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She Used to Be My Girl
Fat Man and Little Boy
Midnight Rx

Cultural references[]

  • The episode is named after the two nuclear bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War II, codenamed Fat Man and Little Boy. Fat Man and Lisa's nuclear reactor model are powered by plutonium.
  • Additionally, when Bart shoots spitballs at Lisa and Janey it most likely parodies the Omaha Beach scene in "Saving Private Ryan".
  • The eccentric Goose Gladwell seems to be a parody of Willy Wonka. This episode was released six months before the 2005 movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Gladwell's appearance, however, is based more on Gene Wilder's Wonka in the 1971 version (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory).
  • Homer mentions strange adults befriending small children, which is a possible reference to Michael Jackson as well as to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When the episode first aired, Jackson was dealing with child molestation charges.
  • The song Lisa and Janey are singing at the beginning is "Miss Lucy Had a Steamboat."
  • Osama bin Scratchy is a reference to Saudi Arabian terrorist Osama bin Laden.
  • Songs used:
    • "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas (When Bart burns his toys.)
    • "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred (When Bart models his T-shirts around school and at the mall.)
    • "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited (At the Springfield Novelty Expo, when Krusty's booth appears and destroys Bart's.)
    • The Pink Panther Theme (When Homer breaks into the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to steal plutonium.) Also appeared in Little Girl in the Big Ten.

Trivia[]

  • This episode is slightly high-pitched in European TV airings.
  • In The Simpsons Game, Matt Groening calls Homer and Bart a "Fat Man" and a "Little Boy".
  • Homer's process for building a nuclear reactor is similar to what Boy Scout David Hahn did in 1994.
  • Among the items in Goose's store are a 8-ball fortune teller and a Star Destroyer model. The former was used in Bart's Friend Falls in Love.
  • This is the last episode of 2004.
  • When Bart is autographing T-shirts at Goose's store, a sign outside says that Bart will not say "Cowabunga," a reference to the fact Bart only said the saying once in season 1 and the phrase become attached to him.
  • This is the 340th episode of the franchise.
  • Smithers replies "Today is Christmas, sir" when Mr. Burns asks why everyone is so insolent.
  • Before the episode first aired, Matt Groening registered the domain nuclear-secrets.com, but never created a website.
  • Bart's Toys (and their real-life analogues):
    • Spirogram (Spirograph)
    • Sketch-an-Etch (Etch-a-Sketch)
    • Sock-Em Knock-Em Cyborgs (Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots)
    • Ravenous Ravenous Rhinos (Hungry Hungry Hippos)
    • Duopoly (Monopoly)
    • Parchoosey (Parcheesi)
    • Humor Putty (Silly Putty)
  • In addition to Bart and Krusty, the exhibitors at the Springfield Novelty Expo include the following:
    • Duff Beer
    • Erotic Ashtrays
    • Hairy Golf Balls
    • Exploding Hearing Aids
    • Untoastable Bagels
    • Poison Ice Cubes
    • Mood Lollipops (Apu, attending the expo as a retailer, tries one and is singularly unimpressed.)
  • Homer quits his job because Bart earns enough income to support his family. He previously thought of doing this in Bart the Lover.
  • This is the third episode where plutonium is taken from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to be used for an unrelated purpose. The first two being Treehouse of Horror IX and E-I-E-I-D'oh.
  • This is one of two episodes of season 16 where Bart screams in his treehouse when something happens to him offscreen. The other episode is All's Fair in Oven War.

Bart's T-Shirt Slogans[]

  • Adults Suck, Then You Are One
  • Life Ends at Ten
  • Bored in the USA
  • This Shirt Sucks
  • Everything Sucks
  • Sucking Sucks
  • Wake Me When It's Recess
  • I've Puked More Beer Than You've Drunk
  • Pobody's Sherfect, Nithead
  • Impeach Everybody
  • My Other T-Shirt Is Also a Joke T-Shirt
  • Think Globally, Fart Locally
  • Weapon of Ass Destruction
  • I ♥ ♥ Attacks
  • Get Bent (Flanders thinks it refers to kneeling down to pray.)
  • Do Not Resuscitate (Dr. Hibbert takes a dozen: "These could get me out of a lot of sticky situations.")
  • Proud Nubian Princess (Chief Wiggum takes this one when the police bust Bart's stand and confiscate the shirts; it's the only one that fits him.)
  • Jews for Jebus
  • Body by Oreo
  • Don't Blame Me, I Voted for Scooby-Doo
  • If You Can Read This, the Backpack Fell Off
  • Stop Staring at My Man Boobs
  • I'm Not Getting Older, I'm Getting Bitter
  • Wish You Were Beer
  • Top of the Dude Chain
  • America's Least Wanted
  • Stop World Hunger, Eat My Shorts! (Bart poses with this one on the cover of a magazine running an article about his shirts.)
  • Don't Wake Me, I'm Working (Homer wears it to work and gets suspended without pay.)
  • Rich Bitch (Homer wears this in the scene following his firing, it is ostensibly one of Bart's shirts.)
  • I'm Not Fat, I'm Enormous (Comic Book Guy brings it to Bart for an autograph.)
  • Moe asks if Bart has any T-shirts with Calvin peeing on Hobbes. Bart says "Sorry," Moe then asks, "Well what do you got him peeing on?"
Bloochie

Blue Poochie

Goofs[]

  • When the Police Car arrives at Bart's stand, the car has a white paint job, but when the police confiscates his T-shirts, the car has a black and white paint job. Later, the car has the white paint job again.

Production Notes[]

  • The final draft for this episode was published on October 27, 2003.[1]
Screen Shot 2023-03-07 at 11.55

October 27, 2003

Season 15 Season 16 References/Trivia Season 17
Treehouse of Horror XVAll's Fair in Oven WarSleeping with the EnemyShe Used to Be My GirlFat Man and Little BoyMidnight RxMommie BeerestHomer and Ned's Hail Mary PassPranksta RapThere's Something About MarryingOn a Clear Day I Can't See My SisterGoo Goo Gai PanMobile HomerThe Seven-Beer SnitchFuture-DramaDon't Fear the RooferThe Heartbroke KidA Star is TornThank God It's DoomsdayHome Away from HomerThe Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star
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