Line #51 Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E18AStarIsBurns


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simpsons_06_23__719260.jpg]]
2
3	'''Original air date:''' 3/5/1995
4
5	'''Production code:''' 2F31 [[note]]Special production code. Not actually produced after the rest of the 2F production line.[[/note]]
6
7	In this {{crossover}} with ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' [[note]]which was about to begin its second and final season after a ChannelHop to Creator/{{Fox}} -- indeed, the first episode of said season began immediately after this episode's original broadcast[[/note]] (and the only episode that doesn't have Creator/MattGroening's name in the executive producer credits), Marge suggests that Springfield hosts a film festival to combat news that the town is the most anti-intellectual city in the United States (so anti-intellectual, in fact, that they burn people at the stake for believing in science) and Jay Sherman flies down to Springfield to be one of the judges -- and Homer, out of jealousy, urges Marge to be on the film jury as well. Meanwhile, Mr. Burns uses the film festival as an opportunity to boost his massive ego.
8
9	This is one of two episodes in Season 6 that was produced by the writing team of ''The Critic'' instead of the usual production crew, the other being "'Round Springfield".
10	----
11
12	!!This episode contains examples of:
13	* AccentAdaptation: In the Italian dub, Grampa's line "40 rods to the hogshead" is translated as "40 pertiche ogni quarto d'ora" (40 rods every quarter of an hour). Though more likely it is referring not to the imperial/US rod, but the ancient Roman (2.956 m) or Italian ''pertica'', varying by region from 2.06 meters (Verona) to 6.16 meters (Turin).
14	* ActorAllusion: It's Bart who goes out of his way to praise Jay's show as something everyone should watch (though doing so admittedly makes him feel dirty). Creator/NancyCartwright voiced Jay's sister, Margo (a role originally for Creator/MargaretCho, but the higher-ups thought she wasn't a good fit).
15	* ActuallyAGoodIdea: When Marge steps up at the town hall, the audience is grumbling because they didn't like any of her past ideas. This changes when she suggests that Springfield hold a film festival and that the public can even enter their own homemade movies in it. The audience quickly unanimously approves of the idea. Of course, Marge has other suggestions, but other townspeople tell her not to push her luck.
16	* AdaptationDeviation: A somewhat unusual crossover-related example for Jay Sherman. In his show, while he is highly accomplished (he has a doctorate in film and two Pulitzer Prizes), he is often very disrespected and ignored. He is seen as extremely gross, pathetic, and unlikable, and with a few exceptions, most women find him hideous, and his relationship with his ex-wife is... frosty, to say the least. In this crossover, however, not only is he considered even more talented and successful (with five Golden Globes, a People's Choice Award, and an Emmy), but is highly lauded and embraced. Also, Marge, Patty, and Selma are extremely drawn to him and want to hear all of what he has to say about Hollywood and show business. Homer feels so threatened by Jay's charm and intelligence he defeatedly tells Marge to go ahead and sleep with him because he could never compete. This is something that would have NEVER happened in ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic''. Then again, Springfield is not New York, and the family has been shown to be [[CountryMouse Country Mice]] when dealing with New York, although Bart is the only one who doesn't like him, initially, due to being a film critic, which is a despised occupation in Jay's show. Unless it's an AlternateSelf version of him within ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' universe, which is considered as fanon by some.
17	* AlwaysABiggerFish: How Homer views Jay -- he even tells Marge she can go ahead and marry ''him'' for being a better Homer.
18	* AmateurFilmMakingPlot: To increase Springfield's popularity, Marge suggests that Springfield hosts a film festival, and famed critic [[WesternAnimation/TheCritic Jay Sherman]] [[{{Crossover}} is invited to be a judge]]. Out of jealousy, Homer urges Marge to be on the film jury as well. Mr. Burns uses the film festival as an opportunity to boost his massive ego, and has [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Steven Spielberg's]] non-union Mexican counterpart "Señor Spielbergo" direct his film, ''A Burns For All Seasons''. The other entries at the film festival include Hans Moleman's aptly-named ''JustForFun/ManGettingHitByFootball'' film, which Homer finds hilarious, and Barney Gumble's artistic introspective film about alcoholism, titled ''Pukahontas'', which Marge and Jay foresee to be the eventual winner.
