YMMV / The Simpsons S5 E4 "Rosebud"

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Given that other episodes show Burns always coming from a rich family, some people assume the billionaire that adopted him was his grandfather and that his parents had been disowned and cut off from the family money temporarily.
• Angst? What Angst?: Homer handles Burns's cutting off Springfield's beer supply astonishingly well. This may possibly be due to Maggie being happy with Bobo.
• Esoteric Happy Ending: Lampshaded.
  Homer: Well, we didn't get any money, but Mr. Burns got what he wanted... Marge, I'm confused. Is this a happy ending or a sad ending?
  Marge: It's an ending. That's enough.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • After The Ramones play a punk-rock version of "Happy Birthday" (ending with them telling Burns to "Go to hell, ya old bastard!"), Burns orders their deaths (though he thinks they're The Rolling Stones). As of July 11, 2014, all four original members of the Ramones have died, with the two original members that did voice work on the show had died by the end of 2004 (meanwhile, the joke is Hilarious in Hindsight, given that most members of the Rolling Stones are still alive). Worse, Burns's birthday is established as September 15th, according to Homer's calendar. Johnny Ramone died on that date in 2004.
  • Burns goes so over the top that this almost seems like a prequel to "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part One"
  • "Here are several fine young men who I'm sure are gonna go far." That's almost cruel in hindsight. It was funny then because the Ramones had actually been around for almost two decades and were legends in punk circles. A few years later, the band broke up more or less out of frustration from not getting the recognition they wanted.
  • The heartwarming scene of Maggie giving Mr. Burns back his teddy bear and Burns actually being grateful/touched by this gesture, sadly, becomes this after the events of “Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two”, during which Maggie shoots Burns after he tried to steal candy from her (and it's implied the shooting wasn't an accident). Had the episodes been swapped around, Maggie wouldn't have given Burns the teddy in a million years.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • The teddy bear is named Bobo, the same name as a Muppet bear introduced after this episode aired.
  • This wouldn't be the last time Burns would get in a struggle with (and lose to) Maggie over something she had that Burns desired.
  • This wouldn't be the last time Mr. Burns would deprive Homer of his two favorite things of TV and beer. He would do it again in "The Shinning" segment of Treehouse of Horror V, driving him to a murderous rage.
  • Mr. Burns wouldn't allow Jimmy Carter or George H. W. Bush to his birthday party for being one-termers with Bush calling Carter a "loser". Both lived well into their 90s, and Carter not only outlived Bush but also took his title as the oldest President in history.
• Memetic Mutation: Homer's "Big Mac Jingle".
• One-Scene Wonder: The Ramones at Burns' birthday party.
• Unintentional Period Piece: The episode clearly dates itself to before April 2001, when Joey Ramone passed away. Then Dee Dee would die in 2002, Johnny in 2004, and Tommy in 2014. Of the Presidents (Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush) who appear outside Burns's party, only Carter is alive as of 2024.

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