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In 2015, multiple news outlets disclosed that an episode of Homeland featured Arabic graffiti that criticized the depiction of Muslims in the popular Showtime series. Some of the messages scrawled on the set's walls read “Homeland is racist” and “Homeland is not a show.” These messages were apparently left without the producers' awareness or approval. A group known as the 'Arabian Street Artists' claimed responsibility, stating that the act was meant to express their 'political discontent.'
This wasn’t the first time that background details in films and TV shows have hidden intriguing messages, props, or inside jokes. Here are 10 more examples.
1.
FUTURAMA
THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF
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It might be surprising to think that Homeland and Futurama share common ground, but the latter also includes hidden messages in graffiti and signage. The show features an alien language, which astute viewers have deciphered—revealing background messages such as “laser tentacle surgery” and “used human probes.”
2. HIEROGLYPHIC R2-D2 AND C-3PO IN
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
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In Raiders of the Lost Ark, as Indy lifts a massive stone to reveal the Ark, a pillar with hieroglyphs can be seen that references the iconic Star Wars characters R2-D2 and C-3PO. Later in the scene, there’s a second, more subtle reference: On the back wall of the Ark, a hieroglyph appears depicting Princess Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO once again.
3. HAN SOLO ON THE
FIREFLY
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A 12-inch figurine of Han Solo frozen in carbonite makes several appearances throughout the science fiction series Firefly. This prop was specially made for Nathan Fillion, a devoted Star Wars enthusiast. It’s rumored that the prop department used to sneak it into scenes as a playful joke, without informing the producers or directors.
4. CREW NAMES HIDDEN IN CORONATION STREET
In 2015, several crew members of the British soap opera Coronation Street found themselves in hot water for sneakily adding their names onto props and set pieces, including football jerseys, newspapers, and resident call buttons. Things went a bit too far when a prop master named Peter Eccleston put his own name on a hardware store. An anonymous on-set source told the Mirror, “They think it’s hilarious to see their names on TV, but honestly, quite a few people are hoping for a change at the top to put an end to this disruption.”
5. THE RECURRING PROP NEWSPAPER
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Prop masters have inside jokes that go far beyond simply placing names on a hardware store. One prop newspaper, in particular, has appeared in an astonishing number of films and TV shows. You can spot it in Angel, No Country for Old Men, Everybody Hates Chris, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, and many more. The paper comes from Earl Hays Press, a newspaper prop company based in Sun Valley, California. Its repeated use has become a sort of inside joke in Hollywood—and, on top of that, it’s cheaper to recycle.
6. THE GROSS RESTAURANT NAME IN ANCHORMAN
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In Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) dines at a Mexican restaurant with her female colleagues. The restaurant’s sign boldly declares its name as “Escupimos en su Alimento.” When translated to English, this means “We spit in your food.”
7. THE ACCURATE, AND SOMETIMES HUMOROUS, WHITEBOARD IN THE BIG BANG THEORY
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CBS employs a physics professor on the set of The Big Bang Theory to verify the accuracy of the scripts. Beyond ensuring everything is scientifically correct, he occasionally injects humor into the whiteboard displayed in Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment. For example, in the episode “The Jiminy Conjecture,” two characters debate over a cricket. In the background, the whiteboard showcases Dolbear’s law, a formula explaining the correlation between temperature and the rate at which crickets chirp. The information on the board is rarely mentioned, mostly there for science fans to appreciate.
8. MAGNA DOODLE ART ON FRIENDS
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Starting from season three, a Magna Doodle was seen hanging on Joey and Chandler’s door in Friends. At one point, a member of the electric crew began changing the drawing on the magnetic surface for each episode. Occasionally, the message was tied to the storyline. For example, in “The One with the Cat,” the apartment gets burglarized, and the Magna Doodle says, “Thanks for all your stuff.” A few episodes later, Chandler gets a manicure, and the Magna Doodle reads, “Nice nails, Chandler!”
9. TYLER DURDEN’S FACEBOOK PAGE IN THE SOCIAL NETWORK
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David Fincher, the director of both Fight Club and The Social Network, included a nod to the iconic character Tyler Durden from his earlier film. In a scene where Mark Zuckerberg is on his computer, working on Facebook, the words “Tyler Durden’s Photos” appear briefly on the screen.
10. LOST PAINTING IN STUART LITTLE
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This isn’t so much a hidden message as it is an (accidentally) hidden object. In the 1999 movie Stuart Little, the main characters are a wealthy family in Manhattan, known for their collection of fine art. In 2009, an art historian named Gergely Barki was watching the film with his daughter when he spotted a painting by Róbert Berény in the background. The painting had been missing since 1928 and was valued at around a quarter of a million dollars. Barki later contacted an assistant set designer for the film, who revealed that they had purchased the painting at an antique store in Pasadena for just $500. Eventually, the painting was returned.
