'Round Springfield/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 6 Episode References
← 124 "The PTA Disbands"	125 "'Round Springfield"	"The Springfield Connection" 126 →

Cultural references

• The title is a play on the song "'Round Midnight" by Thelonious Monk and the film Round Midnight.
• Homer has a Starland Vocal Band tattoo on his arm
• The music just before Bart's operation is a parody of the theme music of ER.
• Bart's showing off his appendectomy scar (which prompts a number of other children to want the operation) is reminiscent of the children's book Madeline: Madeline has her appendix out, says her favorite thing about the experience is her scar, and the rest of the girls in her school want to have their appendixes out as well.
• When Bleeding Gums Murphy tells Lisa about his career, he mentions guest spots on The Tonight Show (when Steve Allen was hosting) and on The Cosby Show.
• Both Steve Allen and Bill Cosby use Murphy's guest appearances as opportunities to make blatant product endorsements, while virtually ignoring Murphy himself.
  • While Murphy plays sax in the background, Allen gives plugs for his (fictional) books: How to Make Love to Steve Allen, Happiness is a Naked Steve Allen, Journey to the Center of Steve Allen, and The Joy of Cooking Steve Allen.
  • Cosby refers to his endorsements of New Coke, Jell-O Pudding Pops and Kodak film.
• According to the banner in front of Springfield Elementary School, Barbra Streisand is playing the night after the recital, and tickets are still available. The recital, however, is sold out.
• When Bleeding Gums Murphy appears to Lisa near the end he is joined by Darth Vader, Mufasa, and James Earl Jones (saying "This is CNN").
  • Although all three roles were portrayed by Jones, the characters in this scene were voiced by Harry Shearer.
  • Additionally, Mufasa accidentally mentions "Kimba" and corrects himself by saying "Simba." This is a reference to the debate regarding The Lion King's resemblance to the anime Kimba the White Lion.
• Ronald Chaporo and Albert Dershman are parodies of attorneys Robert Shapiro and Alan Dershowitz.
• Lisa and Bleeding Gums play Carole King's song "Jazzman" twice.
• When Lisa asks to jam "One more time!", Bleeding Gums protests that he's got a date with Billie Holiday.

Trivia

• Groundskeeper Willie, teaching French class, calls the students "cheese-eating surrender monkeys." The phrase has since entered the pop-culture lexicon, and it gained a lot of notoriety in the events leading up to the Iraq War.
• This episode was the first in which a recurring character was killed off, something the staff felt would be a great storyline, with a lot of emotions.
• They decided on Bleeding Gums Murphy, although Mike Reiss stated "I had been polling for years to kill Marge's mom, but this was a better idea".
• Mike Reiss's father, a doctor, was the medical consultant on this episode. He stated that it was not possible to get appendicitis from eating a piece of metal.
• This was one of two episodes in season 6 that was created with the help of the staff of The Critic, with the other being "A Star Is Burns".
• Milhouse asks Dr. Hibbert if he can have his appendix removed, but in "Homer Defined", Bart is seen looking at a photo of himself with Milhouse where Milhouse has a scar that appears to be from an appendectomy. It is possible that Milhouse's scar was from a different type of operation.
• This episode is the latter of only two in Season 6 to use the full opening sequence, the other being "Fear of Flying." It would not be used again until the Season 8 episode "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious", where it was used as one of several means to stretch the length of said episode.
  • Starting with this episode, the violins heard during the title card is replaced by the synthesized "Ahhh" choir used in shorter and previous versions of the opening.
• In this episode, it could be possible that Dr. Hibbert and Bleeding Gums Murphy are brothers since Bleeding Gums Murphy says he has a little brother who grew up to be a doctor and laughs at inappropriate times and Dr. Hibbert says he has a older brother who's a jazz musician.
• When the people of Springfield is listening the Bleeding Gums Murphy's album "Sax on the Beach" on the radio, one of the scenes is of Grampa listening to the radio, which was reused from the Season 5 premiere "Homer's Barbershop Quartet".

Continuity

• A scene where Lisa meets Bleeding Gums Murphy for the first time appears as flashback. ("Moaning Lisa").
• In "The Funeral" Homer said, "This is the last funeral we're going to." They have since attended the funerals of:
  • Aunt Gladys ("Selma's Choice")
  • Bleeding Gums Murphy ("'Round Springfield")
  • Krusty the Clown ("Bart the Fink")
  • Frank Grimes ("Homer's Enemy")
  • Maude Flanders ("Alone Again, Natura-Diddily")
  • Sideshow Bob ("Funeral for a Fiend")
  • Mona Simpson ("Mona Leaves-a")
  • Rabbi Krustofski ("Clown in the Dumps")
• In Man vs. Beast vs. Food, when telling Krusty who he is, Bart mentioned he received a huge settlement after eating a Metal Krusty-O.

Goofs

• When the workers and patients at the hospital are dancing to the "Jazzman" song, one of the medical staff member's arm repeatedly turns pure white like his lab coat.

References

← Season 5 Season 6 References Season 7 →

Bart of Darkness • Lisa's Rival • Another Simpsons Clip Show • Itchy & Scratchy Land • Sideshow Bob Roberts • Treehouse of Horror V • Bart's Girlfriend • Lisa on Ice • Homer Badman • Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy • Fear of Flying • Homer the Great • And Maggie Makes Three • Bart's Comet • Homie the Clown • Bart vs. Australia • Homer vs. Patty and Selma • A Star Is Burns • Lisa's Wedding • Two Dozen and One Greyhounds • The PTA Disbands • 'Round Springfield • The Springfield Connection • Lemon of Troy • Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)