Can anyone explain the Pasadena thing?

It was never explained, but perhaps Adam's mother was from Pasadena, and she felt a girl also from Pasadena would make a good wife for Adam.

There's a very long history of Pasadena references in Hollywood.

Used car salesmen trying to make a sale would always say a car was only driven by a little old lady in Pasadena.

There's a reference to it in the 1954 version of A Star is Born.

And in Rocky and Bullwinkel it's mentioned as fake name for Caltech.

Where's your crew?
On the 3rd planet.
There IS no 3rd planet!
Don't you think I know that?

The mother tells him to find someone from Pasadena because she ''always thought they were just that little bit nicer than Valley girls''.

just cos iv only got one leg, doesnt mean im only half a person

LA reference. Pasadena is the part of the city most like middle America. Plus the fam lives in Pasadena. JPL? Bring home a local girl.

Pasadena is an upscale, mostly white, polite neighborhood in the middle of the insanity that is L.A. Their streets are beautiful, their houses are immaculate and the curving streets with all the elm and maple trees remind you of the east coast. It's a 'middle america' vibe. Of course, though a lot of RICH outsiders have been moving into Pasadena recently (go figure). Lots of millionaires who are from other countries because there are some seriously BIG mansions in Pasadena.

Dr. Kila Marr was right. Kill the Crystalline Entity.

His mother is probably from Pasadena. And she thinks Pasadena girls are nicer than Valley girls.

I always thought it was funny because I live right next to Pasadena, and as other posters have said, it's got a real Middle America vibe to it.