“Well, William, another school year gone by.” – Principal Skinner
“And may I say, a job well done, sir.” – Groundskeeper Willie
“Well, back to work then. Make sure to give those toilets a good scrubbing. We want the old girls sparkling when I get back.” – Principal Skinner
“Aye, sir . . . ya silk wearing buttercup.” – Groundskeeper Willie
Archive for December, 2011
Quote of the Day
“Bart, did you hear that? What a name! Santa’s Little Helper? It’s a sign! It’s an omen!” – Homer Simpson
“It’s a coincidence, Dad.” – Bart Simpson
I know tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and that Christmas is in the rearview mirror, but this is a list of links from the past week, and in that time “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” won the internet. We’ve got five – count ’em five! – links to people who in one way or another wrote up the original Simpsons episode. Combined with comments like these, it’s nice to see it still garnering so much love and attention all these years later. There’s also an abbreviated version of the usual stuff, including excellent usage, fan art, crappy merchandise, a sweet tattoo, and a YouTube video that needs to be seen.
Enjoy.
Homer Simpson CUBED!!! – Smooth Charlie’s Link of the week is this amazing Homer Simpson made from 225 Rubik’s cubes:
Special bonus points for using “Simpsons Christmas Boogie” as a background song. This has 59 views on YouTube, it needs about 59,000.
Christmas and the Wisdom of the Simpsons – Love for “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”:
This may in fact be the one that got my kids started on their Simpsons obsession. Listening to it while I wrapped presents reminded me of the brilliance of this show. They can take a topic that I would rail on and on about (boringly and shrilly) and boil it down to a hilarious 7-second quip.
Sounds Like the Perfect Saturday to Me – Animated .gif of Homer on the couch dreaming of being on the couch.
The Simpsons and the GOP 2012 Race – Heh. Jon Huntsman as Smithers and Rick Santorum as Gil are particularly clever.
Macy’s Christmas Parade at Universal Studios – The Orlando theme park has a Christmas parade, and here are pictures of it, including a few of people in Simpsons costumes.
The Marriage of Bacon and Bacon – Homer’s family cufflinks on what appear to be real, tuxedo cuffs.
25 Days of Lezzie Christmas Episodes: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire – Our old friend Lenny takes a look at this week’s theme episode:
I love the introduction to Patty. She refuses to even speak to Homer, she just keeps asking if Marge is there. The annoying in-laws are kind of an oldschool sitcom cliche. It’s kind of amazing how developed and sympathetic they eventually become without losing those delightfully bitchy personalities.
The show always did a good job of walking that line. Patty and Selma are a pain in the ass, but then you look at Homer and realize, they kind of have a point.
Batman Abroad: In Bruges, aka The Holiday Post – A list of good and bad movies of the year, a pictorial essay of a trip to Bruges, Batman, and it still mentions:
OK now I’m watching Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. Fun fact, this is the first ever episode of The Simpsons.
Sideshow Bob by ~phifel on deviantART – Fan made pencil sketch of Sideshow Bob looking nonchalantly stabby.
Bart Simpson as Baby Jesus – Sweet Bart themed nativity scene in Portland.
Illini Survive Ugly, Never-Ending 2OT Conference Opener vs. Gophers – Moderate usage:
One of my all time favorite The Simpsons quotes: “Mr. Simpson, this is the biggest case of false advertising since my suit against the film the never ending story” –Lionel Hutz
The legendary lawyer character played by the late, great Phil Hartman refers to a 1984 film with a running time of 94 minutes in the American version. Illinois escaping 81-72 in 2 OT over the Minnesota Golden Gophers ran about 2 hours, 40 minutes.
Hutz actually says, “Mr. Simpson, this is the most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the film ‘The NeverEnding Story’.”
1990 Marge and Homer Simpson Bendable Action Figures – Another old time Krusty Brand Seal of Approval here.
MARGE SIMPSON | Flickr – Someone got an astonishingly well done replica of one of the images of Marge from Playboy tattooed on his thigh. The colors, shadows and everything match.
Timberwolves rookie Ricky Rubio talks, Bob Sansevere listens: "You always dream about one day playing in the NBA" – The Simpsons isn’t just beloved in the NHL, but also in the NBA:
I liked "The Simpsons" growing up. I had a couple more cartoons I liked, but they were in Spanish. I really loved "The Simpsons." I still watch it.
Top Five TV Devils – The Animated Edition – Devil Flanders and the Robot Devil are on here.
