Because we love them, jackass

Viva Ned Flanders

My mom is not dating Jerry Seinfeld

couch gag: A giant hand spins the cel, leaving the scene blurred

Director: Neil Affleck

Guest voices:
The Moody Blues as themselves

First appearance of:
Ginger
Amber

Synopsis: After discovering Ned Flanders is 60 years old but never takes a risk, Homer takes him to Las Vegas, where they drunkenly marry cocktail waitresses. 

Discussion: Long before The Hangover, Ned and Homer got drunk and married women they didn’t previously know… Although the premise of Ned being a senior citizen is completely stupid, this episode is fantastic. Ned plays by the rules (even the ones that contradict the other ones) and as a result, is pre-diddly-ictable and looks great for his age. Enter Homer and his Program, designed to get Ned to have some fun. And fun they did have. 

What’s great about this ep is that Ned is allowed to have fun. He briefly mentions that gambling is forbidden by the bible but he does splash out and have a white wine spritzer… Some people just can’t handle Vegas. 

The new wives, Amber and Ginger, are waitresses and embody everything unholy about Vegas. Never mind that the marriage isn’t legal as Ned and Homer already have wives… but never let facts get in the way of a good story. Amber and Ginger are seen only a couple of times in future episodes, but their legacy is clear. 

Something that has been missing in Simpsons episodes from season 9-10 is FUN. Thankfully, it has returned in this here episode. Someone new to the show would clearly view this ep as a homage to The Hangover. That’s not such a bad thing; it’s a good movie and this is a good episode. 

Pray for Mojo

Girly Edition

couch gag: A hand spins the scene, leaving the picture blurred

Director: Mark Kirkland

First appearance of:
Crazy Cat Lady

Synopsis: Lisa anchors a kids’ news show and is jealous when Bart’s human interest stories are popular, so she exacts revenge. Meanwhile, Homer gets a helper monkey.

Discussion: There are many layers to this episode. Superficially, it’s Lisa vs Bart at a news desk where they try to outshine each other. And Homer has a helper monkey because he’s lazy.

There’s also the parody of the Chocobot Hour, where the show has become the advertising. Australia was heading this way before legislation banned it, and indeed, has banned junk food advertising in children’s programming altogether. However, established brands such as Barbie have been making movies for some time, which negates the legislation and is allowed to be shown. After watching the latest Barbie-is-a-princess movie, you can rush out and buy the doll. Not sure she comes with a chocolate bar though…

Then there’s the journalism angle. Regular readers will know that I’m doing a Communications degree and studying many journalism units (although that’s not my major). Lisa’s integrity to bring “real news” to the masses is a noble one. But do kids really care about chalk shortages? (Well, not anymore since schools switched to whiteboards!) Turns out kids identify with human interest stories… well, sort of. The popularity of Bart’s People is measured by the mail he receives from people wanting to be on the segment, rather than fan mail. Anyhoo, Bart is popular and Lisa’s hard news isn’t. As for Milhouse’s “Newz You Can Uze”, which deals with getting rid of the evidence that you’ve wet the bed, well, he’s right. It is news you can use and seems to be a popular real-life form of news. Put a different spin on the news, have it read by a panel of comedians and suddenly people will want to watch. I do have a bit of a rant about the sheer amount of news saturation, but this really isn’t the place for that 🙂

Lastly, this is a good episode. Homer gets a helper monkey. What can be better than that?

Simpsons Logo Quiz levels 3 & 4

Here are the answers to Simpsons Logo Quiz (available on Android) levels 3 and 4. Top to bottom, left to right.

Level 3

General Sherman, Dondelinger, Dolph
Karl, Maurice, Larry
Jebediah Springfield, Sherri, Terri
Jacques, Frink, Lance Murdoch
Jimbo, Mona, Wendall
Lewis, Sideshow Mel, Richard
Rod, Bernice, Kearney
Snowball II, Herman, Snyder
Bleeding Gums Murphy, Hank Scorpio, Jasper
Sylvia, Bergstrom, Meyers

Level 4
Clancy, Sanjay, Beatrice
Hyman, Bumblebee Man, Fritz
Laura, LuAnn, Mary
Kirk, Mindy, Lucius
Pepi, Bobo, Legs
Chalmers, Leon, Molloy
Ruth, Snowball I, Louie
Janey, Captain McCallister, Tom
Snake, Willie, Sarah
Doris, Fat Tony, Princess Kashmir 

He spelled Yale with a 6

Burns, Baby Burns

Couch gag: Bubbles shaped like the family land on the couch and pop.

Director: Jim Reardon

Guest voice:
Rodney Dangerfield as Larry 

Synopsis: Mr Burns discovers he has a long-lost son, Larry.

Discussion: Mr Burns had it off with a woman, whoda thunk it??? The result is poor entrepreneur Larry, running a souvenir stall beside a road. He’s annoying, he says what he’s thinking and he wants to get to know his father.

