The Man Who Grew Too Much/References

References/Trivia

Season 25 Episode References

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"The Man Who Grew Too Much"

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Cultural references

The episode title is either a reference to the 1922 detective story novel The Man Who Knew Too Much, written by G. K. Chesterton, or to the unrelated suspense films both titled The Man Who Knew Too Much, one released in 1934 and the other in 1956, both directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Groundskeeper Willie is mopping the hallway when he hears the crowd of students rushing the cafeteria for Taco Tuesday. When he finds there is very little empty space in the janitor's closet, he is forced to choose between saving himself or the mop from being overrun. The theme song from Titanic ("My Heart Will Go On") plays as Willie chooses to save the mop and puts it in the closet.
The Shawshank Redemption: The Simpson family are shocked to find Sideshow Bob working as the chief scientist, as to the best of their knowledge, he's still in prison. Bob, seeking to mollify them, says, "No need to worry. I'm still technically shawshanking it at Springfield Penitentiary", using "shawshank" as a slang term referring to being trapped in an undesirable situation (such as prison).
A beaker in Sideshow Bob's laboratory is labeled "Acid-Washed Genes", a play on "acid-washed jeans."
Marge's puppet show Slow Times at Promiseville High is a reference to Fast Times at Ridgemont High

This is the last appearance of Edna Krabappel while she's alive. The character had been retired and killed off-screen since her voice actress, Marcia Wallace, passed away in October 2013, and has since then appeared as a ghost.
This episode is included in the The Simpsons The Complete Seventeenth Season DVD and Blu-ray as the bonus episode.

Sideshow Bob and Lisa Simpson singing a parody of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", which was sung by Homer and Marge Simpson on Season 21 episode, "Million Dollar Maybe".
There are a number of callbacks to previous episodes. Bob's face falls off at one point, a reference to his scheme from "The Bob Next Door". He attempts to kill Bart and Lisa by dropping them off the top of a hydroelectric dam ("Brother from Another Series"). Finally, he gets clocked in the face by a rake he steps on, a gag first seen in "Cape Feare".

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Homerland • Treehouse of Horror XXIV • Four Regrettings and a Funeral • YOLO • Labor Pains • The Kid Is All Right • Yellow Subterfuge • White Christmas Blues • Steal This Episode • Married to the Blob • Specs and the City • Diggs • The Man Who Grew Too Much • The Winter of His Content • The War of Art • You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee • Luca$ • Days of Future Future • What to Expect When Bart's Expecting • Brick Like Me • Pay Pal • The Yellow Badge of Cowardge