America's Favorite Non-prehistoric Cartoon Family - The Simpsons Thread

[Johnny Unusual]

This takes a LOT of time but the host of Gayest Episode Ever, a podcast about LGBTQ+ episodes of classic sitcoms, made a supercuts of ALL the LGBTQ jokes in the show in sequential order. Its 2 hours and 19 minutes and comes with footnotes. As you can imagine, there's some pretty bog standard stuff you'd expect from the 90s.

My favourite footnote by the editor clearly trying not to miss a damned thing no matter how loosely connected or questionable: "This *might* be gay because Smithers might like ranchers who are jolly, maybe?"

 

[Johnny Unusual]

A Milhouse Divided

The Simpsons is a sitcom from the 90s and an animated one at that. Which means that the status is almost largely "quo". As a kid, I was surprised the status wasn't returned at the end. Episodes tried to fake me out with BIG changes like "The Simpsons are moving" or "Mr. Burns is shot" that added to great stories but not much more. Meanwhile, there's lots of stuff that deepened and added to the mythos to the show without changing anything. But to me, this was a change despite the fact that it only effected the most tertiary recurring characters of the series. But Milhouse is a big part of the show and having him be a divorced kid felt like a big deal. Frankly, I don't like that they got back together when it is clear that one of them has been doing a LOT better without the other half and has re-entered what appears to be a bad relationship. But as small as it is and while it has been somewhat undone, as a kid I thought of it as a surprising move.

In this episode, Marge decides to host a dinner party. It seems like Homer is the one most likely to ruin the evening but strife comes from an unexpected source: Kirk and Luann Van Houten, who begin bickering the moment they enter and exit planning for divorce. Marge is concerned but Homer is largely unaffected. Marge finds that Luann has a new zest for life while Homer finds Kirk leading a pretty pathetic one. Homer doesn't think too much of it at first but then comes to realize that many of Kirk's failings are not far removed from his own and worries about his marriage. Homer tries to be a more attentive husband but becomes a more obnoxious and intrusive one. Looking back his marriage, he realizes there were problems from the beginning and files for divorce... but only so he and Marge can get married, only with the friends and family who never appeared at their first wedding. Kirk is inspired to try to reconnect with Luann only to find its too little too late.

This is another episode where Homer seems to fix things with a grand gesture that shows his capability for affection and deep caring but is also something that can allow him to move back into his usual mode within a short time. With the show becoming wackier and zanier, Homer's plans are bigger, stupider and more destructive. Lisa's right when she says "You're very lucky to have Mom." These big moves tend to be bandaids for much bigger problems but actually dealing with them is probably a bit too ambitious for a show like the Simpsons (a show that is ambitious in other directions) so they always have to end with a quick fix. As the show goes on, these moves becomes less romantic and effecting. And the fact that Homer included a surprise unilateral divorce (how did that happen? Because I bet there are a lot of people who would love that) is worrying.

But the real strength of the episode is the darker side: Kirk and Luann, characters who hadn't gotten much characterization save for "Luann worries about Bart's bad influence" and "Kirk gives Milhouse a hard time". They are definitely characters by this time but their role is visible parents to a funny b-tier character whose main trait is patheticness. Here, we get a level of discomfort we usually don't see on the show. Its not quite "cringe" comedy to me but its certainly in the ballpark with lots of moments of "oof" as the couple spar at each other throughout the night. I like that the episode builds the idea that Homer is so uninvolved, he's the most likely source of a ruined evening and it comes from an unexpected source that Marge can't rein in. By Simpsons standards its rough stuff and though Marge and Homer have marital strife, it never feels as nasty as the Van Houten's marriage.

I feel the Simpsons knew that their realm was in a status quo show and a lot of shows that would have an episode long separation would have characters be equally miserable and get back together. Instead, Luann was clearly held back by Kirk and Kirk finds that he's a man adrift without the very marriage that was hurting him. But the fact is, it is clear that while both parties engage in nasty sniping, Kirk is just the worst. From here on in, not only in the episode by on the show, Kirk becomes a cautionary tale; a worst possible case for Milhouse where the boys awkward and cowardly nature results in a punching bag for life. Surprisingly, Milhouse factors very little in the to the episode but what we see is actually interesting. The two major scenes are him being bummed and finding a sensitive ear in an unexpected place; Nelson. also a child of a separated family. The other skews a bit darker: though the core of it is about Luann doing better than Kirk, we see Milhouse acting out with a frenzied look causing destructive chaos fueled by his frustration. I feel like this is something to prepare us for maybe a Milhouse evolution but really Milhouse remains the same kid, save with even more grief in his life. I'm really glad it ends with the divorce standing. Kirk's half assed and ill-considered attempt to re-enter Luan's life is met correctly. Kirk is a pitiable character, but having him with Luann would drag her down again, not lift him up. Its part of the reason I HATE that the show made Lisa/Milhouse a thing; its actually bad for BOTH characters when Lisa could find something better (not necessarily a partner. Lisa seems like someone who would still be happy and have love in her life without a partner) and Milhouse could grow to be someone good instead of being the same pathetic kid but older (a take verified by increasingly upsetting "future" episodes). It is a shame Kirk is basically a sad punchline but better that than an albatross around his wife's neck.

Jokes I missed before:
Also, Marge gives Homer grief for the haircut but it looks like it already came pre-fucked up by the barber.

