History Recap / TheSimpsonsS7E2RadioactiveMan

* InformedAbility: We never actually see Milhouse act outside of a few very brief clips, but we're told he's Van Johnson good.

* KarmaHoudini: Moe killed the original Alfalfa from "Little Rascals" but, since Alfalfa was an orphan belonging to the studio, Moe doesn't receive any punishment worse than being kicked out of Hollywood.

* TakeThat: Mickey Rooney states that the only thing hollow in entertainment is the music industry.

-->Ha-ha! Wait a minute...that hurt. No wonder no one came to my birthday party.

* RefugeInAudacity: The way the people of Springfield take advantage of the Hollywood producers goes from merely manipulative (shops and other venues sharply raising their prices) to blatantly absurd (Quimby instilling a tax for wearing bell-bottom jeans, and Snake wearing a sign that reads "GIVE ME A MILLION DOLLARS OR I'LL THUMP YOU").

** Milhouse is subjected to an extreme dose of x-rays and comments that he's sitting on a broken bottle, with the director telling him to "[[ThrowItIn use it]]".

* AGoodNameForARockBand: Emo band ''Music/FallOutBoy'' named themselves after Radioactive Man's sidekick in this episode.

* StockFootageFailure: {{Invoked|Trope}} with the "[[EpicFail attempt]]" to finish the movie with stock footage of Milhouse as Fallout Boy. To wit, Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy are trapped in a cave with a bunch of thugs. The former comments on this, then the latter says his catchphrase ''while standing next to Radioactive Man in an open meadow''. Radioactive Man asks Fallout Boy if he's ready to fight his way out, and he says yes...''while sitting on a couch in his trailer'' (and in a very disinterested tone). Then it cuts to the two of them having a punch-up with aliens on the moon. The attempt was so bad that they fired the editor on the spot.

* ArtShift: The first episode to use digital paint techniques, to wildly varying degrees of success. See OffModel below.

* GoshDangItToHeck: Radioactive Man treats Fallout Boy's CatchPhrase "Jiminy Jilikers!" as a curse word.

* MadeMyselfSad: Nelson reflexively "[[{{Catchphrase}} Ha-ha]]"s himself in a mirror after failing his audition and then has a HeelRealization upon discovering how much it stings.

* StockFootageFailure: {{Invoked|Trope}} with the "[[EpicFail attempt]]" to finish the movie with stock footage of Milhouse as Fallout Boy. To wit, Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy are trapped in a cave with a bunch of thugs. The former comments on this, then the latter says his CatchPhrase ''while standing next to Radioactive Man in an open meadow''. Radioactive Man asks Fallout Boy if he's ready to fight his way out, and he says yes...''while sitting on a couch in his trailer'' (and in a very disinterested tone). Then it cuts to the two of them having a punch-up with aliens on the moon. The attempt was so bad that they fired the editor on the spot.

* StockFootageFailure: {{Invoked|Trope}} with the aforementioned attempt to finish the movie with stock footage of Milhouse as Fallout Boy.

* OffModel: This was the first episode to be done in digital ink and paint (back when 99% of animation was still done with cels and traditional ink and paint; digital ink and paint was mostly just done in high-budget movies prior to circa 2000-2001, and [[WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy some cartoons used cels until 2005]]), so a lot of the color and character designs will look off for those who aren't used to seeing it this way. It's obvious that the software used wasn't exactly top-of-the-line, either.
* OldShame: In-universe: The director of the ''Radioactive Man'' movie does not want the movie to be like the campy 1970s version (which is a lot like the campy 1960s version of ''Batman'' starring Adam West and Burt Ward).

* DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible: InUniverse example. As the teamsters start setting up so that scenes can be filmed in the Simpsons' house, Homer meets the director:
--> '''Homer:''' Didn't you direct "Unnatural Discretion?"
--> '''Director:''' ''(Delighted)'' Why yes, I did.
--> '''Homer:''' Phew-wee, phew-wee!! ''[Director looks at homer annoyed]'' You know, I never walk out of a movie, but, ''Euggh!''

* ParentalNeglect: Milhouse's parents ignore what he wants and force him to be an actor against his will and then buy incredibly expensive stuff that they intend to have Milhouse pay for. It's unclear how they respond to their son insistent refusal and that the movie is shut down anyway.

* BlatantLies: After Milhouse runs away, the film's editor claims that he can splice together existing footage so well that the audience won't be able to tell the difference. However, his cut jumps to completely random scenes with no sense of continuity just to fill out a conversation[[note]]Radioactive Man, [[DistressedDude tied up by villains]], asks "We're going to have to break free, are you ready?"; Fallout Boy, sitting in an ordinary house, responds with a monotone "Yes." This is followed by the heroes fighting a completely different set of villains[[/note]]. The director fires him on the spot, and the editor responds [[{{Touche}} "And with good cause!"]]