19	* AnachronismStew: Burns' film features a plastic bottle during Ben Hur's time.
20	* AnswerToPrayers: PlayedForLaughs. The Flanderses' filming of Moses goes awry when the river quickly sweeps away Todd in his basket. Ned Flanders drops to his knees and immediately prays, "Flanders to God, Flanders to God; Get off your duff and save my Todd!" Instantly, a tree falls over, barring the river and stopping the basket. When Flanders gives thanks, a giant hand comes out of the clouds making the OK sign, and a booming voice says "Okely Dokely!"
21	* AntiAlcoholAesop: Spoofed when Barney Gumble submits an entry titled ''Pukahontas'', showing masterful cinematic filmmaking warning of the dangers of alcohol. Where the parody part kicks in is that Barney is TheAlcoholic of Springfield (even more so than Homer), and it's a big irony coming from him, of all people. Heck, when he wins the festival, he announces he's going to quit drinking... until they roll up with the massive supply of beer, which he begins to down without hesitation.
22	* AsHimself: Mr. Burns doesn't intend to act in his own movie, but when [[TerribleIntervieweesMontage things don't work out]]...
23	-->'''Mr. Burns:''' Oh, it's hopeless. I'll have to play myself.
24	* BadImpressionists: Part of [=McBain=]'s stand-up act.
25	-->Now, my Woody Allen impression. ''(voice stays exactly the same)'' I'm a neurotic nerd who likes to sleep with little girls.
26	* BerserkButton: ''Do not'' speak awful things about ''Series/{{MacGyver\|1985}}'' in front of Patty & Selma.
27	-->''(Jay's hanging off a rain gutter by his underwear, is missing all his other clothes and making a disoriented groaning noise)''\
28	'''Bart:''' ''(chuckles)'' You badmouthed [=MacGyver=], didn't you?
29	* BrickJoke: When Jay demonstrates that he has a more impressive burp than Homer...
30	-->'''Lisa:''' Wow! How many UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winners can do that?\
31	'''Jay:''' Just me and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudora_Welty Eudora Welty]].\
32	''(later in the episode, during the voting for the best movie of the festival)''\
33	'''Krusty:''' Now let's get going. I've got a date with Eudora Welty.\
34	''(Krusty's and Mayor Quimby's hair get blown by a burp similar to Jay's)''\
35	'''Krusty:''' Coming, Eudora![[note]]The joke is that Welty was 86 at the time of the episode airing.[[/note]]
36	* BurnTheWitch: An example of how backward Springfield is culturally -- Grampa heads up a mob preparing to burn Principal Skinner at the stake for claiming that the Earth revolves around the sun.
37	-->'''Grampa:''' ''(gets his picture taken)'' [[MagicalCamera You've stolen my soul]]!
38	* BurpingContest: Homer won first prize at one and tries to use this to stand up against Jay, who has won the Pulitzer Prize. Jay proves himself to be at least as good a burper (if not better), and explains that only he and Eudora Welty can claim both that talent and a Pulitzer among their achievements.
39	* CastTheRunnerUp: InUniverse, Bumblebee Man auditioned to play Mr. Burns in his biopic before being cast as a Mexican villager.
40	* CausticCritic: Jay Sherman when criticizing big budget movies as usual, and when seeing some of the independent films. ("This is not ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos''", after watching the movie about Moleman getting hit in the groin).
41	* CelebrityParadox: Jay Sherman notes that Harvey Fierstein is gay. Fierstein played Karl in Season 2's "Simpson and Delilah".
42	* CharacterOverlap: Averted. ONLY Jay Sherman crosses over from his show to visit the Simpsons. All other characters in the show, such as Doris, Jeremy Hawke, Duke Philips, Alice, or any members of Jay's family, do not appear, nor are they even mentioned. This was likely done not to overcomplicate the plot and keep the crossover as unobtrusive as possible, as well as to prevent the need to come up with new, Simpsonized character designs for them. Also, unlike the future ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' crossovers, ''The Critic'' was not a long-beloved show whose ''Simpsons'' crossover was ever really desired.