Other great jokes:
I like Lisa's completely distracted "conversation" with Marge.

"You know what you need? A little comic strip called Love Is... It's about two naked eight year olds who are married.

"Oh great, ya got the kid singing, I hope your happy now."
I love Lisa's gung ho attitude and obliviousness to the situation as she INSTANTLY starts singing "Grand Old Flag."

"That's a door?"

"I sleep in a drawer!"

"I sleep in a racing car, do you?:"
"I sleep in a big bed with my wife."

I love Homer adding a salty old tar to his ocean noises.

"In quiet solitude or blasting across the Alkalide Flats in a jet-powered, monkey-navigated... and it goes on like this."

I think it takes a genius to write lyrics this terrible.

Other notes:

What the fuck, the 70s?

 

[Ludendorkk]

Lot of all time great bits in this episode

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Its really weird. Like, they somehow get worse at handling it. It feels like the trajectory is "mild gay panic jokes but we aren't allowed to say gay" then "actual gay panic" mixed with less offensive "I bet they are gay", then a weird trend of "isn't it funny they are accepting, something we think you should be but its not 'the norm' so acceptance is unexpected", then a LOT of time with the bullies using gay as a pejorative, like, somehow more than they used to. And its to show how they suck but also... do we need this? Also a lot of "isn't it funny if the straights tried it" that don't feel... thoughtful. Also, another weird trend: having characters be gay/not gay to explore gayness with non-gay characters AND EVEN A REVERSE OF THAT WITH SMITHERS! Its a lot to unpack.

EDIT: Oh, right, and a REALLY WEIRD trend for a while where sexy Lesbians were hilarious. What the fuck was going on with that gang of female friends who just start making out when Marge leaves. Its not even a joke is it?

EDIT: Also, man, they might have been well-meaning on the gay stuff but on the trans-end (flinches as if watching a car crash).

 

[R.R. Bigman]

Simpsons got really mean spirited after the writer brain drain to Futurama and Mission Hill.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Lisa's Date With Density

I have a lot of weaknesses. One is that I have a pretty piss-poor BS detector on the whole. Or maybe I have a serviceable one but I generally want to believe the best in people, even when I shouldn't. It might sound like a good thing to believe in people and it is... to a point. But bad judgment and optimism aren't the same thing and frankly there are times I've embarrassed myself placing trust in places I shouldn't have. The worst was probably the time a guy tried to make me a partner in his business and then disappeared for months while he tried to get me to do work I wasn't trained for and chewed me out when I screwed up and refused to pay me for unrelated work done. I eventually took him to court and won but I feel dumb for getting into a situation I should have seen was a going to be a problem. But I held out hope that this guy had a good reason to leave me blowing in the wind, assuming I'd figure things out. And I always fear its a mistake I could make again.

In this episode, Lisa falls in love with Nelson, despite her better judgment. Lisa decides to confess but it soon becomes obvious they are a bad match for each other. Lisa tries to change Nelson and make him into the kind of man she'd like and Nelson decides to go along with it and decides he likes Lisa. This ends up causing a schism between him and his bully friends who want him to help torment Principal Skinner by bombarding his house with rotten coleslaw. Nelson keeps Lisa happy but later that evening helps his friends with their mischief. Soon, the kids are chased off by the police and Nelson goes to Lisa for help Lisa does but only because Nelson claims innocence, only to accidentally confess later on. Lisa realizes that trying to change someone who doesn't want to be changed is a fool's errand and though she does get to see a genuine sweet side to him, she finds herself being fine leaving on amicable terms.

Lisa's a smart character and even wise but even a wise person can be foolish. Lisa knows objectively that this is a bad situation from the get but romantic feelings aren't easily ignored. And she's not wrong that Nelson has hidden depths, something that comes up in later episodes. But its our actions that matter and Nelson's actions are uniformly sucky throughout. Once Nelson proves that he doesn't have the sense and/or morals to be honest with the person he loves, that's sort of the final straw in Lisa seeing what she can find in him and realizing the futility of trying to force a change he doesn't want.

I do think these are good ideas but really for a Lisa romance episode, this is just OK. Its not a bad episode. Its an acceptable way to spend a half-hour. There are definitely a lot of great jokes and I feel like the middle bit where the two visit each others houses to emphasize how different they are. I like that its not the vast differences in attitudes that split them but a difference in something deeper, like morals. While Lisa's initial reasons for crushing on Nelson don't work for me (nothing wrong with it, just not that effective), I get why a character like Nelson could be attractive: in the first act, he's a figure of no compromise. No matter how much trouble he'll get in, or what authority figure he faces, he doesn't shrink. Of course, that's less an example of bravery and more of indifference but regardless, it is easy to see as a compelling aura.

But for me, while I do like the episode, its one of the weaker ones as of late and I actually think while I don't know if the episodes are pretty strong, I kind of get more out of the ones where Nelson becomes drawn to Marge as a mother figure or becomes friends with Bart to a possessive degree. Nelson isn't one of my favourite characters but I am always a sucker for finding the sadder or more vulnerable side of someone who prides themselves on their strength alone.

Oh, and this episode also has Homer running a telemarketing scam. Its fine.

Jokes I missed before:

An extended scene where Wiggum points out that most police chiefs don't bother to come out onto the cases he does.

Also, Skinner's front hallway looks like Norman Bates' and the use of the Rebel Without a Cause planetarium.

