His best friend is a talking pie

When You Dish Upon a Star

Butt.com is not my email address

Couch gag: There’s a washing line in the living room and Marge hangs up the family to dry.

Director: Pete Michels

Guest voices:
Kim Basinger as herself
Alec Baldwin as himself
Ron Howard as himself
Brian Grazer as himself

Synopsis: While having fun at Springfield Lakes, Homer lands on the summer house of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, who plead with him to keep their secret. But Homer can’t resist telling his closest drinking buddies. 

Discussion: Who doesn’t love it when celebrities poke fun at themselves? Just by appearing as oneself on The Simpsons, you know there’s already going to be a degree of self-poking just because that’s what the show is. In this episode, produced back when Kim and Alec were still married, it’s Ron Howard who steals the show. 

Despite making fun of her Oscar and berating Alec for not having one, Kim still comes off as being a bit stuck up. Her voice work doesn’t seem as relaxed as the male co-stars although Alec’s voice work also takes a while to settle into his character. But, it’s Ron Howard who wanders in, completely relaxed, and takes Homer’s jibes about being Potsie and Horshack. All you youngsters out there, you may need to ask your parents about this one. 

It’s a great episode. It does feel a bit awkward at the beginning when Homer first falls into the house of Kim and Alec, but then again this adds to the awkwardness of invading the privacy of someone. Another highlight is Homer’s Museum of Hollywood Jerks, in which he sells tickets to see the collection of crap left behind in his car from the celebs and is caught mocking Kim and her bikini by the stars themselves. Last but not least, the end scene in which Ron Howard is selling movie ideas to his business partner Brian Grazer, and tells of Homer’s idea about the killer robot being sent back in time- priceless!