The action sequence at the candy convention is based on every Bruce Willis movie ever made.
Homer mixing Pop-Rocks and Cola together to make a deadly explosion is based on an old urban legend.[1]
Homer's imagination of living underwater is a parody of the song "Under the Sea" from the Disney film The Little Mermaid. David Mirkin says he thought the sequence would be funny because Homer would eat all of the characters from the film.
The news coverage showing Homer knocked out in the bathroom with the shower curtain draped over him, and the voice-over saying he slept in an oxygen tent believing it would enhance his sexual powers, is a reference to widespread tabloid rumors saying that Michael Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in an attempt to slow the aging process.
When Rock Bottom does a story on Groundskeeper Willie, the producers dub him "Rowdy Roddy Peeper," a reference to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the stage name of a professional wrestler who adopted a Scottish persona in the ring.
Trivia[]
First ever episode to be rated 12 in the United Kingdom for moderate sexual references (including themes of sexual harassment [Homer is accused of grabbing a college coed's butt], sexual violence [the movie "Homer S: Portrait of an Ass-Grabber" shows Homer as a rapist who threatens to violate Ashley], and voyeurism [Groundskeeper Willie videotaping couples in their cars and the media circus harassing Homer by spying on him in the shower and in his home]), though the episode itself rarely airs on Sky Showcase due to the sexual harassment theme.
One of the corrections on the Rock Bottom broadcast is that Janet Reno is evil. This reflects the First Church of Springfield marquee gag in "Bart's Girlfriend," which describes Janet Reno as one of history's evil women.
Another correction states that Bart is "bad to the bone." Bart also used this descriptor in reference to himself in "Bart's Girlfriend."
Originally, the episode was supposed to center around Lisa and Homer arguing over how men and women can and can't get away with certain things in society ("the double standard"), but David Mirkin thought it would be better to make fun of how the media likes to sensationalize news stories in the name of ratings, as the O.J. Simpson murder trial was occurring around the same time as this episode's premiere.
Goofs[]
Homer's beard is yellow
In the very first shot of the episode when Bart pours cereal into the bowl, a few pieces of cereal change color.
Immediately after recalling finding the tickets to the candy convention, Homer's beard is colored yellow instead of its usual tan color.
The sign seen outside the candy convention indicates the event takes place in the Springfield Community Center, when the building by itself looks a lot more like the Springfield Convention Center, which is more appropriate for this kind of event.
Running through the booth
While Homer and Marge flee the convention, two chasers can be seen running through the booths instead of beside them.
Maggie is missing a bow
When Homer says "Okay, don’t panic! She can't have gone far! She has no arms!", Maggie's bow is missing.
The flag that Marge claims to have 49 stars really only has 38.
Grandpa's beard drawn over his glasses
When Grandpa refuses to acknowledge Missouri as a state, his beard is briefly drawn over his glasses.
When Marge's coat pocket rips a huge pile of candy spills out but then in the next shot all the candy is gone.
Underwater snail's tail the same color as its shell pattern.
During the under the sea imagination scene, when it shows the underwater snail, before Homer pulls the body to eat it, its back tail is the exact same color as its shell pattern rather than its face, which is purple.
Rock Bottom Corrections[]
After the revelation of Homer's innocence, Rock Bottom broadcasts a list of corrections to various claims the show has made. The list can only be read in freeze-frame or slow motion. Rock Bottom's corrections are as follows:
