...Bart is squinting while Marge is talking about the "3 o'clock
holdup"?
...the tomatoes in Cletus and Brandine's farm stand are labeled
"TOMA/TOES" (yuck)?
...Marge's stomach doesn't physically rumble like Homer and
Bart's?
...the establishing shot shown while Lisa sings the second verse of
"Mocking Bird" is extremely long?
...OFF eating "Shakespeare's Fried Chicken"?
...Shakespeare's Fried Chicken is open for breakfast (or there were a
lot of leftovers)?
...Ralph appears alone in the camp-out line?
...only Milhouse's dad (no sign of Luann) came to camp out with
Milhouse?
...Homer is holding Lisa when she wakes up from her dream?
...Lewis is in line with no parents?
...Sanjay is entering Pahusacheta into the singing competition?
...Cooder standing behind Apu and Snake when they hug?
...Lisa is contestant number 65?
...two Blues Brothers look-alikes applauding when Lisa finished singing
"I'm Talkin' Springfield"?
...Homer has grown to like Shelbyville (I guess the musical in GABF08
changed his mind)?
...Snowball I died on Christmas Eve?
...Lisa pauses a moment before firing Homer?
...Homer doesn't close the car doors even after parking?
...Lisa doesn't mind winning by sabotage?
...according to Krusty's Li'l Starmaker, Lisa is the best child
singer in Springfield?
...we don't get to see Lisa animated into Itchy and Scratchy (just
like The Simpsons contest winner)?
- Homer's portobello mushroom is brown on his fork but green on his
plate
- Why is Ralph the first kid to perform when he is behind the other
children in line?
- I'm sure Lisa would never refer to what her and Ralph had as dating
- Martin's dad moves from the crowd to the audition line with Martin
- Dr. Hibbert's son is in front if Lisa when camping out, but behind
her when they are listening to Clarissa sing
- When Agnes is clapping for Lisa's song during the tryouts, her
hands are yellower than her face
- Krusty is no longer in his suit when the Applause-O-Meter is
"crying"
2F31, EABF08: Previous episode titles referring to "A Star is Born"
1F10: Apu has egregiously overpriced food
GABF11: OFF member lives off processed foods
2F16: Promise of the winner of 1-800-COLLECT "Who Shot Mr. Burns?"
contest being animated into The Simpsons
EABF20: Episode centered on Lisa singing
AABF01: Lisa appears in an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon
9F22: Itchy promotes the spaying of pets
3F03: Ralph lamenting about his relationship with Lisa: "I can't
believe I used to go out with you" (c.f. Lisa's "I can't
believe I used to date him")
FABF09: American Idle star appears
9F21, EABF13: Homer writes music, Homer writes a song about Flanders
sucking
FABF17: Lisa in Paris
EABF22: Lisa in London
AABF20: Lisa in "Tokyo-town"
1F06: Song about Springfield
9F22, CABF05: "Urine-soaked hell hole," "Gosh forsaken heck
hole" (c.f. "God forsaken hell hole")
GABF08: Song about Shelbyville
9F02: Lisa in a Krusty-hosted contest
3F17: "Moon River" sung
7F24: Lisa writes a verse about Snowball I dying
7F19, 2F07: Homer (briefly) turns into a good father
5F03: Homer lives through one of his children
4F22, 5F10: Bart doesn't want to go shoe shopping, Bart goes shoe
shopping
CABF07: Homer ditches Lisa for a star
9F12: Homer adopts another child to get back at his kid
3F31: "Captain Wacky" (later renamed Homer) (c.f. "Colonel Cool,
the captain of the rocket to the stars")
3F03: Homer tries to not talk to Lisa
9F18: Children mistakenly left in a trap
CABF16: Homer has little respect for teamsters
9F10: Attila the Hun appears
"American Idle" (TV show)
"Krusty's Li'l Starmaker Singing Competition" has the same
music, celebrity judges, American Idle winner Fantasia Barrino, same
set, "Not affiliated with American Idle; we've never even heard of
American Idle" disclaimer

PETA (animal rights organization)
Scratchy gives PETA's website

"The Simpsons" DVDs
Krusty says that he has to record 27 seasons of DVD commentaries and
remembers nothing, a problem I'm sure much of The Simpsons staff has
faced

"A Star is Born" (movie)
Episode title; Sideshow Mel says, "A li'l star has been made!"

Bud Light (beer)
Buzz Cola's "Brown, Fizzy, Real," slogan is similar to Bud
Light's "Fresh. Smooth. Real."

Twizzlers, Red Vines
Two licorice candies that are pretty much the same thing

"Bring It On" (movie)
"Jazz hands" similar to "spirit fingers" featured in the movie
I was afraid that this episode would just be an "American Idle"
plug, but it worked great on its own. Fantasia Barrino's singing was
great and she served her place in the plot (in other words, she
wasn't given unnecessary and awkward lines just to hear her speak).
Lisa and Homer were completely in character. The divide between the
two was compelling and heart warming. Neither of them was mad just for
the sake of being mad to drive the plot - You could tell that they
wanted to make up, just like a real father and daughter would. "A
Star is Torn" is "Lisa the Beauty Queen" meets "Bart Star,"
and it turns out to be a worthy combination. Grade: B+
Close enough to Syracuse University for recent graduates to kiss
Homer's ass.