References | David Mitchell's SoapBox

[radiradev90]

Mrs Lovett's pie shop is a ref to Sweeney Todd and Brian Stokes Mitchell played in it... too far-fetched?

[KittiMitties]

"The problem is that most 12 year olds haven't heard of much."

Bitch please, I was 12 when I discovered David Mitchell.

[TheMrMarmalade]

P-THAGGY?

[TheHmmster]

I only got the Monty Python and Back to the Future reference >:

[TheOnlyBrooks]

Missed the witch, other than that, I got all yours at the first pass. Plus back to the future and the shining.. plus I think you mean 'pythagoras' theorum' not 'basic math(s)'

[FogiTofu]

Romanes enut domus > Google = Life of Brian from Monty Python

6684 > Google = Mt.Mitchell

"Drink Me" on bottle = Alice in Wonderland

A²+B²=C²  = basic math XD

ET at 3:08

Freddy Kruger shadow on wall

Witch at 1:42

[ArchiveEverywhere]

@FogiTofu You had to GOOGLE Romanes enut domus? Even after he mentioned Monty Python? My my!

[WalterLiddy]

He couldn't be more correct.

[thecatnamedjoe]

ate at la bodeguita del medio (0.07) for the first time today... weird...

[embloom]

the moon @ 3:07 XD

[Yora21]

@embloom It also has a rocket stuck in the eye. Forgot what classic black and white movie that was.

[RPSM101]

Romanus et domut? But that is an order! So you must use the.......

[cwchrisweed]

@RPSM101 The imperative!

[RPSM101]

@cwchrisweed Good, now write it out 100 times and if you don't do it by sunrise I'll cut your bollocks off.

[spazzy69]

I wonder if the friend who works in Children's TV is Jim Howick?

[IoEstasCedonta]

I recognized so many of these as references, but I wondered what was 6,684 ft. The fact that it was first for the numeral 6 on Google Autosearch made me suspect it might be anything but what it was... and what it was...

David, you've made it.

[Snoopey0]

What's that on top of the hill at 1:36?

[TheWebkilroy314]

@Snoopey0 That is the tower that used to be on top of Mt. Mitchell in Mount Mitchell State Park in North Carolina. It was torn down a few years ago.

[thatdutchguy420]

what about americans david

[soundslave]

Children are given crap television these days so they grow up to become adults who accept crap television as the norm. Quality documentaries, comedies and dramas are being squeezed out by reality TV and game shows.

[GraveHorizon]

Arrested Development was great for the way it referenced stuff.

[MrAlexGov]

looks like mlp season 2 took a page out of mitchell's book

[Relgappo]

I'm 19 and know what Pandora's box is; but I've no idea about Lost!

[ThePsilocypher]

I am a paltry 22 now, and looking back, my life has been a cavalcade of unrealised ignorance, leading up to the present moment, where I seem to know everything I could need. Until I look back in 3 years, and realise I knew bloody nothing.

[smileygirl123ish]

pythagoras=p-thaggy

[ProtestantsRUs]

As usual, Mitchell is fantastic.

[mrgerry123]

Is the background a reference to back to the future?

[Jcolinsol]

Producers have always had this weird notion that people will revolt if you give them something good. Bizarrely, they consider themselves to be in the business of making a profit on media, and yet they shy away from actually giving the public a better product for fear that, somehow, the public will tune out.

"But will it play in Peoria?" Of course it will, the audience will rise to whatever level you ask of them, and conversely, sink to whatever depths you expect of them.

[mrmemanme]

B-25 = Mitchell 

[kombiman1986]

Is it just me or is this really quiet? o_O

[NikolaosRomanus]

@kombiman1986 I thought it was just me - I had to put on a pair of headphones to hear it

[macronencer]

Haha, I had to watch this one twice! The first time I couldn't concentrate on what David was saying because I was so busy trying to spot all the references.

[MrWednesday101]

Romanes eunt donus. Life of Brian LOL!

[morbels]

Genius

[moekanz]

fuckin advert, really, who decided that those who are watching David Mitchell's clever rants would also enjoy 'hanging out on google plus' (whatever that would mean) with David Beckham.

[Rakkeyal]

Rarely, if ever, do I not find myself hitting the "add to favourites" button when I watch David Mitchell.

[Zilch79]

I didn't know who David Mitchell was before someone else referred to him today. I'm glad they did. Proof of concept!