Other great jokes:

"This is going to sound crazy but at first I thought I enraged you again."
"SKINNER!"
"WHAT? WHAT?!"
"You're getting paranoid."

"Frankly I would have expected better from Jimmy the Scumbag."

"And should there be a request for an encore, we will reprise Pop Goes the Weasel. Otherwise we will file out quietly."

"NOBODY LIKES MILHOUSE!"

"I believe you! I don't care!"

"Milhouse likes Vaseline on toast."

Other notes:

"I've always admired car owners and I hope to be one..."
Me

Predicted the entire gourmet donut industry.

 

[Büge]

Do you find something funny about the word "Tromboner"?

 

[Purple]

EDIT: Also, man, they might have been well-meaning on the gay stuff but on the trans-end (flinches as if watching a car crash).

Yeah, that was... not a super great thing to have condensed and shotgunned at me like that.

 

[Nich]

EDIT: Also, man, they might have been well-meaning on the gay stuff but on the trans-end (flinches as if watching a car crash).

Inspired by this thread, I've been watching some Simpsons since they fixed the aspect ratio on D+, and a few days ago thought "Didn't one of Marge's sisters come out of the closet at some point?" so I tracked down that season 16 episode. Apparently it got all sorts of praise (including from GLAAD) for its depiction of marriage equality, but what none of the critical reception seems to have noticed is that it's also just off-the-charts transphobic in its last 10 minutes or so.

 

[MetManMas]

Yeah, I remember that. I didn't think much of that part way back when it first aired, but now that extremely transphobic end stretch is exactly why I have no desire to ever watch that episode again.

 

[Büge]

The trans community has ever been the scapegoat of the LGBT+ spectrum...

 

[Ghost from Spelunker]

That video was quite an endurance test. Did people go through the whole thing in one day?

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Hurricane Neddy

I am obsessed with Mr. Rogers. Certainly the very good (though at times a bit cliche) Tom Hanks movie helped but before that it was various articles and clips and the very good documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor" (which definitely informed the aforementioned movie). I introduced my niece to the show and to my delight she loves it more than Sesame Street and Yo! Gabba Gabba (which we both like). As a kid I never liked it as much as the other PBS shows but I love it much more know, especially since I greatly value shows that can provide emotional intelligence. I think I thought of it as too boring and soft but now I see it as a place that is safe but is also willing to confront anger and fear in a mature yet comforting way. It is not about repression, its about processing. This is alluded to in the narrative film and discussed in the documentary: Rogers definitely had anger. Maybe even a notable amount. But what makes him cool isn't that he repressed it or held it back. In the movie, you can see Tom Hanks pause when he could be angry, not to bite his tongue but to approach his anger in the correct way and channel it into something constructive. Obviously an expression of anger is important, especially in an era where holding back on objections might be making yourself complicit in the injustice that makes you feel angry. But it is amazing to see a man even back then finding a cool yet compassionate way evolve one's emotional maturity. Not that he was perfect, certainly by his own admission. He's made two decisions I think we not cool in his career (denying "Lady Aberline" a role in Night of the Living Dead and, in a decision he later regretted, asking one of his actors not to come out) but despite this, I think he found a good path to self-improvement. But Ned Flanders, the nicest guy in Springfield on the other hand...

In this episode, a hurricane is heading for Springfield. Most of the citizenry is in panic mode but as is often the case, Ned is prepared and ready to help his neighbors. But after the storm, the Flanders are the only people (outside of the Bowlarama, which bounced back quickly) to suffer. Ned has a crisis of faith like never before as misfortune after misfortune pile up. Things seem to be turning a corner for the Flanders when the citizens of Springfield come together to rebuild their home until Ned sees that their incompetence made an unsafe house that almost immediately collapses. It is then Flanders explodes at his friends and neighbors, insulting them and airing his grievances. He immediately drives to the nearest mental hospital to commit himself. He is soon visited by Dr. Foster, a doctor who revealed that he is responsible for who he is. It turns out as a child, Ned was angry and rambunctious and Flanders' parents, not believing in discipline, felt helpless. Dr. Foster tried a new experimental treatment on Ned to calm him down, except that the corporal punishment based system messed him up, leaving him unable to express anger in normal situations. Foster theorizes that the only cure for Ned is to force himself to get mad, so they bring in the most aggravating person in Springfield: Homer Simpson. Homer initially reads antagonism from a cue card but Homer doesn't get results until Homer begins to question his capacity for anger and humanity. Eventually, they reach a breakthrough and Ned realizes he hates his parents and is capable of expressing it. Ned is declared cured and promises to be more open about his anger.

Hurricane Neddy is a great episode and a fascinating one to me. Just like "Fear of Flying", this episodes take on mental health is misguided at best. Its making fun of "crazy" in scenes and there's even a section where there are visual gags involving the residents. But at the same time, I do think it actually addresses ideas that I think might be key, such as the idea that Ned lives so much to make other people happy by repressing, that he's neglected the self-care that he didn't realize he sorely needed. Also, I feel like it is showing a situation where bad "cures" for mental health can cause more damage and that there were people who have been hurt by what were likely good intentions. I feel like its also an episode that is even more irreverent towards mental health than "Fear of Flying", which, for its flaws, feels like it is more overtly trying to show psychiatry in a positive light while here it is a plot point for character exploration. Heck, despite cutting off Marge from her therapist for the future, at least they acknowledge Marge should probably continue therapy, while Flanders is "cured" at the episode's end.

