The Great Northern according to The Simpsons!

[Ben Horne]

Pictured below is a page from The Simpsons Guide to Springfield…



<<Ye Olde Off-Ramp Inn: The typical economy route, complete with Magic Fingers beds, Bibles in the nightstands, and that really odd feeling one gets that something very, very wrong happened in the room one is sleeping in. B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Disinfectant)>>.

<<The parking lot at the Ye Olde Off-Ramp Inn is always full, due to the fact that so many customers can’t figure out how to get back on the freeway once they arrive>>.



Another funny homage to Twin Peaks!

[garethw]

I must be a bit of a dope - I'm not sure where or what the reference is. What am I missing, Ben?

[jlyon1515]

Yeah, I'm not sure I see any definitive reference to Twin Peaks.

[perno]

I thought I was missing something because English is not my native langage... It seems I'm not the only one.

[The Double R]

The only comparison I am able to draw from the two is the Inn hosted the Little Miss Springfield Pageant.

Pictured below is a page from The Simpsons Guide to Springfield…



<<Ye Olde Off-Ramp Inn: The typical economy route, complete with Magic Fingers beds, Bibles in the nightstands, and that really odd feeling one gets that something very, very wrong happened in the room one is sleeping in. B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Disinfectant)>>.

<<The parking lot at the Ye Olde Off-Ramp Inn is always full, due to the fact that so many customers can’t figure out how to get back on the freeway once they arrive>>.

Another funny homage to Twin Peaks!

[Ben Horne]

The architecture of the building to me is an evident reference to the Great Northern, guys!
Yeah, it is not an exact cartoon replica, but just take a look to the images to find out exactly where the inspiration come from (style, shapes, colors, windows, parking lot, etc.)...
Please also take a look to the lonely area the Ye Olde Off-Ramp Inn is actually built on (trees, etc.)! What about the funny reference to the freeway?
And <<that really odd feeling one gets that something very, very wrong happened in the room one is sleeping in>>? To me another reference to weird / mysterious events that took place inside the Great Northern...
Comments welcome!

[jlyon1515]

Everything you've stated (and including the architecture) would indicate that the Simpsons are referencing the hotel from The Shining just as much if not more than the Great Northern in Twin Peaks. I'm still not seeing that they were intentionally referencing Twin Peaks.

[Ben Horne]

Everything you've stated (and including the architecture) would indicate that the Simpsons are referencing the hotel from The Shining just as much if not more than the Great Northern in Twin Peaks. I'm still not seeing that they were intentionally referencing Twin Peaks.

Very smart theory, jlyon1515!
I had already considered your idea before posting this discussion, but I was not sure about that and I'm going to explain you exactly why.
The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror V featured a segment (“The Shinning”) inspired by the film The Shining. Interestingly, Matt Groening had not seen The Shining and most references to the film were entirely lost to him: the parody was basically the writer’s way of showing his huge love for Kubrick’s art...
Here is The Overlook Hotel according to The Simpsons:



The building – an exact cartoon version of the original – has obviously a very similar architecture, but if you take a close look, well, the Ye Olde Off-Ramp Inn has a parking lot, structures, colors and other details familiar to the Twin Peaks residents...
Most importantly, I think they would have NEVER paid exactly the very same tribute twice.
And don’t forget the other references (e.g., the freeway)!
Just my two cents.
I understand you may not agree!
You guys judge!

[Gordon]

There is indeed something in the first picture that reminds of Twin Peaks and is not the hotel (although obviously it looks similar to the Great Northern). To me the detail that makes me think about TP is the blue limousine with a door open, like if it was waiting for Audrey Horne to take her to school like in the Pilot...