History Recap / TheSimpsonsS7E11MargeBeNotProud

* InstantlyProvenWrong: ''It's a Krusty kinda Kristmas!'' seemingly takes place within Krusty's own house, but as he's greeting the audience by saying "Welcome to my home," he walks up to a window showing Kent Brockman's newsroom outside, exposing the actual setting of the special as the Channel 6 studio. Krusty quickly covers up the scene by pulling down the window shade.

* NotAsYouKnowThem: Humorously invoked when Bart was struggling with the temptation to shoplift. He imagined a bunch of video game ''heroes'' (Mario & Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Sonic) convincing him to go through with it, which is more like something their archenemies (Wario and Bowser/King Koopa for Mario, King K. Rool for Donkey Kong, and Dr. Robotnik for Sonic) would do.

* ToiletHumor: As Bart races home to change the answering machine's tape, Homer's car passes ahead of him, forcing Bart to take a shortcut. Homer and Marge are noticeably sticking their heads out of the car, and Maggie's the only other occupant.
-->'''Homer:''' Got to change Maggie. Dear God, we got to change Maggie!

!! Tropes:

* BadassSanta: In the video game commercial, two children are bored playing a bloodless knock-off of ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', when Santa's sleigh (pulled by two snarling reindeer) bursts through their living room wall. Santa is bulging with muscles and is heavily armed. ''"YOU WANT EXCITEMENT?!?! STICK '''THIS''' UP YOUR STOCKING!!!"'' He fires a video game cartridge via RPG into their port. It is an incredibly bloody BeatEmUp and the children (and Bart) are instantly enthralled. He closes the commercial saying ''"TELL YOUR PARENTS TO BUY YOU '''''BONESTORM''''', OR GO TO HELL!!!"''
* BaitAndSwitch:
** Bart gets caught shoplifting and the security guard threatened him with juvenile hall if he caught him in the store again. He hides the message so the family remain unaware but soon learns that they are going to have their picture taken at the same store. Suddenly steam appears to shoot out his ears accompanied by a loud whistle. Marge then announces her teapots are ready and reveals two hot kettles previously hidden behind Bart's head.
** Marge believes that Bart stole from the store again when he walks into the house hiding something from her. It's actually her (legitimately-purchased) Christmas present, and he wanted to surprise her.

* CouchGag: The family sits on the couch. Homer notices a plug in the middle of the floor and pulls it, causing everyone and everything to get sucked down the drain.

* DarkerAndEdgier: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM6NcxTC-rI There was in fact a Tracey Ullman short in which Bart was caught shoplifting]], in which the crime and punishment are PlayedForLaughs. Here, Bart's act of shoplifting is a much bigger deal (a video game priced around $70, vs. a bunch of candy bars in the Ullman short) with more realistic consequences. The security guard is actually intimidating (compared to the SmallNameBigEgo Bart mocks in the short) and the act ran the risk of heavily damaging Bart's relationship with Marge, who is numbed by the experience compared to her usual comical nagging in the short.

--->'''Gavin's mother:''' That boy's parents must've made some big mistakes.
--->'''Gavin:''' [[LampshadeHanging Shut up, Mom!]]

-->'''Brodka:''' Sir, would you open your coat, please?
-->'''Bart:''' Uhhhhhh...I don't think this is the kinda coat that opens.

* JerkassBall: Milhouse towards Bart when he finds out that Milhouse got Bonestorm as a Christmas present: he starts making excuses about why they can't play it together and when Bart isn't falling for them, he yells to his mom that Bart's swearing, getting him kicked out for something he didn't do.

-->'''Homer:''' He's a thief...
-->'''Marge:''' [[DisappointedInYou Oh, Bart...]]

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: ''Lee Carvello's Putting Challenge'' is a parody of ''Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf''.
** The South American sensation Xoxchitla on Krusty's special is based on the real-life Brazilian presenter Xuxa.

* SarcasmBlind: Comic Book Guy [[DeadpanSnarker snarks]] that when Bart tries to buy ''Bonestorm'' from him for 99 cents, it is tantamount to him giving a customer 59 dollars back ("Oh, ''please'' take my fifty-nine dollars. I don't want it."). Bart plays to this trope by reaching for CBG's open cash register and CBG {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it.

* TheStinger: The credits show us the gameplay for Lee Carvello’s Putting Challenge.

* SpoiledBrat: Bart meets one (named Gavin) when he goes to Try 'n Save to stare at the game. He thinks he's "the happiest kid in the world."

* AnAesop: It's never okay to steal, and how it disappoints those you care about can hurt even more than the legal repercussions for it.

* PlotHole: It was revealed that Don Brodka caught Bart’s shoplifting through a security camera aimed at the video game section. However, that section was also where Bart learns about shoplifting from Nelson and Dolph as they reveal blatantly that they are stealing a football and a vest. It is never explained why Don Brodka never went after Nelson and Dolph for their shoplifting despite the fact that they were apparently caught on camera due to where it was facing.

* RunningGag: This episode continues the gag of Homer misunderstanding Mel Brooks's movies.

* AnAesop: It's never okay to steal, and how it disappoints those you care about can hurt even more than legal repercussions for it.

* JerkassBall Millhouse towards Bart when he finds out that Milhouse got Bonestorm as a Christmas present: he starts making excuses about why they can't play it together and when Bart isn't falling for them, he yells to his mom that Bart's swearing, getting him kicked out for something he didn't do.

** Milhouse of all people is this towards Bart when he finds out that Milhouse got Bonestorm as a Christmas present: he starts making excuses about why they can't play it together and when Bart isn't falling for them, he yells to his mom that Bart's swearing, getting him kicked out for something he didn't do.

* ForWantOfANail: Bart only managed to get his hands on the Bonestorm video game because the employee didn't close the display case after getting the games out for Gavin's mom.