History Recap / TheSimpsonsS3E22TheOttoShow

* CallBack: When Bart quits guitar, Homer mentions that the guitar will go in the closet next to his shortwave radio, karate uniform, and unicycle. The karate outfit is from him briefly taking karate class in [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E3WhenFlandersFailed "When Flanders Failed"]]. The other two items are [[NoodleIncident noodle incidents.]]

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: The first half of the story is about Bart seeing a heavy metal concert and wanting to become a rockstar. The second half is about Otto trying to get a driver's license and get his job back, which has almost nothing to do with the first half. In later seasons, the show would do that frustratingly often.

* AutoErotic: Subverted; After Homer tells Bart that he'll be okay waiting in the car because he spent some of his best moments in his teens in a car, we get a flashback of a make-out point where everyone there is in a car and having sex. We see Homer's rocking especially hard and hear Homer moaning. When we cut inside, it turns out that he's just eating a big stash of junk food.

** In their interview, Spinal Tap say they can't think of anyone who benefitted from the fall of the Iron Curtain than them... until they think about all those countries ''behind'' the Curtain.

* EmptyFridgeEmptyLife: The misery of Otto's life is hammered home by his landlord listing his meager few possessions after he evicts him.

* EyeScream: Nigel Tufnel members is hit in the eye with one of the stage show lasers.

* CoolTeacher: Patty when Otto expresses hatred for Homer. She gives him every answer to the written word test, spends the practical test laughing at stories of Homer's stupidity and offers to take Otto out for drinks after.

* EyeScream: Nugel Tufnel members is hit in the eye with one of the stage show lasers.

* FakeGuestStar: Creator/HarryShearer plays his Simpsons characters and Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls.

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: The first half of the story is about Bart seeing a heavy metal concert and wanting to become a rockstar. The second half is about Otto trying to get a driver's license and get his job back, which has almost nothing to do with the first half.
** In later seasons, the show would sometimes do a PlotSwitch following the first act.

* IncompetenceInc: The management of the venue where Spinal Tap performs. The place is usually a hockey rink, but the melted water hasn't been cleaned off the stage; the giant Devil balloon deflates during the show; the stage fans are set full blast instead of the medium setting the band requested; The stage lights aren't turned on at the band's cue; and one of the band members gets hit with the stage lasers. It's hard to blame the band for not wanting to put up with it anymore.
* InkSuitActor: Spinal Tap appear, just as other bands have, except Spinal Tap are played by actors including Creator/HarryShearer whose cartoon face gets so dominated by the facial hair and wig that he ends up looking nothing like himself.

** Before the second attempt at the driver's licence exam, Bart reminds Otto that Homer called him "a sponge". Enranged, Otto pounds on a brick wall hard enough to crumble some of it and yells "Does this look like something a sponge would do?" This parodies a dramatic confrontation in ''Film/TheFly1986'' -- when the slowly transforming scientist, unaware of what's truly happening to him yet, is told by his anxious lover that he must be sick he demonstrates his SuperStrength by punching a wooden support beam and splintering it. "Does this look like a sick man to you?"

* TakeThatAudience: An in-universe example appears when Bart daydreams about being a jaded, bitter rock star. During a concert he informs the audience that he's going to play a new song entitled "Me Fans Are Stupid Pigs". Cue an outburst of squealing and fawning from said fans.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: In British broadcasts, Bart's fantasy has his declaration of "slag off" excised.

* InstantExpert: Bart assumed he would be like this upon playing a guitar. He soon finds out he is wrong, so he eventually stopped.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Homer waits in the car for Bart and Milhouse while they're at the concert. We see him munching on chips and singing along to the radio, blissfully unaware of the riot police storming the arena outside his car window.

* TakThatAudience: An in-universe example appears when Bart daydreams about being a jaded, bitter rock star. During a concert he informs the audience that he's going to play a new song entitled "Me Fans Are Stupid Pigs". Cue an outburst of squealing and fawning from said fans.

!!This episode contains examples of (YMMV tropes [[YMMV/TheSimpsonsS3E22TheOttoShow here]]):

-->'''Otto''': Hey, I was [[JustJokingJustification just kidding]]!

-->'''Ralph''' ''[singing]'' He steps on the clutch and the toilet goes flush, hail to the--
-->'''Skinner''': SHUT UP!

* EyeScream: One of the Spinal Tap members is hit in the eye with one of the stage show lasers.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Otto thinks he's supposed to run down the cardboard cutouts of pedestrians on the driving test course.

-->'''Otto''': Hey, I was just kidding!