They Saved Lisa's Brain/References

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◄ Monty Can't Buy Me Love

They Saved Lisa's Brain

Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo ►

Trivia

• Stephen Hawking says to Homer, "Your theory of a donut-shaped universe is intriguing... I may have to steal it." This line references scientific theories that the universe is toroidal, a donut shape.
• The episode received minor controversy in East St. Louis when the episode states it is the least liveable city in the US. Matt Selman jokingly referred to the city as a “crack-ridden slum” in response to the controversy. The rest of the show producers decided to pull a prank on Selman by placing him in a room with a man impersonating the mayor of East St. Louis who was offended by Selman’s comment. Selman nervously apologized for his comments until he realized it was a prank.
• This is the first episode in which Lindsey Naegle is named, as well as the first to feature her current design.
• Due to "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" being banned, this is the final season 10 episode to air in Japan.

Cultural References

• The title of this episode is a reference to the sci-fi movie "They Saved Hitler's Brain".
• Homer mistakes Stephen Hawking for Larry Flynt, the founder of "Hustler Magazine", who was in a wheelchair following an assassination attempt on his life, while Hawking being in a wheelchair was from a degenerative disorder.
• The joke on Comic Book Guy's shirt is a reference to the books of Dick and Jane written in programming language, it says "See Spot. See Spot Run. Run, Spot, Run", a popular catchphrase in that book series.
  • According to Professor Frink, the phenomenon of one person finding humor in an esoteric or intellectual joke is called "The Dennis Miller Ratio". Dennis Miller's comedy (both when he was a Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live and in stand-up before and after he was an SNL cast member) is known for being peppered with esoteric cultural references (both high- and lowbrow), complex wordplay, and use of vocabulary words that most average people wouldn't readily understand.
• The law proposed by Comic Book Guy about human reproduction is a reference to the mating in the fictional species of Vulcans,from the Star Trek series.

Previous Episode References

• "Lisa the Simpson": Lisa worries about anti-intellectualism (her own in the former episode and the town's in this episode)
• "Three Men and A Comic Book": Bart is dressed as Bartman
• "Simpsons Roasting on An Open Fire": Homer dresses up as Santa Claus (cf. his line about how the block association didn't like his "non-traditional" Santa that involved him revealing his body).
  • "Simpsons Roasting on An Open Fire" and "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds": The Springfield Dog Track is seen.
• "Lisa's Wedding": Lisa and Renaissance fairs
• "Treehouse of Horror VI": Homer doesn't know who Stephen Hawking is (he calls him "that wheelchair guy" in "Homer³" while in this episode, he mistakes Hawking for Larry Flynt).
• "Lisa's Date with Density" and "Trash of the Titans": the guy who pushed the old woman in front of a train in the commercial for the "How Low Can You Go" contest looks like Jimmy the Scumbag.
• "And Maggie Makes Three": Bart rides on the back of an animal naked (Snowball I/a pig)
• "Bart's Girlfriend", "Rosebud", and "Simpson Tide": The music playing during the "How Low Can You Go" contest riot is the same music that played when the parents chase the kids into the field to get them for church (and one violin lesson), when a cyborg Mr. Burns and his robot dog, Smithers run off into the sunset in the year 1 million; and during Homer's dream of being on trial on The Planet of the Donuts.
• "A Star is Burns": Springfield is declared a backwards, anti-intellectual city and a Simpson (Marge/Lisa) is embarrassed over it.
• "Marge in Chains": Mayor Quimby leaves town (because of the Asian flu epidemic/because he thinks MENSA is after him).

Goofs

A bright red band on Lisa's arm

• When Rainier Wolfcastle announces the winner of the contest, Krusty's nose isn't red.
• As MENSA enters the Renaissance fair, Lisa's shawl changes color from a tan-red to a more crimson red.
• In the dog track scene, Mayor Quimby can be seen in the stands, although he earlier fled Springfield thinking MENSA had heard of his corruption.
• When Lisa is writing the letter, his typewriter is facing the wall aside to the shelf, but when Homer leaves the room, it's facing the wall opposite to the shelf.
• In the shot after that, one of the dark red bands on Lisa's sleeve repeatedly turns bright red.
• Comic Book Guy refers to the Vulcans from Star Trek as the most logical race "in the galaxy". However, Vulcans within Star Trek are not from the same galaxy as Earth.

Production Notes

• The final draft for this episode was published on October 28, 1998.

October 28, 1998