[0reeferman0]

This rant is full of references

B-25 is known as North American B-25 Mitchell

6684 ft is height of Mt Mitchell

the equation is obviously Pythagorean theorem - there's also a tag written under it (P-Thaggy)

The red lighthouse is Sands Point Lighthouse aka Mitchell lighthouse

Bottle with "drink me" written on it is from Alice In Wonderland

Romanes eunt domus is a reference to Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Dark shadow on the wall seems to be Nosferatu

the list goes on and on

[qeinar]

@0reeferman0 Also at the start you see the burning after tire tracks from back to the future. :D

[macronencer]

@0reeferman0 Good spotting! Did you look closely at the top left corner? :)

[slightlyinsaneFTW]

...Um...I'm 14 and I don't class myself as ignorant. However, I do class a lot of teenagers asignorant, mainly 'cause they don't seem interested in what teachers have to say at school, but it turns out they knew nothing previously about the subject.

...as a side note, I find school boring because everything they're teaching us in science right know I learned from The Magic School Bus, as a 5yr old.

[EdwardJohnLeeK]

There's no way I'm the first person to say this, but I got the Pandora's box reference and not the Lost reference.

[SIngli6]

@EdwardJohnLeeK

And I'm no way the second (what is 'Lost'?).

[ignas1130]

References for me worked in a way that when I was younger, I completely ignored whatever I did not understand and continued to watch on the parts I do understand.

Then some years later I re-watch the same thing and find those references that I sub-conciously ignored.

[aaron9099]

If I saw Pythagoras' theorem grafitied onto a wall I would actually feel a bit proud of my community.

Same goes for Latin graffiti, especially if it was a Monty Python reference.

[DrThunder88]

Google? What's Google? Having no way of knowing what that is, I am am instantly antipathetic toward this video.

This reminds me of a Pinky and the Brain episode where the duo constructs a papier mache Earth. There was a repeated musical cue that was familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. Years later I recognized it as the final movement of Dvorak's 'New World' Symphony.

[thisloneliness]

This can not be more accurate or true. I really dislike this era's screening of children. They banned Song of the South for crying out loud just because it was a film set in the south of America when there were slaves! Everything has a plastic feel to it now. It's sickening.

[EddyBear360]

Roman's go home!

[ChromaAurora]

Is that a shadow of Freddy Krueger on the wall?

[moppethead]

@ChromaAurora Count Orlack from Nosferatu

[NickStedmon]

Amen, David. A great deal of the stuff I now like very much was discovered through being mentioned or referenced in something else.

[Njallzzz]

Most of you are skipping the first reference in the intro to pandoras box (0:01)

[padmepandora]

Pythagoras' tag --> P Thaggy :)

[lildevil4everaneva]

Awesome. I love how it makes lots of references to different things. Alice in Wonderland & E.T etc. DvslexicBibliophile2 below & others mentioned many more. The shadow on the wall is Nosferatu isn't it. Also Life of Brian on the wall there.

[superhamzah85]

Nowadays, I'm 26, and I spent hours on googlemaps when it first came out, I listen to mostly classical music and some classic rock, hate almost everything else people my age listen to, and don't have a girlfriend.

The only thing that has changed is the speed at which I'm curious now. The internet was magic for me.

[superhamzah85]

I think boring teenagers make boring adults to be honest.

I remember reading a world atlas for hours as a 6 year old, fascinated by the earth, countries, names of places etc.

As a teenager, despite being socially well connected, I was so busy in my own stuff I almost entirely forgot about girls. So I certainly wasn't typical, I had a group of 10 friends or so, and I hated their music.

[superhamzah85]

First time I knew about the Renaissance was from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I'm STILL trying to find the genius Italian artist called Splinter, anyone know?

[Tracymmo]

What people also forget is that children's shows, at least the ones I know in the US, have often had lots of references adults understand so that the shows also appeal to parents. I've rewatched everything from Bugs Bunny to Sesame Street as an adult and been amazed at how much went over my head as a kid, but I didn't care then. Shows can be multilayered.

[DyslexicBibliophile2]

from memory i spotted: the shining, silence of the lambs, back to the future, big yellow taxi, pythagoras, life of brian, nosferatu and i think that was blue marble in the sky.

[StickItUpYrBumGugle]

Bloody well said, David!!! I couldn't agree more. It's scary and sad the way things are going.

[benehan]

this is weird, i was having this exact same thought the other day

[slartybartfarst413]

what's the obelisk in the background @ 1:08?

[mutiilation]

P-THAGGY! hahahah great stuff

[InlinerCJ]

@mutiilation

I know!

[baneat]

It's good when you can spot something as a reference but don't know what the reference is. Why? Because clearly the referrer likes it, you like the referrer's content, go find out something you're then likely to like.

[thekitschsidekick]

so true - cartoons in my childhood were responsible for a lot of my general knowledge - they refer to things people don't generally talk about; philosophers, classical music, trivia etc

[essen961]

Recommand searching "6684ft".

It's on the bench!

[essen961]

Lost? a hatch?

[ozoneocean]

Very sound reasoning for entertainment... But in terms of conversation I find that some people are offended and turned off when they don't properly understand words, terms or concepts... t makes talking to those people quite a challenge.

[Bingalbug]

i first learnt about post hoc ergo propter hoc from watching tim minchin, this didnt make me angry, i admired his ability to use a term only the 'nerds' knew but in a way which included everyone. if anything i admire him more for being intellegent because then at least i know by learning this i may one day be considered intellegent too

[HollieHannahxxx]

omg thats so true, i used to hate those stupid voices they out on as well

[CryptSphinx]

6684ft > google > wikipedia = Mt Mitchell - Excellent!

[WTP2k]

@CryptSphinx

Awesome. I was about to google that and you saved me the time.

[MrSammywow11]

loving the pythagora's theroem on the wall

[Umbranite]

@MrSammywow11 P-Thaggy lol

[MangaNeoLeo]

The graffiti :L

[IAlternateMyCapitals]

@SuperiorDeity can i copy and paste?

[IAlternateMyCapitals]

@IAlternateMyCapitals Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir.

[x7Degreesx]

ur penis is even smaller than ur brain i wouldnt have thought that justin bieber could beat somebody at small penis size LOLOLOLOL

[tomthebombc4]

@x7Degreesx idiot

[zamander]

@x7Degreesx Well someone's found a new word they like. Have you already googled what it means?

[x7Degreesx]

@zamander u know actually right next to it was a photo of finland they called it fucktkland

[SavageArms357]

@x7Degreesx I do believe the world would self destruct.

[WhimsicalQuandary]

I loved the Asterix cartoons as a kid. They sparked a interest in history. Rewatching the cartoons as an adult I also notice many historical jokes and references that went over my head as a kid; like Brutus constantly fooling around with a knife and Caesar telling him that if he isn't careful he's going to stab someone.

[Epeolatry1]

@WhimsicalQuandary I know what you mean! Asterix only seems to get better for me as I get older.

[MJFAN666]

@WhimsicalQuandary LOOL

[Electrononsenseable]

Anyone else get a bit bothered when they cant see a sizable amount of the suggestions and the whole search bar at the same time? :S

[tentheagle]

6,6845 feet is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina

B-25 is a Mitchell Bomber

[tentheagle]

6,6845 feet is Mount Mitchell in Mount Mitchell

B-25 is a Mitchell Bomber

[The1stPoster]

David's got little to complain about, he's got the BBC. The Americans have got err.. fox news, known for their almost patronizing manner of using small, small words, no indirect references, and shit ton of pandering in order to never unintentionally ostracize anyone in the country.

Fortunately it backfires, because anyone with an ounce of self respect turns the shit off.

[VintageRomana]

The shadow is a reference to Nosferatu. And the whole scene shown in the beginning is of course from Back to the Future.

I agree with him. References shouldn't be shied away from or else television and media would become redundant (the communication studies definition rather than 'loss of job' - look it up).

[VintageRomana]

Back to the Futurama, Nosferatu, Alice in Wonderland...was that a reference to La Boheme I saw in the background?

I agree on using references. Maybe that's because I am writer who loves using them. Then again I also want to teach people something as well as entertain them.

As for learning from references - I became interested in Puccini after hearing it mentioned on Doctor Who.

[willmandude]

You cannot pass, I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. You cannot pass!

[ProfessorRJGumby]

I felt so superior because I had heard of proust before I saw the monty python sketch, then I remembered I hear of him from a reference made on gilmore girls...

[pdPOINTnCLICKbq]

Hm... this video seems interesting.

*plays video*

Why are flame trails on the street!? Fuck this, I'm leaving!

[omnidye]

David Mitchell for President of Earth!

[sunflowerinrain]

I had to watch it twice to pick up the references, and still didn't get Mt Mitchell - so, thanks to the helpful commentators! :)

[toresbe]

MITCHELL, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A HUG!

[DanielBlakey]

6684 ft = Mt. Mitchell

[littlemissstoic]

P-thaggy...

[yakovgolyadkin]

Show of hands of those who realized (or looked up) the fact that the 6,684 ft. written on the bench is the height of Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina.

[gabyallufix]

This man speaks the truth

[FrankiiDoodle]

How strange, I got the Pandora but not the Lost reference. I fail at being modern!

[Crosseyedpresident]

@FrankiiDoodle Same, though usually I do know more about modern pop culture than anything historical.

[MrGeorgecave]

@FrankiiDoodle yeah me too

[adamr1994]

I stopped watching this because I didn't understand some of the references.

[tom133991]

6,684ft - The height of Mount Mitchell...

Win.

[wybo2]

@tom133991

you are a total spoiler, i hope your commend gets removed

[tom133991]

@wybo2

What?

That's such an obscure reference.

He doesn't say that, why did you for some reason decide to say that to my comment when the entire comment board is talking about the meaning of these references, all this does is prevents people from having to google and it does not in anyway detract from the enjoyment of watching the video as it would had I quoted him..

Your comment was simply pathetic.

[wybo2]

@tom133991 looking it up and finding it out was the fun bit, just srolling down is way to easy.

[tom133991]

@wybo2

Then don't bloody well scroll down!

It's OBVIOUS that on a video about and full of references the comment section will be full of explanations!

Now you're simply scrambling for a rebuttal and failing.

Don't blame others for posting points about the video you just watched.

You could have easily waited till you'd looked up everything you wanted to then looked at the comments.

You're in the wrong, not me.

[wybo2]

@tom133991

Calm down Tom, all i did was clairify my opinion. But then again, respect for opinion on these internets is something quite hopeless.

[tom133991]

@wybo2

No you did not clarify an opinion, stop trying to plead that now I'm offending you.

I simply stated a comment about one of the references on the video, you decided to have a go at me for that!

If you really gained less enjoyment out of a video for scrolling down into the comment section then future encounters like this could simply be prevented by you not scrolling down.

[olivehoney00]

Was that Slenderman's shadow? O.O

[tom133991]

@olivehoney00

It's Nosferatu....

[olivehoney00]

@tom133991 Ah, well. Equally as scary.

[TBlenx1995]

Next to "A2+B2=C2" which is Pythagoras' Theorum it has "-P-THAGGY" next to it. LOLed when i saw it.

[georgiahoosier]

I didn't realize that there was a conscious effort on the part of producers to avoid frame-of-reference material.

Should have I suppose, considering how idiotic TV has become in the last few decades.

Thanks for bringing it to light

[LeWolfgang]

Pythagoras graffiti! Haha!

[MrV902]

The volume is too low :(

I'm at max volume on YouTube and on my computer, and i still didn't hear all of it.

[mattcliffe1]

@MrV902 buy better speakers. But yes it is low

[MrV902]

@mattcliffe1 Why would I purchase speakers for my laptop? :P

[CaseOpenCaseShut]

@MrV902 Because your laptop's built-in speakers are clearly inadequate

[rickadlib]

a) David Mitchell is wondreful

b) I shouldn't have to sit through an ad (injected by YouTube) before a video that's been built bookended by an ad (for Bulldog)

[stingy1sam]

The only thing I dislike about David Mitchell is his overly pretentious fans, desperately trying to imitate is wit and sophistication in bloody youtube comments..

[weejockpoopongmcplop]

What the hell is going on with the Moon? I can't make it out. Is it from one of the books of H. G. Wells?

[Arkantos117]

Romans go home indeed!

[alecbg919]

@Arkantos117 What's this, then? "Romanes eunt domus"? People called Romanes, they go, the house?

[ThouTuber]

What's with the bike in the top-left corner at 3:17!

[bookworm266]

@ThouTuber It's either ET, or it's the logo of a film producer that I can't remember at the moment.

[bosH0g]

needs more Edgar Wright

[E101ification]

I was 20/21 when BBC3 did it's whole "hey, we're cool!" rebranding of itself, and not one teenager I knew liked the new BBC3, for the exact reason that it felt patronizing and forced.

unfortunately a lot of young people now have got accustomed to this "dont worry your little head about it.." behaviour and now when you talk about something even SLIGHTLY old they act like they've got no interest whatsoever, they prefer been spoon-fed knowledge to seeking it out, and I for one think its pretty sad

[E101ification]

100% agree with everything you said. Actually, I don't just "agree", I know this to be the case. All through my childhood and then teenage years I as constantly learning about things from before my time through references on tv. It did make me seek out those things and the process was enjoyable! Other times if I didnt notice something was a reference, it made the moment I saw the actual thing even more enjoyable.

[danielvanraders]

I have the stranges urge to go out and graffiti "Romanes eunt dommum" all over the place :P

[E101ification]

@danielvanraders If you don't, I'll cut your balls off...

[Marmocet]

Ha! He's got the peak altitude of Mt. Mitchell scribbled on that bench.

[Loftworthy]

The B-25 Mitchell bomber

[shmyshmyqrtrturn]

I got all of the references except the lighthouse, tower in the background, and the weird looking moon. Now they will bother me. XD

[ctyrerdavies]

I love that there's a reference to the Life of Brian in the background :')

[LauraKateOBrien]

I was looking for a laugh but found an interesting sketch (?). This will influence my parenting. Great point of view, David. Want to make Superhands reference but unsure how...

[Lougy93]

What the F**K is a david mitchell goodie? i really dont want to win it...

[unclebreezybum]

Love the Life of Brian refernece

[hitheresunshine]

My 15 year old brother doesn't know who Audrey Hepburn is, he doesn't understand ANY Monty Python references, he doesn't understand references I make to Star Trek, Star Wars, or any other sort of geekery, he doesn't understand music references…

I find this to be a problem. And this video totally nails that problem on the head.

References are a part of culture, and kids should DEFINITELY be introduced to them!

[Jonstern1983]

I love references. One of my favorite things is when I mention something that only one or two people know other than myself, and they love the fact that I used such an obscure or esoteric reference.

[UnderwhelmingSuccess]

The Shining, Silence of the Lambs, Back to the Future, Sweeney Todd, La B Del M, Joni Mitchell, Mitchell bomber, Mt Mitchell, Pythagerus' Theorum, Alice In Wonderland, Life Of Brian, Nosferatu, ET,

[insidejokesarelame]

B-25 a mitchell bomber plane. 6684 ft the summit of mt mitchell.

[Avatarbrian]

Theseus didn't really "have" a minotaur.

[Ruairidh1231]

P-Thaggy haha ;)

[boxofrox619]

And thats why Animanics was a great show.

[graemeoliver84]

Mind you I used to watch things like Tiny Toons and Animaniacs when I was a kid so maybe I should admit I'm being grumpy and am not into today's computer animated family films.

[graemeoliver84]

But the thing is nowadays kids films are stuffed with throwaway references to films they won't watch until they're much older (Godfather, Apocalypse Now etc), they say it's for the parents but to be honest I find it a bit irritating, smart-arsey and lazy. I mean, The Simpsons used to be very with good film references (back when it was good) but the average CGI kiddie flick isn't as witty.

[Dr4snus]

Nosferatu?



[smaakjeks]

@Dr4snus

Yup.

[Geokinkladze]

My guess is the lighthouse is the sands point lighthouse.

[NozinAroun81]

Do you "LIKE" David Mitchell's Soapbox on Facebook?

[Cleo4696]

BIKE 3:20 !!!!



[turbodude555]

Anyone else see ET go over the moon :D

Sorry if anyone else posted that. On another note, yes kids are more knowledgeable these days and they are more likely to actually seek truth rather than some wikipedia crap. These days kids watch QI :)

These days, teenagers work out the news is BS before most adults do. These are the teenagers on the alternative news sites like infowars, getting more facts than the average grown adult!

[graemeoliver84]

@turbodude555 Maybe 17-19 year olds but I don't think many 13 year olds watch politicians on the news and are able see through what they're saying before their parents.

[dexdex1560]

It is so true. I have watched shows as a child and then seeing them with my younger cousin and knowing the references and pissing myself laughing.

[z3r0t0l3r4ns]

This

[StevieStickman]

I would pay a ridiculous amount of money to see a conversation between him and Karl Pilkington.

[Lesserthannone]

@StevieStickman I don't get the reference, I'll never watch anything by David Mitchel again.

Now too google Karl Pilkington.

[ItIsTheInvisibleMan]

@StevieStickman OMG HELL YES.