Lisa the Simpson/References

Cultural references

 * When Lisa is figuring out the puzzle, one of the clues she rules out is that it's not one of Prince's names, a reference to the period between 1993 and 2000 that Prince changed his name to a symbol and was known as "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" (or simply "The Artist").
 * Lisa's story is similar to the book, Flowers For Algernon, where a man writes in a journal about his slide into mental retardation (the season 12 episode "HOMR" would follow a similar plot that Flowers For Algernon does).
 * Jasper's subplot calls to mind the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival, held annually in Nederland, Colorado. The events of this festival are in homage to Grandpa Bredo, a cryogenically-frozen corpse who, since 1989, has remained in stasis inside a Tuff Shed and inspired two documentaries. It is unknown whether this festival inspired the scenario.
 * In the show "When Buildings Collapse", the last building to fall is the House of Usher, a reference to an Edgar Allan Poe book of the same name. The building which exploded resembles the infamous arial bombing of the abbey on Monte Cassino, Italy, by the United States during World War II.
 * Lisa recommends some books to TV viewers: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh; and Yertle the Turtle'', by Dr. Seuss ("possibly the best book ever written on the subject of turtle stacking", according to Lisa, and to which Chief Wiggum heartily agrees).
 * Lisa creates a small pig from a rubber eraser and push-pins, which was featured in a Life in Hell comic strip.