and legwarmers worn by Diane is the same look sported by Jennifer Beals in the movie.
• "As surely as Paul Lynde was gay" - The long-time character actor and center square on Hollywood Squares had a strikingly "flaming" persona, but he remained in the closet due to the prejudices of the time.
• Edgar Bronfman Jr. - 70s film and stage producer; current entertainment mogul

References

• Callaghan, Steve. “The King Is Dead.” Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1–3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 65–67.
• Delarte, Alonso. “Nitpicking Family Guy: Season 2.” Bob’s Poetry Magazine May 2005:

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