Editing Treehouse of Horror VI

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{{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image          = 
| caption        = 
| season         = 7
| episode        = 6
| director       = [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]]{{efn|Live-action and computer-animated segments in "Homer<sup>3</sup>" respectively directed by [[David Mirkin]] and [[Tim Johnson (film director)|Tim Johnson]]}}
| writer         = "Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores":<br/>[[John Swartzwelder]]<br />"Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace":<br/>[[Steve Tompkins]]<br />"Homer<sup>3</sup>":<br/>[[David X. Cohen]]
| production     = 3F04
| airdate        = {{Start date|1995|10|29}}
| guests         = *[[Paul Anka]] as himself
*[[Marcia Wallace]] as [[Edna Krabappel]]
*Dennis Bailey, Ron Brooks, Trish Doolan and Marsha Waterbury as Pedestrians in the 'Real World'
| couch_gag      = The Simpsons are hanged on [[noose]]s.<ref name="bbc"/>
| commentary     = [[Matt Groening]]<br />[[Bill Oakley]]<br />[[Josh Weinstein]]<br />David X. Cohen<br />Bob Anderson<br />[[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]]
| prev           = [[Lisa the Vegetarian]]
| next           = [[King-Size Homer]]
}}
"'''Treehouse of Horror VI'''" (titled onscreen as "'''The Simpsons Halloween Special VI'''") is the sixth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 7|seventh season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the sixth episode in the ''[[Treehouse of Horror]]'' series. It first aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States on October 29, 1995, and contains three self-contained segments. In "'''Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores'''", an ionic storm brings [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]'s oversized advertisements and billboards to life and they begin attacking the town. The second segment, "'''Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace'''", is a parody of the ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' film series, in which [[Groundskeeper Willie]] (à la [[Freddy Krueger]]) attacks schoolchildren in their sleep. In the third and final segment, "'''Homer<sup>3</sup>'''", [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] finds himself trapped in a three-dimensional world, and, later, Earth. It was inspired by the 1962 ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' episode "[[Little Girl Lost (The Twilight Zone)|Little Girl Lost]]". The episode was written by [[John Swartzwelder]], [[Steve Tompkins]], and [[David X. Cohen]] and was directed by [[Bob Anderson (director)|Bob Anderson]].

The first version of the episode was very long, so it featured a very short opening sequence and did not include several trademarks established in previous ''Treehouse of Horror'' episodes. "Homer<sup>3</sup>", pitched by executive producer [[Bill Oakley]], features [[3D computer graphics|three dimensional]] computer animation provided by [[Pacific Data Images]] (PDI). In the final scene of the episode, Homer is sent to the real world in the first ever live-action scene in ''The Simpsons''. "Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores" includes a cameo appearance from [[Paul Anka]], who sings the song "Just Don't Look". [[Lard Lad|Lard Lad Donuts]], a fictional [[Big Boy Restaurants|Big Boy]]-inspired donut chain created for the first segment, would ultimately be incorporated into the main continuity of ''The Simpsons''.

In its original broadcast, the episode was watched by 22.9 million viewers,<ref>{{cite news |title=Nielsen ratings |work=[[USA Today]] |author=USA Today|page=D3 |date=November 1, 1995}}</ref> acquired a [[Nielsen rating]] of 12.9, finishing 21st in the weekly ratings, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired. In 1996, the "Homer<sup>3</sup>" segment was awarded the [[Ottawa International Animation Festival]] grand prize in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada, and the episode was nominated for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)]].

==Plot==
===Opening===
[[Krusty the Clown|Krusty]], as the [[Headless Horseman]] from ''[[The Legend of Sleepy Hollow]]'', holds his laughing head and hurls it at the camera, causing the title, "The Simpsons Halloween Special VI", to appear on-screen in blood.

