00:00Welcome to WatchMojo! And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 pop culture
00:11references made in the Twisted Metal TV series.
00:1410. John the Bookworm
00:31One of the strangest yet funniest ways to kick off Season 2 was to show one of the most dangerous
00:37milkmen of the divided states reading a book series meant for tween girls. In a fit of
00:43boredom and frustration, John decides to start reading the famed book series, The Babysitter's
00:48Club. This was one of the biggest book series to ever be published by Scholastic, having
01:03run between 1986 and 2000. And it's a massive series to read with more than 200 novels written
01:10by several different authors. The Babysitter's Club still sees reprints and adaptations today,
01:16from a movie in 1995 to even a graphic novel series.
01:20Abbey? Who the f*** is Abbey?
01:269. The Silver-Haired God
01:29How about a little kill music?
01:36One of the most standout moments in Twisted Metal's first few episodes is Sweet Tooth's
01:41bizarre love for R&B music artist Mark Andrews, a.k.a. Sisko.
01:47Wait, hold on, dawg. What's up?
01:49What's this?
01:54For the slightly younger crowd, this may not be a music artist you are too familiar with.
01:59That's because Sisko was insanely big at the very start of his career thanks to his fame attained
02:06through his time as part of Drew Hill. Once he made his solo debut with Unleash the Dragon,
02:12the same album John mentions, Sisko became an icon in R&B music. Since those days, the legend has
02:18popped up every few years with a new single and a handful of tours. But at the time of this video,
02:24his last studio album was released in 2015. Perhaps Twisted Metal's newfound fame will
02:31spark some interest in the singer making a new one.
02:34I can still see the audience's faces laughing, mocking.
02:43Did you know Sisko's real name was Mark?
02:448. A Band To Grow On
02:47Twisted Metal wears its love for 90s and early 2000s music on its sleeve rather unabashedly.
03:05Not that we have a problem with it, but we certainly didn't expect a band like Hanson to crop up. When
03:11shuffling through CDs found in a wrecked car, John first discovers the band's debut and asks Quiet about
03:17them, to which she seemingly dismisses the band. Sort of.
03:21You'll hate it at first, but it grows on you. Especially track two.
03:24Track two? You know the tracks?
03:26What? No. Shut up.
03:29Should I toss it?
03:30Nope. No. I mean, keep it or not, I don't care.
03:33This exchange perfectly captures how people felt about Hanson in the late 90s, as Oombop was their
03:39biggest hit, and it was so big that it was played religiously on every radio station. It wound up causing
03:46many folks to resent both the song and the band. And it didn't help if you met someone who actually
03:52liked the song. Then you'd start singing too. And then you'd be a hypocrite. Anyway.
03:56You look pissed. Damn right, I'm pissed. I only had one of those.
04:067. Still Running Through Our Heads Today
04:16Promise, this is our last music-related entry for this list, but the shout-out to Russian pop duo Tattoo was
04:23one that had us gushing with excitement. You can hear the duo's most popular song,
04:28All the Things She Said, blaring during the convoy's party.
04:31You ever think about staying? I mean, the convoy is exactly what you and your brother were looking
04:37for. It's safe, it's secure. It's a city. Not only did this song put Tattoo on the map,
04:43its themes of lesbianism quickly made it one of the most controversial songs of the time,
04:49while simultaneously accelerating and amplifying its popularity. Aside from that, the duo would split
04:55in 2011, and would eventually get back together in 2022. Today, Tattoo makes special appearances
05:03for certain events.
05:106. They Used To Have The Answers
05:13In Agent Stone's flashback scene, you might have spotted an ancient retail relic known as Radio Shack.
05:29Once upon a time, this was the one-stop shop for appliances and electronics ranging from kitchenware
05:35to toys and even video games. After decades of menial growth and facing bankruptcy, Radio Shack rose to
05:43prominence in the late 90s and early 2000s as it went from being a humble business to a full-on
05:48corporation. Alas, the company began to flounder and fade into obscurity as it failed to keep up
05:54with the rise of the DIY market and the competition brought on by Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers
06:01catering to online markets and electronics customers. Radio Shack still exists today, but it is nowhere near
06:08as relevant as it used to be.
06:10Don't you get it? The world is over. That's why we need you.
06:175. Sweet Tooth's Ode To Kubrick
06:24Don't mention it. I really enjoy my work. Hey, hold this.
06:30One of the best episodes from Season 1 is the fifth episode, when Sweet Tooth takes down an entire
06:36lawman outpost on his way back to the truck. Sweet Tooth relishes his work while his newfound
06:42entourage follows him with a distressed stew in tow.
