List of allusions

The following is a list of allusions to works of fiction, people, places, events, and other cultural touchstones in the series Gravity Falls .

The allusions, references, similarities, homages, and other items on this list should be specific, detailed, unique, or identifying. Avoid adding incidental, broad, general, or tangential similarities.

Multiple episodes

 * Characters frequently drink "Pitt" soda. Given the similarity in the name and color of the can, this is a reference to Mr. Pibb soda.

Opening

 * When Dipper is exploring the cave, there are characters that look like runes. However, one of them does not match a known rune and the other do not translate into anything understandable in English.
 * Mabel and Dipper walk past a taxidermied Jackalope.
 * For one frame, an image of Bigfoot flashes in the same pose as the alleged Bigfoot in the Patterson-Gimlin film.
 * Among the Polaroids are photos of Jackalopes, a Fiji mermaid, flying saucers, and the tabloid character Bat Boy.
 * The pyramid character in the last few frames is a reference to the Eye of Providence.Gravity_Falls_Opening_Ending.PNG
 * In the ending, it shows a photo with the logo on it, and if you look on the top right corner, you see 2 UFO's, and the position is an allusion to the fake photo of two UFO's over the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
 * The Konami Code is also visible.
 * Paul Bunyan appears in the first few seconds of the theme song.

Tourist Trapped
See also: List of items in the Mystery Shack for allusions made by specific items.
 * The mask Grunkle Stan wears to scare Dipper is an allusion to the Gill-man from the 1954 film Creature from the Black Lagoon.
 * When Mabel is tied down by the gnomes, the scene references when Gulliver is tied down by the Lilliputians in the book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.
 * Mabel's pose with the Grappling hook is a nod to The Legend of Zelda.
 * Mabel hoping Norman is a vampire is an allusion to the character Edward Cullen from the series Twilight.

The Legend of the Gobblewonker

 * The Gobblewonker is an allusion to the Loch Ness Monster.
 * Soos' pose when he was on the boat is an allusion of the famous film of Bigfoot.
 * Scuttlebutt in Scuttlebutt Island is Navy jargon for a rumor or gossip.

Headhunters

 * When lamenting Wax Lincoln's death, Grunkle Stan references the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth.
 * Mabel makes a "wree wree wree" noise while swinging the ax. This is a reference to the musical score The Murder played during the shower scene in the film Psycho.
 * Mabelangelo which is a reference to the famous sculptor and painter Michelangelo
 * Wax Sherlock Holmes falling off the Mystery Shack to his death while dueling Dipper may be an allusion to Holmes's original death in the Arthur Conan Doyle book series; falling of the Reichenbach Falls while dueling his nemesis, Professor Moriarty.
 * Wax Groucho Marx asks "Why is there nothing in my hand?" Groucho Marx is known iconically for holding a cigar; however by television content regulations, US children's shows cannot have tobacco products unless it is integral to the plot (such as a "Drug Free" special).

The Hand That Rocks the Mabel

 * The name of the episode "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel" is a play on words of a 1992 movie title, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. It could also be an allusion of the somewhat commonly said phrase "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world."
 * Mabel "bezazzles" her face; a reference to the real product, the Bedazzler.
 * 'Lil Gideon's appearance is based off of Benny Hinn, a famous Christian televangelist who claims to be a prophet.
 * While watching Gideon's commercial on TV, Mabel makes the same noise Scooby-Doo makes when questioning something.
 * The Club where Dipper confronts Gideon is a direct reference to the "Red Room" in the Black and White Lodge from the TV series Twin Peaks.

The Inconveniencing

 * The newspaper Dipper reads has a similar title and logo to USA Today.
 * Some of the snacks appear similar to Ho Hos, Hostess Fruit Pies, and Hostess CupCakes.
 * The kids putting mints in the soda is an allusion to the Diet Coke and Mentos eruption.
 * The mints packaging is very similar to Mentos.
 * Thompson plays a game called Dancy Pants Revolution. This is a reference to the game Dance Dance Revolution.
 * Lee is put in a cereal box similar to Froot Loops with a blue toucan similar to Toucan Sam on it. The toucan says, "I'm bonkers for eating you alive!" in the same way Sonny the Cuckoo Bird says "I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!"
 * The name of the haunted mini-mart "Dusk 2 Dawn" is an allusion to the 1996 Quentin Tarantino movie From Dusk Till Dawn.
 * When Wendy told Dipper that he was "surprisingly mature for his age", he replied "Yes, yes I am", which may be an allusion of the "Too Young Line" gag of the animated television show Phineas and Ferb.
 * The candy "Smile Dip" is a reference to "Fun Dip".
 * The two dogs on the bag look a bit like Pluto, Mickey Mouse's dog.
 * When Mabel "runs sideways" on the ground after she went over the fence, it's similar to what Curly Howard does in The Three Stooges.
 * When the ghost lifts everything on the ceiling, music plays that sounds similar to the Ghostbusters theme.

