The Heartbroke Kid/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

Trivia

• Spangler's car is a Volvo.
• The montage near the end of the first act spoofs Bart's shots in the show's opening; additionally, Barney appears in place of the now-deceased Bleeding Gums Murphy, in the same place where Murphy would have appeared.
• One of the candies that Bart eats is named Cop Killaz.

Continuity

• Bart's line "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger" was also said by Homer in "Homer's Triple Bypass" following one of several heart attacks. Dr. Hibbert quickly proved that statement to be false.
• Homer has a fantasy about a robotic Marge, a reference to "Gump Roast" where "Marge becomes a robot" is suggested as a future plotline.
• Homer's half-brother Herb Powell is mentioned in this episode, marking his only appearance or even mention since his starring roles in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?."
• In the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, the medical questionnaire that Scratchy fills out asks "Have You Ever Been:" followed by a list of catastrophic events, all of which happened to Scratchy in previous Itchy & Scratchy episodes (see "Kitty-Kill Condition").

Goofs

• How far is Spangler's compound from the Simpson house? Earlier in the episode it's only an hour's drive; later, as Homer and Tab are out on the highway, Tab wants to stop at a motel overnight. -- Judging by the dialogue as they drive in the car, it's possible that Tab is hitting on Homer.

Cultural references

• The episode title is a pun on the 1972 film The Hertbreak Kid starring Charles Grodin.
  • It may also be a reference to professional wrestler Shawn Michaels, whose ring name during his wrestling career (1998-2010) with the WWE was "The Heartbreak Kid".
• The song Homer sings for change to the German students on vacation is "99 Luftballons" by Nena.
• The song played during Bart's junkfood montage is "Yummy Yummy Yummy" by Ohio Express.
• Bart's line "raged against the machine" is a reference to the political rap-rock band Rage Against the Machine.
• References from The Shawshank Redemption:
  • Bart uses a poster of Krusty the Clown to conceal the junk food stash in his room. Andy DuFresne puts a poster of Rita Hayworth (later followed by Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch) on the wall of his cell to conceal his escape tunnel.
  • Bart opens a package of candy, throws it in the air, and lets it fall down onto and around him, echoing the scene where Andy stands in the rain after his escape.
• Bart's candy-tossing scene could also be considered a reference to the scene in Pleasantville where David stands in the rain and transforms from black-and-white to color.
• Homer says (regarding the milkshakes from the festival), "They're melting", in a style reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
• Das Boot: Marge puns the film and the expression "give the boot" (meaning to remove someone from a location) when she tells Homer it's OK to use Bart's stolen vending-machine money to give the German backpackers "das boot".
• The episode's storyline is likely a satire of the real-world problem of vending machines in schools. In fact, some states have made it illegal for public schools to sell junk food to students during school hours.