43	* CharacterShilling: Burns' film, of course, which at one point casts him in the role of ''Jesus''.
44	-->'''Ben Hur:''' You truly are the King of Kings.
45	* CheatersNeverProsper: Burns attempts to win the film festival via bribery. Due to Homer's decision to vote for Barney's movie, Burns still loses. We see six months later he tried the same thing at the Academy Awards, and in his own words "bribed everyone in Hollywood" and he still lost.
46	* ChirpingCrickets: Parodied. After Homer tries and fails to top a joke told by Jay, a tumbleweed rolls through the Simpson's living room.
47	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Mr. Burns gets a good one when he's trying to get a biopic of himself made:
48	--> '''Burns:''' Listen, Señor Spielbergo, I want you to do for me what [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Spielberg]] [[Film/SchindlersList did for Oskar Schindler]].\
49	'''Spielbergo:''' But, ¡Schindler es bueno! ¡Burns es diablo!\
50	'''Burns:''' Listen, Spielbergo, Schindler and I are like two peas in a pod! We're both factory owners, we both made [artillery] shells for the Nazis -- ''but mine worked, dammit!''
51	* CompassionateCritic: Jay honestly enjoys Barney's moving film about his alcoholism, and is annoyed when Homer votes for Moleman and two other judges vote for Burns' movie.
52	* CompetitionFreak: When Jay Sherman shows off his various awards, Homer points out that he won the BurpingContest at work. Jay insists on beating him at ''that'' too.
53	* CouchGag: The family's sizes are reversed with Maggie now being the largest while Homer is now the smallest. Bart's height is still the same.
54	* CrazyPrepared: When Barney receives his truckful of Duff Beer and tells the men presenting the prize to hook it up to his veins, they do so without missing a beat.
55	* {{Crossover}}: The first for ''The Simpsons'', and the only one intended to boost interest in the show it was crossing over with (one that had, in its first season, established ''The Simpsons'' as a fictional show in its universe). This was not by choice for the showrunners; Matt Groening was unhappy enough with the whole business that this is the only episode that does not credit him onscreen as executive producer.
56	-->'''Jay:''' If you ever want to appear on ''my'' show--\
57	'''Bart:''' No, we're not gonna do that.
58	** This episode was one of two produced by the writing team of ''The Critic'' for Season 6 as part of the deal that brought the show to FOX (the other being "'Round Springfield").
59	* CrossoverCouple: {{Downplayed}}; Marge's appreciation for Jay Sherman's wit is enough to make Homer go CrazyJealousGuy.
60	-->'''Homer:''' That's it, Marge. He knows the whole [Oscar Mayer] hot dog song. Go ahead, sleep with him. I'll just take a lock of your hair to remember you by.
61	* DelayedReaction: Rainer Wolfcastle accosts Jay on the street long after their interview is over, having just realized he's been insulted. Jay distracts Wolfcastle by telling him his shoes are untied and grabs a taxi. Hours later, Wolfcastle realizes he's wearing loafers (shoes that slip on without laces). It could take many more hours for him to realize Jay distracted him to get away.
62	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: ''Pukahontas''.
63	* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud:
64	-->'''Jay:''' How can you vote for Burns' movie?\
65	'''Krusty:''' Let's just say it moved me...'''to a bigger house!''' Oops, I said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet.
66	* DisproportionateRetribution:
67	** Jay learns what happens when he talks trash about ''Series/{{MacGyver\|1985}}'' in front of Patty and Selma, though it was actually Homer whispering the idea to him.
68	--->'''Bart:''' You badmouthed [=MacGyver=], didn't you?
69	** Rainier tries to kill Jay for making himself look bad in the interview. His movie involves two hours of him doing incredibly crappy stand-up comedy and killing anybody who tries to heckle him with military-grade weaponry, ''including tossing a grenade into the crowd''.
70	** Skinner says that the Earth revolves around the Sun (regular school science). He's almost burnt at the stake for it (and Heaven only knows what Grandpa Simpson does to the man who takes a picture of the event, thinking that he had stolen his soul).
71	* DontExplainTheJoke: [=McBain=] does precisely that. He doesn't take it well when when hecklers call him out on it.
72	-->'''[=McBain=]:''' That's the joke.
