Stars in der Manege
Other references include the "Carnival of the Stars" television show seen at the start of the episode. This is a parody of "Circus of the Stars", an annual special that aired on CBS from 1976–1994, featuring celebrities performing circus acts. The scene where Barney gradually degrades into a drunk is a parody of the transformation sequence in the 1941 film "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The scene where Bart is pelted with snowballs is a reference to the Sonny Corleone tollbooth shooting scene in the film "The Godfather". The snowmen melting during the heatwave is a reference to the melting Nazi soldiers in the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark".