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Bart the General
Moaning Lisa
The Call of the Simpsons

Cultural References[]

  • The plot surrounding Lisa's sudden depression is loosely based on the 1974 All In The Family episode "Gloria Sings The Blues", which featured Gloria Bunker Stivic feeling suddenly depressed .and having her spirits lifted by her mother as well. However, Gloria did not wind up taking a late night walk, encountering a musician or express her sudden depression in the form of music and song.
  • The episode title is a play on Leonardo da Vinci's painting, the Mona Lisa. This would later be parodied in "Moe'N'a Lisa," "Mona Leaves-a," and "Loan-a Lisa".
  • "The Jazz Hole" may be a reference to New York City jazz club "Birdland" which is in a basement, named for saxophonist Charlie Parker. It may also be a play on words; the archaic spelling for "jazz" is "jass" ("The Jass Hole").
  • The background noise of the arcade is the music from the Tetris arcade machine.
  • Lisa's school band is practicing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," the patriotic American song, based on the melody of the British national anthem "God Save the Queen." Mr. Largo says to Lisa, "There's no room for crazy bebop in My Country, 'Tis of Thee." That is reference to bebop jazz.
  • The controllers being used on Bart's video game system resemble Atari 2600 joysticks, but the graphics on the TV would suggest a newer model console. Also the game being played, Slugfest, is quite similar to the Nintendo game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!.

Trivia[]

  • Ironically, six months after the episode aired, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out was re-released under the new title "Punch-Out" and did not feature him. A fictional character Mr. Dream, who bore more resemblance to Rocky Marciano than he did with Tyson, was replaced as the game's top opponent. The Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas bout, which saw Tyson lose his WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring Championship belt in an upset, aired on the same day . Despite the fight taking place hours before the episode aired, Tyson would not manage to win another boxing title after the episode aired until March 1996[1]; despite the career hiatus which in his Desiree Washington rape arrest, and lead to him serving almost three years in prison from 1992 to 1995, the arrest did not occur until July 1991.[2]
  • This aired two years before skilled saxophone player and then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton showed off his saxophone playing skills while running for U.S. President in 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_WuGDYawFQ&t=6s He would successfully be elected President for the first time. It has since come out that Clinton also has long had ties to then-Fox head and Mr. Burns physical inspiration Barry Diller.[3][4][5] [6]
  • This is the first episode in the series to have a subplot.
  • There is Glum toothpaste in the bathroom, another word for sad. Also, a possible parody of Gleem toothpaste.
  • Lisa's school band is practicing the song “My Country, 'Tis of Thee”; however, it should be noted that the melody is also similar to “God Save the King/Queen”, which is the British National Anthem.
  • Lisa finds Bleeding Gums Murphy on the same bridge Homer was going to jump off in order to commit suicide. She is later seen crying at the bridge after Murphy's death in "'Round Springfield".
  • Prank Call number 2: Bart calls Moe's Tavern and asks for Jacques, last name Strap. Moe's response: "When I find you I am going to gut you like a fish and drink your blood."
  • This is the first episode where Moe has gray hair, a design choice that would be retained for subsequent appearances in Season 1. However, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, which was given the production code of 7G08 is an exception, as it depicts Moe with black hair. Some Enchanted Evening, which aired after this episode, also depicted him with black hair, but it was produced before this one.
  • At the Noiseland Video Arcade, the games include Eat My Shorts, PAC-RAT II, Itchy vs. Scratchy, Escape from Grandma's House, and Robert Goulet Destroyer.
  • Despite first appearing in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", Snowball II appears in this episode and this episode aired two episodes before that episode originally. It's possible that this episode takes place after Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. The same thing happened in "The Telltale Head".
  • This episode is the first time Lisa cries.
  • It's more likely Marge unplugged the video game, but on the screen, it looks like a TV turning off.
  • This is the first episode to have Lisa's name somewhere in the title.
  • This episode's couch gag was also used in The Simpsons Arcade Game.
  • Homer's scream in this episode would also be used in the latter above, as a KO sound in a 2D fighting game engine Mugen and in LEGO Dimensions.
  • First episode to feature a flashback appearance of Marge as a child and the first flashback appearance of Jacqueline Bouvier.
  • First appearances of The Jazz Hole and Noiseland Video Arcade.
  • There is an internet Creepypasta that says that this episode code (7G06) was originally from another episode which is called "Dead Bart". There is no substance to the story, as Creepypastas are only internet urban legends designed to unnerve, disturb, elicit a negative emotional response from, and scare the reader. The supposed image of Bart dead is actually Homer's face melting from "Brother from the Same Planet". It also uses the imaginary coffin scene from the previous episode.
  • This is the first episode to feature Bleeding Gums Murphy.
  • This is also the first episode in the series that primarily focuses on Lisa.
  • This also can be considered the first episode to feature a special guest star outside the ones Who would frequently work as so in the show (for example Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel or Maggie Roswell as Maude Flanders)

Goofs[]

  • Badalign

    Moe's poorly-aligned torso

    When Moe picks up the phone, the bottom half of his body under the hatch doesn't match up with the top half. Plus, his apron is too short.
  • When Lisa's band class is playing its instruments, there is a kid with a green shirt with a white stripe. The white stripe and the green directly beneath it repeatedly switch places with each other.
  • Whitepearl4

    Marge with white pearls

    When Homer is looking for his keys, Marge's pearls are white.
  • Whitepearl9

    Marge with white pearls and a red dress.

    At one point when she's talking to Lisa in the car, her pearls are white again and her dress is red.
  • Moaning Lisa -00313

    Red pants?

    At school, when Marge grabs Lisa and drove off, Mr. Largo’s pants turn red.
  • When Bart vacuums up the deck of playing cards, most of the cards in the deck are wrong. A few of the cards included in the deck are a black 6 of diamonds, a black 4 of hearts, and a red ace of spades.
Shorts: Season 3 Season 1 References/Trivia Season 2
Simpsons Roasting on an Open FireBart the GeniusHomer's OdysseyThere's No Disgrace Like HomeBart the GeneralMoaning LisaThe Call of the SimpsonsThe Telltale HeadLife on the Fast LaneHomer's Night OutThe Crepes of WrathKrusty Gets BustedSome Enchanted Evening
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