Popular Culture References
The lyrics were used in the March 21, 1954 episode of The Jack Benny Program during a sketch about a man trying to buy a train ticket to Constantinople. Jack Benny and Frank Nelson proceed to use the lyrics to dispute where the man can go.
The They Might Be Giants version is used in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Tiny Toons Music Television" and The Simpsons episode "Mobile Homer".
A few lines of the song were sung by some Muppet rats at the beginning of the first season episode of Muppets Tonight guest-starring Pierce Brosnan. When host Clifford tells the audience that the show can be seen everywhere from Istanbul to Constantinople, Rizzo the rat corrects him that Istanbul is Constantinople.
On NBC's America's Got Talent on August 16, 2011, the act Those Funny Little People performed a routine to the They Might Be Giants version of this song.
On CBS's Cold Case, the 2008 episode "Pin Up Girl" features a scene, that takes place in 1953, where the victim entertains her companions by singing and dancing to the Four Lads version of the song. The song ends up being part of a clue that helps move the case foward.
In the TV Series Raising Hope, Maw Maw is a pro at Jenga while listening to the song.
During the TV series Get Smart (season 3) episode "Die Spy", several lines of the song are spoken as interplay between Don Adams and Stu Gilliam.
In the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring The Castle of Fu Manchu, Tom Servo recites a few lines after Joel says "Oh, sure just barge into Istanbul... hey, at least it's not Constantinople."
On the June 3, 2009, episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Ferguson and many dancers dressed up in "Turkish" garb performed a comedic cover of the They Might Be Giants version.
In the TV series Bunheads, Sasha leads a fantasy contemporary ballet dance number set to the song in her class co-starring her gal pals. It's a sort of pas de trois.
The song is featured in Just Dance 4, a game by Ubisoft.
Read more about this topic: Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
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