==="Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores"===
[[Homer Simpson|Homer]] goes to Lard Lad Donuts to get a "colossal doughnut". Upon realizing that the colossal doughnut is the name of the doughnut that Lard Lad holds and actual doughnuts that size do not exist, he denounces the store and vows to get a colossal doughnut. He returns that night and steals the giant doughnut from the Lard Lad statue in front of the store. In the midst of a freak storm, Lard Lad and the other giant advertising statues come to life to terrorize [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]. At [[Marge Simpson|Marge]]'s insistence, Homer eventually returns the doughnut to Lard Lad, but that does not stop Lard Lad and his friends from causing destruction.

[[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] goes to the ad agency that created those advertising characters, and an executive suggests the citizens stop paying attention to the monsters as they are advertising gimmicks, and attention is what keeps them motivated. He suggests a jingle will help distract people from watching the monsters. Lisa and [[Paul Anka]] later perform a catchy song and the citizens of Springfield stop looking at the monsters, who lose their powers and become lifeless (although Homer has to be dragged away from the Lard Lad statue, holding a sign reading "Now With Sprinkles"). Homer is distracted and Lard Lad drops the doughnut, which rolls past [[Kang and Kodos]], who are trying to hitchhike to [[New York City|Earth's capital]]. [[Kent Brockman]] signs off by warning of the dangers of advertising and Homer says "We'll be right back."

==="Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace"===
[[Bart Simpson|Bart]] has a nightmare that [[Groundskeeper Willie]] is out to kill him. He is slashed with a rake, and the scratches are still on his body after he wakes up. Many other students at [[Springfield Elementary School]] also say they were terrorized by Willie in their nightmares. When the students take a test, [[Martin Prince|Martin]]—having finished his test first—falls asleep and is strangled to death by Willie in his dream, before waking up and dying in the real world. After Bart and Lisa tell Marge about the incident, she explains Willie burned to death after the thermostat was turned too high, his suffering drawn out by the spendthrift disrepair of the school and the parents of the students looking on and doing nothing; Willie swore that he would take his revenge out on their children in their dreams where their parents could not protect them.

Bart, Lisa, and Maggie try not to fall asleep for several days, but eventually, Bart decides that he is going to have to go to sleep and fight Willie in his dream. Bart falls asleep and attempts to find Willie, who appears as a lawn mower. Bart manages to trick Willie into mowing a sandbox containing quicksand, and Willie sinks. Willie recovers and turns into a giant bagpipe spider and is about to kill Bart as well as Lisa, who has entered the dream after also falling asleep. Suddenly, [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] appears and uses her pacifier to seal the vent on Willie's spider body, resulting in Willie exploding. The Simpsons children awaken and despite being pleased to be alive, Lisa fears that Willie might still be around "out there, and could back, any time, in any form." As it turns out, a very much alive and well Willie exits a bus and tries to scare the children, but loses a shoe as he chases the bus to retrieve a gun he left aboard.

==="Homer<sup>3</sup>" ("Homer Cubed")===
{{Redirect|Homer3|the protein|HOMER3}}
[[Patty and Selma]] visit the Simpsons, driving Bart, Lisa, and even the pets to evade them and consequently leave almost no place for Homer to hide. Desperate to avoid his wife's sisters, he looks behind a bookcase and enters a mysterious new world in which everything is in [[3D computer graphics|3D]]. Homer explores the peculiar area, and finds that he is trapped within (the rest of the family can only hear his voice). He seeks help from them, but their attempts to rescue him are fruitless.

After a cone hits Homer, he throws it point first into the floor and accidentally pierces the fabric of the space-time continuum, creating a [[black hole]] that threatens to pull Homer and the rest of the dimension into it. Bart takes command and enters the third dimension to save Homer. Bart is unable to help, however, and the universe implodes on itself. Bart is pulled back into the house and Marge is sad that her husband is gone; [[Reverend Lovejoy]] attempts to console her by saying he has gone to "a better place". Homer is sent into the real world, landing in a [[dumpster]] in a [[live-action]] [[Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles]]. He walks around, frightened as people stare at him, but then is pleased to find an [[List of cakes|erotic cake]] store.

