$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 5 Episode References
← 090 "The Last Temptation of Homer"	091 "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)"	"Homer the Vigilante" 092 →

Cultural references

The Babbitts at the casino

• The title is a reference to the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and to the 1978-1981 TV drama Vega$.
• Freeman Gosden, who voiced Amos in the radio drama Amos 'n' Andy, appeared at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in News on Parade Corporation News.
• During the News on Parade Corporation News program, the songs "The Giant Killers" by Len Stevens, "Happy Go Lively" and "Shopping Spree" by Laurie Johnson, "Curtain-Raiser" by Alan Braden, and "Salute to Freedom" by Leslie Statham all play.
• In the past, the Aztec Theater showed the film Tame the Mighty Hudson, featuring Ray Milland.
• Movies seen at an XXX movie theater are called Sperms of Endearment, a parody of the movie Terms of Endearment, and I'll Do Anyone, a parody of the movie I'll Do Anything. Both films were directed by James L. Brooks. The hobo who appears shortly after the XXX theater is seen is also partially based on Brooks.
• Homer parodies the scene in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz when Scarecrow demonstrates his newly acquired intelligence by reciting the law that governs the lengths of the sides of an isosceles triangle. Unlike in the film, somebody correctly points out that the Pythagorean theorem recited applies to right-angled triangles, not isosceles triangles, unless there is a right-angle in the triangle.
• Henry Kissinger refers to himself as the man who crafted the Paris Peace Accords.
• The model of the Brittania casino plays "Rule, Britannia!", composed by Thomas Arne.
• Marge reminds Homer that his lifelong dream was to be a contestant on the television show The Gong Show.
  • The song Homer and Barney play on The Gong Show is "Oh! Susanna" by Stephen Foster.
• The Rich Texan says that he wore his lucky hat the day Kennedy was shot.
• "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khachaturian plays during Gunter and Ernst's show.
• Homer is impressed by the card-counting abilities of the autistic character Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) from the 1988 film Rain Man; Tom Cruise appears next to him, in character as Charlie Babbitt.
• Mr. Burns's bed looks similar to the one occupied by Keir Dullea's character Dave Bowman in the end of the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
• Mr. Burns' obsession with germs and cleanliness and his refusal to leave his bedroom once the casino opens is a parody of American magnate Howard Hughes.
• Krusty's show at midnight is similar to Bill Cosby's 1971 album For Adults Only, which was recorded at a casino at midnight.
• Krusty sings "Herpes, Herpes Bo-Berpes" in a parody of the song "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis.
• Krusty says that the spot on Mikhail Gorbachev's head is herpes.
• Bart tried to book a Liza Minnelli impersonator but found out that it was really Liza Minnelli.
• When Homer trips over the ottoman and the laugh track plays, it's a reference to how Rob Petrie does the same in the opening of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
• The "Spruce Moose" is a parody of Howard Hughes's impractically enormous wooden plane Hughes H-4 Hercules, which was derisively dubbed the "Spruce Goose".
• When Robert Goulet doesn't arrive at Mr. Burns' Casino, Burns tells Smithers to begin the thawing of Jim Nabors.
• Robert Goulet sings a parody of "Jingle Bells". His parody mentions Batman, Robin, the Batmobile, and The Joker.
• Homer mentions a time he stole a lot of watches from Sears.

Trivia

• The Rich Texan makes his debut appearance in this episode, referred to as "Senator" by Homer.
• Odds at Bart's casino:
  • Edna Krabappel nervous breakdown: 2-1
  • Fat kid popular: 50-1
  • Bart gets his own TV show: 1000-1
• Homer's photographic memory details himself with huge muscles, Marge in a blue dress and green hair, Apu with three heads, Flanders with a baseball glove for a hand, and an alligator in a suit. Homer then receives a call from the President.
• Along with several hats, a hair brush and false teeth are thrown into the air at the town meeting.
• This is the episode in which Marge develops her gambling problem.

Continuity

• Barney previously mistook Maggie for Bart. ("Homer Alone")
• Kako is seen in the audience for Krusty's show. ("Homer's Barbershop Quartet")
• Mr. Burns using anachronistic names with Idlewild Airport which was renamed John F. Kennedy Airport and the Belgian Congo which was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Goofs

• In the Town Hall, Apu is colored wrong.
• When Homer announces his shift is over at the Blackjack table, The Rich Texan's skin color changes from yellow to brown.

← Season 4 Season 5 References Season 6 →

Homer's Barbershop Quartet • Cape Feare • Homer Goes to College • Rosebud • Treehouse of Horror IV • Marge on the Lam • Bart's Inner Child • Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood • The Last Temptation of Homer • $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling) • Homer the Vigilante • Bart Gets Famous • Homer and Apu • Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy • Deep Space Homer • Homer Loves Flanders • Bart Gets an Elephant • Burns' Heir • Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song • The Boy Who Knew Too Much • Lady Bouvier's Lover • Secrets of a Successful Marriage