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 ►

Cultural 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.
• 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 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.

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.

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 eat 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.