73	* DumbassHasAPoint: Homer realizes that Marge doesn't think he's smart enough to be a judge for the film festival. [[NotHelpingYourCase Not that him being slow to pick up on it does him any favors]].
74	* EpicFail:
75	** One scene of Mr. Burns' film has him falling from his horse and being dragged by it. It ends with Mr. Burns being dragged with a cactus. He comments that it was the best take among ''twenty'' takes.
76	** Homer's audition for Mr. Burns' movie. All he has to do is say ''one'' single word, and he screws it up.
77	--->'''Homer''': Exactly! Heh, heh...D'OH!
78	** Six months later, Mr. Burns enters his movie at the Academy Awards, and despite the fact that he's "bribed everyone in Hollywood," he still loses.
79	** Bart's film ''The Eternal Struggle'' features Homer trying in vain to put on some Dockers jeans. Even after he realizes the belt is buckled, he still is fruitless in getting them on.
80	** Mr. Burns resorts to bribery in an attempt to win the film festival but he only bribes two of the five judges.
81	** A brief clip showing [[BadBadActing Krusty]] acting in a play as [=FDR=] has him at one point ''getting out of his wheelchair'' while trying to make a point, only for him to jump right back in as he sheepishly forgot the president could not walk.
82	** [=McBain=] falls for Sherman's "shoe's untied" gag so hard that he's still staring at his shoes into the night.
83	* EpicMovie: ''A Burns for All Seasons'' is intended as this.
84	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
85	** At the beginning of the episode, Mayor Quimby explains how backwards the town is, and he's utterly disgusted (although what breaks the camel's back for him is that a ''porn film award'' has backed down from taking place on Springfield).
86	** Despite being a CorruptCorporateExecutive, Mr. Burns isn't too keen on having his cinematic counterpart being played by the super-criminal [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]]. He's also thoroughly embarrassed that his VanityProject has a scene that even after twenty takes still has an incredibly absurd blooper.
87	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: ''Man Getting Hit by Football'' is about a man getting hit by a football.
88	* ExactWords: Rainier Wolfcastle's latest "[=McBain=]" movie is classified as an action comedy. It is two hours of the character doing nothing but stand-up comedy and killing anybody who tries to heckle him with ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill extreme]]'' prejudice.
89	* FailedASpotCheck: In his film, Barney went to what he thought was an AA meeting, but it turned out to be a Girl Scouts meeting (with him not realising until Lisa told him).
90	* FatSlob: Bart's submission to the film festival (one of a series, apparently) is ''The Eternal Struggle'', a home movie of Homer trying to pull on his pants.
91	-->'''Homer''': ''({{Angrish}})'' Relaxed fit, my aunt fanny! Stupid denim! ''(stops)'' Ohhh, [[FailedASpotCheck the belt is buckled]]. ''(chuckles and unbuttons them, then goes right back to struggling)''
92	* FormulaBreakingEpisode: The episode itself is different from most ''Simpsons'' episodes, as it's the first one to do a [[{{Crossover}} crossover]] with another series. Matt Groening considered this a gimmick and originally promised that his show wouldn't do it, and when he found out it was, [[AlanSmithee he took his name off the credits for that episode]]. In addition, he didn't participate in the DVDCommentary.
93	* GhostInTheMachine: When the voting gets deadlocked, Homer claims that his mind is going a mile a minute. His mind is represented by monkeys picking fleas off each other. After some encouraging words from Jay, Homer announces that he has some serious thinking to do. The same monkeys are then shown doing calculus on a blackboard.
94	* GratuitousSpanish: "¡Schindler es bueno! ¡Burns es diablo!" ("Schindler is (when it should be "was") good! Burns is (the) devil!")
95	* GroinAttack: The infamous ''[[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mV1LWhNpTJU Man Getting Hit by Football]]'' short film (directed by and starring Hans Moleman). Homer, upon seeing it, says, "The contest is over, give that man the $10,000!", even though it's pointed out that this isn't ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos''. Homer replies, laughing the whole time, "but... the ball... his groin... it works on so many levels! ''({{beat}})'' Play it again."
