Difference between revisions of "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire/References"

Revision as of 14:20, October 8, 2010

Notes

• This is the only episode that does not start with any kind of show opening. The title is shown and then the episode begins.
• This episode was nominated for, but did not win, a Primetime Emmy Award in the categories of "Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or less)" and "Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special."
• DVD commentary revealed that the creators got letters of praise for heightening the awareness of the abandonment of racing dogs, who are often thrown out onto the streets when their owners decide the dogs are no longer profitable, even though they did not know it was a serious problem when they created the episode.
• When Lisa is doing the tribal dance, many people were curious as to why she isn't wearing anything from the waist down. Years later, the DVD commentary for this episode revealed that Lisa is actually wearing a leotard, and is in fact not naked.
• Matt Groening said that he was inspired to do the "Christmas of Many Lands" sketch by an oral report he gave when he was in the second grade. Groening, whose grandmother is from Russia, gave a report on how Russian children are greeted by "Grandfather Winter" and given gifts from him, and how due to differences in the Julian and Gregorian calenders the Russians celebrate their Christmas in January!

Trivia

Signs and Other Things To Read

• The Springfield Elementary School Christmas show receives 3 1/2 stars in a recent review advertised in front of the building.
• Lisa requests a pony six times on her Christmas wish list.
• Next door to the tattoo parlor is Dr. Zitsofsky's Dermatology Clinic. A sign in the window reads, "Tattoos removed by laser."
• Homer receives a 13 dollar check: He grossed $120 less social security, less unemployment insurance, less santa training, less costume purchase, less beard rental, less Christmas club.

Background jokes

• One tattoo in the Happy Sailor Tattoo Parlor features a knife piercing a heart.
• Marge pulls her car into parking area "ZZ" at the Springfield Mall.
• The "slightly irregular" Christmas trees cost $45.
• Santa's Little Helper was number 8 in the greyhound race.

Counting Scenes

• There are 28 children in Bart's 4th Grade class on stage during the Christmas concert.
• Maggie fell 5 times:
  • While Bart and Lisa were writing their letters to Santa (twice)
  • Again off-screen shortly
  • Homer asks for the extension cord
  • Outside admiring Ned's Christmas lights

Characters

• The mechanical rabbit's name is Screwy
• Dogs in the race against Santa's Little Helper:
  • Quadruped
  • Whirlwind
  • Fido
  • Dog O' War
  • Chew My Shoe
• This marks the first episode with Santa's Little Helper, Patty Bouvier, Selma Bouvier, Ned Flanders, Todd Flanders, Mr. Burns, Smithers, and Grampa Simpson.

Errors

• Lewis changes from black to yellow when Milhouse dares Bart to pull Santa's beard off.
• After Homer brings Santa's Little Helper home, Homer and Marge hug, and if you look behind them, the background is upside down. There is a picture hanging upside down, and there is a lamp which seems to be hanging from the ceiling. Then in the next shot, the background is normal.
• When Homer walks out Circus of Values with his purchases, he bumps into Flanders, and all the presents scatter everywhere. Watch out for a red present with a green bow that goes flying near the left hand side of the screen. As soon as it hits the ground it turns into a pink box with a white bow wrapped around it, with no shot changes. Other presents move around and change colors too.
• While having breakfast, all of the Simpsons' glasses of orange juice keep disappearing and reappearing throughout the scene.
• Bart yanks Homer's beard off in the mall, Homer then takes Bart into Santa's workshop. When they are inside Santa's workshop, Homer's beard is back on, despite the fact that he didn't put it back on, he let it fall to the ground when Bart pulled it off.
• When Marge is speaking on the phone to her sisters, her sisters say something that sounds like they said that Homer is ugly. Marge then puts down the phone wire that she was curling round her finger. It is easier to see this when you are using DVD, because then you can go into slow-motion, but you can temporarily see that the phone wire disappears when Marge puts it down. It is at the very end of an early scene, because as soon as this happens it changes to another scene.
• When Homer finds out that he has no Christmas bonus the background behind Marge is the kitchen, but then it cuts to Homer and the background behind him is the kitchen too.
• When Homer has been informed about the Christmas money being spent on Bart getting his tattoo surgically removed, he leaves the house. When he opens and closes the door to leave, the wreath on the door is white with a red bow. When Homer then turns to look his Christmas decorations, the wreath is now green.
• Just before the kitchen mistake, Marge comes through the door and you see that she has come from a room with a piano in it. It has a musical book on it. But when the shot changes so we see Marge turn the jar upside down, the book of musical notes has disappeared.
• When Mr. Burns comes on the P.A. system Homer started eating a donut, he takes a bite and after that the donut stays the same size even though he takes 2 more bites. Additionally, when Mr Burns says that there will be no Christmas Bonuses, everyone's donut disappears.
• When Homer is putting Christmas lights around the outside of the house, he falls from the roof. You can then hear Lisa and Bart sarcastically clap. But you can see they both have their hands by their side, and no-one is clapping.
• When Milhouse, Bart and Lewis are talking about the fake Santa, Milhouse's eyebrows go from blue to black to blue again.
• When Homer walks up the front drive you can see the road and there are no markings on it. But when he turns to look at his house, there are orange lines running down the road.
• When Marge reveals the Christmas money from her hair, her necklace changes from red to white.
• When Homer says that he isn't getting a bonus from the power plant he is facing the kitchen but in the next shot Marge is behind Homer who is behind the kitchen.
• The little boy in the play at the beginning appears to be Ralph Wiggum, but his voice is completely different.

Cultural references

• All in the Family: similair storyline.
• The Christmas Song: title is a pun on line "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire".
• Peanuts: Bart refers to A Charlie Brown Christmas
• The Smurfs: Bart refers to The Smurfs Christmas Special
• A Christmas Carol: Skinner mentions the book and Bart refers to Tiny Tim.
• Jingle Bells: Bart sings the "Batman Smells" alternative.
• Miracle on 34th Street: Bart makes a disrespectful remark to a mall Santa.
• Man o' War: a dog is called Dog o' War.
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The family sings it at the end.
• Goldfinger: Bart is strapped to a table with a laser moving towards him.
• Gift of the Magi: Homer doesn't get his Christmas bonus and says to himself "Oh well, thank goodness for the big jar" and Marge used her money to remove Bart's tattoo and says to herself "Oh well, thank goodness for Homer's Christmas bonus", similar to how in this short story by O'Henry, a man sells his watch to buy his wife an expensive set of combs and his wife has her hair cut, selling the remainder to a wigmaker, in order to buy a gold chain for her husband's watch.
• The Little Mermaid: Homer in this episode (and future episodes), says 'Why you little' similar to Ursula (Vanessa) says nearing the end of the film in question.

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