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"Homer vs. Dignity/References"
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Cultural references
- The chalkboard gag reads "I am not the Sixth Beatle", a reference to the "Fifth Beatle".
- The episode's plot is similar to the film The Magic Christian:
- The main character, Sir Guy Grand, is an eccentric billionaire who bribes people to carry out his whims, similar to Mr. Burns' hiring Homer to be his "prank monkey".
- Grand also plays his pranks to shock people, mocking what they consider to be important, similar to the prank that Burns and Homer play on Comic Book Guy.
- When the Simpsons are pressed into service as a Mariachi band to pay for their meal at The Singing Sirloin, they are heard playing:
- Singing Sirloin employee Mary Kay seems to be a reference to the Mary Kay company, judging by her pink makeup and all-pink outfit.
- When Smithers asks Mr. Burns for time off to produce his Malibu Stacy musical, Burns laughs and sarcastically asks, "Why not write a musical about the common cat? Or the King of Siam?", referencing the musicals Cats and The King and I, respectively.
- Just before Homer and Mr. Burns prank him, Comic Book Guy is eating pink marshmallow Peeps.
- One of the Thanksgiving parade balloons is of Rusty the Clown, a reference to Rusty Nails:
- Rusty Nails was a popular TV clown in the 1960s in Portland, Oregon, where Simpsons creator Matt Groening grew up.
- Krusty the Clown is loosely based on Rusty Nails.
- Other balloons seen in the parade include:
- The figure on the parade float "saluting the Native Americans" bears a strong resemblance to Chief Wahoo, the Cleveland Indians' logo.
- When the gulls attack the townspeople (who are covered in the fish guts Burns has thrown on them), it is similar to a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
Trivia
- When Homer is throwing the presents to the children, Ralph doesn't actually catch his; it bounces off his head and flies off into the crowd.
- The Thanksgiving parade isn't the first time Homer has dressed up as Santa. See "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
- Homer's panda name "Sim-Sim" is almost certainly a reference both to his own last name and to his being a fake, or "simulated," panda.
- The "panda rape" scene was very controversial among fans of the show[citation needed].
Pranks
Homer plays the following pranks while serving as Mr. Burns' "prank monkey":
- Homer throws a dish of pudding at Lenny (reluctantly, under Burns' persuasion and offer of four dollars).
- When Burns offers another four dollars, Homer eagerly throws a second dish of pudding at Lenny.
- To celebrate his promotion to "Prank Monkey", Homer spontaneously throws a dish of pudding at Carl, but is quickly reprimanded for the deed by Burns.
- Homer buys a mint condition Spider-Man #1 from Comic Book Guy for $20,000 cash, then tears out the pages and eats it right there in the store, while Comic Book Guy gasps and collapses in shock.
- Wearing only a giant diaper, Homer appears in the men's room at Springfield Stadium, acting like a baby needing a diaper change: "Baby made a boom-boom!"
- Homer disguises himself as "Sim-Sim," the new female panda at the Springfield Zoo. The prank backfires when the zoo's trainers zap him with electrical prods and the resident bull panda, Ping-Ping, takes an amorous interest in him.
- When Homer appears as Santa in a float for the Costington's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Burns offers him a million dollars to throw fish guts (instead of presents) to the crowd. Homer refuses and Burns does it himself.
Goofs
- Recycled animation: During their Mariachi performance, the Simpsons are seen playing "La Bamba" (an up-tempo song) and "Spanish Eyes" (a slow song). The movements of them playing their instruments match "La Bamba" but not "Spanish Eyes"; the discrepancy is most obvious with Maggie's trumpet playing.
Template:Season 12 R
