Difference between revisions of "Treehouse of Horror XIV/References"

Latest revision as of 10:48, July 20, 2025

Cultural references[edit]

Opening sequence[edit]

• In the opening sequence, Bart is dressed as Charlie Brown and Lisa is dressed as Lucy Van Pelt from Peanuts.
• "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson plays when Kang and Kodos look at their Christmas decorations.

Reaper Madness[edit]

• "Reaper Madness" is a reference to the film Reefer Madness.
• The scene with the Grim Reaper chasing the Simpsons around the house is a reference to The Benny Hill Show. "Yakety Sax" (the theme music from Benny Hill) plays over the scene.
• When Marge tells Homer to take the old Death to the curb for the trash pickup, Homer replies, "I'll curb him, but without enthusiasm!", a reference to Curb Your Enthusiasm.
• Homer puts on the robe and becomes the Grim Reaper in the same way that Tim Allen's character does to become Santa Claus in The Santa Clause.

Frinkenstein[edit]

• The segment, and title, is a parody of Frankenstein.
• The younger Jonathan Frink, Sr. throws a crate labeled "ACME", a reference to the Acme Corporation from Looney Tunes.
• Several Robby the Automaton robots are seen in Professor Frink's lab, a reference to Forbidden Planet.
• Frink Sr. calls Ned "700 Club", a reference to The 700 Club.
• When Frinkenstein walks down the street after re-assembling himself from other people's body parts, the music playing over the scene is "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.
  • This scene is a reference to Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever.
• Comic Book Guy asks Frink, Sr. to return his "Jabba the Butt" tattoo, a reference to Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars.
• Jennifer Garner is referred to as "the sexy star of Alias", a TV show she starred in.
• When Garner and Herschbach come onto stage, part of "She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby plays.

Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off[edit]

• "Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off" is a parody of the musical - Stop the World – I Want to Get Off.
• The segment is a reference to The Twilight Zone episode "A Kind of a Stopwatch".
• The comics Batman and Rhoda and Superman vs. Patty Hearst are a reference to DC Comics.
  • Batman and Rhoda stars Batman and Rhoda Morgenstern from Rhoda.
  • Superman vs. Patty Hearst stars Superman and Patty Hearst.
  • Evel Knievel Jumps the Jackson 5 stars Evel Knievel and The Jackson 5.
• After freezing Lisa, Bart says "She looks like a background character in a Hanna-Barbera Cartoon", referencing that in animation background characters are often still and motionless.
• Comic Book Guy chases after Bart and Milhouse, then Martin, with a Lightsaber from Star Wars.
• When Lisa is clicking the watch, she changes her family into the Fantastic Four.
• When the family are hula hooping, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets plays.

Trivia[edit]

• The Halloween names (such as "Blood Curdling Cartwright") return to the closing credits. To celebrate this, Al Jean's Halloween name is Al "Halloween Names Are Back" Jean.
• In Frinkenstein, Homer's remark talking about the previous segment has a similarity to "Treehouse of Horror XII", where the Leprechaun from the first story, "Hex and the City", is seen on Bart's back in the "Wiz Kids" segment.
• Parts of Frinkenstein include:
  • Snake's right arm.
  • Mr. Burns' left arm.
  • Sideshow Mel's hair.
  • Krusty's neck.
  • Nelson's torso.
  • part of Selma's right foot.
  • Disco Stu's left foot.
  • Kearney's legs.
  • Ned's organs.
  • Principal Skinner's spine.
  • Comic Book Guy's butt.
• David Silverman has a cameo appearance as one of the people who has their brains taken by Frink Sr.
• When Lisa uses the stopwatch at the end of "Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off" Bart changes back from his 25 year old self back to his 10 year old self without explanation.
• When Lisa uses the stopwatch at the end of "Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off", the things that suddenly happen to the other members of the family are:
  • The upper portion of their bodies become rockets and zoom around.
  • Their genders are switched
  • They turn into bobbleheads.
  • They turn into TV Guide covers.
  • They turn into the Fantastic Four.
  • They return to normal, but are playing with hula-hoops.
• Lisa is talking Swedish. She says "Tack för att ni förärar vår stad" which can be translated to: "Thank you for honoring our city". Although the pronunciation is so poor that it's difficult for even native swedes to hear what she's supposed to say.

Continuity[edit]

• This episode marks the second time Homer was cast to be a Marvel superhero character (which also was a beast-like character); the first time was in "I Am Furious (Yellow)", where he lost his temper and temporarily acted like The Incredible Hulk.
• In the story Frinkenstein, Homer refers to the time he was Death, in the previous story Reaper Madness.
• Robby the Automaton appears again in Professor Frink's lab. ("This Little Wiggy", "Treehouse of Horror VIII")

Goofs[edit]

• When Bart and Lisa begin fighting, the pile of candy disappears from the carpet.
• When the Simpsons are hula-hooping, Bart moves from the floor to his bed.
• Right before Professor Frink's father is kicked, Professor Frink is wearing the Nobel Prize. When his father is on the ground, his father is wearing the Nobel Prize.
• When Homer is going down to get some better seats at the game, everyone he touches dies. However, a man blocks Homer from touching his forehead he survives.
• When Homer wakes up from bed in "Reaper Madness", he is wearing a singlet. When God turns him back to normal, he is wearing his white shirt.
• At the Nobel prize party, a few of the people Frink, Sr. killed are alive again.