Dipper vs. Manliness

 * The song Disco Girl by Icelandic pop group BABBA is a reference to the song Dancing Queen by the Swedish pop group ABBA.
 * Lazy Susan's name is a reference to a rotating tray by the same name.
 * The Manotaurs are a reference to the mythological creature Minotaur.
 * The Manotaur "Chutzpar" references Orthodox Judaism is multiple ways. Unlike the other Manotaurs, he wears a head covering akin to a Kippah (i.e., yarmulke) and has hair similar to payot (sidecurls). Moreover, his name is a play on the Yiddish word Chutzpah
 * The song that plays while Dipper is riding on Chutzpar is an allusion to the music that plays in Crisis City Act 1 in Sonic Generations.
 * The jerky that Dipper is eating in the forest references Hulk Hogan.

Double Dipper

 * The song that Mabel sings, "Don't Start Un-Believing," is an allusion to the song "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey.
 * Pacifica Northwest's name is a pun on the U.S. region "Pacific Northwest," a region containing Oregon state.
 * Paper-Jam Dipper (and much of the rest of the episode's plot) may be a reference to the plot of the film Multiplicity, where a man creates a series of clones of himself and the 4th is very badly disabled.
 * The cracker pack is an allusion to the the Handi-Pak.

Irrational Treasure

 * The title of the episode is an allusion to National Treasure. Dipper's "We're in" line is also inspired by this.
 * The Depants-ipation Proclamation is an allusion to the Emancipation Proclamation made by United States President Abraham Lincoln.
 * Footage of Quentin Trembley's speech makes an allusions to the famous line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" made by former president Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inaugural speech.
 * This may also be an allusion to the "First president conspiracy" that holds there was a president before George Washington, who was erased from history as he was not a member of the free masons.
 * The cryptogram decodes as "E PLURIBUS TREMBLEY," a play on the phrase "E PLURIBUS UNUM" found on the Great Seal of the United States.

The Time Traveler's Pig

 * The title of the episode is an allusion to the novel The Time Traveler's Wife.
 * The cryptogram at the end of the episode says "NOT H.G. WELLS APPROVED". This references the science fiction novella The Time Machine by H. G. Wells.
 * At the end of the episode, Dipper quotes the line, "That'll do pig. That'll do." from the film "Babe."
 * The two Time Police are named Lolph and Dundgren, as a reference to the actor Dolph Lundgren.
 * The episode also makes direct references to the video game The Oregon Trail, including a joke about common cause of death in the game, dysentery.
 * Mabel and Waddles eating the same slice of pizza from different ends is a reference to the Disney animated film, Lady and the Tramp.

Fight Fighters

 * The title of the episode is an allusion to Street Fighter series.
 * Rumble McSkirmish is an amalgamation of Ken Masters, Ryu, and Sagat from the Street Fighter series.
 * Dipper chases Rumble McSkirmish and Robbie to "Barrel and Crates Incorperated," a reference to the classic Donkey Kong games.
 * The seen on the street where there are objects just lying around is a direct refrence from Scott Pilgrim Vs the World: The Game.
 * Rumble McSkirmish punching the car in the "bonus round" is a reference to an identical bonus level in Street Fighter 2 and Final Fight, and how you defecr objects like cars in Scott Pilgrim Vs the World: The Game.
 * When Rumble does the uppercut at the all you can eat buffet, he shouts, "ALL YOU CAN EAT!" The way he shouts it and the way he does the move is a reference to the Shoryuken move from Street Fighter.
 * Rumble McSkirmish kicks Robbie off the water tower and grabs him, the announcer says "Finish him!" which is a direct reference to Mortal Kombat
 * Rumble's pose when he defeats Dipper is an allusion to Sonic the Hedgehog.
 * Games in the Arcade:
 * Nort, the backwards spelling of classic sci-fi movie Tron.
 * Soos trying to "enter the game" is a reference to the plot of Tron.
 * Ho-Down Hero, a reference to Guitar Hero series and Dance Dance Revolution series.
 * Ghost Maze, a reference to Pac-Man.
 * Nerd Punch, a reference to the Punch-Out!! series.
 * FrogTime, a reference to Frogger.
 * PizzaTime, a reference to BurgerTime.
 * BG Painter Extreme.
 * Credits:
 * In the end credits, Mabel's video game character says "It's a me, a Mabel", like the video game character Mario.
 * Most of the credits scene is a reference to the classic game Super Mario Bros. 2, including Soos sleeping.
 * In the end credits, Soos is shown as a large head eating the characters, a reference to Pac-Man.
 * The cryptogram reads "Sorry Dipper, but your Wendy is in another castle". This is a reference to Super Mario Bros, where Toad would tell you your princess in another castle.

Little Dipper

 * The title of the episode refers to the constellation, Ursa Minor. It's often referred to as Little Dipper.
 * Gummy Koalas is a spoof of Haribo.
 * Mabel shouts into the closet "Expecto Wizardo!", a reference to the Harry Potter spell "Expecto Patronum!"
 * After Dipper won the chest match he yelled OH! which is a reference to Cartoon Network's Regular Show.

Summerween

 * When the pig jumps out of Grunkle Stan's stomach, it is a reference to the Ridley Scott film Alien, in which the aliens impregnate the humans by laying their eggs in the human's mouths. When the eggs hatch, they pop out of the human's chest, killing them.