==Production==
[[File:PaulAnka07.jpg|thumb|[[Paul Anka]] guest stars as himself. He had previously written a letter of thanks when he was referenced in an earlier episode.]]
"Treehouse of Horror VI" was the first of two ''[[Treehouse of Horror]]'' episodes to be executive produced by [[Bill Oakley]] and [[Josh Weinstein]]. The episode was "so long" because, according to Oakley, "all three of these segments are very complex stories [...] and it's hard to fit three complete stories into 21 minutes". Because of the length, the episode featured a very short opening sequence and did not include several trademarks established in previous ''Treehouse of Horror'' episodes, such as [[Treehouse of Horror#Opening sequence|Marge's warning]] or [[Treehouse of Horror#Wraparounds|wraparounds]].<ref name="Oakley">Oakley, Bill (2005). Commentary for "Treehouse of Horror VI", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> The first segment, "Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores", was written by [[John Swartzwelder]], who had previously worked at an advertising agency.<ref name="Weinstein">Weinstein, Josh (2005). Commentary for "Treehouse of Horror VI", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace" was written by [[Steve Tompkins]] and has been described by [[David X. Cohen]] as "one of the scariest [segments]".<ref name="Cohen">Cohen, David X. (2005). Commentary for "Treehouse of Horror VI", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> "Homer<sup>3</sup>" was written by Cohen, although the idea was [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitched]] by Oakley. The original idea was that Homer would visit several dimensions where he change through different animation art styles, including one where everything was made out of paper cut-outs, but they decided that it would be too complicated.<ref name="Oakley"/>

The episode includes a [[cameo appearance]] from [[Paul Anka]], who sings the song "Just Don't Look". He had been referenced in "[[Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]], where Marge describes Homer as "[[Rex Harrison]] and Paul Anka rolled into one." In response, he sent a letter to the producers thanking them for the mention. After receiving the letter, they decided to ask him to guest star.<ref name="Oakley"/> According to [[David Mirkin]], he tried to get [[Al Gore]] to host the episode, but the producers got no response to their request. "There was an eerie silence," Mirkin said. He added that "if the VP decides now to pursue this showbiz offer, it's just too late [...] He missed his chance."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1995/07/17/the-veep-ignores-chance-to-play-with-the-simpsons/|title=The Veep Ignores Chance To Play With The Simpsons |date=1995-07-17 |website=[[New York Daily News]] |access-date=2008-12-23}}</ref>

In the final scene of the episode, Homer is sent to the real world in the first ever live-action scene in ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It was filmed on [[Ventura Boulevard]] in [[Studio City]]<ref name="Cohen"/> and directed by David Mirkin, who later said that Fox "couldn't have been less supportive" because they thought it would be too expensive.<ref name=3D/> The scene involves a [[crane shot]] which pulls back as the credits are shown. Fox "begrudgingly" allowed Mirkin to use a crane for the ending. The scene was filmed on a sidewalk with the crane on the street and Mirkin was not able to fully stop traffic for the shot. Because of this, when the camera swings around, a line of cars can be seen backed up on the street. Mirkin was also disappointed in the quality of the camera pan, again blaming the lack of support from Fox and the inability to halt the traffic.<ref name=3D/>

===Animation===
[[File:THOH6 - 3D transition.png|right|200px|thumb|In what [[Bill Oakley]] considers the "[[money shot]]", Homer steps into the 3D world]]
A large portion of "Homer<sup>3</sup>" was [[3D computer graphics|three dimensional]] and computer-animated. Supervising director [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] was aiming for something better than most computer animation of the time. The animation was provided by [[Pacific Data Images]] (PDI) and overseen by [[Tim Johnson (film director)|Tim Johnson]]. The animators at PDI worked closely with the 2D animators on ''The Simpsons'' and worked hard not to "reinvent the character[s]". The animators storyboarded the segments and showed the PDI animators how they would have handled the scenes. While designing the 3D model of Bart, the animators did not know how they would show Bart's hair. However, they realized that there were vinyl Bart dolls in production and purchased one to use as a model. One of the most difficult parts for the PDI animators was to make Homer and Bart move properly without making them look robotic.<ref name=3D/>

