A Star is Torn/References

Cultural references

 * The couch gag is a parody of the opening of the television sitcom Get Smart.
 * When Bart hits Lisa with a chicken bone, Bart says "Praise the Lord!", in a Martin Luther King style.
 * Li'l Starmaker is a parody of American Idol and this is even referenced in the episode ("Not affiliated with American Idol; we've never even heard of American Idol").
 * This is the third episode with the title parodying the film A Star Is Born, the other two being "A Star Is Burns" and "A Star Is Born-Again".
 * This episode seems to draw heavily from Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer.
 * The city Sideshow Mel asks about during "I'm Talkin' Springfield" is Jacksonville.
 * Homer's line "Everything I did, I did for you" is a reference to a song from Gypsy, a musical about a vicious stage parent.
 * Cameron's character could be seen as a parody of the American Idol contestant Clay Aiken.

Trivia

 * When Milhouse sings his first line "When a man loves a woman", Lenny and Carl questions his sexuality, causing Milhouse to walk off.
 * Homer once again shows his talents as a musician (he use to be a part of the BeSharps).
 * Lurleen Lumpkin can be seen standing in the mall audience.