A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again/References

Episode	References	Gags	Appearances	Gallery	Quotes	Credits

◄ Beware My Cheating Bart

A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again

The Spy Who Learned Me ►

References

• The episode title is a pun on the 1997 non-fiction novel collection A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace. There are several references to the content of the essay within the episode, such as a ship being named the "Nadir", fresh fruit in the cabins, copious activities, and many towels available at all times. This episode has the longest title in Season 23.
• The song that played during Bart's weekday drudgery montage is "Boy from School" by Hot Chip.
• On the cruise's Fun Schedule:
  • "Xbox with PS3 controllers."
  • "Human Super-Mario Brothers," a reference to Mario.
  • "Sith training with certified Sith lord," a reference to Star Wars.
  • Real life Tetris.
  • Power Ranger lessons from a former Pink.
• Kung Fu Person, which stars Jack Black, is a reference to Kung Fu Panda, which also starred Jack Black.
• A luxury cruise ship disaster was also featured in the 1998 action horror film Deep Rising, which guest star Treat Williams starred in.
• After the virus was announced, the KidZone Elite kids take on the task of preserving the world's greatest literature, and are seen working on the following:
  • Creating an illuminated manuscript featuring Itchy and Scratchy.
  • Transcribing The Little Prince, which is a real-life book.
  • Playing a scene with Professor X and Magneto from X-Men.
• The music playing during Bart's fun activity montage is from "Ruslan and Ludmilla" by Mikhail Glinka.
• The defunct restaurant chain Mr. Steak is referred to.
• The fictional direct-to-DVD film The Pandora Strain is a reference to the the Michael Crichton book The Andromeda Strain.
• In the commercial for the cruise, a man is seen performing "Toxic" by Britney Spears.

Trivia

• The couch gag of this episode was previously used in "500 Keys."
• The opening sequence cut from the logo to the couch gag.
• Maggie tries to give Bart her pacifier. He gained a liking for pacifier in the short, "The Pacifier," when Maggie gave him one.
• Zelda, Grampa's girlfriend from "The Old Man and the Key," is seen on the Royalty Valhalla.
• The complete activities on the Fun Schedule list on the cruise ship include:
  • 7:00-8:00 Xbox with PS3 controllers
  • 8:05-9:00 Human Super-Mario Brothers
  • 9:05-9:30 Slime Toss!
  • 9:05-10:15 Mud Munch
  • 10:20-11:00 Astronaut training with certified cosmonaut
  • 11:05-11:30 Chimp sign language
  • 11:05-12:00 Tie-dye your own cowboy hat
  • 1:00-1:30 Sith training with certified Sith Lord
  • 1:40-2:00 The propellers—up close and personal!
  • 2:05-3:00 Claymation Movie Studio
  • 2:00-4:00 Onesie Bedazzling Class For Babies
  • 2:05-2:30 Toss melons at the propellers!
  • 2:30-3:30 Work those water-balloon boobs!
  • 3:40-5:40 Hull painting
  • 3:40-4:00 Tickle the purser
  • 3:40-4:30 Pizza Frisbee
  • 3:40-4:30 Exotic foods that taste normal buffet
  • 3:00-4:00 Para-mini-golf
  • 3:15-4:15 Waterslide Bobsled
  • 4:00-4:15 Punch through paintings!
  • 4:05-5:00 Real life Tetris
  • 3:30-4:30 Power Ranger lessons from a former Pink
  • 3:00-4:00 Sell your cruise ship thriller screenplay
  • 4:00-5:15 Laser-Tag
  • 4:00-4:50 Stuff, overboard!
  • 5:30-6:30 Fake Broadway auditions
  • 5:30-6:00 Norwegian Swearing
  • 6:00-7:00 Ice Cream Rave w/ Mix Ins Master Mike
  • 6:00-7:00 Mess with an octopus—advanced
  • 6:00-7:00 Crewman Nguyen eats what?!
  • 6:00-7:00 Victims of Bullies support group
  • 7:00-8:30 Death comes to the activity center: a Kidzone Murder-Mystery
  • 8:00-10:00 Morgue time
• Cregg Demon from "The Great Simpsina" appears again.
• The term 'Valhalla' was previously used in "The Telltale Head."
• Bart also went on a leisure boat ride where disaster struck in "The Old Man and the "C" Student" and "The Mansion Family."
• The last time a Simpson was grossed out by humans being eaten occurred in "In Marge We Trust."
• This episode also marks that the Simpsons have now been to all continents.
• The stuff that occurs during Bart's boring montage are:
  • Monday: Homer takes his juice, has to sit next to Lisa who is playing the saxophone, receives a spit wad to the head by Nelson, gets chips all on him by Milhouse and gets chased home by Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph.
  • Tuesday: Homer takes his cereal, has to sit next to Ralph who is picking his nose, receives Nelson's gum ball to the head, gets juice all over him by Milhouse and gets chased home by Principal Skinner.
  • Wednesday: Homer takes his eggs, has to sit next to Sherry and Terry who are playing a hand game, Nelson throws a pen at him during class, gets a banana on his face by Milhouse and gets chased by Chief Wiggum on the way home.
  • Thursday: Homer takes his pancakes, has to sit next to Wendell who pukes in his school bag, Nelson throws his shoe at him, Milhouse accidentally squirts his ketchup for his fries at him and gets chased by the dog from "The Lastest Gun In The West."
  • Friday: Bart claims his sausages before Homer can but is immediately stolen by Maggie who spills her milk all over them, has to sit next to Otto who is not driving the bus, gets a hamster cage thrown at him by Nelson, gets meatballs on his face accidentally from Milhouse and trips over his skateboard as he drags it into his house and sits on the couch.

Goofs

• The computer that Bart is using has four rows of keys, but a real one has five. This keyboard might not have the top row with numbers, just the number square on the side.
• During Bart's Everything Sale, there is no line across the money jar to mark where the money for the cruise has to fill up to.
• When Moe opens Bart's baby tooth box, there is a baby tooth at the corner of the box which is the same color as the box.
• Bart's knife seems to appear and disappear strangely.
• Bart moves from one end of the couch to the other in a split-second.
• Marge's voice is very gravelly when she tells Bart to try to enjoy his dinner.
• When Marge and Homer are kissing on the boat, the alarm sounds. The people in the background react to the sound before the alarm even begins.
• When Bart says "Squirt!" the second time in the communications room, his mouth remains closed.
• At the Fun Court, there is a black-skinned man to the right of Dave. But, after Bart admits the virus was a hoax, there are a group of people to the right of Dave.