Simplifying Skepticism: Correlation vs Causation – Illustrating correlation and causation with tigers, rocks and the Bear Patrol.
Hope Lies on Television #12 – A Family Tradition, From A Non-Traditional Family – A long take on pretty much every Christmas episode from The Simpsons and Zombie Simpsons, including you know what:
Considering that ‘Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire’ was the first example of these characters being used to tell a fully realised narrative, it’s amazing how bleak it is right up until the final moment of slight redemption.
Greatest Christmas TV Episode Ever: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire – And finally, I get to end with another link to the original episode and someone who agrees with us:
I’ve mentioned before how The Simpsons is my favorite TV show. Even though it’s not as great now as it was back in the 90s, The SImpsons still is number one to me. ”Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” was the first episode aired of the series, and it remains a holiday classic.
Damn right.
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
“You know Stan Taylor?” – Homer Simpson
“Know me? Ned Flanders saved me. I used to party all night and sleep with lingerie models until Ned and his Bible group showed me that I could have more.” – Stan “The Boy” Taylor
“Professional athletes, always wanting more.” – Homer Simpson
It’s silly season and so people tend to be away from their keyboards more than usual, which means a shorter than average Reading Digest. (In case you are bored or stuck at work or something, I have attempted to compensate through aggressive block quoting.) We do have two Tebow-Flanders links this week though, in addition to lots of crappy merchandise (seasonally appropriate!), the ugly reality behind that merchandise, some excellent usage, and a forward for the L.A. Kings who agrees with us.
Enjoy.
[Programming Note: With Annual Gift Man descending from the moon on Saturday night things are likely to be a little quiet around here. Quotes of the Day will go up as normal, of course, but there might be just one or two other posts next week, depending on when Netflix delivers the first disc of . . . ugh . . . Season 14. There probably will be a Reading Digest next week, but no promises. This time of year has a way of cruelly mocking well intentioned plans.]
“Um…Dasher…Dancer…Prancer…Nixon…Comet…Cupid…Donna Dixon?” – Smooth Charlie’s Link of the Week is this piece of well deserved love for “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”. That episode can never be loved enough.
D’oh! Stunned couple unearth 800-year-old stone head in their garden… and it looks like HOMER SIMPSON – The 800 year figure is total speculation, but apparently someone at a museum did think it was old. And it does look like Homer.
Review: Greetings from the Simpsons! – That postcard blog remains on a Simpsons roll. This week they’re reviewing two different books of Simpsons postcards. Check out Selma’s “Rocket Bra”.
7 Similarities Between Tim Tebow and Ned Flanders – I like #6 and #7:
6. Both are thankful for the little things, like rainbows. And Marion Barber.
7. Both have a non-believer they just cannot convert.
Heh.
Watch: Brad Bird talks about directing Tom Cruise in IMAX for M:I – Ghost Protocol – If we get one good thing out of a completely unnecessary fourth Mission Impossible movie, it will be to let Brad Bird do whatever he wants next:
As long as I’ve been in LA, I’ve been enjoying great conversations with Brad Bird.
When I worked at Dave’s Video in the early ’90s, Bird was one of our regular customers. At that point, he was working on "The Simpsons," and he was already known by some film geeks for his incredible "Family Dog" episode of "Amazing Stories." At that point, I remember long conversations about pulp classics, spy movies, his dream of making either "The Spirit" or a SF animated film called "Ray Gunn," and much more. He was one of those customers of ours who really lived and breathed movies, who seemed to be interested in every genre and in every type of filmmaking.
There’s also some interesting backstory about The Iron Giant.
“One For The Book”/“The Spy Who Came In For A Cold One” – Speaking of showbiz lore, here’s a little Sideshow Bob tidbit for you:
(There is a punchline: According to multiple sources, Kelsey Grammer, who had worked with Rabb in the theater, would later claim to have used him as the model for Sideshow Bob, The Simpsons’ affected, two-bit carny geek with Shakespearean aspirations.)
25 Of The Craziest Simpsons Guest Stars – This is a decent if (somewhat page-whorish) list that stops right as it gets into the twilight of the show.
Holiday Toy Guide | The Indypendent – I have no idea how much credence to give this, Jebus knows citing National Review Online isn’t encouraging, but here it is:
Homer Simpson Slippers
China, the biggest exporter of consumer goods on the planet, is also home to the largest penal colony in the world — a top-secret network of more than 1,000 forced-labor camps known as laogai. Charles Lee, one of five million prison slaves, was imprisoned from 2003-2006, and says that he was forced to make Homer Simpson slippers. When asked by a reporter from National Review Online what he thought of people who bought the slippers, he replied, “Oh, they just want the cheapest product. But I feel that, if they knew about my situation, it would bother them.” D’oh!
