▁scene . ▁ ▁Production ▁▁ ▁The ▁episode ▁was ▁written ▁Matt ▁Sel man , ▁his ▁ele vent h ▁writing ▁credit ▁for ▁The ▁Sim ps ons . ▁The ▁episode ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁season ▁six teen ▁episode ▁that ▁Mark ▁Kirk land ▁directed . ▁ ▁Rec lus ive ▁novel ist ▁Thomas ▁P yn ch on ▁guest ▁stars ▁as ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁episode , ▁we aring ▁a ▁paper ▁bag ▁over ▁his ▁head . ▁His ▁role ▁is ▁repr ised ▁from ▁the ▁season ▁ 1 5 ▁episode ▁" D iat ri be ▁of ▁a ▁Mad ▁House w ife ". ▁According ▁to ▁executive ▁producer ▁Al ▁Jean , ▁P yn ch on ▁helped ▁write ▁the ▁j okes ▁for ▁his ▁appearances . ▁James ▁Ca an ▁also ▁guest ▁stars ▁in ▁the ▁episode , ▁first ▁seen ▁in ▁Bart ' s ▁tree house . ▁He ▁is ▁then ▁shown ▁d ating ▁Brand ine ▁Sp uck ler , ▁and ▁he ▁is ▁later ▁shot ▁by ▁hill b ill ies ▁at ▁a ▁to ll ▁bo oth . ▁Thomas ▁P yn ch on ▁offers ▁insight ▁on ▁Mar ge ’ s ▁cook ing . ▁P yn ch on ▁cont ributes ▁his ▁own ▁j okes — including ▁a ▁pun ▁he ▁made ▁on ▁his ▁best - known ▁work , ▁The ▁F ry ing ▁Of ▁Lat ke ▁ 4 9 . ▁P yn ch on ▁refused ▁to ▁call ▁H omer ▁a ▁" f at - ass " ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁speak ▁ill ▁of ▁him . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁original ▁version ▁of ▁this ▁episode , ▁after ▁H omer ▁tells ▁Mar ge ▁that ▁she