...for once, it seems that Skinner is fantasizing about a non-Vietnam era war? ...Albert Brooks voices two characters in this episode (Jacques and the facility director) ...Homer's line about how kids should be "smothered by cats" was changed from a commercial that ran in the episode right before it, in which he says little kids should be "eaten by witches"? ...Scratchy is married? ...someone (presumably Patty) has the license plate "MANH8TR"? ...Serenity Ranch isn't just for children (as a matter of fact, it seems that Bart is the only child there)? ...Homer has a pretty respectable (as far as I can tell) German accent?
A lot o' Li'ls: 1F19: Li'l Bastard Clock Tampering Kit 2F01: Li'l Bastard Traveling Kit 5F23: Li'l Bastard General Mischief Kit, Li'l Bastard Brainwashing Kit GABF11: Li'l Agitator megaphone
1F08: Sea Captain pitching an idea CABF13: Grocery store on strike FABF15: The Dalai Lama appears 4F05: Homer shot down in a bloody barrage of bullets 9F03: "Yummy Yummy Yummy" played 9F22, 4F07: The Simpsons style font and singing used within an episode 7F23, 9F22, 5F03, 5F16: Bart's chubbiness is pointed out AABF22: Bart feels fat 3F05: Obese Bart 9F09: OFF member has a heart attack BABF21: OFF member suffers from eating a vegetable 7F22: Bart's allergies mentioned 8F24: Characters sent to fat camp (or "Image Enhancement Camp") BABF14: Rainier Wolfcastle has some extra pounds 8F09: Homer deals with Germans 9F19, 2F14: "Time to take out the trash" 7F16, 8F23: Herb appears
Jimmy Kimmel (TV personality) Marge exclaims, "Jimminy Kimmel" when looking at the bill, a reference to the host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live"
Wolfgang Puck (famous chef) Homer calls the German backpacker "Wolfgang Schmuck," a reference to this well-known fusion cuisine chef
Häagen-Dazs, Baskin Robbins Rainier Wolfcastle makes puns about these two ice cream brands while throwing away his ice cream
99 Luftballons (song) Homer sings this hit 80s song by Nena, which was translated to 99 Red Balloons in English
- The facility director lost his belt before (or if) he even went inside the Simpson's house
"The Heart-Broke Kid" was far funnier than the new Simpsons episode preceding it tonight. This, too, would have been a much better episode for Fox to bill as "350th episode" (even though we all know that "Future-Drama" really holds that distinction). I thought that this episode dealt with the problems of junk food and overeating much better than a comparable episode, "Sweets and Sour Marge." It didn't handle obesity in a heavy-handed "let's condemn X industry" fashion; instead, the writers chose to give a similar message through a character-centric story, which I prefer. The highlight was definitely "Three Weeks Later" during Bart's fat rampage through the opening credits. Another plus was Homer singing "99 Luftballons," another Simpsons moment I thought I would never see. And as always, Albert Brooks gives another great performance. Grade: A-
Serenity Ranch must be pretty darn expensive if celebrities like Kent Brockman and Rainier Wolfcastle use it.
For anyone who has ever stayed in hostels across Europe, you can probably identify with the "list of problems with America" scene.
Here are the lyrics to "99 Luftballons" that Homer sang, with translations below it and the English version release below that. The English release version sounded kind of clumsy and was never quite as popular as the original German song. The German version was always a little more serious - it was a testament to how the Germans, on the front line of the Cold War, felt about being trapped between two superpowers. It expressed the futility of their situation and how they could be plunged into a nuclear holocaust by something as inconsequential as the confusion of 99 balloons on the radar for a missile attack. Great song, great message, great that Homer had the German lexicon to sing it.
Original German (what Homer sang):
99 Luftballons Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont Hielt man fuer UFOs aus dem All Darum schickte ein General Eine Fliegerstaffel hinterher Alarm zu geben, wenn es so war Dabei war da am Horizont Nur 99 Luftballons
Direct English Translation:
99 balloons On their way to the horizon Seemed like UFOs from space So a general sent A flying squad out there To raise the alarm if it was true Yet there on the horizon were Only 99 balloons
English Version:
99 red balloons Floating in the summer sky Panic bells it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky Where 99 red balloons go by
(The English version isn't exactly true to the words of the original)