One of the key shots in the segment was where Homer steps into the 3D world and his design transitions into 3D. Executive producer [[Bill Oakley]] considers the shot to be the "[[money shot]]" and had a difficult time communicating his idea to the animators.<ref name=3D>Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh; Johnson, Tim; Silverman, David; Mirkin, David; Cohen, David X. "Homer in the Third Dimension" (2005), in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>

An edited version of Homer<sup>3</sup> appeared alongside several other shorts in the 2000 American 3-D animated anthology film, ''[[CyberWorld]]'', shown in IMAX and IMAX 3D.<ref name="CyberworldIGN">{{cite web |last1=Plume |first1=Kenneth |title=Review of Cyberworld |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/10/09/review-of-cyberworld |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=October 9, 2000}}</ref>

===Background jokes===
Several background jokes were inserted into "Homer<sup>3</sup>". The PDI animators inserted a [[Utah teapot]], which was the first object to be rendered in 3D, and the numbers 734 (which on a phone pad correspond to PDI).<ref name=3D/> Several equations were also inserted in the background. One of the equations that appears is ''1782<sup>12</sup> + 1841<sup>12</sup> = 1922<sup>12</sup>''. Although a false statement, it appears to be true when evaluated on a typical calculator with 10 digits of precision. The answer is incorrect by approximately 7{{e|29}}. If it were true, it would disprove [[Fermat's Last Theorem]], which had just been proven when this episode first aired. Cohen generated this "Fermat near-miss" with a computer program.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/futurama/dxcinterview.html |title=A Futurama Math Conversation with David X. Cohen |last=Greenwald|first=Sarah J.|author-link=Sarah J. Greenwald |publisher=[[Appalachian State University]] |date=2005-04-06 |access-date=2009-01-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509064704/http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/futurama/dxcinterview.html |archive-date=2008-05-09 }}</ref> Other equations that appear are [[Euler's identity]] and ''P&nbsp;=&nbsp;NP'', which is a reference to the famous [[P vs NP problem]], and similarly contradicts the general belief that in fact P&nbsp;≠&nbsp;NP.<ref name="Cohen"/> The code ''46 72 69 6E 6B 20 72 75 6C 65 73 21'' is a string of [[hexadecimal]] numbers that, when interpreted as [[ASCII]] codes, decodes to "<code>Frink rules!</code>".<ref name="BBC News">{{Cite news |first=Simon |last=Singh |author-link=Simon Singh |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24724635 |title=Homer Simpson's scary maths problems |access-date=October 31, 2013 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=31 October 2013 |archive-date=October 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031124310/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24724635 |url-status=live}}</ref> There is a signpost with x, y, and z, and many basic shapes littered across the screen.<ref name="Cohen"/> While wandering around, Homer walks past a building that is identical to the library from the 1993 computer game ''[[Myst]]'', complete with a musical homage to the game's soundtrack.<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |last=Snierson |first=Dan |title=The Simpsons: A somewhat complete history of 'Homer³' from 'Treehouse of Horror VI' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/10/19/the-simpsons-homer-cubed-treehouse-of-horror-vi/ |date=October 19, 2018 |access-date=September 7, 2022 |archive-date=September 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907050209/https://ew.com/tv/2018/10/19/the-simpsons-homer-cubed-treehouse-of-horror-vi/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets]]'', [[Simon Singh]] notes: "we glimpse a [[Physical cosmology|cosmological equation]] (ρ<sub>m0</sub> > 3H<sub>0</sub><sup>2</sup>/8πG) that describes the density of Homer's universe. Provided by one of Cohen's oldest friends, the astronomer David Schiminovich, the equation implies a high density, which means that the resulting gravitational attraction will ultimately force Homer's universe to collapse. Indeed, this is exactly what happens toward the end of the segment."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Singh |title=[[The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets]] |year=2013 |pages=157 |isbn=9781408835302 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]}}</ref> Cohen told ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' that the equation predicts "the universe is going to one day collapse in on itself, and that was to represent the fact that the 3-D world collapses in on itself at the end". The fate of the universe was an unsolved problem at the time, though Cohen noted in 2018 that "astronomers now believe that our universe will ''not'' collapse back in on itself".<ref name=":0" /> Cohen would later include references to Fermat's Last Theorem in "[[The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace]]", where solutions to it appear on a chalkboard.<ref name=Scully>{{cite video |people=Scully, Mike |date=2007 |title=The Simpsons The Complete tenth Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

