Olmec head

Vlcsnap-2014-02-20-14h51m10s156 — Olmec head in the Simpsons movie

The Olmec head is a large Olmec statue of a head, and was a gift from Mr. Burns to Bart after the latter had donated his blood to him ^[1]. Burns finds it in a Springfield Mall store called Plunderer Pete's, after considering and dismissing other stores and other items. As noted by Mr. Smithers, the head costs an exorbitant $32,000. Burns admonishes Smither's skepticism, preferring to revel in his newfound generosity.

Burns has it delivered to the Simpson home in a giant crate, handing Bart a crowbar (which Bart mistakes for his gift) to open the box. Bart marvels at the "big ugly head" inside; Burns informs them it is a representation of Xtapolapocetl (Pronounced 'Ex-tapo-lapo-kettle'), the God of War and was carved over 3000 years ago. Maggie suggests with a large flash card that it's Aztec but she's gently corrected by Lisa. The head has no function and is totally useless; the Simpsons later move it into the basement. Homer is puzzled, wondering what the head is supposed to do; Marge tells him it doesn't do anything. When Homer insists on an answer, Marge flatly says "Whatever it does, it's doing it now" as the head just stares.

Since its introduction, the head is seen outside the basement for the first time as an item for sale in the Simpsons' yard sale^[2]. The head is later seen outdoors again, this time as part of the wall between the two parts of Springfield^[3]. It then remains part of the attic in the Simpson house. How it ever got in the basement, out of the house, or up the attic remains unknown^[4].

It is seen being destroyed as the house gets sucked into a sinkhole^[5].

In the comics the head was actually the home of an old Olmecian man whose sacred duty was to wait in the head until his god appeared to judge the world. The head apparently has exceptional longenative powers as the man was in his 120's at the time yet was able to move about without even a stick and technically live without support.

In another comic, the family does occasionally find uses for it, seen in flashbacks where Burns mentions his fondness for such artifacts: Homer uses it to store donuts, Bart uses it to prop a skateboard ramp against, while Marge hangs the end of a clothesline on it, as well as occasionally beating wet laundry against it, as it supposedly "gets stains out like nothing else".

A Treehouse of horror comic portrays the head as a religious idol of an active religion. The worshipers decorate the head with food to honor the dead. When homer eats the food, the dead rise.