But as a character study of Flanders, this is both a strong one and one that makes the character a lot richer. In his inception, Flanders was more of a friendly fortunate yuppie to contrast against the Simpsons' dysfunctional, scraping-for-pennies lifestyle. Flanders' religion became key to his character, presumably to show how good a guy he was until the religious element took over to inform is infinite capacity for forgiving and being Homer's doormat. Here, we get another turning point were we see that being a doormat is a symptom of a much larger problem. By the episodes end, we have a promise of a Flanders who will be able to spar with Homer more and be more assertive, while still being the same guy. Like, he'll probably let Homer walk over him on the little things and less on the big things. Unfortunately, I do think down the line to Flanders being more of a homophobic creep, an element that I think has done real harm to a character, especially as Homer himself often would become more meanspirited. But in the immediate present for the show, it added a lot to the character in a positive way.

And for a season where the wacky stack, a Met Man Mas put it, has been piled increasingly high (in less than 10 episodes, the Simpsons get a magic nanny), this is an episode with a lot of human pathos. Harry Shearer gives a lot of pathos to Ned and while his outburst is an all-time memorable moment, I love the way his tone becomes extra soft when he commits himself. Knowing that his wacky verbal tic is actually a symptom of something else, it makes his breakdown in church as he pleads with God for an answer particularly powerful (the use of lighting is also particularly good). Its an episode that knows how to use its quiet. While it does give a musical sting on the reveal of the fate of the Flanders house, it lets it bleed away and let us stare at the devastation in a moment of silence (that said, I think it could have felt even more powerful without the sting). I always like it when the show that has a specific tone like the Simpsons can change gears for a bit, allowing such scenes to stand out. Flanders might be doomed to become a less likable character, at least in this episode we see a positive evolution.

Jokes I missed before:

Someone was here for different reasons.

Other great jokes:
"Oh, Lisa, there's no record of a hurricane ever hitting Springfield."
"Yes, but those records only go back to 1978 when the hall of records was mysteriously blown away."

"We're going to be in a pie."
Can someone make a pineapple pumpkin pie work? I don't feel like those flavors work together.

I love the line read of "I would make it my BUSINESS to be a third wheel."

"If baby Jesus got loose, he could really do some damage."

"Todd is stupid and I'm with him. Now Mommy's stupid."

"I feel like Job."
"Aren't you being a tad melodramatic? Also, I believe Job was right handed."

"Even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff."

"Now this is the room with electricity but it has too much electricity so I dunno, you might want to wear a hat."

"I don't know you but I'm sure your a jerk."
"Hey, I just got here, what's going on?"

"You ugly, hate-filled man."
"Hey, I may be ugly and hate-filled but... what was that third thing you said?"

"Homer, you are the worst human being I have ever met."
"Hey, I got off pretty easy."

"It sure did-iddly-id."
"Alright there. I'm trying to help you know."

"You call him a moron and he just sits there grinning moron-al-ly."

"Did you write that?"
"...Did you like it?"

"He just said he hates his parents. Do you know this means?"
"Um... what do you think?"
"It means he's cured."
"That's what I said."

Other notes:

 

[Octopus Prime]

Inspired by this thread, I've been watching some Simpsons since they fixed the aspect ratio on D+, and a few days ago thought "Didn't one of Marge's sisters come out of the closet at some point?" so I tracked down that season 16 episode. Apparently it got all sorts of praise (including from GLAAD) for its depiction of marriage equality, but what none of the critical reception seems to have noticed is that it's also just off-the-charts transphobic in its last 10 minutes or so.

I reached that episode in my own rewatch recently.

That last act really took the wind out of my sails.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1358120891310346243

 

[Johnny Unusual]

El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer

I'm a pretty fortunate guy. I have family I see often and that I'm close to and a good friend and I know a lot of people aren't so fortunate. But often I still feel lonely. I have a pretty non-existent romantic life and what few dates I've had happened pleasantly but left me with no desire to create a larger future relationship. And often that makes me feel bad about myself, either that I don't have the emotional equipment or the selflessness to actually pursue a proper relationship. I do some online conversations on dating apps but they usually don't go anywhere.
So even though I have a lot of love in my life, I sometimes fear that I'll never meet someone to spend my life with. I think if I miss out on that, I'll still have had a good life. Its OK to be single and should feel the need to be in a relationship if they don't want it. But the yearning is still there and deep.

In this episode, Homer learns Marge is hiding from him that the Springfield Annual Chili Cookoff is underway. It turns out every year Homer gets very drunk and Marge gets embarrassed. Homer promises not to drink and the family goes to the cook-off. After consuming numerous extremely hot peppers from one of the chilis, Homer begins to hallucinate and runs off in a panic. Homer goes through a mental wasteland where he meets his spirit guide, a coyote, who gets him to question whether Marge is really his soulmate. Homer denies it but after Homer comes to and returns home, he finds Marge extremely angry, as she assumed Homer running off was due to breaking his promise and getting drunk. Homer decides to look for a new soulmate, wandering the streets of Springfield and finding nothing. After looking in a lighthouse for a presumably lonely friend, Homer finds only an automated lighthouse. In a fit of loneliness-based mania, Homer destroys the light, hoping anyone who crashes up on shore will be his friend. It is then Marge arrives and shows that she was able to find him due to her deep understanding of Homer. Marge and Homer fix the lighthouse to save the ship and though it crashes, no one his hurt. And everyone wears hot pants.

