There's No Disgrace Like Home/References
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Trivia[edit]
- This episode was the first broadcast by the BBC, on BBC One on 23 November 1996, making it the first episode to be seen by UK terrestrial viewers (the satellite channel Sky One had shown the program since 1990). Moving to BBC Two from 10 March 1997, it continued on the BBC until terrestrial rights moved to Channel 4 in 2004.
- This episode also debuted in Australia on Channel 10 on 1991.
- Red, purple, green, blue: The colors of Jell-o molds Marge makes for the picnic.
- A sign outside Burns manor reads, "Poachers will be shot."
- Smithers wears his plant I.D. at the picnic.
- This is the first episode where Bart says his catchphrase, "Don't have a cow". It is also the first where Mr. Burns says his two famous catchphrases: "Excellent" and "Release the hounds."
- The first episode that the Simpsons have been shot at.
- The police dog's name is Bobo.
- The phone number for Dr. Monroe's center is 1-800-555-HUGS.
- This episode is the first time the audience sees the cartoon Itchy and Scratchy. In this cartoon, Scratchy sticks his head into a mouse hole, and Itchy blows his head off by making him swallow a bomb.
- When Homer is saying that they have to get 250 dollars for the therapy in the background, you can see a teddy bear on the lower shelf near the stereo that looks exactly like Mr Burns' bear Bobo.
- Bart and Lisa's college fund amounts to $88.50.
- The traditional three-ball sign for pawnbrokers is shown outside the pawn shop.
- Their TV is a Motorola, and the pawnbroker knows Homer's name when he enters.
- The "perfect" family that Homer encounters at the end of Mr. Burns' picnic is seen again later, behind the Simpsons at Dr. Monroe's office.
- Dr. Monroe keeps his aggression therapy mallets in a gun cabinet.
- The family acts wildly out of character in this episode: Homer is much more caring and actually suggests to eat at the dinner table instead of watching TV. Marge is a drunkard who behaves a lot like Homer. While Bart and Maggie have the same personalities, Lisa seems to act much more bratty, which is reminiscent of her actions on "The Tracey Ullman Show".
- Mr. Burns looking at an index card to greet the Simpson family is reference to Ronald Reagan, who was known to use index cards to greet families at his parties.
Goofs[edit]
- When Marge gets drunk at the picnic, she falls on Homer while saying "Homie, did you try the punch?", her lips don't move.
- When the Simpsons are spying on the old man, the boy and the old woman, all three of them disappear and then reappear between shots. Whenever there is a wide shot from outside the house, they are not there but when there is a close shot from outside or inside they are there.
- As Homer is carrying the TV towards the pawn shop in the first shot, the left window is clear. There is then a tracking shot of the family walking and when they get in front of the store the window has writing on it saying Pawn Shop. The writing is in black and the next shot when they are talking the writing is now dark brown.
- Before Homer enters the pawn shop, you can see the TV is a purple color. As he enters the store, the color of the TV is now blue.
- When the TV shows the eagle give food to his children, the man on the TV says "the father of the family"; later, he says it was the mother.
- When the people are clapping, two of the people switch color skins. The first has yellow skin, the second has brown, and in the next frame, the first has brown skin, and the second has yellow. It continues throughout the clapping.
- Neither Sherri nor Terri attend the company picnic even though their father was established as a power plant employee in the previous episode.
- On driving home from the power plant, where's Maggie?
- Lou's skin color is yellow. In subsequent episodes, he is an African-American.
- On Bart's shocking machine, there are five buttons, but on Maggie's there are four buttons.
- This is Matt Groening's tenth favorite episode.
Appearances in other media[edit]
There's No Disgrace Like Home makes a cameo appearance in the 1990 film Die Hard 2. The scene of the Simpson family at Dr. Monroe's clinic shocking each other appears on Holly McClane's flight; ironically it is shown after the stewardess says that the passengers are getting restless about not landing (terrorists had captured the runways and prevented any flights from landing). The captain suggests to her, "TV, that usually calms the passengers down."
In the episode "Glen Campbell" of the TV series Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Space Ghost and Zorak watch the episode at the very beginning. Space Ghost comments, "Er, which one's Homer again? The baby?"
Cultural references[edit]
- The Wizard of Oz: The episode title is a pun on the movie's famous phrase "there's no place like home".
- Citizen Kane: Burns' mansion is based on the mansion from Citizen Kane.
- Batman: Homer's "stately Burns manor" is a pun.
- Freaks: One scene has Homer's family repetitively say "one of us".
- Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine: Marge sings this song.
- A Clockwork Orange: electric shock scene is a parody.
- Paul Mauriat's instrumental hit "L'amour est bleu" plays in the reception room of Monroe's clinic.