This episode has a lot of elements in it that don’t quite fit together.  The Simpsons are visiting a very pretty, but very boring cider mill. The joke of the Flanders being lifetime members is brilliant- they’d never do anything fun like join a theme park. On the way home, the family see a hitchhiker, Larry, who has seen his father on a train heading to Springfield. This is all well and good; but it kinda falls down when Homer suggests a phony kidnapping to prove his father’s love. 

This ep starts off well, but kinda goes off the tracks. Rodney Dangerfield is one of the funniest people on the planet and I feel that he falls flat here. Larry is frickin’ annoying, not hilarious. Mr Burns cares for his son- what would happen if he tried to send him back to the orphanage? It’s not a bad episode, but it could be better. 

We call that the stinger

The Homer They Fall

I am not my long lost twin

Couch gag: The family are dressed as cowboys. The couch gallops away when they sit on it. 

Director: Mark Kirkland

Guest voices:
Michael Buffer as himself
Paul Winfield as Lucius Sweet

Synopsis: Moe becomes Homer’s boxing manager and lines him up to fight Drederick Tatum.

Discussion: OK, it’s another sport episode so automatically I want to tune out. It’s not my fault! I’m just not into sports. 

Apparently Homer is, well, sort of. He has a condition called Homer Simpson Syndrome (“Why me?”) which means his brain is cushioned inside his skull and all he has to do is stand there and be hit until the other guy tires and Homer can knock him out. Moe exploits this and soon there’s a heavyweight title fight between Homer and Drederick Tatum. 

I like the storyline, I like that Homer has yet another job, I like the parody of Don King (for those playing at home, you can add Lucius Sweet to your Simpsons Logo Quiz). I don’t like boxing. It’s a barbaric “sport”. Homer though, seems perfect for it so hey, who am I to argue? For me, the best part is over the end credits when Moe is saving people using the fan he stole from Fan Man. 

I guess if you’re into sports, it’s a good ep, but to me it seems like one joke taken too far. 

You fly boys crack me up

Fear of Flying

Ralph won’t “morph” if you squeeze him hard enough

Couch gag: The family dance and are joined by a circus

Director: Mark Kirkland

Guest voices:
Anne Bancroft as Dr Zweig
Ted Danson as Sam
Woody Harrelson as Woody
Rhea Perlman as Carla
John Ratzenberger as Cliff
George Wendt as Norm

Synopsis: Homer is banned from Moe’s Tavern and tries to find a new watering hole. In a pilots-only bar, he is mistaken for a pilot, given a flight, screws up and is compensated with free travel. On the plane, Marge freaks out.

Discussion: Being a TV show, there’s little continuity. In this episode, we discover Marge has a fear of flying. She has flown before, such as when they visited Herb in Florida (presumably they didn’t drive) and the helicopter ride to visit Itchy and Scratchy Land. A few sessions of therapy reveal Marge’s father was a flight attendant and the shame caused her fear.

Now, I don’t get it. Male flight attendants are very common now; my first boyfriend’s father was a flighty. I understand that when Marge was a kid, it was seen as a woman’s job… but I still don’t get it. It seems a really weak plot point.

The ep as a whole is OK. Homer’s quest to find a new bar after being banned from Moe’s is definitely the highlight. The guys are pulling pranks on Moe and Homer joins in but apparently the prank is going too far (???) It’s another plot point I just don’t get. Maybe it’s just me. Anyhoo, Homer goes to find a new pub and visits a lesbian club and the Cheers bar. Now, I’ve always thought that the reason Frasier doesn’t speak in the ep is because Kelsey Grammer also voices Sideshow Bob, but Wikipedia tells me it was actually because Kelsey wasn’t available to record his voice. I suppose his non-participation makes it ironic.

One last thing: Marge’s father is unnamed in this episode but his name is Clancy. Clancy happens to also be Chief Wiggum’s name. Clancy Bouvier strikes a strong resemblance to Moe, don’t you think…?

Hey Homey, I can see your doodle

Brother From the Same Planet

The principal’s toupee is not a frisbee

Couch gag: The couch and wall spin around, leaving a new, empty couch

Director: Jeff Lynch

Guest voice:
Phil Hartman as: Tom, Nelson’s dad, sports commentator, TV announcer

Synopsis: Homer forgets to pick up Bart from soccer training so Bart calls Bigger Brothers to find a new father figure. Jealous, Homer volunteers to be a Bigger Brother and spends some time with the disadvantaged Pepi. Meanwhile, Lisa is battling an addiction to the Corey hotline.

Discussion: I’d like to have seen more of Pepi. He’s got the potential to be a really good character but it’s just not developed properly. On the other hand, Tom is fully played to all his strengths, which doesn’t really amount to much. he’s very much a one dimensional character with limited possibility although the fight scene between him and Homer is excellent.

Phil Hartman voices several characters through the episode and his voice still makes me sad 😦

(Just a short blog today, the computer keeps giving me hints that it really needs to do some updates)

Hey there, blimpy boy

Lisa the Beauty Queen

I will not prescribe medication

Couch gag: Maggie sits on the couch while the family run past the cel, returning to sit on the couch.

Director: Mark Kirkland

Guest voice:
Bob Hope as himself

Synopsis: At a school fair, Lisa has a caricature drawn and becomes convinced she’s ugly. To prove her wrong, Homer enters her into the Little Miss Springfield pageant. As runner-up, Lisa has to assume the title when winner Amber is struck by lightning. Lisa is now the spokesperson for a cigarette company, a role she doesn’t want.

Discussion: There are several themes running through this episode. First, Homer believing his little girl is “cute as a bug’s ear” and desperate to prove it to her. Secondly, Homer’s unselfishness as he sells his ticket for a ride on the Duff blimp (setting in motion a Hindenburg-like disaster which Barney miraculously survives…) Third, Lisa’s self-image. Fourth, being a role model for a cigarette company and encouraging young people to take up smoking.

Lisa’s low self-image and Homer’s desperation to prove her beauty are the cornerstones to the episode. For Lisa, the anxiety doesn’t set in from magazines, it’s a seemingly innocent caricature drawn at a school fair. “It’s what you would look like if you were a cartoon character,” Homer tells her. The writers could have made a satirical reference to beauty magazines, but chose this route. It’s probably a good thing, considering the latter half of the ep deals with Lisa’s social conscience in standing up against young people smoking.

The beauty pageant itself is well done. It’s Simpsons-esque enough to be funny without delving into the controversy of reality, where girls are primed to look much older than they are. This needs to be applauded in this episode. If the ep was made today, I’m sure there’d be a Honey Boo Boo type character in there… *shudder*

I liked the Hindenburg reference, with the Duff blimp (piloted momentarily by Barney), crashes into a radio tower and bursts into flames, to which Kent Brockman responds, “Oh the humanity!” Although not shown here, Barney obviously survives as he is still a regular of the series even today. Young viewers today probably need to Google that reference…

Amber Dempsey is a character in Simpsons Logo Quiz for those playing at home.

It’s recess everywhere but in his heart

Bart’s Friend Falls in Love

I will not snap bras

Couch gag: The family sit on the couch and it falls backwards through the wall.

Director: Jim Reardon

First appearance of:
Kirk Van Houten

Guest voice:
Kimmy Robertson as Samantha

Synopsis: There’s a new girl at school and Milhouse develops an instant crush on her. Meanwhile, Homer listens to subliminal vocabulary tapes when the company runs out of weight loss tapes.

Discussion: This post was very nearly called Fuzzy Bunny’s Guide to You-Know-What after a video the kids watch in Mrs Krabappel’s class. We’ve all been the third wheel when our best friend finds a partner. They want to spend all their time with them, and there’s not a moment’s peace, even at the movies. You ask, “Remember the bit where…?” only find they missed it because they were lip wrestling. It’s such a strain on the friendship and a huge pain in the ass as well. Bart ends up giving Milhouse a lesson in bros before hos.

I have two favourite sequences from this ep: the homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark and the aforementioned Fuzzy Bunny video. Homer’s vocab is also pretty hilarious, especially when he asks for a thingy to dig food. We also meet Milhouse’s dad, Kirk, back when he and Luann are still happily married (whoops, was that a spoiler?)

And for those playing Simpsons Logo Quiz, you can now add in Samantha. One day I’ll publish the solution to that whole game… but right now I’ve only completed two levels. I know the characters, but stuffed if I can remember their names. Instead of Googling the cheats, I’m waiting to watch the episodes. Takes a while but it’s more satisfying that cheating. (I only mention this because I can see what search terms are used to find my blog, and Simpsons Logo Quiz comes up regularly).

if you don’t watch violence, you’ll never get desensitised

Colonel Homer

I will not conduct my own fire drills

Director: Mark Kirkland

First appearance of:
Lurleen Lumpkin

Guest Voice:
Beverley D’Angelo as Lurleen

Synopsis: After fighting with Marge, Homer heads to a redneck bar and discovers a singing waitress named Lurleen. He agrees to be her manager, however her failure means the Simpson family is broke and her success means Homer is always away from his family. Lurleen asks Homer to “bunk with her” and Homer refuses, selling her contract and going home to Marge.

Discussion: Homer and Marge’s marriage isn’t perfect. This is one of those things that add to the show’s realism and lead it away from the cartoonish iconography we’re used to. In this episode, Homer manages a country singer who, amazingly, has the hots for him. Maybe she’s attracted to married men, maybe she’s attracted to power… or maybe she has a fetish for overweight and balding men. Who knows? In any case, she doesn’t hide this crush and Marge notices. Homer is 100% faithful to his wife and gives up his new career to be with his family. Lurleen is young, pretty and talented and has the goods to go a very long way with her career, but Homer chooses to be with his family instead.

You know, when this ep first aired, I had no idea Beverley D’Angelo was the voice. I knew her from the National Lampoon movies and here she’s (surprisingly) perfectly cast. Wikipedia tells me that she even wrote two of Lurleen’s songs and performed them herself! It’s really great to see this kind of diversity in a guest role and should be encouraged.

Country music isn’t really my thing, however the songs in the episode are catchy. I don’t find myself singing them to my bowling ball though…