I feel like there's probably a conversation to be had whether the imagery and use of an animal spirit guide is merely using culturally significant imagery to tell the story or if it falls into the range of cultural appropriation (or if it is in a grey middle ground) but I'll be honest, I don't have the knowledge or proper understanding to discuss it properly so forgive me for not discussing what is MUCH of the episode is in that capacity. The visuals of Homer's hallucinatory world is inspired by the art of Carlos Casteneda, who I must admit a lack of knowledge of, despite the fact that the episode description thinks its key, and this is after it erroneously stated Homer "finds out" Hank Scorpio is a villain (part of the joke is he never does). He art is beautiful but I don't even know if he's primarily an artist who also writes or vice versa. Sure is pretty though.

And the Simpsons realizes these visuals wonderfully. The show has been toying with other animation styles and visuals before this and would do a lot after but I think this remains the most beautiful the show has ever looked. And while the Simpsons has had a lot of great visuals before, I like that this looks like nothing else. Its not just "hallucinatory", its beautiful and manages to marry the Simpsons style with Castenada's in a gorgeous way.

Act two climaxes with Homer meeting his spirit guide played perfectly by Johnny Cash. His voice his perfectly authoritative but unlike some musical guest stars, he isn't getting laughs from weirdly stilted reads of funny lines like, say, pretty much everyone in Homerpalooza. Cash is great at being derisive, then pitying about Homer needing a computer. Its very funny and Cash lays on maximum disgust followed by genuine pity.

Act three tones things down with a lonely Homer wandering Springfield looking for a friend. Its a decent third act but after the second, it is a bit of a let down. There are more killer gags but it is less glorious, but beyond that, I actually think the final act could have sustained a full episode, something with more of a sense of sadness instead of a gloss of it. But I'm reviewing the episode as it is, not what it could be and on that front, the whole thing is one of the strongest of the season and asking the questions "do I really understand the person I love?" and "Is there another friend out there for me?" The latter certainly speaks to me, as its hard for a grown up to make friends even without a pandemic. I feel like the resolution is good and I almost feel the show doesn't take enough advantage of having Homer and Marge have subtle similarities or deep inner understandings of each other and more or less fall back into "Marge groans at Homer". I like seeing what these very different people see in each other and I wish we saw it more. It doesn't have to even be super romantic, though even little ways when these two can end up working in tandem can be sort of romantic, perhaps even moreso than overt signs of affection.

Other great jokes:

"Oh, well, if it was big and annual, I'm sure they would have mentioned it in the newspaper."

"Oh, of course, everything looks bad if you remember it."

"Why don't you have a cigarette or something."
"Hmm... I suppose I could."

"Eight spices? Some of them must be doubles. Or-a-GAN-o? What the Hell?"
Because I this episode, I keep saying Oregano wrong.

"They say he carved it himself... from a bigger spoon."

"By all medical logic, steam should be shooting out of his ears."
"His ears if we're lucky."

"Well, Chief, don't quit your day job. Whatever that is."

"Let him go Ralph. He knows what he's doin'."

"This is cause I kicked you, isn't it?"

I like how much Bart likes his stupid chili hat.

"Anyway, I sez to Mabel I sez."
Underrated non-sequitor.

"I'm a well-wisher, in that I don't wish you any specific harm."

Other notes:

"It takes weeks to make Muntz" isn't even so much as joke as a legit great slogan of a not-real chili.

 

[jpfriction]

“Hard to Starboard!”

“Uhhh Port?”

“....aye Port”

Best sea captain exchange? Maybe. I hates the sea and everything in it might be better.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Springfield Files

I wouldn't say I was a HUGE X-Files fan when it was on but I certainly caught it every once in a while. I was into sci-fi and I was starting to get into horror after being a big scaredy cat for a long time (who, somehow also watch Twin Peaks when he was WAY too young for it), so X-Files was up my alley. Part of me wants to revisit the show, though more the one-off episodes than the mythology episodes which made even less sense as it went on. But being a big Vince Gilligan fan, I definitely want to check out his episodes. And I feel like the show came at the right time, when the 80s fascination with aliens and the devil made a show revolving around paranormal conspiracies perfectly timed. The show came back a few years ago (I'm given to understand a couple are all time best episodes, particularly the comical "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" while once again the show is weakest in the main plot) but I feel like while time has been kind to the show overall, it isn't so kind to the kind of conspiracy theories that drive the show, as now they feel like an incredibly harmful presence in our lives. In the 90s, believing in the impossible felt like it was about faith or keeping an open mind, now it feels like that the supposed aegis for trying to shape reality to fit a certain mode or defend prejudices like, say, Jewish space lasers that start forest fires.

In this episode, Homer gets really drunk on a Friday night and while wandering home Homer encounters what he believes to be an alien. Homer tries to convince everyone but no one will believe him. He does attract the attention of paranormal FBI investigators Mulder and Scully but even they find it pretty hard to believe. But Bart decides to take a chance and the two decide to camp out the same night the next week and manage to meet the entity, which Bart gets on film. Soon, alien fever hits Springfield and the entire town is waiting to see the alien the next Friday. The alien turns out to be Mr. Burns, who it turns out gets a life prolonging procedure every Friday night that leaves him disoriented and his radioactivity soaked body results in a green aura at night.

The Springfield Files is an episode with a lot of funny jokes but in this re-watch I was struck how this episode doesn't seem to be about too much. I mean, I often feel that even works not intending to be about something can still be about something by virtue that whoever wrote it will have a point of view that comes through. But I'm having trouble figuring this one out. It ends with Marge saying that Homer kept his promise to bring peace and love but Homer's struggle in the episode was to be believed and he is and I feel like the show doesn't do much after. Homer gets a little high on his own supply and starts answering questions he doesn't know the answer too, which seems like a great comment on the nature of a conspiracy theory but it never leads to what the ending it about. It feels like the ending should either be about disappointment or maybe mysteries are more seductive than answers but I don't feel it lands on anything and what Marge gives us doesn't feel like the point at all.

I place part, but certainly not all, of the blame on the episode's writer Reid Harrison, who seems to be a journeyman cartoon writer and would later write a perfectly competent (to my memory) later season episode, which is actually an accomplishment. There are a lot of jokes that feel more akin to Family Guy or The Critic jokes in terms of resting on pop culture laurels (though I suspect the writing room as a whole is more to blame on that). The Bud Weiser joke feels like more at home ten seasons later than the Simpsons of the time. I also think the "alien line-up" joke points to the haphazard nature of the episode, wherein Homer is asked to identify the alien he saw from a line up of actual aliens. My problem here isn't that there are canonically aliens in the Simpsons now (the season started with a supervillain seizing the East Coast) but that the crux of the episode is "Homer can't prove aliens exist" and even as a quick gag seems to work against the premise. Weirdly, the strongest part in terms of story is the meandering first act, which is mostly Springfieldians getting ready for the weekend, as it hits a specific tone of anticipation and letting one's hair down. I wouldn't mind an episode that was just kind of a Friday night hang out for the town.

Of course, the big draw for the episode are Mulder and Scully. Both do decent work but considering they are mostly playing their sober personas (with Duchovny adding some yummy Adam West-esque ham to his), I feel like they have to mostly let the words on the page do their work, which is unfortunate since I kind of like them both. The real MVP is Leonard Nimoy, who has come back to kill it just as hard with his line reads. I've certainly never thought of him as a humourless man but considering his most iconic role involves him explaining ridiculous plot points with gravitas or delivering punchlines with a stone face, I'm always impressed when I realize "Oh, he completely gets what's on the page and why its so funny." And the gag isn't as conceptual as the answering machine Lawrence Tierny had to figure out last season, Nimoy perfectly captures the tone. You know, as much as I never want to visit Family Guy again, they made a brilliant move making Adam West a character because he's very funny and I feel like its unfortunate Nimoy never got a semi-regular role on a show to be just as silly because I think he's great at it. So as a whole the episode seems to be lacking something but from individual joke to joke, this is definitely not a bad episode to sit through.

Jokes I missed before:


Other great jokes:

"I think it was called 'The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down.'"

"Hey, he's still got it!"

"Needs more dog."

"He has a sweet heavenly voice... like Urkel. And he appears every Friday night.... like Urkel."

I like how it feels like its going to be a longer, Moe-like bit and it ends once the rules of the game are established.

"Yes, its like a lava lamp."

"Uh, the second one, zilliphone"

"He's bringing love, don't let it get away!"

"The most rewarding part was when he gave me my money."

Other notes:
I feel like while the Simpsons mostly didn't have to do what Fox said, its clear that Fox wanted some synergy here and the show was probably like "oh, sure, this could be fun." Frankly, compared to some later choices like bringing in Simon Cowell or an entire 24 episode (a show that popularized torture), this doesn't seem half bad.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Twisted World of Marge Simpson

I'm no businessman. A few times, my dad has suggested I go into business for myself but with the exception of freelance tutoring, I just don't see it. I'm not sure why. My dad is proud of me and never tried to make me fit in his mold but I guess maybe he's hoping that's something we could have in common as he had a small company that afforded him some interesting life opportunities over the years. Its not that I don't have certain knowhows that would be key to particular business ones but I am extremely not-money smart. Its not just "bad at math", I know very little about business and wouldn't want to try at this stage in my life. And frankly, the more I hear about it, the less I like this capitalism thing.

In this episode, Marge is ejected from her female investors club, the Investorettes, for essentially being gunshy about every venture and contributing little. Marge wants to prove to them that she can invest too and ends up buying a mobile pretzel business. She ends up making a good product but a mix of bad luck and fierce competition from the Investorettes own investment, the Fleeta Pita, ends up breaking Marge's spirit. Determined to save her, Homer eventually goes to Fat Tony for help. Soon, Marge is making money hand over fist, oblivious that her newfound gain is coming from strongarm tactics and bullying. Eventually the truth comes out when the Mafia wants their cut... 100%! Marge refuses to cave into their demands and just when it seems that the Simpsons are doomed, the Investorettes show up... with yakuza thugs, looking for payback for their business being threatened by Fat Tony's gang.

The Simpsons are constantly doing their own enterprising and almost always find success, at least for a time. I feel like this is one of the first times and episode revolves around a venture almost completely crash and burn. And it happens to Marge, which is more hurtful to watch due to her humanity and decency. In the third act, things go well thanks to criminal intervention but she at least is able to show that when push comes to shove, she's ready to face down even the toughest mobsters in town. And in the end, we see that though Homer did another stupid thing, she loves him because he's willing to go to great lengths to help her.

But that really wasn't my takeaway from the episode. My takeaway was that business is something where making all the right moves (well, except that coupon SNAFU) can still result in crushing defeat and that it rewards bullies. Marge is bullied around by the Investorettes and succeeds when actual criminals get involved. And they only way they can succeed is more criminals. I feel like this is what is at the heart of capitalism. Even if we aren't intentionally doing criminal acts, being part of it means that we are complicit in a lot of criminal endeavors. Sure, there are businesses that are easy to avoid but even if you dodge Amazon, maybe you refresh yourself with a Coke. Living in a capitalist world means living in a criminal one and doing that is hard to avoid and when bad behavious succeeds, bad behaviour can only escalate. I don't think that was necessarily intended to be the focus of the episode but that's what stuck out to me.

As for the rest of the episode, there's a lot of good stuff. The introduction of Fleeta Pita is a great mocking of whitewashing the culture out of a food in favour of marketability. Its really hard to imagine a time, though, where people don't know what pitas are. We also have comedy legend Jack Lemmon (who would be the inspiration for a memorable recurring character) doing a very decent job. Unfortunately, while he does good and gets a couple of funny lines, I feel like they are resting more on his comforting voice than his comedy chops. Joe Mantenga is the one who is doing the really strong stuff as Fat Tony, given some very funny bits in the final act with his understated delivery. But overall, I feel like this is a weaker episode this season. Not a bad one, but any stretch and I feel like there's more of a point than the Springfield files, but in the end, I feel like this was just a good delivery system for some very funny jokes.

Other great jokes:
"Children are so fat today. Isn't there any way we can make money off of that?"
Agnes is probably the most incisive of the Investorettes.

"Wait wait wait wait, back up a bit.... when are the pancakes coming in the mail?"

"No deal, McHutchen, that moon money is mine!"

"And a booklet of the most commonly asked questions you'll hear like 'Who are you'" and 'What are you doing here?'"

"An automatic garage door opener will make you feel like you're working in a futuristic wonderworld."

"Gimble's is gone, Marge, long gone. You're Gimble's."

"Copyright 1968? Determined or not, that cat must be long dead. That's kind of a downer."

"You can call them Whitey Whackers."

I love that Homer things the tacky outdoor decorations means Frank Ormond is financially successful.

"I better speak to the executor of his estate."
"He's over there. They were in the same car."

"I believe it was a boaking accident."

"But Marge, that little guy hasn't done anything yet. Look at him. He's gonna do something and you know its going to be good."

Other notes:

So was Burns' winning that car an accident or set up for him by Smithers?

Ugh, why did they have to ruin their wacky yakuza fight by having a very yellowfaced voice to cap off the episode.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I'm much kinder but season 8 if definitely evolving into the show people complain about. 7 seemed to have a much better balance of character and comedy and it now seems less interested in being about stuff. It's actually much worse later, though, when it tries to be about stuff and either comes off as trite, superficial, tonedeaf, or straight up dodging the potentially interesting questions it poses.

 

[Octopus Prime]

I’m into season 17 now, and like all comedies from the mid-late 2000s... whuff.
Theres some good jokes and episodes but more often than not, there aren’t and it frequently winds up being really mean spirited.

 

[zonetrope]

Marge's pretzel business feels a lot more real and down-to-earth than a lot of Homer's zany schemes. It's all of the goofy stuff surrounding it that sinks the episode. King of the Hill was always way better about escalating tiny plots like that without going completely off the rails.

 

[jpfriction]

The loch ness monster one was the first one I remember thinking was just awful. I apparently made it almost all the way through season 10!

 

[MetManMas]

I still like Seasons 8 and 9 a good bit 'cuz the show is still putting some effort into humanizing the cast, but it's not hard to see how it's moving towards being even more cartoonish in nature and turning Homer into an even bigger asshole.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Mountain of Madness

The COVID era is a time unlike any I've ever lived in. We are closing on it being the one year anniversary of my own province realizing how seriously to take this and we've been relatively fortunate, spending the majority of the year in yellow alert, allowing me to see friends and family. Some people have not been so fortunate. And even my parents have had to be closer than usual, which is a lot. My father has mobility issues so my mom already has to spend a lot of time with him to give him the necessary help he needs and that sometimes puts tension in their relationship but I imagine with my mother having fewer opportunities to get out to do things beyond walking has made things a little uncomfortable. And I've definitely heard that the closeness has put a lot of tension in households that wasn't there before. But at least they are people they know...

In this episode, on a boring work day, Burns decides to have a fire drill to test workplace efficiency, only to find the entire plant panicking and doing a very poor job leaving in an orderly and timely fashion. Aghast, Burns makes decisive action and insist on a corporate retreat in the mountains to instill a sense of teamwork in the employees. The plant's staff is split into teams of two who must work together to find a cabin. During the drawing of the pairings, Homer gets teamed with Burns and is jazzed, as he's definitely the one team who can't fail, especially since the losing team will be fired. Sure enough, Burns and Homer cheat and get to the cabin first. And the retreat seems to work as Burns and Homer begin getting along swimmingly, relaxing while waiting for the other teams. However, an avalanche buries the cabin, leaving them trapped until piles of snow. Homer and Burns try to work together but soon cabin fever sets in and the two slowly begin turning on each other, Eventually it ends in a fierce fight between the two. However, the two luck out when Burns smashes a propane tank that ends up propelling the house like a rocket to another part of the mountain. Despite everything, Burns declares the retreat a success and Homer and Burns decide, good-naturedly, that they never want to see each other again.