Banksy, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Burger King Marge Simpson 12in Doll 1990 – The Krusty Brand Seal of Approval strikes again:
Yes, her feet are bigger than her shoulders, but I’m sure it passed a rigorous quality screening before it got sent to Burger King.
Homer Simpson animated clock $16.99 & free shipping, hurry – More crappy merchandise:
Product Features: •Beer or doughnut? Homer can’t decide
•Arms move up and down
•Eyes move back and forth from doughnut to beer
•Requires 2 AA batteries (not included)
•Tells the time
What You Get: Homer Simpson Animated Clock
“Tells the time”, well that’s a relief.
Corporate America: No complaints considered – It’s Season 11, but it’s still excellent usage:
So in the words of “The Simpsons’” Krusty the Klown, “”Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Kwazy Kwanzaa, a tip-top Tet, and a solemn, dignified Ramadan.” And speaking of complaints, I just know I’ll be hearing about this.
Not from me, he got the quote dead on.
Sideshow Bob by ~Raptorhunter123 on deviantART – Fan drawing of Sideshow Bob with hair that’s been flattened a bit. Perhaps he was sleeping?
Fictional Holiday Specials That I Wish Were Real – More of Krusty’s Non-Denominational Holiday Fun Fest would’ve been a real improvement for that episode. Also, KISS Saves Santa is a fantastic idea.
Thhhhhheeeee Skaaaarrryyyyyyyssss – A few photos of really well done Marge graffiti in Melbourne, Australia.
Tim Tebow…In 10 Words – The rare twofer reference from our friend Galileo, with both the tagline and the tooltip being Simpsons related.
New Deck: International Icon Tarot (with Happy Squirrel card) – There’s a real tarot card deck with a Happy Squirrel card:
Some extra love is of course reserved for the Happy Squirrel card (about which you can read everything you ever wanted to know here and here), which was included as a reference to Matt Groening’s The Simpsons (you can see a storyboard of the episode here). I love squirrels, and I love Lisa Simpson, and I love having a serious tarot deck that references The Simpsons.
Sadly those links aren’t working, but that’s still pretty cool of whoever it is decides what goes into tarot decks.
25 Days of Ultra-Christmas: The Simpsons – “Holidays of Future Passed” – This guy’s much more positive on that episode than I was, but he’s coming from the right place:
The Simpsons, as much as I think it’s the greatest TV comedy of all time, hasn’t been worth watching on a week-to-week basis in at least a decade. Last year’s Christmas episode, which I tuned in for solely because of the Christmas blogging, was pretty dour, and exactly the kind of lame, unfunny stuff I expected from the show.
Alvin & The Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked…In 10 Words – The chipmunks were part of the “crappy computer animated movie” invasion of the Aughts.
There’s a Simpsons fan in Kings’ locker room – And finally, I get to end with someone who agrees with us, and who just became my new favorite NHL player:
Growing up in the small Mennonite community of Winkler, Manitoba, roughly 15 miles north of the border with North Dakota, Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Penner found ways to remain entertained outside of hockey during the long winter months.
He watched "The Simpsons." Three or four times a day.
"I first started watching with my mom," Penner said. "That was the first kind of PG-cartoon I could watch coming from a really Christian town."
He also was known over the summer for using a relevant Simpsons quote when asked by a reporter whether fans’ criticism of his play had gotten to him.
"The one thing I can say — and I don’t know if you watch ‘The Simpsons,’ the episode with Darryl Strawberry, when they start (chanting) ‘Darryl, Darryl,’ and there’s a tear in his eye — I used to laugh at that, and now I don’t," Penner told LA Kings Insider in July.
Ha. But wait, it gets better:
Perhaps Penner will need to take Homer’s advice from the episode "Whacking Day" as a message to get the team’s offensive pulse beating again.
"You just put away that rage and put it into a little ball and unleash it at the appropriate time," Penner paraphrased from memory. "Like the day daddy hit the referee with the whiskey bottle. Remember that, when daddy hit the referee?"
But is quoting "The Simpsons" in an NHL locker room the easiest way to get through to your teammates?
"It depends on your audience. A lot of these guys I think aren’t as big of a Simpsons fan as I am," Penner said. "I remember even a couple of years back with a buddy Zenon Konopka, who plays for the Ottawa Senators now — we would go nonstop all day. Maybe I’ve gotten away from it a bit, but it’s always in the back of my mind."
Now I have two new favorite NHL players. Oh, and here’s the part where he agrees with us:
"Whenever they’re on, I’ll watch them," Penner said. "I’m a purist. The older the episode, the more I’ll enjoy them."
* * *
Dustin Penner’s favorite Simpsons lines
• Marge: The plant called and said that if you don’t come in tomorrow, don’t bother coming in Monday.
Homer: Woo hoo! Four-day weekend!
• Homer: Default? Woo hoo! The two sweetest words in the English language! De-fault! De-fault! De-fault!
• Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is: Never try.
Professional athletes, never trying.
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
“Well, get a last look at the beautiful ocean scenery, kids.” – Homer Simpson
A few weeks ago I noticed something peculiar about Season 7: half the episodes end with a sunset or something similar, often with someone heading off into it. As near as I can tell, it’s not like that in any other season. Even Season 8, which was run and written by most of the same people as Season 7, features a more typically random assortment of endings. These are the endings of the Season 7 episodes that were done under Oakley and Weinstein:
Radioactive Man – Movie safely back in Hollywood.
Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily – The family walks into the sunset.
Bart Sells His Soul – Bart and his soul row into a sunset like gleaming emerald city.
Lisa the Vegetarian – Homer and Lisa walk into the sunset.
Treehouse of Horror VI – Erotic cakes.
King-Size Homer – Homer doing sit ups at night.
Mother Simpson – Homer watches his mom drive into the sunset.
Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming – The ending happens at sunset (which Grampa drives off into).
The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular – Hard core nudity!
Marge Be Not Proud – Marge and Bart hugging.
Team Homer – Homer stealing the bowling trophy.
Two Bad Neighbors – Gerald Ford and Homer walk off to Ford’s house . . . at sunset.
Scenes From the Class Struggle in Springfield – Family eating at Krusty Burger.
Bart the Fink – Krusty, Bart and Lisa walk along the beach at sunset.
Lisa the Iconoclast – Homer marching in the parade.
Homer the Smithers – Family eating Smithers’ gift basket.
The Day the Violence Died – Bart staring down Lester.
A Fish Called Selma – Selma walking into a moonrise.
Bart on the Road – Homer giggling in bed as Marge keeps getting weird phone calls.
22 Short Films About Springfield – Frink complaining.
Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish" – German guy drives into the sunrise.
Much Apu About Nothing – Willie is deported.
Homerpalooza – Family in the car discussing being cool.
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 – Crab with Homer’s Buzz can walks off into the sunset.
Now, look at this:
There are twenty-three Oakley & Weinstein episodes in Season 7, and that’s ten of them. Now, as tempting as it is to work this into a metaphor about the sunset of the show’s good years, I don’t think there’s anything profound or insightful here. I have no idea if it was intentional, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t even notice they were doing it at the time. But when you line them all up like that, and all those sunsets are staring you in the face, it does seem like they were on a bit of a theme.
I’m just curious as to whether or not anyone’s ever noticed that before. I’ve been watching these episodes for years and years and never put it together before now.
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
“Beer. Now there’s a temporary solution.” – Homer Simpson
Good morning and welcome to a special, unannounced, Simpsons Day Beer-Simpsons marathon! For the last two years I’ve been stuck at work on Simpsons Day. That resulted in a lot of YouTube and regular posts. Of those, the 1989 Groening interview on Letterman is probably my favorite. He’s wretchedly adorable in his nervous, pre-fame earnestness. (The embedding’s been disabled in the two years since I posted it, but you can click through to YouTube to see it.) For Simpsons Day this year my butt is planted right where it belongs: squarely in front of my television.
As with previous marathons, I’ll be drinking one delicious, cheap domestic beer per episode and posting updates along the way. The pause and reverse buttons will be employed so I can get quotes or screen grabs, but the fast forward button will not be touched. I’ll try to keep an eye on the comments, but I make no promises on that score. Let’s get started, and happy Simpsons Day!
1. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
- Having witnessed and performed in a number of craptacular grade school Christmas pageants, I can attest that this is far and away the most accurate portrayal I’ve ever seen on television. (Parental boredom most definitely included.)
- Among the many things about this season that were horrifying at the time but now seem quaint is the way they repeatedly deny the existence of Santa Claus. People actually thought this was a show for little kids.