96	** Homer is apparently the only one who finds it funny. Yet at the end of the episode, Homer's comedic taste is vindicated when a remake of the film starring Creator/GeorgeCScott wins the Best Actor Oscar.
97	-->'''George:''' Aaahh! My groin!
98	** [[WesternAnimation/TheCritic Jay Sherman]] also gets hit by a football.
99	-->'''Nelson:''' Ha ha!
100	* HesitationEqualsDishonesty: This awkward conversation between Homer and Marge.
101	-->'''Homer:''' Marge, do you respect my intelligence?\
102	'''Marge:''' ''({{beat}})'' Yes.\
103	'''Homer:''' Okay. ''(goes to bed, gets up)'' Wait a minute... why did it take you so long to say "yes"?\
104	'''Marge:''' ''({{beat}})'' No reason.\
105	'''Homer:''' Okay. ''(goes to bed, gets up)'' Wait a minute... are you humoring me?\
106	'''Marge:''' ''({{beat}}, then guilty)'' Yes.\
107	'''Homer:''' Okay. ''(goes to bed, gets up)'' Wait a minute... that's bad!
108	* HiddenDepths: Barney Gumble, town drunk extreme, is capable of making a tear-jerking and highly artistic documentary of the misery his life has become. [[IgnoredEpiphany When he discovers that the first prize is a truckful of Duff beer, he begs for it to be given to him intravenously]].
109	* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: ''A Burns for All Seasons'' is Mr. Burns doing this for himself.
110	* HistoricalRapSheet: A quick gag has Burns admitting not only to have been a Nazi collaborator, but a direct industrial rival to Oskar Schindler himself.
111	* {{Homage}}: ''Moe Better Booze'' is this to ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}'''s "The Money Song", while ''A Burns for All Seasons'' (its name a reference to ''Film/AManForAllSeasons'') shamelessly recasts Mr. Burns as such characters as E.T. and Jesus Christ (!) as portrayed in ''[[Film/BenHur1959 Ben-Hur]]''.
112	* HypocriticalHumor:
113	-->'''Smithers:''' A film biography might help [the townspeople] get to know the real you. [[BreadEggsMilkSquick Virtuous, heroic, nubile.]]\
114	'''Mr. Burns:''' ''[sharply]'' You left out ''"pleasant"!'' ''[hits Smithers with the head of his cane]''
115	** Barney knows perfectly well that he's a hopeless alcoholic and creates a documentary that acknowledges it, and he swears on stage on his acceptance speech that he will quit drinking. When he discovers that the first prize is a literal truckful of Duff beer, he yells for it to be given to him intravenously.
116	*** In addition, his alcoholism presumably causes Barney to forget that he made a movie about that very topic in the first place -- a second after he mentions it:
117	----> '''Barney''': ''(excited)'' They're going to show my movie next.\
118	'''Bart''': You made a movie?\
119	'''Barney''': ''(confused)'' I made a movie? No wonder I was on the cover of ''Entertainment Weekly''.
120	* IgnoredEpiphany:
121	** After Barney's film wins the Springfield Film Festival, he vows that from now on, he will be a new person, specifically, a clean and sober one. That is, until Mayor Quimby brings him the grand prize; a truck filled with [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Duff Beer]]. Barney's response? "Just hook it to my veins!"
122	** The same happens to Homer after he watches Barney's film alone in the theater. He says he'll never touch a drop of alcohol again, only to buy beers from an attendant immediately after.
123	* InsultBackfire: A woman in the audience comments on how beautiful Barney's movie is. Barney's sitting next to her and thanks her. Looking at him, she's grossed out by his appearance and voice.
124	-->'''Woman:''' Excuse me, did something crawl down your throat and die?\
125	'''Barney:''' It didn't die.\
126	''[The woman's eyes widen at that remark.]''
127	* IResembleThatRemark:
128	-->'''Smithers:''' I'm afraid we have a bad image, sir. Reports say that people see you as some kind of ogre.\
129	'''Burns:''' Oooh, I ought to club them and eat their bones!
130	* {{Irony}}:
131	** Mr. Burns' movie loses to Barney's, but only because Homer is convinced not to vote for ''Man Getting Hit By Football''. The very same movie Mr. Burns loses to at the Oscars, after supposedly bribing ''everyone in Hollywood''.
