History Trivia / TheSimpsonsS9E13TheJoyOfSect

* TropeNamer: For {{Jerkass}} (and, by extension, various other tropes with "Jerkass" in their names).

* TropeNamer;
** {{Jerkass}}
*** AdaptationalJerkass
*** DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery
*** InvisibleJerkass
*** JerkassBall
*** JerkassDissonance
*** JerkassGods
*** JerkassHasAPoint
*** JerkassRealization
*** JerkassToOne
*** JerkassWoobie
*** MadeOutToBeAJerkass
*** TookALevelInJerkass[[note]]Shared with ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''[[/note]]
*** WorldOfJerkass

EditedForSyndication: When the episode airs anywhere other than Fox and on DVD, the scene where Burns and Smithers brainstorm a logo for his new religion is always cut, along with the followup gag of Lenny expressing his love for Special K.

* FanNickname: "{{Jerkass}} Homer", used to describe Homer's characterization during the Mike Scully era, originates here.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally, this episode was supposed to be about Lisa joining the Church of Scientology, but, the ''Simpsons'' writers got cold feet to mock them, so they made the Movementarians a mix of other cults (along with the Church of Scientology) and have Homer swayed by them.
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* DistancedFromCurrentEvents: The script was written in 1997, at roughly the same time that the members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed mass suicide. The writers noticed strange parallels between thte first draft and Heaven's Gate, including the belief in the arrival of a spaceship and the group's members wearing matching clothes and odd sneakers. Because of these coincidences, several elements of the episode were changed so that it would be more sensitive in the wake of the suicides.

* FanNickname: "Jerkass Homer", used to describe Homer's characterization during the Mike Scully era, originates here.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally, this episode was supposed to be about Lisa joining the Church of Scientology, but, unlike Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone, the ''Simpsons'' writers got cold feet to mock them (especially since, like ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', ''The Simpsons'' also has a Scientologist cast member-Creator/NancyCartwright), so they made the Movementarians a mix of other cults (along with the Church of Scientology) and have Homer swayed by them.

* RealitySubtext: Creator/NancyCartwright is a member of the Church of Scientology. Bart's line, "Church, cult. Cult, church. So, we'll get bored someplace else on Sunday. Does this really affect our day-to-day lives?" is a subtle burn against Scientology (and organized religion in general) — one that apparently didn't cause any backlash from the Church of Scientology (unlike what happened with the ''South Park'' episode "Trapped In The Closet").

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally, this episode was supposed to be about Lisa joining the Church of Scientology, but, unlike Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the ''Simpsons'' writers got cold feet to mock them (especially since, like ''South Park'', ''The Simpsons'' also has a Scientologist cast member-Creator/NancyCartwright), so they made the Movementarians a mix of other cults (along with the Church of Scientology) and have Homer swayed by them.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally, this episode was supposed to be about Lisa joining the Church of Scientology, but, unlike Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the ''Simpsons'' writers did not have the guts to mock them (especially since, like ''South Park'', ''TheSimpsons'' also has a Scientologist cast member-NancyCartwright), so they made The Movementarians a mix of other cults (along with The Church of Scientology) and have Homer swayed by them.