Whacking Day/References
Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Cultural references[edit]
- The promised mountain bikes were supposed to be located in a Civil defense shelter.
- When Bart is crawling through the vent, Jimbo says "You're our only hope", paraphrasing Princess Leia's iconic line from Star Wars, "You're my only hope".
- When Groundskeeper Willie meets the Scottish woman, he is framed between her legs in the same way James Bond is during the hot spring scene in the 1967 film You Only Live Twice. The image later inspired the poster of For Your Eyes Only, another James Bond film.
- Superintendent Chalmers asks Lisa when the Battle of New Orleans took place, to which she answers "January 8, 1815, two weeks after the end of the war". Lisa is referring to the War of 1812, in which peace terms were signed in the December 1814 Treaty of Ghent.
- On Eye on Springfield, Kent Brockman introduces the Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz.
- During the file footage, President Richard Nixon participates in Whacking Day:
- Richard Nixon is introduced as honorary Grand Marshal, a reference to the Grand Marshals of the Rose Parade, in which Nixon was selected twice.
- Kent Brockman also mentions that Nixon participated in the holiday right after he exposed Alger Hiss. Alger Hiss was an American government official who, in 1948, was accused of spying for the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
- At the Springfield Christian School:
- There is a Kit-Cat Klock on the wall in the Simpsons' garage.
- According to Abe's WWII story:
- Marge wants Bart to read a copy of Johnny Tremain, a work of historical fiction written in 1943 by Esther Forbes.
- The untitled episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show is based on the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald:
- At the "Village Idiot" casting, one man played "Panicky Idiot #2" in The Poseidon Adventure, a 1972 American disaster film.
- Jebediah Springfield fought at the Battle of Ticonderoga in 1775.
- There is an exhibition of Paul Revere at the Olde Springfield Towne.
- The song "O Whacking Day" has the same melody as "O Tannenbaum".
- The book The Truth About Whacking Day was written by American author Bob Woodward, who made notable contributions regarding investigations into the Watergate scandal.
- Looking for bass-heavy music, Lisa only finds records by Tiny Tim, The Chipmunks, and "A Castrato Christmas".
- Abe says he "hates everything but Matlock".
- The song "Born Free" by John Barry and lyrics by Don Black is heard when the snakes are set free.
- The Springfield Christian School sign reads "We Put the Fun in Fundamentalist Dogma".
- At the episode's end, Nelson and Jimbo get emotional in the civic defense shelter, where they and their two bully buddies have been the whole show. If the viewer looks at Kearney's face, there is stubble around his mouth. This is one of many gags throughout the series that he is much older than a typical, or any, elementary school student should be.
- Bob Woodward is the author of The Truth About Whacking Day. One piece of information he reveals is that Richard Nixon once participated in Whacking Day. Ironically, Woodward and his partner Carl Bernstein were the investigative reporters responsible for breaking the story on the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to Nixon's resignation from the presidency.
- Matt Groening once said that he feels they crossed the line by having Reverend Lovejoy make up quotes out of the Bible.
- Whacking Day is on May 10.
- Twice in this episode, Homer is seen coming home in his car, forgetting about Marge homeschooling Bart in the garage. Both times, he manages to stop the car just inches away from Bart, though the second time this happens he yells "D'oh!", implying that he meant to run over Bart that time, or because he forgot a second time.
- The Itchy & Scratchy Show cartoon in this episode is a parody of Jack Ruby shooting John F. Kennedy's alleged killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, with Scratchy being arrested before being shot by Itchy. The episode's guest director is Oliver Stone.
Continuity[edit]