132	** In ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', Jay Sherman is a walking CosmicPlaything. In Springfield, he's a big shot who earns everyone's respect, although he does get put through some torment at the hands of Patty and Selma.
133	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall:
134	-->'''TV Announcer:''' Coming up next: ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Meet WesternAnimation/TheJetsons.''
135	-->'''Bart:''' Uh-oh, I smell another cheap cartoon crossover.
136	-->'''Homer:''' ''([[InadvertentEntranceCue entering]])'' Bart Simpson, meet Jay Sherman [[TitleDrop the critic]]!
137	-->'''Jay:''' Hello.
138	-->'''Bart:''' Hey, man, I really love your show. I think all kids should watch it! ''(shudders)'' I suddenly feel so dirty.
139	* LeFilmArtistique:
140	** {{Parodied}} with Bart's documentaries ''Homer in the Shower'', ''Homer on the Toilet'', and ''The Eternal Struggle'' (Homer struggling with his blue pants).
141	** {{Downplayed}} with Barney Gumble's film. It's not a pretentious art piece so much as it is a tragic look at how alcohol has ruined his life shot in black and white and with all the symbolism you'd find in an artistic film.
142	* MangledCatchphrase: Currently provides the page quote.
143	-->'''Smithers:''' Sir, the actors are here to audition for the part of you.\
144	'''Mr. Burns:''' ''Ex''cellent.\
145	'''[[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Anthony Hopkins]]:''' Excellent... hisssss!\
146	'''Mr. Burns:''' Next!\
147	'''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries William Shatner]]:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Exc! Ell! Ent!]]\
148	'''Mr. Burns:''' Next!\
149	'''Homer:''' Ex''act''ly! .... D'oh!\
150	'''Mr. Burns:''' ''(getting aggravated)'' Next!\
151	'''Bumblebee Man:''' ¡Exce''len''te!\
152	'''Señor Spielbergo:''' ¡Es muy bueno!
153	* NegativeContinuity: As Homer and Jay are arguing about awards they've won, Homer brings up a belching contest award ([[AlwaysSomeoneBetter which Jay immediately outdoes him on]]), when he might've mentioned the Grammy he won while with the Be Sharps in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet". Then again, [[TakeThat that episode scarcely thought much of it, either]].
154	* NeverTrustATitle: Barney's emotionally touching movie has the gross-sounding title ''Pukahontas''.
155	* NoodleIncident:
156	** In Mr. Burns' film, the scene of him trying to ride off on his horse took 20 takes, and the film showing him falling off and getting pulled around was the best one. One wonders how bad the other 19 takes were.
157	** The home movie submission Bart films of Homer (''The Eternal Struggle'') is part of a series (the first two are ''Homer in the Shower'' and ''Homer on the Toilet''). While the titles of the first two seem to be ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, one has to wonder how each of them played out.
158	** Bart recognizes right away that Jay made fun of [=MacGyver=]. [[RiddleForTheAges Did that really happen often enough for him to recognize the signs?]]
159	* OhNoNotAgain: Everyone groans when Marge suggests an idea to help their town's image, since her previous ideas weren't successful.
160	* OnlyOneFindsItFun: Hans Moleman does like Mr. Burns' movie; as he put it, "''I'' was saying 'Boo-urns'."
161	* PersecutedIntellectuals: While Kent Brockman explains how bad the city of Springfield has become, he plays a recording of a time when Principal Skinner was almost burnt at the stake for the "sacrilegious crime" of saying that the Earth goes around the Sun.
162	* PoorMansSubstitute: In-universe parody.
163	-->'''Mr. Burns:''' Get me Creator/StevenSpielberg!\
164	'''Smithers:''' He's unavailable.\
165	'''Mr. Burns:''' Then get me his non-union Mexican equivalent!
166	* PopCulturePunEpisodeTitle: The title is an obvious reference to ''Film/AStarIsBorn''.
167	* PropagandaPiece: Mr. Burns' film entry for the Springfield Film Festival, titled ''A Burns for All Seasons'', qualifies as this, since the film was designed to [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade help remake his public image]]. However, the film ends up failing ''miserably'' when it receives a very negative reception at the festival.
