A Star Is Burns play in the opening moments of the episode is a parody of "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer. The opening of Bart's film "The Eternal Struggle" is a reference to The Amazing Criswell's narration in "Plan 9 from Outer Space". Barney's film contains references to "Koyaanisqatsi", and the music of the film, which was composed by Philip Glass. Barney's film also features musical selections from the aria "Un bel di vedremo" from Act II, pt. 1 of Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly". In its original broadcast, "A Star Is Burns" finished 57th in the ratings for the week of February
Insertion aria engaged by the opera house for the season. A highly regarded singer would not randomly choose arias to insert in whatever opera was to be performed but would make reasoned decisions based on the dramatic context and the compositional style. Poriss tells of the soprano Carolina Ungher's decisions on which aria to insert at the entrance of Elena in Donizetti's "Marino Faliero". For her performance in Florence, May 1836, she inserted the aria "" from Donizetti's "Sancia di Castiglia" for her entrance. Later that year she inserted the aria "" from Donizetti's "Ugo, conte di Parigi". In the fall of