She of Little Faith/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 13 Episode References
← 274 "The Blunder Years"	275 "She of Little Faith"	"Brawl in the Family" 276 →

Cultural references

• The title is a reference to a Bible quotation, "O ye of little faith," from Matthew 6:30.
• Bart's chalkboard gag was probably a subtle reference to his limited-edition breakfast cereal released in 2001, Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Cereal by Kellogg's.
• The film The Planet from Outer Space is a parody of the science fiction horror film Plan 9 from Outer Space.
• Chet Manners says, "Do you want to boldly go where people like me, but not me, have gone before?" referencing the quote "to boldly go where no man has gone before" from Star Trek.
• Homer sings "Floss It" to the tune of "Whip It" by Devo.
• The model rocket attempted launches were partially based on the film October Sky.
• When Ned joins Homer with his own model rocket, he greets him by saying, "Greetings from Nednedy Space Center on Cape Flandaveral," referencing the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral.
• Nibbles' wife is dressed in a fashion very similar to Jacqueline Kennedy.
• Nibbles' space helmet has NASA written on it.
• Homer's "break the surly bonds of gravity/punch the face of God!" speech is a parody of Ronald Reagan's speech following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, which quotes from the poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
• The childish drawings that cover the broken windows of the church represent:
  • Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge on which there is the serpent.
  • Moses separating the waters of the Red Sea.
  • The crucifixion (with two crosses and not three).
  • Noah's Ark.
• Reverend Lovejoy says that David Bowie "...has done enough for his church".
• The large Jesus neon sign outside the church resembles the well-known neon "Vegas Vic" cowboy sign that was once atop the Pioneer Club in Las Vegas.
• While walking into the new church, a man claims that he can exchange money for the patrons. Lisa remarks that it "could not be more blasphemous!" This is a reference to the biblical account of Jesus and the money changers.
• There is a sign for the Zip Boys in the church, a parody of the Pep Boys.
• The mural in the church where Bart makes faces and photos is a reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.
• On the Jumbo-tron, Lisa is captioned with the words "Pouting Thomas," a play on the phrase Doubting Thomas. The Jumbo-tron itself is labeled "Godcam."
  • This is also a reference to the 1970s episodes of Saturday Night Live where, after a sketch ended and before the show went to a commercial break, the camera would zoom in on someone in the audience and a bizarre or risque caption would appear below the shot.
• A screen on the pulpit of Reverend Lovejoy is seen advertising Ally McBeal.
• When Reverend Lovejoy is done with his sermon, he introduces the Noid, the mascot of Domino's Pizza, to deliver a special sermon on the sanctity of deliciousness.
• When Lovejoy says that the church has the same basic message, they just dressed it up a little, Lisa compares it to the Whore of Babylon.
• Two of the books Lisa reads while researching different faiths are Religionhood by Paul Reiser and Zagat's Guide to World Religions by the real-world restaurant guidebook company Zagat.
• When Bart proposes to Lisa to convert to Judaism, because "When you turn thirteen, cha-ching!" it is a reference to the Jewish Bar Mitzvah ceremony (which is valid only for males).
• The religious "nightlife" signs Lisa passes include Bed, Bath & Baha'i, Whiskey a God God, Church of the Latter Day Druids, and Amish. The first and third signs reference Bed Bath & Beyond and the Church of the Latter Day Saints, respectively.
• When Lenny refers to Richard Gere as the "world's most famous Buddhist," Gere asks, "What about the Dalai Lama?"
• Carl asks Richard Gere if he really did all the sit-ups in An Officer and a Gentleman. Gere says that he only did one and they showed it a thousand times.
• When Ned hears Lisa announce that she is a Buddhist, he exclaims, "My Satan sense is tingling!" This is a spoof of Spider-Man's catchphrase, "My Spidey-Sense is tingling!"
• Lisa plants her own Bodhi Tree.
• What Lisa was chanting while ignoring her mother was "Om mani padme hum," a mantra popularly associated with Tibetan Buddhism.
• The Christmas tree angel that Homer places on Lisa's Bodhi Tree barks the Christmas carol "Jingle Bells".
• The Christmas carol "Silent Night" is heard just before Lisa comes downstairs.
• The Simpson family (minus Lisa) sings "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".
• Lenny and Carl's meditation mantra is from the song "Short Shorts" by the Royal Teens.

Trivia

• Homer's credit card number is 5784365343410709.
• The initials 'HJS' are written on Homer's rocket.
• After the model rocket countdown, Homer shouts "countdown" rather than "ignition" or "blastoff."
• The Rich Texan can be seen in the church, sitting in what would appear to be a skybox.
• Marge tells Lisa she hopes at least one of the Simpsons will go to Heaven. In "Simpsons Bible Stories" that's what happened - Lisa starts ascending to Heaven, but Homer grabs her and takes her down to the barbecue in Hell along with the rest of the family.
• When Marge tells Homer that this is the worst thing he's ever done, Homer replies that she's said it so much that the words have lost all meaning. Marge has also told Homer something is the worst thing he's ever done in "Brawl in the Family" (when it's revealed that Homer married the barmaid from Vegas). She's also said something very similar to that in "The Cartridge Family" (when Bart finds Homer's gun and uses it to play William Tell with Milhouse).
• Syndication cuts a scene where as Homer's rocket is launched, a homeless person lying in the gutter, upon seeing the rocket, stops drinking his bottle of wine and throws it aside. A business man walking by at the time catches the bottle and immediately lies down in the gutter and starts drinking it.
• This episode reveals that Homer wears contact lenses.
• In the "new" church there are advertisements for: Buzz Cola, Gulp 'n' Blow, Kwik-E-Mart, The Frying Dutchman, Let's Get Fiscal, Sportacus, and Zip Boys.

Goofs

The green driveway

The purple entryway

• When the family returns to the house after searching for Lisa the driveway is green, while everything else including the street is covered in snow.
• Rev. Lovejoy mentions that Mrs. Glick is recuperating at home. Yet she can clearly be seen with the other churchgoers.
• When Lisa first enters the Buddhist temple, there are two flower pots in front of Lenny and Carl. In the next scene, the flower pots are gone.
• On Christmas Day, back at the house, in two shots when it points to Homer, the walls in the entryway are colored like the kitchen.

← Season 12 Season 13 References Season 14 →

Treehouse of Horror XII • The Parent Rap • Homer the Moe • A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love • The Blunder Years • She of Little Faith • Brawl in the Family • Sweets and Sour Marge • Jaws Wired Shut • Half-Decent Proposal • The Bart Wants What It Wants • The Lastest Gun in the West • The Old Man and the Key • Tales from the Public Domain • Blame It on Lisa • Weekend at Burnsie's • Gump Roast • I Am Furious (Yellow) • The Sweetest Apu • Little Girl in the Big Ten • The Frying Game • Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge