 The episode is largely a parody of the 1941 Orson Welles film Citizen Kane . The title is a reference to Charles Foster Kane 's dying word " Rosebud " ; the teddy bear Bobo is a substitute for Rosebud in this episode , even down to the fact that Burns discards it in the snow when offered a new life of riches and power . The scene where he drops a snow globe , while whispering the name of his lost toy , also parodies Kane 's death scene at the start of the film . The guards outside Mr. Burns 's manor chant and march similarly to the Wicked Witch of the West 's guards from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz . The last scene where Mr. Burns 's robotic body runs off with Bobo is a reference to the film Planet of the Apes in which herds of humans are enslaved by humanoid apes . Burns and Smithers ' attempt to steal Bobo from the Simpsons mirrors Mission : Impossible , and their sitcom is similar to The Honeymooners . Both Mr. Burns and Homer make references to the cancellation of the TV series The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo . Mr. Burns ' brother is revealed to be comedian George Burns , and both Charles Lindbergh and Adolf Hitler were once in possession of Bobo . During the tribute to Burns , the curtain portrays his visage in a more youthful manner , evoking the characteristic style of illustrator Al Hirschfeld . 