06:55But the classical music that plays certainly exudes a bit of a Stanley Kubrick vibe, doesn't it?
07:01Well, that's because this moment is a reference to one of Kubrick's own movies, the infamous 1971 film
07:08A Clockwork Orange. In the movie, the main character, Alex, puts on a whimsical dance to classical music
07:15while his own buddies follow him from behind. There was a window open with a stereo on,
07:21and I vidded right at once what to do.
07:234. Cameo of A Baby Wayans
07:32Good news! There's an absolute classic in here!
07:38Remember the episode where John and Quiet take shelter in an abandoned movie theater and
07:43watch a schlocky flick? Well, what if we told you that you can watch this movie for yourself?
07:49How dare you objectify me! Oh no, that's right, I gotta keep it PG-13!
07:54Yeah, you'd need a map to know where to put it anyway!
07:58Yes, the movie in question is indeed called Blank Man, and it was one of the most notoriously awful
08:05movies to have been released in the 90s. Starring a young Damon Wayans, the film tells the story about
08:11a young man who tries to become a superhero after his grandmother is taken down by the Mafia. The 1994 movie
08:18was made on a measly budget of between 20 and 30 million dollars, but it only made back a fraction
08:25of that. Hey Einstein, I don't know if you noticed, but this ain't a boil on my ass,
08:30it's a wheelchair. I'm paralyzed from the waist down, I can't feel a damn thing.
08:363. Remnants of the Turtle Club
08:39No information, hmmm, what if harm found its way to you? Terrible, terrible, terrible harm, would that change
08:47your mind? Prior to John and Quiet's childish dub of Blank Man, there was another film that made a
08:53brief appearance in the same episode. When Quiet throws her hatchet, she manages to hit a cardboard
08:59cutout of a man in a turtle outfit. This, too, is an actual movie that is not directly referenced by
09:13name and has long faded into obscurity. That cutout was of SNL alumni Dana Carvey, who had starred in
09:20the 2002 comedy The Master of Disguise. For a hot minute, the turtle-turtle joke was being thrown
09:26around left and right when the movie was released. But am I not turtly enough for the Turtle Club?
09:33Is he okay? He's fine. He's fine, turtle.
09:36However, something tells us that folks didn't get to enjoy that for long, when Twisted Metal's
09:42apocalypse came about. Number 2. Sacred Symbols of the 90s
09:55By now, you're probably thinking about how Season 2 revealed that Roadkill was a triangle button that
10:01activates its turbo boost. However, that is not the kind of sacred symbol we're talking about here.
10:08In the first episode of Season 2, we see that Jon has been playing a number of driving and racing
10:14video games to prepare for Calypso's tournament. Sure, we all noticed a copy of Twisted Metal 2 on the
10:20top of the pile. But did anyone notice the games underneath or around it? Two of them stick out to
10:26us. Driver, which was published by GT Interactive, and behind TM2's case, Gran Turismo. The
10:33legendary 1997 game racing sim that is still alive and, well, today.
10:43See you in hell!
10:44The future is coming.
10:46Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about
10:51our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you're on
10:56your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:02Number 1. The School of Legends
11:05No killing outside of an official round.
11:09If you do, if you do, you'll be disqualified from my tournament.
11:13This sucks shit!
11:14For any Twisted Metal fan, this was such a cool reference to Spot in the middle of Season 2.
11:20When Calypso drops off the contestants at the location they're staying at between tournament rounds,
11:25we get a glimpse of what the name of the location is. Welcome to Jaffe Campbell High School.
11:32Considering our past, I thought you'd at least give me my own room.
11:35Unfortunately, our only single is reserved for the baby and his parents.
11:40What do you mean you forgot the pack and play?!
11:42The name serves as a nod of respect toward the creators of Twisted Metal, Scott Campbell and
11:48David Jaffe. While both spent decades making Twisted Metal and several other games, both have since
11:54retired from game development and are pursuing other ventures. But their names will forever
11:59live on in PlayStation's Hall of Fame. And not just in the end credits.
12:04I would hate to say that it's farewell. I hope down the road, maybe someday we'll see it made into a movie.
12:14Did you spot any of these references yourself? Let us know down in the comments.
12:18So, did you like it or what? Oh wow, applause. Thank you, you are too kind. It really feels good.
12:27Oh, I've never seen anyone cut off a human head and catch it as good as that.
12:31Haha!
Comments