168	* RecycledAnimation: The whole "Eye on Springfield" intro from "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E10FlamingMoes Flaming Moe's]]" is reused here.
169	* RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: Jay makes one while interviewing Rainier Wolfcastle and reviewing one of his movies. Though Wolfcastle eventually realizes it was an insult.
170	-->'''Wolfcastle:''' The film is just me in front of a brick wall for an hour and a half. It cost $80 million.\
171	'''Sherman:''' ''(contemptuous)'' How do you sleep at night?\
172	'''Wolfcastle:''' On top of a pile of money with many beautiful ladies.\
173	'''Sherman:''' Just asking. Yeesh!
174	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Mr. Burns tries to win the film festival by bribing jurors. Six months later, he tries the same thing at the Academy Awards. He loses on both occasions. He states that he once won "Miss America" this way.
175	* SecondaryCharacterTitle: Mr. Burns might be in the title, but he only really features in the episode's B-plot. His only real effect on the main plot is to give Homer the deciding vote for the film festival when his bribery puts the judges into a deadlock.
176	* ShoutOut:
177	** At the airport, one plane cuts in front of another on the runway, and the pilot shouts "Hey, [[Film/MidnightCowboy I'm landin' here!]]"
178	** Bart is watching ''[[WesternAnimation/TheJetsonsMeetTheFlintstones The Flintstones Meet the Jetsons]]'' on TV when Jay Sherman arrives.
179	--->'''Bart''': Uh-oh. [[SelfDeprecation I smell another cheap cartoon cross-over.]]
180	** A rendition of the Imperial March from Franchise/StarWars plays when the scene cuts to Burns's office.
181	** During his meeting with Señor Spielbergo, Mr. Burns says he wants him to "do for him what Creator/StevenSpielberg did for Oskar Schindler", a reference to the film ''Film/SchindlersList''.
182	** Among the people who audition for the role of Mr. Burns are Franchise/HannibalLecter and [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain Kirk]].
183	** Mr. Burns's movie borrows scenes from ''[[Film/BenHur1959 Ben-Hur]]'', ''Film/TheAgonyAndTheEcstasy'' and ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial.'' The title of the film comes from ''Film/AManForAllSeasons''.
184	** Apu's film is named ''[[Film/BrightLightsBigCity Bright Lights, Beef Jerky.]]''
185	** Barney's film is named ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} Pukahontas]]''.
186	** Moe's film is named ''[[Film/MoBetterBlues Moe Better Booze]]'', and is a parody of Creator/BobFosse films like ''Film/{{Cabaret}}''.
187	** Patty and Selma suggest changing Springfield's name to Series/{{Seinfeld}} in order to make it more attractive to tourists.
188	** In the opening credits to ''A Burns For All Seasons'', Mr. Burns and Smithers are credited as "Lowell Burns and Babaloo Smithers" in the screenwriters section, as a nod to Hollywood screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel.
189	* SistineSteal: The opening credits of ''A Burns for All Seasons'' are set against one with Mr. Burns in Adam's place.
190	* SoLongSuckers: Bart says this after showing everyone a photo of his butt in an attempt to escape the town meeting.
191	* SoUnfunnyItsFunny: Rainier Wolfcastle's attempt at stand-up comedy, where he cracks unfunny jokes and carries enough firepower to violently put down hecklers.
192	* SpecialEditionTitle: As a result of Groening taking his name off the episode, the shot of the TV at the end of the opening titles is a unique one that only credits James L. Brooks and Sam Simon as developers.
193	* SpecialGuest: Creator/JonLovitz as Jay Sherman and Creator/MauriceLaMarche as [[TalentDouble Jay Sherman's belch]]. Both were on ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' at the time.
194	* StalkerShot: When the film festival judges are voting on which film should win, Mayor Quimby and Krusty vote for Mr. Burn's film. The camera then pans to a sandwich where it's revealed that the olive on the sandwich is actually a camera and then the scene cuts to Mr. Burns, who is watching the judges on the monitor to see if they're voting for him.
195	* StatusQuoIsGod: The entire episode has no repercussions on later episodes, and appears to be a case of the "rubber-band reality" coming into play. Although, later on, Jay Sherman would be relegated to cameo-only roles in it, so he isn't entirely a OneShotCharacter and SpecialGuest.
