The Big Lebowski in popular culture

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This is a list of references to the film The Big Lebowski in popular culture.

Contents 1 Screenings and traditions 2 Merchandising 3 Cartoon homages 4 Television references 5 References in popular music 6 References in movies 7 In video games 8 Popular Expressions 9 References

[edit] Screenings and traditions

• The first annual Lebowski Fest was held Oct. 12, 2002. The event has its roots in Louisville, Kentucky, but has become so popular that it has spawned several other annual Lebowski Fests including those located in Austin, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York.
• The film is screened annually on April 20 at the Red Vic movie theatre in San Francisco, California's Haight-Ashbury district.
• There is a popular drinking game associated with the movie in which each player has to drink every time the word 'man', 'dude', or both is spoken. It is commonly referred to as the 'Lebowski Challenge', though many refer to the variant in which drinks are taken at both 'dude' and 'man' as the 'Super Lebowski' or 'DeathBowski Challenge'. The Dude says the word 'man' nearly 1.5 times per minute.
• There is another drinking game, known simply as "The Dude's Challenge," in which players drink a White Russian for every one The Dude drinks and players smoke a joint for every joint The Dude smokes. There are nine White Russians and four joints throughout the movie, so this can quickly lead to inebriation.
• On the menus of the McMenamins chain of brewpubs in the Pacific Northwest, the name of the White Russian drink has been replaced with 'The Dude'.
• A clip of Jeff Bridges saying "I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino..." was played on arena screens when former Philadelphia Wings player Tom Ryan scored a goal or fought during a game.

[edit] Merchandising

• In February 2006, Bif Bang Pow! unveiled the first in a line of Lebowski toys and collectibles: A Dude bobblehead dressed in a hoodie and Zubaz pants.

[edit] Cartoon homages

• In episode 37, "O-Ed Eleven", of Ed, Edd and Eddy, Double D uses "Walter Sobchak" as an alias.
• Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends spoofed the series twice. In the pilot movie, "House of Bloo's", Bloo recites a variation of The Dude's speech when he meets the vandals, saying "Right, right, or Blooey, Bloo the Blue Dude, El Blooderino, or hey, how about just plain Bloo?" after Mac's older brother calls him a "bloofus." Later, an episode called "The Big Leblooski" was set in a bowling alley, and featured uncanny caricatures of Walter, Donny and The Dude as they were depicted waiting in line for bowling shoes.
• In 2005 the cartoon website Homestar Runner dressed the character Pom Pom up as Walter Sobchak for a Halloween short. Several characters are also heard spouting lines from the film when an "Easter egg" is clicked on Pom Pom after the cartoon is shown.
• The Alan Moore comic The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2, features an extensive almanac on the world of the comic. In the chapter detailing North America, a naiad known as "Lebowsky" is heard to have settled in the Los Angeles area, but is "unknown if he continued his habits of smoking and playing nine pins or if he in fact sired any descendants of note."
• In an episode of Lizzie McGuire, Gordo is seen reading "The Dude Abides, The Big Lebowski's Guide to Bowling." There is also a character in another episode by the name of Digby Sellers.
• In the 1998 Powerpuff Girls episode, "Something's a Ms.", the mayor, sitting in a great room before a fireplace and lamenting the kidnapping of his faithful assistant Sara Bellum, gives the girls the same speech that the Big Lebowski gives the Dude when it is thought that Bunny has been kidnapped. There is also a scene quite similar to that in The Big Lebowski in which Buttercup reveals that the suitcase with the ransom in it contained the mayor's "whites."
• In the 2000 Powerpuff Girls episode, "Bought and Scold", Princess Morbucks buys the city of Townsville and decrees that all crime is legal. In the ensuing mass crime spree, the home of Professor Utonium and the Powerpuff Girls is looted. As a looter walks past Professor Utonium carrying a rolled-up rug, the Professor remarks, "That really tied the room together!"
• In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, the dub title of episode 23 is "The Little Belowski."
• In NBC's Heroes online graphic novel How Do You Stop an Exploding Man, Ted Sprague purchases firearms in Arizona from a man who appears to be Walter Sobchak. [1]
• In Paul Laurence Robertson's video game-inspired animated short film, Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006, Walter Sobchak is summoned by the main characters in the special attack "You are Entering a World of Pain", in which he empties his handgun into a stage boss and finishes his attack by throwing his bowling ball into the enemy.
• In the 2005 X-Men Spin-Off Gambit, one issue depicts Gambit thieving Walter's new bolling ball. A second scene depicts Walter finding out about this theft in front of Donnie.

[edit] Television references

• The television series Veronica Mars makes repeated references to the movie; one episode features characters watching the movie and another's plot followed that of the film very closely. Rob Thomas, the creator of the show, has stated that The Big Lebowski is his favorite movie.
• In 2005, Marvel released a comic series following the X-man 'Gambit'. The first story arc was called 'House of Cards'. Walter and Donny can be seen in issue 3 of 'House of Cards', where Gambit steals Walter's bowling ball 'Lucille'.
• In an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch Miles tutors Roxy in bowling. Miles wears a suit and wrist guard similar to the outfit Jesus Quintana wears when he first appears in the bowling alley.
• There are 2 WWE professional wrestlers that get nicknames from this movie: Val Venis (Sean Morley) who is sometimes referred to as "The Big Valbowski" and the Big Show (Paul Wight) who, in an attempt to mimic the aforementioned Venis, decided to give himself the nickname "The Big Showbowski".
• In announcing the SportsCenter Top 10 plays of the day, ESPN anchor Neil Everett has sometimes called a play: “[athlete name] is the dude, [athlete finishes play] – and the dude abides!” Everett has also introduced the Top 10 segment, saying “Well like the Dude’s rug, these plays really tie the room together.”
• In The 2007 British TV Series, Life On Mars there is an incident in which a drug dealer is tortured using a ferret attacking his genitals, a homage to the incident of the nihilists using a ferret to attack The Dude in The Big Lebowski
• In Season 2 Episode 17 of The Unit there is a brief reference to the movie when Carlito and Gerhardt are preparing to get the machine guns Carlito says "Dude this is one of those times i like to be on my side" Gerhardt responds with a well known phrase of the movie: "Well... eh... that's like your opinion dude"

[edit] References in popular music

• The hardcore/metalcore band Evergreen Terrace have a song on the album Burned Alive By Time called No Donnie, These Men Are Nihilists, an homage to Walter's comforting words at the film's climax.
• The pop-punk band Day At The Fair were clearly influenced by the film, as several of their song titles, including "Darkness Washed Over The Dude", "The Dude Abides", and "Kira Doesn't Care About Anything, She's A Nihilist", are all clear allusions to it.
• There is a punk band in Santa Rosa, CA called Shut Up Donny.
• The indie rock band The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers is named after the character of the same name.
• The self proclaimed cinema grind band Graf Orlock have two songs from their album Cooperate Greed that have use both quotes and subject matter from the Film. One is titled "Piss Rug" and employs clips from the scene when the Sheriff of Malibu is telling the Dude to "Leave his quiet beach community alone", and the other is called "Marmot" and uses excerpts from when Walter is accusing Smokey of fouling.
• The hardcore band xCASEY JONESx on their album "The Messenger" have a song called No Donnie, These Men Are Straight Edge.
• The heavy metal band Mastodon sample the line "I don't like your jerk-off name. I don't like your jerk-off face. I don't like your jerk-off behavior, and I don't like you, jerk-off." as an intro to their song "Thank You For This" when performing the song live.

[edit] References in movies

• In David Fincher's Panic Room, the movie opens with the main character, Lydia, arriving late to an apartment viewing. The real estate agent, Evan, says to her, "One day you will learn to respect people's time, Lydia. You'll realize that the world does not stop and start at your convenience...I'm meeting Arthur Digby Laurence in 10 minutes..." This quote seems to reference Walter's line, "Life does not stop and start at your convenience..." and the character Arthur Digby Sellers from the film. [2]

[edit] In video games

• A character named Easy Dodds from the PS2 (Europe) and Xbox (North America) game called Black Market Bowling and Championship bowling, respectively, has a striking resemblance to The Dude.
• In EA Sports Fight Night Round 3 while waiting for challenges in a lobby the phrases "The Dude abides" and "Obviously, you're not a golfer" are pre-saved comments which the player can send in the chat room.
• In The Incredibles and Warcraft III, "thedudeabides" is a cheat code.
• In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, there are numerous references to the movie including: Carl "CJ" Johnson (the last name being a repeated word in the movie), several exact quotes that were said in the movie are said in the game, the character The Truth, in the game, loosely resembles the main character of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski.
• At GameTrailers.com a user named "bluegoggles" recreated the opening scene of "The Big Lebowski" using the Wii console's Mii Channel and the bowling game in Wii Sports.^[1]
• In the Pinhead Bowling mini game within Spider-Man The Movie the narrarator voiced by Bruce Campbell announces that Jesus Quintana's lane is ready.

[edit] Popular Expressions

• "The Dude abides." (by The Dude) - Quoted by people when they mean to say that they are doing what comes naturally to them.
• "Obviously, you're not a golfer." (by The Dude) - Quoted by people when they are trying to point out that another person has missed the obvious clues that would answer a question they asked, or that they have confused an obvious point.
• "You're not wrong [Walter], you're just an asshole!" (by The Dude) - Quoted by people when they mean to say that although the person they are speaking to is correct, their methods can be regarded as mean-spirited.
• "Am I the only person here who gives a shit about the rules?!" (by Walter Sobchak) - Quoted when people mean to say that others are not engaging in actions consistent with accepted guidelines.
• "Eight-year-olds, Dude." (by Walter Sobchak) - Quoted to discredit an individual by implying a dubious past or questionable sexual preferences.

[edit] References

Films directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Blood Simple • Raising Arizona • Miller's Crossing • Barton Fink • The Hudsucker Proxy • Fargo • The Big Lebowski • O Brother, Where Art Thou? • The Man Who Wasn't There • Intolerable Cruelty • The Ladykillers • No Country for Old Men