Postcards from the Wedge/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 21 Episode References
← 454 "The Color Yellow"	455 "Postcards From the Wedge"	"Stealing First Base" 456 →

Cultural references

• The episode title:
  • Is a pun on the film Postcards from the Edge, which was based on the novel of the same title by Carrie Fisher.
  • Refers to the term "wedge issue", which is an issue that is divisive by nature and so can put otherwise like-minded people at odds with each other, as seen in Bart's manipulating Homer and Marge to play them against each other.
• The Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, "Mouse, M.D.", is a parody of House M.D.
• The anime cartoon that Bart watches is a parody of Pokémon. Additionally this episode also aired on the same day that Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the remakes for the Pokémon Gameboy Color games Gold and Silver were released on the Nintendo DS in the United States.
• The filmstrip at the beginning contains some classic cartoon sound effects, such as the "pbpbpbpbpbpbpbpb" motors from The Jetsons and the trombone talking of the teachers in the Peanuts television specials.
• The music being played in the film strip and during the credits is George Gershwin's "An American in Paris".
• Bart and Milhouse both make Thomas the Tank Engine references when they discover the subway.
• Mrs. Krabappel says that Bart ruined every ideal she had about teaching since she saw the movie To Sir, with Love as a little girl.
• Moe's Express is a parody of Panda Express.

Continuity

• The term "wedge issue" is also punned in the title of the comic story Wedgie Issue.

Trivia

• In this episode, the flag pole is as tall as the school.
• This episode features the show's first ever true grounding, and the first to stand for the rest of the episode. Prior to this episode, Bart and other children would be sent to their rooms, or punished in other ways. This episode is the culmination of the increase in groundings that started in season 20, with more groundings being used in seasons 20-21 than the previous 19 seasons put together.

Goofs

• About 8 minutes into the episode, Lisa's pearls briefly appear red like Marge's, a goof commonly seen in episodes.
• When Lisa was explaining her example fraction equation's answer, it is incorrect. 1/2 + 1/3 does not equal 3/anything. It equals 5/6 minimum. However, she could've meant 3/6 + 2/6 instead.
• Although the subway system is abandoned, it is still used in various couch gags.