196	* StrangeMindsThinkAlike:
197	-->''(Everyone boos at Mr. Burns' movie.)''\
198	'''Mr. Burns:''' Are they booing me?\
199	'''Smithers:''' Uh, no, they’re saying "Boo-urns, Boo-urns."\
200	'''Mr. Burns:''' ''(stands up to face the audience)'' Did you people say "boo" or "Boo-urns"?\
201	''(Everyone screams "boo!" and throws snacks at him)''\
202	'''Hans Moleman:''' I was saying "Boo-urns".
203	** Homer's first pick for Best is Hans Moleman's ''Man Getting Hit By Football'', which is Hans getting a GroinAttack by a football thrown off-screen. At the end of the episode, a remake by George C. Scott beats Burns' biopic at the ''Oscars''.
204	* StylisticSuck: Most of the films featured at the festival can't be called anything even remotely cultured. Apu's is just security footage of another Kwik-E-Mart robbery, Moe's is a short music-and-dance number that ends with him falling off his counter, Hans Moleman's ''Man Getting Hit by Football'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and Mr. Burns' movie is an awful pastiche of classic films that even with its big budget shows signs of a TroubledProduction.
205	* TerribleIntervieweesMontage: Of the HopelessAuditionees vying to play Mr. Burns (which include Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter[[note]]'''Burns:''' I like the cut of his jib.[[/note]], William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Homer Simpson completely screwing up the ''one-word'' audition, Bumblebee Man (whom Señor Spielbergo likes), and, in a DeletedScene, the Devil from ''The Critic'', whom Burns considers good enough to be his understudy). He decides to just play himself when none are to his liking.
206	* ThatPoorCar: Jay outdoes Homer with a foghorn burp that sets off car alarms.
207	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Chief Wiggum when he gets his tie caught in the Kwik-E-Mart hot dog machine.
208	-->'''Wiggum''': This is gonna get worse before it gets better.
209	* ThoseWackyNazis: Mr. Burns compares himself to Oskar Schindler, in that both built shells for the Nazis, [[ComicallyMissingThePoint except that Burns' worked]].
210	-->'''Burns:''' Listen, Spielbergo, Schindler and I are like peas in a pod; we're both factory owners, we both made shells for the Nazis, but mine ''worked'', dammit!
211	* TooDumbToLive: In ''[=McBain=]: Let's Get Silly'', the second heckler in the crowd even after [=McBain=] already opened fire on one heckler. Then again, [=McBain=]'s jokes ''are'' bad.
212	* TroubledProduction: In-universe. Burns' biopic:[[note]]Featuring a scene where Burns is supposed to gallop on his horse in victory, only to fall backwards and have it drag him around the set, which had no choice but to make it into the final product[[/note]]
213	-->'''Burns:''' We did 20 takes and ''that'' [[EpicFail was the best one!]]
214	* TruthInTelevision:
215	** At one point, Principal Skinner is about to be burned at the stake for saying that "the Earth revolves around the Sun", a theory that Galileo first proved in the ''1600s''. As absurd as it sounds, there are Americans who, to this day, still believe the Sun orbits the Earth.
216	** The gag about Burns making working shells for the Nazis references how many American industrialists had ties to the Nazis.
217	* UnexplainedRecovery: Skinner is shown on the news being burned at the stake, which of course doesn't stick.
218	* VanityProject: InUniverse, nearly all the films at the film festival are this to a certain degree (especially, Moe's, a parody of ''Film/{{Cabaret}}'' and is an InUniverse advertisement), but Mr. Burns' movie, an ineptly-made biopic designed to remake his public image, is an especially egregious example.
219	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: InUniverse: Marge initially intends on getting Creator/MartinScorsese as a judge for the film festival, but replaces him with Homer after the latter demands to be on the jury.
220	* WritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Either this or GeniusBonus. Abe claims, "My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead!" A rod is around 16 1/2 feet, a hogshead is around 63 gallons. So, Abe gets 0.0025 miles to the gallon.

Context Recap / TheSimpsonsS6E18AStarIsBurns