- As far as great character introductions go, it doesn’t get much better than having Flanders unwittingly humiliate Homer with a Christmas display.
- “One ‘Mother’, please.” “Wait a minute, how old are you?” “Twenty-one, sir.” “Get in the chair.”
- I don’t have anything to add to this, but Homer stands in for pretty much every Christmas themed hero in the history of American pop culture in this episode.
- Homer’s shiver on the way up the stairs when Marge says her sisters are here should be in some kind of in-law hall of fame.
- There is nothing to dislike about this episode’s total contempt for Christmas television.
- I love the way Lisa destroys Patty & Selma over Homer. It’s especially awesome when you remember that we (the audience) don’t really know who she is yet.
- I make much of this in the post from last year I linked above, but it is essential to Homer that he takes in the dog out of sympathy instead of as a way to save Christmas. Homer sucks at everything here, and it wouldn’t work if he consciously saved Christmas.
2. Bart the Genius
- Aww, it’s the first time we see the opening, compete with bus stop.
- This probably puts me in the minority, but I always liked the story problems in math. Once you got the numbers out of the text they were always really easy.
- I have no idea if George Meyer had a hand in the scene with Bart and his parents in Skinner’s office, but this oft quoted article sums it up perfectly:
“Once, I was sent to the principal’s office, and when I went in my parents were sitting there. They had been summoned somehow. God, that was scary; I would have been very unhappy, but not particularly surprised, if they had said, ‘This time you have gone too far. Now you must die.’” - All these years later, I remain in awe of the contempt for school authority this show had.
- Animation question for those more knowledgeable than myself: what is with all the backgrounds in Season 1 with gradient colors? So many walls are a color on one end and dissolve into white in the middle or at the other end.
- There is an insane genius to having fourth graders debate free will vs. fate.
- Words I learned from The Simpsons: cuspidor.
- An underrated aspect of this episode is the fact that the genius school never catches on to Bart’s scam. They’re just as full of shit as the regular school.
- The control hamster gets away!
3. Homer’s Odyssey
- Lost in the mists of time is the way that having an admittedly hungover bus driver was kind of offensive in 1990.
- Black Smithers.
- This filmstrip is the precursor of all the Troy McClure bits. You can tell because he literally sweeps nuclear waste under the rug.
- Hey, there’s Blinky!
- Sherri & Terri’s dad is an asshole.
- “There, there, Homer, you’ll find a job. You’ve caused plenty of industrial accidents and you’ve always bounced back.”
- Marge Simpson: roller-skate MILF before there was such a term.
- This show makes a (serious) suicide note funny. Nothing else need be said.
- I don’t think Marge’s vocal but non-verbal description of what the “Dip Sign” describes can be improved upon. That’s exactly what it feels like.
- This episode really demonstrates how much of the later show was present in the beginning. Even the serious/sad/important moments are frivolous and cynical.
- Yes, Homer dismisses the possibility of a serious nuclear accident with a silent “Nah”.
- This episode has two morals. First, that industrial safety is the least of management’s concerns. Second, that the appearance of such can be bought cheaply.
4. There’s No Disgrace Like Home
- The initial establishing shot of Burns Manor includes a sign that says “Poachers Will Be Shot”.
- Yet another topic that didn’t get made fun of much before The Simpsons: wifely competition. Also, drunk Marge is awesome.
- One of us, one of us, one of us.
- “Dear Lord, thank you for this microwaved bounty.”
- Subtle Season 1 joke: Homer saying he wants to be alone with his “thought”, singular.
- That’s right, Springfield cops extort drinks on the job. Bless ’em.
- The pawn shop guy is appropriately sleazy.
- Marvin Monroe: total swindler. I love this show.
- Openly denigrating the idea of the nuclear family is just one more of many civic contributions of The Simpsons.
- Realistic flesh tones!
5. Bart the General
- “Bart! You’re saying ‘butt kisser’ like it’s a bad thing.”
- Homer gives a wonderful ton of awful fatherly advice this season.
- That’s right, Bart considers “honor student” to be pejorative.
- It’s great that, in his imagining of his own funeral, Bart figures that Homer would care more about missing work than the death of his first born.
- Homer’s “code of the school yard” speech should be thought in upper level sociology classes.
- Scratch that, this entire episode should be taught in upper level sociology classes.
- C’mon Grampa, you can be a vibrant, sex loving maniac and a bitter, resentful individual.
- Google seems to think that there is not, repeat not, a large type edition of Soldier of Fortune.
- They made a lot of movies about World War II, Patton is one of the best.
