Moonshine River/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 24 Episode References
← "The Longest Daycare"	509 "Moonshine River"	"Treehouse of Horror XXIII" 510 →

Cultural references

• The episode has many references to the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, adapted from the novella of the same name:
  • The title is a reference to the song "Moon River", which is from the film.
  • The song playing in the credits was "Moon River"
  • In two scenes, Mary is dressed as Holly.
    • In one, she is wearing the same black dress and hat with the white ribbon around the hat.
    • While playing guitar, Mary is dressed similarly to Holly while she plays guitar, albeit with a red bandana as opposed to Holly's white.
  • While Mary's parents are trying to marry her off, in the movie Holly was a child bride from Tulip, Texas and much like Mary Holly runs away to New York to set up a new life as a sophisticated actress in New York. Mary's father Cletus comes to get her back home, it's Holly's estranged husband in the film. Cletus in New York is wearing the same outfit as Holly's estranged husband.
• In Mary's apartment is someone called H. Golightly, a reference to Holly Golightly, the protagonist of the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's, from which a film adaptation was made, starring Audrey Hepburn as the protagonist; Hepburn sang "Moon River" in the film.
• The crowd shot as Bart and Homer run through the subway station is a reference to the 1950 painting The Subway by George Tooker.
• The couch gag is a reference to the The Longest Daycare.
• Pappa Pia! is a reference to the musical Mamma Mia!.
• Death of a Salesman: The Seussical is a parody of Death of a Salesman and Dr. Seuss films.
• Samsun is a parody of Samsung.
• LC is a parody of LG.
• 9/11 is touched upon slightly. Bart tells Homer that he "would love New York, now that [his] two least favorite buildings have been obliterated". Bart then quickly adds "Old Penn Station and Shea Stadium", after a pause.

Trivia

• The items in Bart's box of "precious junk" include:
  • Photos of his old girlfriends
  • His slingshot
  • A Krusty the Clown ashtray
  • A square piece of ravioli in a ziplock bag labelled "Ravioli that looks like me"
• The names that appear in the listing of Mary Spuckler's apartment include:
  • T. Bickle
  • Mary Spuckler
  • H. Golightly
  • Popeye Doyle
• "Moonshine River" and "Homer at the Bat" currently hold the record for highest number of guest stars in one episode, with eleven.
• This episode premiered in Australia on February 10, 2013 at 6pm local time on TEN.
• This is the second time that The Simpsons traveled to New York. The first time was in the Season 9 premiere episode: "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson".
• In a promo for the episode, basketball player Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks appears dancing during the scene where Mary sings The Ballad of Cylinder Head. However, he was replaced by a New York Yankees player, probably because Lin moved to Houston Rockets before the episode aired.
• Don Pardo's appearance makes him the oldest guest star the show has ever had.

Jeremy Lin in a promo

Continuity

• An instrumental version of "Jellyfish" plays at the Racers Ball. ("A Star Is Born Again")
• Bart's previous girlfriends:
  • Jessica Lovejoy ("Bart's Girlfriend")
  • Darcy ("Little Big Girl")
  • Jenny ("The Good, the Sad, and the Drugly")
  • Gina Vendetti ("The Wandering Juvie")
  • Nikki McKenna ("Stealing First Base")
  • Mary Spuckler ("Apocalypse Cow")
• Adverts are seen from previous objects featured in the show:
  • Canyonero Hybrid ("The Last Temptation of Krust", "Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"")
  • MyPad ("Holidays of Future Passed", "A Tree Grows in Springfield", "Them, Robot", "Lisa Goes Gaga")
  • Burly Paper Towels ("The Blunder Years")
• Khlav Kalash and the Khlav Kalash vendor appear again as a massive brand. ("The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson", "Lost Our Lisa")

Goofs

• While interviewing Chief Wiggum in the beginning of the episode, Kent Brockman's right eyebrow turned into the same color as his skin before it turned back to its normal color like his hair.
• In the queue for the Romeo and Juliet play, many of the people standing in line appear in the line more than once.
• The animation of the Simpsons in the couch gag contest notification segment is a bit off-model, one error being that in most shots, Bart's head is too tall. This could explain that this segment was rushed to be put in the season premiere.
• On the close shot of Bart buzzing for Mary, her name is near the top. However, when zoomed out, he is pressing the bottom button.
• At the end of Romeo and Juliet, Lisa is seen lying on the ground in costume as Juliet, but she suddenly runs to Marge's side in her usual clothes very quickly.