==Cultural references==

* The title of "Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores" is a reference to the film ''[[Attack of the 50 Foot Woman]]''.<ref name="bbc" />
* Lard Lad performs [[Godzilla#Characterization|Godzilla’s roar]] after awakening and the segment includes several references to the film series.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-14 |title=From The Simpsons To Shrek 2: A History Of Godzilla In Pop Culture |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/godzilla-references-pop-culture/ |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=Empire |language=en}}</ref>
* Some of the mascots are parodies of real life mascots. The giant walking mascots of Prof. Peanut, The Giant Exterminator and the Zip Boys named Maury, Mel and Mack are parodies of [[Mr. Peanut]], Mr. Little of the Western Exterminator company, and [[Pep Boys|Manny, Moe, and Jack]].<ref name="book" />
* "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace" is a parody of the film ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' and its sequels,<ref name="bbc" /> and Bart's dream at the opening of the segment features many elements similar to the cartoons of [[Tex Avery]].<ref name="book" />
* Groundskeeper Willie shapeshifting after falling into a sandpit is a reference to the death of the shapeshifting [[T-1000]] in the film ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-12-15 |title=Terminator |url=https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Terminator |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Wikisimpsons |language=en}}</ref>
* The segment "Homer<sup>3</sup>" is a parody of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' episode "[[Little Girl Lost (The Twilight Zone)|Little Girl Lost]]", in which a girl travels through a portal to the 4th dimension. At one point, Homer compares the situation to "that twilighty show about that zone".<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/186 186–187] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} |title-link=The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family }}.</ref>
* Homer passes by the library from ''[[Myst]]''. Series creator Rand Miller later reflected on a call he received from the studio, when asked for permission to use the exact game graphics on the show.<ref>{{cite tweet|first=Rand|last=Miller|author-link=Rand Miller|user=randemtweets|number=1190304289698172928|title=Yep, you know you've made it when "The Simpsons" call wanting some 3D models for a show. (No way that that was 24 years ago!)|access-date=June 4, 2022}}</ref>
* The film ''[[Tron]]'' is also mentioned by Homer as a means of describing his surroundings.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page6.shtml |title=Treehouse of Horror VI |access-date=2008-06-24 |last1=Martyn|first1=Warren |last2=Wood|first2=Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=[[BBC]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030608074724/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page6.shtml|archive-date=June 8, 2003|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The three-dimensional rotation shot of the dimensional vortex is a reference to the green glowing grid in the opening credits of the Disney film ''[[The Black Hole (1979 film)|The Black Hole]]''.<ref name="bbc" />
* As he is about to fall in the black hole, Homer says, "There's so much I don't know about [[astrophysics]]. I wish I'd read that book by that wheelchair guy." This is a reference to the bestseller ''[[A Brief History of Time]]'' by [[theoretical physics|theoretical physicist]] [[Stephen Hawking]], who was [[quadraplegic]],<ref name="book" /> and who would make several guest appearances on the series.<ref name="HawkingSimpsonsEsquire">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Matt |title=Stephen Hawking's Love for ''The Simpsons'' Was Deeper Than You Know |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a19442206/stephen-hawking-simpsons/ |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|publisher=[[Hearst Communications]] |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=March 15, 2018}}</ref>
*The title of the album ''[[Erotic Cakes]]'' by guitarist [[Guthrie Govan]] is a reference to the name of the bakery shop [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] enters in this episode.<ref name="CD notes">{{Cite AV media notes |title=Erotic Cakes |year=2006 |publisher= Cornford records }}</ref>
*The ''Simpsons''-themed doom-metal band [[Dr Colossus]] based their song "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYooGGoZ1n8 Lard Lad]" on "Attack of the Fifty Foot Eyesores"<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schimkowitz |first=Matt |date=May 19, 2021 |title=Simpsons-themed stoner metal band rewards Springfield knowledge |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |url=https://www.avclub.com/hear-this-simpsons-themed-stoner-metal-band-dr-coloss-1846929153|access-date=August 25, 2024}}</ref>
*The ending theme is listed on the soundtrack album ''[[Go_Simpsonic_with_The_Simpsons|Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons]]'' as an homage to [[Philip Glass]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-12-15 |title=Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons/Credits |url=https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Go_Simpsonic_with_The_Simpsons/Credits |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Wikisimpsons |language=en}}</ref>

==Reception==
In its original broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror VI" finished 21st in the ratings for the week of October 23 to October 29, 1995, with a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 12.9. It was watched in approximately 12.4 million households.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sports events five of top 10 shows |work=[[South Florida Sun-Sentinel]] |date=1995-11-02 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.<ref name="ratings">{{Cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings |work=[[The Tampa Tribune]] |date=1995-11-02 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, described it as "Complex, very assured and very clever, [...] The computer graphics are outstanding, and the final scene – as Homer enters our dimension – is one of the highlights of the entire series."<ref name="bbc"/> Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide said, "'Attack of the 50-Ft. Eyesores' stands as the strongest of the three segments. It doesn’t blast off the screen but it seems imaginative and fun. The ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' parody has its moments and comes across as generally entertaining. However, it lacks the bite the best pieces offer. Unfortunately, 'Homer<sup>3</sup>' gives us the weakest of the bunch. It tosses out a few funny bits, but it mostly feels like an excuse to feature some 3-D animation."<ref name=dvdmg>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonstreehouseofhorror.shtml |title=The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (1994) |access-date=2008-10-08 |last=Jacobson |first=Colin |date=September 10, 2003 |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012044022/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonstreehouseofhorror.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Ryan Budke of [[TV Squad]] listed "Homer<sup>3</sup>" as the fourth best ''Treehouse of Horror'' segment and gave honorable mention to "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Five: Best Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Segments |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2005/10/26/the-five-the-best-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-segments/ |last=Budke|first=Ryan J. |website=[[HuffPost]] TV |date=2005-10-26 |access-date=2022-01-17 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525171716/http://www.aoltv.com/2005/10/26/the-five-the-best-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-segments/ |archive-date=2012-05-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Will Pfeifer of the ''[[Rockford Register Star]]'' called the episode "the best of the annual Halloween episodes".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Here's a look at five classic episodes |last=Pfeifer|first=Will |work=[[Rockford Register Star]] |date=2000-01-16}}</ref> [[Mike Reiss]] considers the episode one of his favorites, and his favorite ''Treehouse'' installment.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reiss |first=Mike |title=[[Springfield Confidential]] |last2=Klickstein |first2=Matthew|date=2018|isbn=978-0-06-274803-4|publisher=[[Dey Street Books]]}}</ref>

In the July 26, 2007 issue of ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'', the scientific journal's editorial staff listed the "Homer<sup>3</sup>" segment among "The Top Ten science moments in ''The Simpsons''", highlighting Cohen's "''1782<sup>12</sup> + 1841<sup>12</sup>=1922<sup>12</sup>''" equation.<ref name=Nature>{{cite journal |last=Hopkin |first=Michael |title=Science in comedy: Mmm... pi |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |date=2007-07-26 |volume=448 |issue=7152 |pages=404–405 |doi=10.1038/448404a |pmid=17653163|bibcode=2007Natur.448..404H |s2cid=4393052 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In 1996, the "Homer<sup>3</sup>" segment was awarded the [[Ottawa International Animation Festival]] grand prize.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ottawa.awn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=311 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202123403/http://ottawa.awn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=311 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-12-02 |title=Past Award Winners |access-date=2007-10-18 |publisher=[[Ottawa International Animation Festival]] }}</ref> The episode was also submitted for the Primetime Emmy Award in the "[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)|Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)]]" category because it had a 3D animation sequence, which the staff felt would have given it the edge.<ref name="Emmys">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |title=Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search |publisher=Emmys.org |access-date=2007-11-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215195726/http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |archive-date=2009-02-15 }}</ref> The episode did not win the award, which went to ''[[A Pinky and the Brain Christmas]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1995/outstanding-short-format-animated-program|title=Nominees/Winners|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|access-date=July 10, 2017|archive-date=March 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304003145/https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1995/outstanding-short-format-animated-program|url-status=live}}</ref> Bill Oakley, speaking in 2005 on the DVD commentary for the episode, expressed regret about not submitting "[[Mother Simpson]]," an episode with a more emotionally driven plot and felt that it would have easily won had it been submitted.<ref name="OakleyMS">{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

In a retrospective review for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', Erik Adams praises the episode's visual inventiveness: "On a deeper level, 'Treehouse of Horror' endures because it's the one time a year the ''Simpsons'' staff can fully embrace the fact they make a cartoon. Various fantasy episodes and trips down the non-canonical timeline also afford this chance, but 'Treehouse of Horror' is a dependable, perennial opportunity to go whole hog with the animated wackiness. Any given episode of ''The Simpsons'' might find Homer surviving blunt trauma (and trauma and trauma and trauma, etc.), but only in 'Treehouse of Horror VI' can he trip through an interdimensional rift and drool in state-of-the-art for-1995 computer animation." He also notes that "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace" is "packed with adventurous character designs and fantastical digressions—like the opening segment, which places Bart in an old-school, hand-drawn dream world with elegantly painted backgrounds and looser rules regarding talking animals. This is what I imagine Itchy and Scratchy shorts look like to Bart and Lisa—the ones produced while Roger Meyers Sr. was alive, at least."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Erik |date=February 23, 2014 |title=The Simpsons (Classic): "Treehouse of Horror VI" |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-treehouse-of-horror-vi-1798179715 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-date=December 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225095051/https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-treehouse-of-horror-vi-1798179715 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_7#Treehouse_of_Horror_VI|"Treehouse of Horror VI"}}
{{Portal|The Simpsons}}
*{{IMDb episode|0177842}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20001018104845/http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/math/pacificdatahomer3d.html Pacific Data Images on Homer³]
*{{snpp capsule|3F04}}

{{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|7}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Treehouse Of Horror 06}}
[[Category:The Simpsons season 7 episodes]]
[[Category:1995 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Fiction about child murder]]
[[Category:Parodies of films]]
[[Category:Parody television episodes]]
[[Category:Treehouse of Horror]]
[[Category:Television episodes about advertising]]
[[Category:Television episodes about nightmares]]
[[Category:Television episodes about curses]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by John Swartzwelder]]
[[Category:Television episodes about parallel universes]]
[[Category:Television episodes with live action and animation]]
[[Category:Fiction about black holes]]
[[Category:Fiction about father–son relationships]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by David X. Cohen]]
[[Category:Halloween television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes directed by Bob Anderson (director)]]

[[it:La paura fa novanta I-X#La paura fa novanta VI]]
[[fi:Simpsonit (7. tuotantokausi)#Kauhujen talo, osa 6 (Treehouse of Horror VI)]]