- Gorgeous animation much?:
- Grampa’s nostalgia for the horrors of combat is one of those things you probably couldn’t get away with these days.
- This episode has a child say “We were only following orders”.
6. Moaning Lisa
- Grade school band practice is so inherently awful as to be beyond mockery, right until Lisa starts talking. That’s good mockery.
- There’s no way to watch Bart and Homer play the B-plot without wanting to fire up an emulator and play the Mike Tyson game.
- Maggie picking the TV over both of her siblings is a joke that can only be seen, but is no less great for being so.
- It’s sad, but the original Bleeding Gums died in 2002. Still awesome.
- “Oh, so that’s it, this is some kind of underwear thing.” Homer’s cluelessness and Marge’s resigned competence are perfect here.
- Marge’s horrible advice to Lisa about dimwittedly smiling, and her subsequent recantation of said advice, is yet another thing for which this show should be canonized. Here’s what many parents tell their kids, and here’s why that’s stupid beyond belief.
- Speaking of excellent animation: the jazz club and everything afterwards. There are things in Season 1 that don’t look right. This is not one of them.
7. The Call of the Simpsons
- Albert Brooks, RV salesman.
- “You ever known a siren to be good?”
- I’m not trying to make this a theme or anything, but the RV falling off the cliff and blowing up is animated really well.
- The ballistic failure of Homer’s rabbit trap is one of the best visual jokes this show has ever done.
- People say the news media sucks these days, and they’re right. But remember that it sucked in 1990 too.
8. The Telltale Head
- Ever been to church? This episode will let you giggle through that awful waste of time.
- “You don’t need an introduction, you’re the worst kid in school.” “Thanks.”
- Gotta love the school bus on fire going off a cliff.
- There are a lot of shows that will use a distressed cat’s meow as a punchline. There aren’t a lot of shows that will use it twice by starting and stopping it.
- Gotta love the murderous, vigilante rage of Krusty.
- There is also a disturbing “why so serious” vibe to Krusty in this episode.
9. Life on the Fast Lane
- Even in Season 1 animation, Lisa’s insane macaroni birthday card is hilarious.
- “The Springfield Mall is now open for your spending needs.”
- The singing waiters sing “Nearer My God”. And it’s during a birthday celebration. Once again, I love this show.
- God bless sleazy horn music.
- Helen Lovejoy is a great television villain. Let’s hope something runs over her.
- There are a lot of genuinely sad moments in this episode, but everyone one has some gags to let you know that they aren’t really serious.
10. Homer’s Night Out
- Almost all of the time, bachelor’s parties are wretched.
- Hey, look! They’re developing photos with chemicals instead of Mac OX X.
- Research indicates that over fifty-percent of power is used by women. The gall!
- This is another episode that has a brutal hilarity to its conclusion. Yes, women are pathetic drooling objects, but men are salivatory jackasses.
11. The Crepes of Wrath
- “The boy. Bring me the boy.” If there has ever been a better expression of parental frustration I have yet to encounter it.
- Marge looking through the peep-hole to see Skinner is great. It makes him seem as odd for them as he naturally would be. Also, he wants to deport an American citizen.
- “Don’t mess up France the way you messed up your room.”
- Skinner’s jingoistic love of that duplicitous Albanian is great.
- 5% of the people controlling 95% of the wealth, Adil was ahead of the curve.
- Even when his son has been replaced by a Commie spy, Homer still has to be baited into thinking his own kid isn’t worthless.
- Yup:
- It probably won’t even blind him.
- The child spy exchange is awesome.
12. Krusty Gets Busted
- “If cartoons were meant for adults they’d put them on in primetime.”
- In a theoretically serious moment, Chief Wiggum says “Send in the clowns.”
- Again with the “hell yeah!” Season 1 animcation:
- Character wise, the repressed valet parking of Sideshow Bob comes through wonderfully.
- Sideshow Bob: proof that homicidal maniacs can also be authoritarian.
- An invocation of “meddling kids” can also serve as a reminder that children are oft smarter than we give them credit for.
13. Some Enchanted Evening
- Harsh reality time: Homer’s a boob and Dr. Marvin is as useless as those guys on Oprah.
- “We’re all pigs.”
- I can’t do Homer’s mispronunciations in this episode. But that it involves babysitting, work, and nominal child abandonment is good enough for me.
- “Video library”, there’s one of the 1980s worst innovations.
- And we end on Homer giving cash to an armed fugitive.
The Mob Has Spoken