List of pop culture references

Here is a list of pop culture references in the animated magical girl television series The Dangers of Love

## List

### Characters

* Young Man Rivers = Looks a lot like Lucas from Mother 3
* Emily Leighton = Originally came from Meet the Small Potatoes and looks a lot like Mandy from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Kuki Sanban/Numbuh 3 from Codename: Kids Next Door and Buttercup from The Powerpuff Girls combined
* Paulina = Looks a lot like Playtime from Baldi’s Basics and has her personality similar to Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, Chibiusa from Sailor Moon (since they’re both daughters of Emily and Usagi), Goo from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls, Dot Warner from Animaniacs, Ami Onuki from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and Tinker Bell from Peter Pan/Disney Fairies (since they’re both cute and comedic at times); plus having the same name as Paulina Sanchez from Danny Phantom
* Wendy Thompson = Looks a lot like Kat from Kenny the Shark, Violet from the fan-made The Powerpuff Girls series, June from Little Einsteins and Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
* Tooth Fairy = Looks a lot like Tooth Fairy from The Fairly OddParents
* Robert = Looks a lot like Robot Jones since they’re both robots
* Chiaki = Looks a lot like Pikachu from Pokémon
* Meanie = Looks a lot like Monstro from Pinocchio, Bubbie from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Big Ben from Rudolph’s Shiny New Year
* Grandma Ursa = Has hair and glasses similar to Grandma Flutter and has the same name as Ursa, Bear’s girlfriend from Bear in the Big Blue House

### The show itself

* Looks like a complete mix of Sailor Moon, Shimmer and Shine, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and The Powerpuff Girls combined
* Has a similar premise to some other magical girl anime shows, for example: Sailor Moon and Puella Magi Madoka Magica
* Tends to be a copycat of PB&J Otter, since they both have one boy and two (young and old) girl characters, with Young Man Rivers as Peanut, Paulina (since the 12th episode of the series) as Baby Butter and Emily Leighton as Jelly
* The Season 2 intro has the song Pure Imagination by Marriott
* When Robert sings Brush Your Teeth in a music video, it features lyrics from the Brush Your Teeth song by Raffi

