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Itchy & Scratchy & Marge |
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Trivia[]
- The most notable reference in this episode is the part where Maggie hits Homer, which is obviously a reference to the infamous shower scene in the 1960 film Psycho.
- Homer's hammer still has the price tag connected.
- This marks the first appearances of Sideshow Mel and Roger Meyers, Jr..
- This is the first episode to have Marge's name in the title.
- This is the second episode in a row to touch on the consequences of children imitating television characters, after "Bart the Daredevil".
- Janey's mother makes her first, but very brief appearance walking through the living room of Janey's house when she and Lisa are watching Itchy and Scratchy.
- Scratchy was narrating The Story of the Three Bears to Itchy. It's uncertain if Itchy's just young or enjoys company here. Or simply considered a tamer story.
- This marks the first time that Itchy and Scratchy talk, although this only occurs in the rebranded tamer version of their show.
- After Maggie struck him with a mallet, Homer mentioned that his baby beat him up. In the episode "Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe" he does get beaten up by a baby and is rescued by Maggie.
- Homer and Marge take Maggie's attacks on Homer as being solely influenced by violent cartoons, but, in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", we'll see that Maggie really is capable of premeditated violence.
- The manner in which Maggie attacked Homer with the mallet may have served as the inspiration for a running gag on Dinosaurs which featured the show's infant character Baby Sinclair constantly hitting the father Earl Sinclair with a frying pan. Jim Henson Organization Vice President Alex Rockwell had acknowledged in April 1991, the same month the show debuted, that the success of The Simpsons helped pave the way to air Dinosaurs as well. The 1992 Simpsons episode "Black Widower" even mocked Dinosaurs, with Bart claiming "it's like they saw our lives on put it right on screen."
- During the sequence of Marge's letter to the various people responsible for airing Itchy & Scratchy, Krusty the Clown is shown reading it and then flipping the paper around horizontally in an attempt to read it, alluding to his illiteracy, which had earlier been shown in "Krusty Gets Busted".
- When Roger Meyers Jr. sent Marge a rude letter in response to her complaint, it showed Meyers writing "So let me close by saying—" and then it immediately cutting to Marge reading the letter and saying "...And the horse I rode in on?". This was a reference to a very vulgar expression, known as "[censored] you, and the horse you rode in on."
- This is the last episode to air in 1990 and the last episode to be made in that year according to the credits.
Goofs[]
- Bart writes "Don't" on the "Ban Itchy & Scratchy" sign in red pen. When Bart tells Marge that it's time to go to Milhouse's house, the "Don't" is still in red pen. After a scene with Marge and Maude, "Don't" is written in the same color as "Itchy & Scratchy" - black.
- There is a shot of protesters for Michelangelo's David outside the Simpson House. There are two protesters at the front door. The protesters have orange hair (left), and purple hair (right). When Marge answers the door, these protesters are Maude and Helen. Helen's hair color has gone from orange to grey, and Maude's has gone from purple to orange.
- During the wholesome activities the children play due to the new Itchy & Scratchy, 3 people are riding scooters. The person on the left has his shirt changing color.
- At one point when Marge lifts Maggie away from the TV, Maggie's bow is missing.
- When Homer says "what you gonna do?" to Marge, one of his head ligatures disappears.
- At one point Krusty's hair is green as opposed to blue.
- In the commentary Al Jean claims that the only way to remember which is which is that "Scratchy is the cat because it has the word 'cat' it in", however this is not true.
Cultural References[]
- The scene where Maggie attacks Homer with a mallet is a recreation of the shower scene from Psycho.
- Moe's sign during Marge's protest outside Itchy & Scratchy International says "Bring Back "Wagon Train"!", referring to the 1950s-1960s NBC and ABC series of the same name.
- When Marge is protesting and says, 'What do we want?" and the crowd replies, "Substantially less violence in children's programming!", Marge asks, "When do we want it?", and the crowd says, "Now!"; this could be a reference to, on the Krusty the Clown show, Krusty says, "Who do you love?", to which the crowd replies, "Krusty!", "How much do you love me?" "With all our hearts!"
- It's also similar to a popular protest chant.
- The music heard while the children are playing outside is the first movement of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. It is similar to a segment of the Disney film Fantasia.
- This episode is a spoof/satire on the severe censorship against violence on children's television in the 1970s, specifically on how Tom and Jerry (the obvious main inspiration behind Itchy and Scratchy) was retooled as a non-violent cartoon in 1975 due to TV show cartoon regulations of the 1970s and the negative audience reception which followed.
- During the couch gag, Marge's dress is yellow.
◄ Season 1 | Season 2 References/Trivia | Season 3 ► |
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Bart Gets an "F" • Simpson and Delilah • Treehouse of Horror (aka "The Simpsons Halloween Special") • Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish • Dancin' Homer • Dead Putting Society • Bart vs. Thanksgiving • Bart the Daredevil • Itchy & Scratchy & Marge • Bart Gets Hit by a Car • One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish • The Way We Was • Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment • Principal Charming • Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? • Bart's Dog Gets an F • Old Money • Brush with Greatness • Lisa's Substitute • The War of the Simpsons • Three Men and a Comic Book • Blood Feud |