1) Mayor Ebert and his assistant Gene are spoofs of the late film critics Roger Ebert and his partner Gene Siskel (who would pass away less than a year after the film’s release). This is in response to the duo giving negative reviews to Emmerich and Devlin’s earlier films Stargate and Independence Day. The film also co-opted the duo’s trademarked “Thumbs Up” gesture from their various television shows by depicting Mayor Ebert’s campaign as “Thumbs Up for New York!” and Gene later disapproving of his decision to exploit the disaster by giving him a thumbs down. When the actual Siskel and Ebert reviewed the film on their show, it received two thumbs down and Gene Siskel commented on being spoofed in the film; he said it was “petty” and asked the filmmakers “if you’re going to go through…