Original air date: 2/21/1999
Production code: AABF-10
Marge becomes the proud driver of an SUV made for women (after Homer buys it, thinking that it's for men), and develops road rage, which gets her in trouble with the law.
This episode contains examples of:
- Anything but That!: Nobody had cared for the talent show, but what really drives everyone away was Skinner informing them that the second half would have cafeteria workers performing in The Beatles wigs with tennis racket guitars.
- Blatant Lies: Homer claiming his taking back of compliments previously made to rival networks was of his "own free will", as the sound of a gun cocking to his head is heard.
- Brain Bleach: Bart's reaction to Ms. Krabappel's balloon-popping striptease is a muttered, "Kill me..." Later, when the family is driving home, Lisa asks Homer if he paid for the giant armful of concessions he got. His response is, "I saw Krabappel's butt, I paid."
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: In a conversation that ensues when Marge credits her rescue to watching Stone Philips on Dateline, which is on NBC:Wiggum: Do you think there's anything great on NBC right now?
Homer: Oh, I'm sure of it.
Marge: (turns to the viewers) But there's only one way to find out. - Burying a Substitute: There is a funeral motorcade moving slowly which angers Marge. Reverend Lovejoy informs Marge that there actually isn't a body in the hearse because the deceased in question was "lost at sea" and the casket was just full of bricks.
- Call-Back: The SUV Homer bought was a Canyonero, albeit one designed for women. The car's theme song even is played again at the end of the first act. As well, Krusty is seen driving the Canyonero he was given in that episode,
- When Skinner botches his and Chalmers' comedy routine, Chalmers insults him under his breath, calling him a "sexless freak."
- Compressed Vice: Marge's extreme case of Canyonero-induced road rage.
- Couch Gag: The family sits, and a safety bar lowers over their laps before the couch zooms around the room like a roller coaster.
- Creator Cameo: Showrunner Mike Scully and his family are seen fleeing the zoo during the rhino stampede.
- Credits Gag: Apparently, the Fox executives were not pleased with the episode ending on the characters giving high praise for rival network NBC, so the writers inserted a gag in which Homer is forced, at gunpoint, to declare that NBC sucks and encourage the viewer to watch as many Fox shows as possible. However, Homer ends with the summation "NBC bad... Fox good... (quickly under his breath) CBS great.", and he ends up getting shot.
- Death of a Thousand Cuts: Homer manages to knock out one rampaging rhino by throwing a ton of popcorn at it. Unfortunately, he's all out by then, and there were still three others to deal with.
- Dirty Coward: Invoked. One of the rage-releasing suggestions from "Court Ordered Productions" is to start a fight with someone weaker.
- Don't Explain the Joke: Skinner and Chalmers attempt the "Who's on First?" shtick only for the former to ruin it by doing this.Chalmers: Well, Seymour, it seems we've put together a baseball team, and I was wondering; who's on first?
Skinner: Yes, not the pronoun, but rather a player with the unlikely name of 'Who', is on first!
Chalmers: Well, that's just great, Seymour. We've been out here six seconds and you've already managed to blow the routine. - Epic Fail:
- The original Trope Namer "Who's on First?" joke can go on for a pretty long time, depending on how good the comedians are. Seymour Skinner is such a humorless and stupid Professional Butt-Kisser that he rushes to kill the joke in the very first sentence of his sketch's character, probably thinking that explaining who is "Who" will somehow please Chalmers (Chalmers instead gets pissed that he only took six seconds to destroy everything).
- Chief Wiggum tries and fails to rip Marge's driver's license.
- Escaped Animal Rampage: Marge gets a Canyonero and develops a bad case of road rage. The climax is Homer accidentally releasing a crash of rhinos from the zoo and Marge having to use the SUV to corral them in and save her family.
- Failed a Spot Check: When Homer bought the Canyonero, he apparently missed the "F-Series" imprinted on the side of the SUV, which indicated that the model he bought was designed for women.
- Fan Disservice: At the Springfield Elementary Teachers Talent Show, Ms. Krabappel sings "Fever" while wearing balloons strapped to her body and periodically popping them. It traumatizes Bart (to the point of him begging Homer "Kill me!") and drives Homer to steal concessions ("I saw Krabappel's butt. I paid!")
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- Caricatures of Matt Groening and Mike Scully (along with his wife, Julie Thacker, and his five kids) are in the crowd of fleeing zoo patrons.
- At least one rhino is shown to have been taken down by Homer's popcorn, but the scene goes by too fast for it to be noticed upon first viewing.
- Fun with Acronyms: Court Ordered Productions.
- Hilarity in Zoos: The last third of the episode is dedicated to Homer, Lisa, and Bart's visit to the zoo accidentally setting free the exhibit of rhinos after a series of slapstick happenstances.
- Insult Backfire: After Marge says he drives like an old lady, Homer smugly reminds her that he at least still has a license. Marge is not amused.
- Jerkass Ball: After a while, Marge's driving the Canyonero makes her increasingly short-tempered.
- Logo Joke: We hear gunshots over the Gracie Films logo.
- My Country Tis of Thee That I Sting: The educational video about road rage says rage is what makes America great but people have to know the right place for it.
- Oh, Crap!: Homer when he says, "Let's go, kids, I went too far," after teasing Marge about losing her license.
- Percussive Therapy: The first exercise Chief Wiggum gives at the traffic school is inviting everyone to take all their physical and verbal rage out on Eddie dressed in a bear costume. He even gives everyone two-by-fours.Eddie: Uh, Chief? Can I at least shield my crotch?
Wiggum: Bears can't talk, Eddie. - Rhino Rampage: Triggered by Homer at the climax.
- Saw It in a Movie Once: Homer thought he could stop the rampaging animals by shouting "Jumanji!".Homer: Does anything from the movies actually work?
- So Long, Suckers!: While leaving the school talent show, the Simpsons witness a Canyonero driven by Krusty jumping the wall between the road and the school playground in order to escape traffic. Krusty looks back and yells, "So long, schlubs!"
- Spoof Aesop: In the road rage video.Sgt. Crew: Anger is what makes America great. But you must find a proper outlet for your rage. Fire a weapon at your television screen. Pick a fight with someone weaker than you. Or, write a threatening letter to a celebrity. So when you go out for a drive, remember to leave your murderous anger where it belongs — at home.
- Status Quo Is God: In order to save Homer, Marge ends up resorting to wrecking her Canyonero in order to distract the remaining rhino menacing Homer.
- "Walk on the Wild Side" Episode: Marge feels incredibly empowered when she is behind the wheel of the Canyonero, but pretty quickly develops a case of road rage that is borderline psychopathic. When the cops arrive to her home asking for her help at the climax, she is even smoking a cigarette and talking like a Cowboy Cop.
- Walking Out on the Show: The Faculty Talent Show is so bad that the audience leaves after the first half. They leave even faster when Skinner tells them what's in the second half.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: It can't be in New Jersey, since Marge yells "Go back to New Jersey!" during her road rage.
- White Dude, Black Dude: At the talent show, Willie attempts a monologue about how North and South Edinburgh golfers putt differently from one another. Nobody laughs at all.Willie: Oh, I see, Willie's not funny unless he's down on his knees scoopin' up yer little brats' puke!(the audience laughs)Willie: (beat) Thank you, you've been great.
- Who's on First?: Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers try to perform the routine until Skinner explains the joke six seconds in.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Gil Gunderson almost makes his first car sale until his co-worker ruins it for him. And then he finds out that his wife is cheating on him.
