The episode is a parody of the TV show The Untouchables, with Rex Banner based on Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. Homer even references the ending of the series when predicting correctly that prohibition won't last when he said "It didn't work in the movies."
The scene where John Bull's Fish & Chips gets blown up and the subsequent rioting was a reference to The Troubles (which explains why most UK versions of this episode edit out that scene on TV).
Homer's nickname, The Beer Baron is a reference to New York mobster, Dutch Schultz who was known as "The Beer Baron of the Bronx". Born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer, Schultz was involved in the bootleg alcohol trade in the New York Bronx area during the Prohibition period of the 1920s and early 1930s. It was during this period that Schultz had got involved in a series of gangland killings known as the Manhattan Bootleg Wars between the Mafia and the New York Irish Mob, led by Jack "Legs" Diamond.
After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Schultz had attempted to move in on the Numbers Racket ran out of New York's Harlem area by French Caribbean racketeer and madam, Stephanie St. Clair and her associate and later Harlem crime boss, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson. Schultz's short, fused temper and his multiple threats to kill US Federal Attorney Thomas Dewey resulted in Schultz being shot and mortally wounded along with members of his gang by Murder Incorporated hitmen, Charles "The Bug" Workman and Emanuel "Mendy" Weiss at the Palace Chop House in Newark, New Jersey on the night of the 23rd October 1935. Schultz later died of his wounds in hospital during the early hours of the 24th October 1935. It was believed that the murders of Shultz and his gang were ordered by the head of the New York Mafia Commission, Charles "Lucky" Luciano.
Homer's Night Out: A fat male character (Homer/Chief Wiggum) gets caught dancing with Shauna Tifton (Princess Kashmir).
Homer Badman: A protest group thinks a fat male character (Homer/Chief Wiggum) is a sexual predator (the protesters who think Homer grabbed Ashley Grant's butt/Helen Lovejoy screams, "PERVERT!" when Chief Wiggum walks up to her giving her the "old Wiggum charm").
Dr. Hibbert's wife, Bernice, is an alcoholic (is in the anti-drunk driving traffic school class/was one of the people who passed out when Prohibition gets enforced).
Bart Sells His Soul: Moe's Tavern gets reinvented (as a TGI-Fridays-style family restaurant/as a 1920s speakeasy)
Selma's Choice: A Simpson kid (Lisa/Bart) is high/drunk in public (Lisa, after she drinks the tainted water on the Little Land of Duff ride/Bart after he gets beer shot into his novelty horn).
Bart's Inner Child: A riot breaks out during a parade/festival (the "Do What You Feel" festival/the St. Patrick's Day parade).
Lisa's Wedding: Something British gets destroyed (Homer and Bart accidentally burn the British flag when welcoming Hugh/John's Fish and Chips Shop blows up during the riot).
The Day the Violence Died: Apu and public nudity (got in trouble for it, only to be saved by Lester and Eliza/drunkenly urges everyone to get naked at the St. Patrick's Day parade)
Who Shot Mr. Burns, Part Two: reference to gays being banned from marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade (Smithers admits during confession that he tried to march in a St. Patrick's Day parade/Kent Brockman says that St. Patrick's Day parades aren't for Italians or gays).
Homer is set on fire and runs outside to stop, drop, and roll.
Homer Loves Flanders: Flanders is accused of being on drugs by a law officer (Chief Wiggum thinks he's "hepped up on goofballs"/Rex Banner thinks Flanders is a drunk because of his verbal tic).
Hurricane Neddy: Flanders mentions that he doesn't drink alcohol (even though "Duffless" showed that he drank a blackberry Schnapps one time and the worst he did was offend Maude by calling Ann Landers "...a boring old biddy").
Goofs[]
A shamrock missing from Nelson's bowtie
When Nelson Muntz makes fun of Bart at the beginning, one of the shamrocks on his bowtie briefly disappears.
Bart's shorts and shoes are gray when he enters the school.
Lenny is shown to be both at Moe's Tavern and at the parade (pointing out the free beer at the latter event).
Apu's bottle of beer
The bottle of Duff Beer that Apu holds has a blue label instead of the usual red one, plus the text is much thinner than it usually is.
Ms. Hoover without glasses
In the crowd scene, Ms. Hoover is missing her glasses.
The Prohibition is limited to Springfield. Yet, it never seems to occur to anyone that they could easily go to Shelbyville if they wanted to drink. Then again, the scene where Rex Banner debuted implied it may not have been limited to Springfield.
While Rex is investigating Moe's "pet shop", the patrons at the bar raise their hidden beer glasses to toast the "best pet shop in town" while Rex has his back turned. However, Eddie and Lou were clearly facing the patrons and were looking at their beer glasses in the frame they raised them. Of course, Eddie and Lou more than likely weren't on board with the whole prohibition law to begin with.
The bottle between the green bottle and the cash register is not colored in
When Moe is putting the bar scenery back up, one of the bottles is not colored in for a frame.
When the crowd cheers after Rex Banner announces to have succeeded, some of the people's hair in the background flashes yellow for a few frames.
Flanders mentions that he doesn't drink alcohol, even though "Duffless" showed that he drank a blackberry Schnapps one time and the worst he did was offend Maude by calling Ann Landers "...a boring old biddy".
Production Notes[]
The final draft for this episode was published on September 11, 1996.[1]
