Rush References on TV and Movies

gjbassist · #1 10-12-2010, 09:39 AM

I was watching Family Guy last night and saw this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkphLlUL1Cc
Laughed so hard I almost fell off the couch!

South Park also did a bit with Tom Sawyer.
I Love You Man is probably the biggest movie reference.
Jack Black mentions Neal Peart in School of Rock.

I know there are a lot of Rush fans here. So are there any I'm missing. I'm talking about Rush as a pop culture reference, not the obvious stuff like interviews such as the one on Colbert Report.

**john turner** · #2 10-12-2010, 09:42 AM

mst3k had quite a few rush references -

http://www.mst3kinfo.com/ward_e/listrush.html

TenaciousE · #3 10-12-2010, 10:39 AM

Let me preface this by saying that with two girls 6 and under I watch a lot of Disney channel.
During an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place, the younger brother makes up a name to tell his girlfriend because he's embaressed by his family, "Tom Sawyer". When his sister Alex finds out, she says, "Oh, like the song by Rush". Then her smart friend says, "Or the book by Mark Twain".
BTW, he also tells his girlfriend that his mother's name is Dianne.

baileyboy · #4 10-12-2010, 10:48 AM

On a similar note, wonder why they've never been the musical guest on SNL?

pbagley · #5 10-12-2010, 10:51 AM

Maybe they refused to lip sync.

Fassa Albrecht · #6 10-12-2010, 01:46 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrMBIH2TBpU

Freaks and Geeks' Neil Peart Sucks scene. Basically a kid is listening to Rush and the father comes in, says Neil Peart is terrible and then plays him some Buddy Rich.

Stingray5 · #7 10-12-2010, 01:56 PM

movie 'Orgazmo' (the south park guys again!):

Dave the Lighting Guy: Everybody say, "Geddy Lee!"
Joe Young: Who's Geddy Lee?
Dave the Lighting Guy: Geddy Lee, best bass player EVER, come on!
Everybody: Geddy Lee!
[Dave snaps photo]

CaptainWampum · #8 10-12-2010, 02:01 PM

Towards the end of SLC Punk the main character is remembering playing Dungeons and Dragons while listening to Rush as a kid. Inspired my friends and I to do the same.

crucislancer · #9 10-12-2010, 05:36 PM

There was a Rush reference on Warehouse 13 during the first season. I don’t remember the exact reference or the episode off hand, but Agent Lattimer mentions something about the Roll the Bones album, and I believe called Rush the best band ever, or something close to that.

I<34080 · #10 10-12-2010, 05:49 PM

Geddy sang on Bob and Doug McKenize's (of SCTV) Take Off!, and gave them a Donut Cake for their 24th anniversary.

Alex was kidnapped in an episode of Trailer Park Boys, and played with Geddy in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

An episode of Futurama had Fry playing a real life version of space invaders to his "All Rush mix tape"

SMILEYSIXX · #11 10-12-2010, 05:57 PM

Damn, OP stole the Cheetos one... best Family Guy scene ever.

gjbassist · #12 10-12-2010, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Damn, OP stole the Cheetos one... best Family Guy scene ever.

Yeah, I was watching it at about 10:30 last night. My wife and daughter were already in bed. I started laughing so loud I was afraid I had woke them up. What makes it so funny for me is I remember being in situations like that in high school and college. Friends sitting around listening to music and either drinking or smoking some weed. Someone would always jump up and proclaim how awesome so and so was.

stratovani · #13 10-12-2010, 10:13 PM

This is probably as obscure a Rush reference as you'll get, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was one of the few people on this planet to see it, but in the movie The Natural during a ball game two New York Knights outfielders are chasing a deep fly ball, and one of them crashes into the outfield wall, which kills him, giving Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) the chance to play full-time. As the're running towards the wall their uniform numbers spell out "2112".

Like I said, it's pretty obscure, and only a diehard Rush geek like me would even notice it!

Stick_Player · #14 10-12-2010, 10:22 PM

Quote:

... says Neil Peart is terrible and then plays him some Buddy Rich.

Well, comparatively speaking he has a point.

Slater · #15 10-13-2010, 11:52 AM

In the movie Fanboys, the character Hutch (Dan Fogler) is a huge Rush fan. Nothing but Rush is played in his van.

jgroh · #16 10-14-2010, 12:39 PM

Oh yeah on another Family Guy, where Stewie and Brian carjack a car to get back home from rescuing Rupert, the street sign says "2112 Miles" to Quahog (maybe not Quahog, maybe MA or Rhode Island but it says 2112 miles!)

JumboJack · #17 10-14-2010, 01:40 PM

This never gets old

gjbassist · #18 10-17-2010, 07:58 PM

I just remembered another one. Not a direct reference to the band but in the movie The Waterboy Tom Sawyer is played when Bobby Boucher makes his return for the second half of the Bourbon Bowl.

Nedmundo · #19 10-18-2010, 08:35 AM

My contribution isn't a Rush reference, but an excellent Rush discussion I heard on the Major League Baseball satellite radio channel. The morning show includes former pitcher Rob Dibble, who is a huge music fan, and often brings it up with guests.

One morning they featured a former catcher, Gregg Zhaun I believe, who had played for Toronto. He is a huge Rush fan, and noticed that Geddy Lee often sat near home plate at the games. He switched his "walk up" music to "Limelight," and smacked a homer in his second at-bat. When he crossed the plate, he and Geddy exchanged a thumbs-up, or something similar.

How freakin' awesome is that?

winston · #20 10-18-2010, 01:11 PM

From Pavement's "Stereo" (on Brighten the Corners):

"What about the voice of Geddy Lee
How did it get so high?
I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?
(I know him and he does!)"