### The Dangers of Love Series

* When Rivers Met Emily = Wilson Way from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends is seen at the beginning of the episode. Old Man Rivers’ house can be seen there
* Nightmare Sleepover = Has a similar death scene to Puella Magi Madoka Magica Episode 3 when Emily and Rivers are about to get eaten by that big monster
* Dental Anxiety = Has a scene that referenced Sailor Moon Super S Episode 153 A Dentist of Terror PallaPalla’s House with the teeth; but without the schedule; where Emily has a dream that she had ugly cavities in her teeth.
* Schooled = Goo from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends is seen in the background when Emily and Rivers walk in the hallways
* Best Dress Yet = Has a dream sequence that referenced Cinderella, when Emily’s sisters tear, destroy and ruin her dress to shreds, causing her to be miserable and cry, and the Billingsville Mall looks very similar to Coventry Mall and the mall seen in the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode Store Wars.
* The Bowling Queen = Has a plot that is similar to the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode The Big Lablooski and the Shimmer and Shine episode Gone Bowling
* Getting Pregnant = When Young Man Rivers needs to use the bathroom at the mall, it references the beginning of the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode Busted where Bloo needs to use the bathroom with Mr. Herriman in charge
* A Kingdom of Love = Dutch Wonderland is seen throughout the entire episode. It is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
* The Most Precious Moment = A montage featuring Young Man Rivers and Emily together has a few references: one referencing the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Theme Song when Emily and Rivers go on a hot air balloon ride, and Emily and Rivers jumping in puddles referencing Peppa Pig
* A Dreaded Road Ride = Lincoln Way is seen throughout the entire episode. It is located in Clairton, PA. And the animation technique having a black-and-white style is kinda similar to vintage classic movies. The whole episode looks like a horror movie though.
* A Midwinter’s Dream = The title is a reference to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a play by William Shakespeare. It is also a name of an album by Loreena McKennitt, an episode of Frasier, an episode of The Golden Girls and an episode of Lego Friends.
* Skateboarding Adventures = Has a plot that is similar to the Shimmer and Shine episode The Great Skate Mistake
* Dental Hyjinks - Same Sailor Moon reference as of Dental Anxiety; has the same picture with the hippos from the Sailor Moon Super S episode A Dentist of Terror PallaPalla’s House and the scene where Paulina and some kindergarten kids singing about Young Man Rivers:’ toothache references a scene from the Muppet Babies episode Dental Hyjinks where Kermit and the other Muppet Babies sing about Fozzie’s loose tooth. The episode itself is a reference to the PB&J Otter episode Butter’s First Check Up, since both episodes have female kid characters (Baby Butter Otter and Paulina) being scared of the dentist at first
* Ballet in Action = Has a plot similar to the Shimmer and Shine episode Backyard Ballet, and Emily’s favorite ballet star The Swan Princess (Odette) is seen in this episode
* In His Majesty’s Words = The part where Emily gets stuck onto the playground slide’s hole is kinda similar to Leah being stuck in the treehouse’s window in the Shimmer and Shine episode Genie Treehouse, and the Grimace Bound and Bend McDonaldLand ride is seen in some parts of the episode at the beach.
* A Fuss in a Rush = The scene where a little boy yells at Paulina at the store is a reference to when Mac yells at Goo in the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode Go Goo Go, and a KIX cereal can be seen in some of the aisles
* Sleepover Dreams = The part where Emily, Paulina and Rivers form a band is a reference to the Shimmer and Shine episode Sleepover Party, and the scene where Emily and Paulina are making funny faces at Rivers is similar to the Dora the Explorer episode Super Silly Fiesta where Dora and Boots make funny faces in one part
* Paulina’s Memory Flu = The episode has COVID-19 references in some scenes
* Sore Throat Blues = Some Allegra medicine can be seen in the Billingsville High School nurse’s office, and McDonald’s is seen at the end of the episode. It also has a reference to the Sailor Moon Super S episode A Dentist of Terror PallaPalla’s House in which a big mouth showed up when Emily and Paulina were brushing their teeth.
* The Nightmares of Love = Emily and Paulina can be seen wearing Sailor Moon and Chibiusa costumes during the episode
* Dental Nightmares = The whole episode looks like a horror movie, and when Emily plays with a tooth boat toy while taking a bath, it references the Tooth Ferry in SpongeBob SquarePants. It also references Sailor Moon Super S Episode 153 A Dentist of Terror PallaPalla’s House as well. There is also a PB&J Otter reference where Dr. Crampford, DDS teaches Emily and Rivers to play a game called "The Lion and the Liontamer", in which they open their mouths really wide so Dr. Crampford, DDS can check their teeth. There is also a Chowder reference where Paulina tells a knock-knock joke to her talking teeth, which is a reference to Sesame Street’s Mr. Brush song segment.
* Beach Olympics = Paulina’s cheerleader outfit looks just like Kim Possible’s cheerleader outfit, plus the Shark when Paulina loses some games references Jaws
* Tooth or Dare = The part where Wendy has popcorn stuck in her teeth from the movie theater references the Rocko’s Modern Life episode Scrubbin’ Down Under, and Casablanca is playing at the movie theater also. The title of the episode itself is a reference to the phrase “truth or dare”, a game played by people when having a party. The title “Tooth or Dare” is also used in the Chowder episode The Lollistops, as well as in Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and Rugrats, and the original title “Truth or Dare” is used in one episode of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.
* Some Served Gratitude = The whole episode is general is similar to the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episodes My So Called Wife and Make Believe It or Not and the Pajanimals episode The Dentist Jitters
* Young Man Rivers and the Chocolate Factory = The whole episode looks just like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971
* Paulina’s Stomach Ache = The whole episode is general is just like The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack episode Bubbie’s Tummy Ache
* Allergy Season = The whole episode looks very similar to the Peg + Cat episode The Allergy Problem, The Powerpuff Girls episode Geshundfight, the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode Bloooo and the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi episode Allergic
* Ice Cream Trauma = The Turkey Hill Ice Cream flavors Orange, Blueberry (now defunct), Strawberries and Cream and Blackberry Swirl can be seen at the ice cream parlor, as part of the main cast’s favorite ice cream flavors, and when Paulina gets her tongue stuck to her ice cream, it references the part from A Christmas Story when Ralphie gets his tongue stuck to a pole at school
* Aquatic Memory = When the students, including Rivers, Emily and Paulina, go to the Billingsville aquarium, the aquarium itself looks just like the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, and when we see Wendy and Lucas at the beginning of the episode, it references Bloo and Berry from the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode Berry Scary
* Spirited Talents = The part where Rivers the Dentist checks a little girl’s teeth references the intro for Bob and Margaret where Bob the Dentist checks a little girl’s teeth at the beginning of the intro also, and the talent show being destroyed is a reference to the fifth season of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish commercials
* Bid Your Cares Goodbye = The scene where Paulina dreams about taking care of a whale’s sore throat is a reference to the George Shrinks episode Friends and Anemones, where George Shrinks takes care of a whale’s toothache and the scene from Pinocchio when Monstro eats Pinocchio, Geppetto, Figaro and Cleo, and the whole episode is a reference to Osmosis Jones and the Muppet Babies episode Scooter's Uncommon Cold where The Germ Friends take a tour inside Paulina’s body, including the stomach, known as a food museum
* The Rainbow Connection: Paulina’s Origin = During one scene where Paulina is in school doing work, she makes a face that looks just like Sam the Eagle from The Muppets, as well as Rainbow Connection by Pianissimo Brothers (known as The O’Neil Brothers Group) playing in the background during Paulina’s story, and the whole episode is a reference to I Scream You Scream from Phineas and Ferb where Paulina is in the hospital with a sore throat and a raspy voice and The Muppet Movie where we tell the story of how Kermit and his friends began before The Muppet Show
* A Very Merry Christmas = One elf from Santa's workshop looks like Hermey from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964), and the other looks like Buddy from Elf (2003). There are some Christmas songs playing in the background, like Let it Snow by Dean Martin, The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole and Carol of the Bells by Trans Siberian Orchestra

