Who Framed Roger Rabbit: 13 Easter Eggs & References You Probably Missed
3. Pop Culture, 40s Fashion
Each generation seems to think theirs invented everything, and a lot of people today believe pop-culture references in media to be one such thing.
Nope. Pop culture references have been in mass media practically since the start.
Many gags we associate with classic cartoon characters were references to other media and advertisements. Bugs Bunny’s unflappable cool and “this means war!” are lifts from Groucho Marx; the oft-repeated “is this trip really necessary?” in 40s cartoons referred to fuel and tire rationing in World War II; the line “so round, so firm, so fully packed” refers to an old cigarette marketing slogan; “I Faw Down an’ Go Boom” to a late 1929 popular song of that title; and blowhard Foghorn Leghorn was created to exploit the 1940s radio sensation that was blustery southerner Senator Beauregard Claghorn.
In the 40s, silver-tongued crooner Frank Sinatra was a pop superstar and parodied in numerous cartoons, so when Eddie pulls out a “Singing Sword” what else could it possibly be but a likeness of “Fraaaankie!”.