Bart Gets an "F"/References

Episode	References	Gags	Appearances	Gallery	Quotes	Credits

◄ Some Enchanted Evening

Bart Gets an "F"

Simpson and Delilah ►

Trivia

• Bart's poor Treasure Island book report, where he even personally rates the book, bares resemblance to the way Eric Cartman would later present his book report on The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in the 1998 South Park episode Chickenlover. Whereas Bart gave the book he was supposed to read a "9," Cartman would give the book he was supposed to read a "B-" before being graded with an "F."
• The episode's title was later punned in "Bart's Dog Gets an "F"", "Lisa Gets an "A"", and "Bart Gets a "Z"".
• In Bart's fantasy about the snowy July 4, Benjamin Franklin's sled says "Don't Sled on Me", a play on the famous serpent flag "Don't Tread on Me".
• Although this was the very first episode of Season 2 to debut in the United States of America, in when it comes to the production code order and the order that these episodes were made, it is actually the 3^rd episode to be produced; the reasoning for it to air the 2nd production season for the first time is due to the fact that the crew behind this show was feeling like Bart Simpson's (who was by the way the show's main character at the time) popularity was increasing wildly enough for this to be suitable for the 2^nd Season premiere episode and story, as it centered on Bart, and simultaneously a character that was very well known for the show. Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish, the 100% real first produced episode for Season 2, was booted to air as S2 E4 in the United States three weeks later because of this.
• Despite passing the fourth grade, Bart, of course, remains in Mrs. Krabappel's class in all subsequent episodes, since virtually no time ever really passes on the show.
• During the episode, Bart writes "I will not fake my way through life" on the chalkboard. This is the first episode to use an opening sequence gag within the actual episode, and the first chalkboard gag to be used within an episode itself.
• The idea behind the grade on the refrigerator would reappear in Bart's Nightmare where a letter grade would appear and the mood of the Simpson family would differ, with a scene similar to the last scene in this episode.
• Milhouse's voice seems to be deeper in this episode for some reason.
• This is the third episode with Bart's name somewhere in the title.
• The supporting characters from the previous thirteen episodes such as Grampa, Patty, Selma, Mr. Burns, Smithers, Apu, Jasper, Chief Wiggum, Krusty, Sideshow Bob, Reverend Lovejoy, Helen, Moe, Barney, Cowboy Bob, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Jacques, Ms. Mellon, Princess Kashmir, Nelson, Jimbo, and the Weasels are in the Snow Day scene. Kearney, Dolph, the Babysitter Bandit, and Dr. Monroe are dropped out of the scene.
• This is the first episode to use the Season 2-early Season 20 opening sequence. However, in this particular episode, the colors are in completely different hues of bright and dark (like how Bart's shirt is salmon-colored in the actual episode). This is because this is an early prototype of the Season 2-early Season 20 opening, and this is the only Season 2 episode to have the different bright and dark hues in it before the colors were changed to their correct hues for the rest of Season 2 and throughout the series until Season 20's "Lisa the Drama Queen".
• The sailboat painting that is above the Simpsons' couch makes its debut appearance.
• This is the first episode in which the exterior of Springfield Elementary School is its current tan color instead of lavender, and in which Bart's classroom has green walls instead of purple ones.
• This is the first episode in which the painting behind the Simpsons' couch is its current sailboat painting instead of a painting of a beach.
• Some people consider this to be a sequel to "Bart the Genius".
• While the citizens stand in a circle and hold hands singing during the snow day scene, Sideshow Bob is seen in handcuffs, referencing "Krusty Gets Busted", which was two episodes earlier.
• Bart's shirt appears to be a salmon pink color in this episode rather than the normal orange. This may be due to the episode showing an early prototype of many of the hues, shadings and colors, like how the opening was in the same episode.
• The exterior shot of Springfield Elementary School at the beginning of the episode was later reused in several episodes from Seasons 2 to Seasons 12/13, thus making this particular shot the first recycled animation to be used in the series.
• Jimbo Jones, Nelson Muntz, and the Weasels appear as Bart looks out on Snow Day. It is their second appearance. However Dolph and Kearney do not appear among the children playing.
• This was, and still is, the episode with the highest ratings in the show's history, pulling around 33 million viewers when it first made its debut.
• When the episode first aired in 1990, it performed so well that it had more viewers than The Cosby Show, which aired at the same time on NBC.

Cultural references

• Treasure Island: Bart tries to fake his way through an oral report about the book, but struggles when asked the name of the pirate.
• McGraw-Hill: Treasure Island is published by them, and were mentioned by Bart while peppering his poorly-prepared oral report.
• The Old Man and the Sea: Martin reads it and recounts to the class in a first person narrative in his oral report. However, Martin wears an Ernest Hemingway costume, who is the author of the book. The protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea was an elderly man named Santiago.
• The Declaration of Independence: Bart has to do homework on it, and imagines that the Founding Fathers ignored the declaration, and instead played out in the snow.
• King Kong: The 'gorilla film' is a spoof, although the gorilla film shows Gorilla the Conqueror's final fate imprisoned in a cage and set adrift on the high seas, whereas King Kong fell to his death from the Empire State Building after being shot by fighter planes.
• Gone with the Wind: Bart says "With God as my witness..." while praying.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The people of Springfield stand and sing in a circle during the snow day, similar to how the citizens of Whoville stand around the Christmas tree in a circle near the end of the special.
• Lisa observing Bart's prayer and saying to herself "Prayer; the last refuge of a scoundrel" is a variation of the saying "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
• Peter Pan: Captain Hook is mentioned by Bart.
• During the Snow Day sequence when Patty and Selma are on a horse-drawn sleigh is a reference to the lithograph The Road- Winter by Otto Knirsch, which was used as a christmas card by Currier and Ives throughout the 19th and early 20th century.

Moe without an eye

Princess Kashmir with blonde hair

Misspelling on the door

Goofs

• In this episode and the next episode, Bart's shirt is almost tan colored instead of orange.
• In one scene, Marge's eyelashes disappear.
• During the snow day, Moe's eye is missing for a shot.
• Princess Kashmir has blonde hair in this episode instead of her usual red hair.
• While Bart is on the way to see the school nurse, the door to the infirmary is misspelt as 'INEIRMARY'.