## Movies

#### The Dangers of Love: The Movie

* At the beginning of the film, there is a reference to the Bear in the Big Blue House episode Morning Glory where Paulina is laughing in her sleep and Emily telling the viewers about it, and wondering what’s so funny while the others are asleep, during the end of a sleepover party, which is for the events of the episodes Nightmare Sleepover and Sleepover Dreams, respectively.
* When Paulina gets her tongue stuck to a pole during a nature walk, it is also a reference to Ralphie from A Christmas Story at school when he gets his tongue stuck to a frozen snowy pole
* The cupcakes with faces on them looks similar to the VeggieTales characters and the Small Potatoes episode Yes Sir with the potatoes having cute faces on them in a shipping crate
* The song Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is sung by Emily Leighton herself, being given a scene referencing A Whole New World from Aladdin
* The song Once Upon a December from Anastasia is sung by Emily Leighton as she sings about her wedding, love affections and marriage with Young Man Rivers from Getting Pregnant
* The song Tomorrow from Annie is sung by Paulina herself, and how she got her own origin story during Getting Pregnant as a baby
* The song Beauty of the Night from Bear in the Big Blue House And to All a Good Night is sung by Young Man Rivers and Emily Leighton during their night out montage
* The song There’s Always Tomorrow from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is sung by Emily Leighton, as she tries to cheer up Young Man Rivers for doing his bad actions in the past.
* Has a similar soundtrack to My Little Pony The Movie (2017), WALL-E and Finding Nemo

#### The Dangers of Love: Wendy’s Lifetime Love

* The part where Wendy is accidentally eaten by Lucas when he’s sick is a reference to the Wonder Pets episode Save the Wonder Pets
* The part where the Germ Friends play inside Paulina’s mouth like a playground during her tooth surgery is a reference to a scene in Osmosis Jones where some germs play inside a human girl’s mouth, as well as the Muppet Babies episode Scooter's Uncommon Cold
* The end credits for the film were made in 2D, scrapbook-like animation, similar to other movies that have it, even the Disney ones too, like Up and The Princess and the Frog for example. Even this animation style is used in the 2013 DVD Menu to The Muppet Movie.
* In a music video called Uvula Rock, the Germ Friends look and sang like The Beatles. The song is also in The Beatles’ style, in the 1960s or 1970s. It looks like The Beatles are rocking out from inside an 8 year girl named Paulina’s mouth when she was at the dentist’s office. The Beatles themselves made appearances a few times during the Mouth Cam scene as well.

### Shorts

* The phone call scene in the short Homesick is a reference to the phone call scene in the Bear in the Big Blue House episode Clear as a Bell where Bear calls Ursa on the phone when Tutter is homesick

## List of Media that are referenced

### Characters

* Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
* Mother 3
* The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
* Codename: Kids Next Door
* The Powerpuff Girls
* Baldi's Basics
* My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
* Sailor Moon
* Animaniacs
* Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
* Peter Pan
* Disney Fairies
* Danny Phantom
* Kenny the Shark
* Little Einsteins
* The Fairly OddParents
* Whatever Happened to Robot Jones
* Pokemon
* Pinocchio
* The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
* Rudolph's Shiny New Year
* Bear in the Big Blue House

### The show itself

* Sailor Moon
* Shimmer and Shine
* Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
* My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
* The Powerpuff Girls
* Puella Magi Madoka Magica
* PB&J Otter
* Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
* Raffi

### Episodes

* Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
* Puella Magi Madoka Magica
* Sailor Moon
* Cinderella
* My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
* Peppa Pig
* Shimmer and Shine
* Muppet Babies (1984)
* The Swan Princess
* McDonaldLand
* Dora the Explorer
* SpongeBob SquarePants
* Kim Possible
* Jaws
* Rocko’s Modern Life
* Casablanca
* Pajanimals
* Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
* The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
* Peg + Cat
* The Powerpuff Girls
* Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
* Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!
* A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
* Frasier
* The Golden Girls
* Lego Friends
* Rugrats
* Chowder
* A Christmas Story
* Bob and Margaret
* Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
* George Shrinks
* Pinocchio
* Osmosis Jones
* The Muppets
* The Muppet Movie
* The Muppet Show
* Phineas and Ferb
* Sesame Street
* Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
* PB&J Otter

### Movies

* A Christmas Story
* VeggieTales
* Small Potatoes
* Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
* Aladdin
* Anastasia
* Annie
* My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
* Wall-E
* Finding Nemo
* Wonder Pets
* Osmosis Jones
* Muppet Babies (1984)
* The Beatles
* Up
* The Princess and the Frog
* The Muppet Movie
* Bear in the Big Blue House
* Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer