Recap / The Simpsons S22E7 "How Munched Is That Birdie in the Window?"

Bart decides to get rid of Santa's Little Helper after he eats the bird that Bart was trying to save from dying.

Tropes:

• Animal Gender-Bender: Averted. The female ostriches at the farm have brown or gray feathers like in real life.
• Bait-and-Switch: When Bart was attacked by the ostrich, it looked like Santa's Little Helper would come to his aid and regain Bart's favor...until he remembered Bart telling him not to eat birds, leaving Bart to save himself. However, Bart did end up forgiving SLH upon realizing that what he did couldn't be helped.
• Chronic Pet Killer: Besides Bart's pigeon "Raymond Bird," who's killed by Santa's Little Helper in the episode, Homer lists the final resting places of nine other Simpson pets that Bart had believed "went to a farm upstate."
• Continuity Nod: This isn't the first time Bart was mad at Santa's Little Helper.
• Dog Got Sent to a Farm: Lisa jumps to the natural conclusion when Marge says they're taking Santa's Little Helper to a farm upstate, only to find out they literally are.
  Marge: For once, a pet going to a farm upstate really is going to a farm upstate.
  Bart: What about all the other pets you told us went to a farm upstate?
  Homer: Hmm. Backyard, backyard, toilet, ocean, don't know, backyard, Flanders' mailbox, Lenny's freezer, tire fire.
• Epic Fail: When Homer tries to build a pigeon coop for Bart's bird, it's so rickety that when he merely pats it, rather than collapse into a pile, the staples pop out, causing the chicken wire to refold itself as the framework falls apart, then it rolls back into its box which is then resealed by the popped out staples. Yeah, it's one of Homer's special Epic Fails.
• Eye Awaken: The ostrich at the end.
• Fun with Acronyms: Milhouse uses the pigeon to send Bart a message with a PDF file. The "file" is a photograph Milhouse considers Pretty Darn Funny.
• Halfway Plot Switch: The first half of the episode has Bart bonding with an injured bird he was taking care of, then when Santa's Little Helper eats it, the rest of the episode deals with Bart being angry with him and the family contemplating giving him away.
• I Ate WHAT?!: Averted. Bart blends live worms in a blender to feed the pigeon. While this was happening, Marge comes back after a workout and unknowingly serves herself a glass of the blended worms, thinking it was a smoothie. Bart catches this too late and tries to stop her but gives up. Marge moments later comes back again and serves herself the remainder of the blended worms none the wiser.
• Kangaroo Court: The Itchy and Scratchy cartoon features a trial where the jury quickly declares the defendant guilty because they don't want to take time to deliberate.
• A Lesson Learned Too Well: Bart yells at Santa's Little Helper that he should never eat birds. SLH got the message alright...right when Bart was being attacked by an ostrich.
• Like Father, Like Son: In order to save himself from the ostrich, Bart grabbed it by the neck and strangled it in a familiar way. Homer, who was watching, had a look of excitement on his face.
  Bart: Why you little-! (throttles ostrich)
• Missing Mom: Nelson's mother runs off with the clown from his birthday party. She eventually returned, with the clown as her new husband.
• Mocking Music: After the funeral for his pigeon, Bart's friends try to cheer him up with the song "Put On A Happy Face". It works...until Martin reveals it's from Bye Bye Birdie.
• Mouse Hole: In the intro, when the Simpsons entered their living room, Prof. Frink shrunk them and they ran into the hole to escape Snowball, only to end up on a Mouse Trap.
• Rhetorical Question Blunder: At some point in the past, Santa's Little Helper dragged Bart around and a newspaper published it with the question "Who's walking who?". Homer says he sent the answer but they refused to publish it.
• Shout-Out: The Itchy and Scratchy cartoon features several. The title (Dogday Hellody of 1933) is a play on Broadway Melody. The basic plot is a parody of "Pluto's Judgement Day", while the parade of celebrity cameos brings (Including Harpo Marx, Will Rogers, and Edward G. Robinson) is reminiscent of the "Hollywood Party" style of Looney Tunes cartoons, such as Hollywood Steps Out
• Strolling Through the Chaos: While Bart is being attacked by the ostrich, Marge and Lisa are unaware of what's happening while in the gift shop.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Lisa becomes angry with Bart when he forces the family to leave Santa's Little Helper at the ostrich farm.