Grift of the Magi/References
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Cultural references
- This episode's title is a pun on O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi.
- Milhouse sings "Sisters are doin' it for themselves!", a song by Aretha Franklin and the Eurythmics and covered on The Yellow Album by Lisa, Ann and Nancy Wilson and Patty and Selma.
- The toy, Funzo, is a parody of the popular Furby dolls (although the Furby dolls were mentioned in the story line as an example of a popular toy).
- Gary Coleman once worked as a security guard in real life. Coleman spoofed Arnold's (Coleman's character in Diff'rent Strokes) catchphrase, "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?", three times.
- At the end, the narrator says Mr. Burns was visited by three ghosts in the night which showed him the error of his ways, a homage to A Christmas Carol.
- The narrator also says that Moe, in his annual suicide attempt, was shown what the world would be like without him after sticking his head in his oven. This is a reference to the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life.
- Funzo's metallic frame maybe a reference to the endoskeleton of a T800 Terminator from the Terminator films.
Goofs
- Even though Bart said he wouldn't bring a toy to school, he is shown with a Krusty doll.
- Principal Skinner states that the wheelchair stairs will prepare for the new millennium, 2000. In reality, the actual new millennium is in 2001.
- At the hospital, Maggie is seen with a red bow in one scene, instead of her usual blue. In the next scene a few seconds later, it is blue again.
