Kill the Alligator and Run - S11-E19
Question: During the Spring Break vacation in 'Kill the Alligator and Run' episode, I don't understand a lot of the Kid Rock section. Who is Kid Rock and Joe C? And what is going on with the presenter with the diamond in her hand who gets dragged off by security when she says it's her birthday?
Answer: Kid Rock is a rock star, and Joe C was his sidekick (he died in 2000). The jewel in the hand was a reference to the movie Logan's Run, where the changing color of the jewel indicated that a person had reached the end of their alloted lifespan of 30 years.
Alone Again Natura-Diddly - S11-E14
Question: In the scene that shows Maude's funeral they show tombstones of previous Simpsons characters that have been killed. I had seen the episodes that had featured the deaths of Bleeding Gums Murphy, Grandpa's girlfriend and Frank Grimes but not Dr. Marvin Monroe. Is there an actual episode where they show the death of Dr. Marvin Monroe? It would be very helpful if you can show all the necessary information (episode name, season, storyline etc.)
Answer: They don't actually have an episode that shows Dr. Monroe's death. Besides the tombstone, the only mentions of his death are in Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part II), when they have the Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital, and a brief mention in the The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular. This link gives the explanation: http://www.snpp.com/guides/lisa-3.html3.3.2.
Answer: Probably as something ironic to play with the title of the episode. The title refers to the Jack Lemmon movie "The Days of Wine and Roses" which is a tragic movie about alcoholism and the devastating effects it has on the addict(s) and the people around them. Since Barney is drunk or drinking booze in every episode he's in it added a sense of irony that he was sober in this one.
Tobin OReilly