The biggest box office event of the season, the Itchy & Scratchy Movie, is about to be released, but Bart’s insurrectionist behavior pushes Homer to his limit and gets him blacklisted from seeing the new movie. Homer doesn’t budge even after Marge tells him to lay off the punishment, supporting the no facts that Bart will end up on a righteous path from the banishment.

This episode likely takes place in the spring or September (probably 1992) given the appearance of an ice cream truck. Unless Springfield was going through some feverish weather.

Tom and Jerry, an influence for Itchy & Scratchy, had a movie come out the same year this came out, though it was critically panned.

Homer’s arrogance is a predecessor to the later “Jerkass Homer” flanderization that came into full swing during season 11.

Luke’s land speeder can be seen in the 40 year time skip.

When Homer yells “Bart” after seeing Bart splatter mustard all over the carpet, he sounds like he’s barking just like in the first two seasons.

The scene of SLH with a pizza box for a head might have inspired the scenes of Alex hallucinating in Madagascar and attacking Marty. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards had a cutscene where Kirby hallucinated and thought people were food.

Marge’s punishment isn’t discipline, it’s abuse. Confining someone to their room without dinner is just as abusive as spanking – which I’m completely against since spanking did some bad effects to my father. Although unlike spanking, Marge’s punishment isn’t assault, but it can go the wrong way.

As bad and ineffective as Marge’s “punishment” is, Homer’s punishment is in reality doomed to fail. Bart could easily find the movie for home video release even after so many years. Even if this episode took place in say 1953 it still wouldn’t work.

I’d go as far as just not letting Bart see the movie until it’s been pulled from theaters and put on home video or on television and not have it last for 40 years. That would be more reasonable.

I haven’t seen an ice cream truck in a neighborhood I’ve lived in for a decade.

Believe me, yes, Bart absolutely should be punished; he’s manages to cheat Homer quite a few times and he had it coming. But as I said, Homer’s punishment only should have lasted until the movie was taken out of theaters.

Yes, Mrs. Krabappel is right that disciplinary actions can lead to benefits, but bad discipline (i.e. spanking, screaming/yelling, bed without dinner, etc.) harms children.