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Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts/References

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References/Trivia


Season 23 Episode References
487 "The Falcon and the D'ohman"
488
"Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts"
"Treehouse of Horror XXII" 489


Cultural references

Dead Poets Society

The episode's plotline bears some resemblance, and contains several references, to the 1989 drama film Dead Poets Society, which starred Robin Williams:

  • In the film, English teacher John Keating (played by Williams) uses unorthodox methods which make him popular with the students and get a group of boys (who later call themselves the Dead Poets Society) genuinely interested in poetry, similar to Chalmers' teaching Bart and his classmates (who later call themselves the Brotherhood of the Spectacles) about Roosevelt.
  • Chalmers' group comes under official scrutiny and Chalmers is fired when Nelson is hurt falling into a ditch, similar in style (but decidedly not in degree) to the Dead Poets getting into trouble and Keating being fired when one of their members commits suicide.
  • When Bart is back in class, Mrs. Krabappel tells him to turn to a page in the textbook, but Bart says it's missing. This is a reference to a scene at the end of the movie when the school's headmaster, temporarily replacing Keating, orders a student to read from a page in the poetry textbook, but the page has been ripped out (this happened earlier in the movie, under Keating's orders).
  • In the same scene, the Dead Poets Society (and most of their classmates) take a literal stand on Keating's behalf by defying the headmaster and standing on their desks to show their support for Keating, similar to the Brotherhood of the Spectacles coming to Chalmers' support. Unlike the Brotherhood, however, the Dead Poets neither take over the school nor succeed in winning Keating his job back.

Trivia

  • During the band room portion of the opening sequence, Lisa plays a tuba instead of her saxophone.
  • This is the first time that Gary Chalmers has been central to an episode.
  • Chalmers gets a promotion to Super-duperintendent.
  • Chalmers is revealed to be a widower, as he mentions his deceased wife Rosemary. She is also seen in a couple of photos. He had mentioned in the end credits of "Pranksta Rap" that she was very sick.

Bart and the Presidents

When Chalmers shows Bart the illustration featuring all of the U.S. Presidents, Bart only recognizes the following:

Bart's ignorance of the Presidents prompts Chalmers to teach him about Theodore Roosevelt.

Continuity

Goofs

  • When Chalmers asks Bart if he has ever seen a horse that his father wasn't betting on and Bart replied "no sir", this is wrong as Bart previously owned a racehorse named Duncan in "Saddlesore Galactica".
  • When Bart sees the presidents in a fold-out, "Roosevelt" is next to a crease on the fold. In a close up, "T." has appeared before "Roosevelt" and there is no crease or fold next to the image and caption of the president.
  • When Bart says "Aye Caramba!" at the end of episode, his mouth doesn't move
  • When Chalmers speaks in his flashback, the words he is saying don't match his mouth's movements.
  • When Bart and Chalmers are riding in the national park the river flows in both directions.
Season 23 References
The Falcon and the D'ohman Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts Treehouse of Horror XXII Replaceable You The Food Wife The Book Job The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants The Ten-Per-Cent Solution Holidays of Future Passed Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson The D'oh-cial Network Moe Goes from Rags to Riches The Daughter Also Rises At Long Last Leave Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart‎ How I Wet Your Mother Them, Robot Beware My Cheating Bart‎ A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again The Spy Who Learned Me Ned 'n Edna's Blend Agenda Lisa Goes Gaga