 Guest stars in the episode include Tim Robbins as Jim Hope , Gary Coleman as himself , Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony , and Clarence Clemons as a narrator . Scully thought Robbins " did a great job " because the Simpsons staff wanted the character of Jim Hope to be " fun and upbeat and somebody the kids would love . " Clemons narrates a few scenes at the end of the episode , telling the viewers how the story ends . When Coleman agrees to spend Christmas with the Simpsons , Clemons says , for example : " And Gary Coleman was as good as his word , and as for old Mr. Burns , he was visited by three ghosts during the night and agreed to fund the school with some money he found in his tuxedo pants . " Shortly after Coleman 's death in 2010 , an article appeared in the newspaper El Comercio that noted that " the nod to the harsh reality of Gary Coleman in [ the episode ] is given : in real life a few years ago Gary had to make a living as a shop security guard . " 