Mountain of Madness basically tells us a tale we've seen before: two people in extreme proximity find their civil facades fading away while in a stressful situation. But its also going after a target I feel was very common in the era this came out: the corporate retreat. I feel like it must have been something that was happening more and more in the 90s and that it was sort of a waste of time most of the time. It feels so far removed from the era of today when many people have realized they can just work from home. There's always going to be other wastes of time and distractions. After all, constant useless meetings will always be a thing, now you can just do them from home. But I feel like the corporate retreat was a specific phenomena that was a target for mockery due to the fact it was trying to create some sort of positive corporate culture but came across as more of an annoyance.

In this episode, its about how people respond to a crisis, particularly Homer and Burns. Both are people who can be very selfish (certainly Burns more than Homer) and prone to delusions, the kind of people you don't want in an emergency. The two actually work together well... when they have nothing but conveniences, it is easy for them to be civil. But despite attempts to remain that way, they slowly turn on each other out of paranoia and the two see the ugliness within themselves. They begin trying to forge teamwork with an easy "challenge" but when it isn't manufactured and is real, we see Burns is just like any employee of his: panicky and dangerous.

But mostly, this episode is an excuse for Homer and Burns to bounce off of each other. We rarely get to see them be chummy (at least this early in the show) but Shearer and Castelleneta have worked together so long, its no surprise they themselves have some great teamwork. I also like the choice to have cheery sitcom music (more than usual) in the first half, and having a tone of psychological thriller in the second. Its also an episode I feel like the last couple is a bit shallow but I think this one make up for it but being consistently VERY funny throughout and is one of the most quotable of the season. I wouldn't put it in the top tier but there are some episodes I feel can be called "quote mines" and this one has a very rich vein.

Jokes I missed before:

Other great jokes:
Get ready for a bonanza.

So much greatness in this clip. The assumption the popcorn is done, Lenny wanting his hot cocoa to hurry up (his dumb priorities are very me), Homer locking everyone else in and saying he thinks he "won".

"Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter."

"I'm afraid that's no longer true, ma'am. Budget comebacks have forced us to eliminate anything the least big entertaining...
...
...
Well, see ya."

"The routes are treacherous, so use your maps."
"Uh, I lost my map."
"You haven't been issued a map yet."
Also me.

"I've placed all your names into this hat."
*Homer, very impressed*
"Thank you."

"We'll take the chairlift, it will give us an eagle eye view of the area directly beneath the chairlift."
This line works much better than it should thanks to the line read.

"And this doorknob, when properly turned, will give us access to the cabin."

I love that Lisa just keeps finding injured animals.

"Oh, yes, sitting. The great leveller. From the mightiest pharaoh to the lowliest peasant, who doesn't enjoy a good sit."

"Hey, did you hear something?"
"No."
"Did I?"
"I don't know."
I love Carl's disdain so much that I've often given this line read of "I don't know" when I feel similarly.

"Hey, maybe there is no cabin. Maybe its one of those metaphorical things."
"Oh, yeah, yeah, like maybe the cabin is a place inside each of us created by our good will and teamwork."
"Ooh... Aw, they said there'd be sandwiches."
I love that this is where they decide the metaphor ends.

"Aw, 206 bones, 50 miles of small intestine, full pouting lips. This is less a snow man than a god."

"Right here sir, right behind the drunk."

"Well, tell you one thing, they didn't come for the mountain music festival. March 14-18."

"Oh lord, protect this rocket house and all who dwell within the rocket house."

"Something's wrong with its brakes!"

Other notes:

Oh, its a Swartzwelder episode. No wonder its so quotable. I also wonder if his libertarian leanings informed the idea "well, of course when push comes to shove, people are animals who will turn on each other."

The Jumble has come up again. Burns feels he needs to cheat at it.

The choice to make the chief ranger sound like Adam West is PERFECT.

 

[Octopus Prime]

The episode has one of my single favourite Simpsons images; a front-facing Homer in his underwear surrounded by ghosts, with a look of pure determination on his face.

 

[gogglebob]

My favorite "missed it for years" joke in here is the very start when Carl mistakes the fire alarm bell for the microwave "ding", announces that the popcorn is ready, and then pours out a pile of unpopped kernels, and just looks sadly at the bowl until Homer says its the fire alarm.

 

[Büge]

"You know, Mr. Burns, you're the richest guy I know. Way richer than Lenny!"
"Yes, but I'd trade it all for a little more."

This is one of those jokes that slips past you.

Also,

The episode has one of my single favourite Simpsons images; a front-facing Homer in his underwear surrounded by ghosts, with a look of pure determination on his face.

It took me several views of the episode to notice Mao's hammer and sickle, and several more to notice Roosevelt's big stick.

 

[Octopus Prime]

It took me several views of the episode to notice Mao's hammer and sickle, and several more to notice Roosevelt's big stick.

Oooooooooooooh

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious

I've mentioned this numerous times but since it is key to the episode, I guess I can mention again that I'm a nanny. I watch my sister and her partner's kids, making sure they get exercise, naps and food. Its a pretty good gig that's going to come to an end this fall but for now, I'm having a good time and hope that I can transition this into work in a daycare. Me and my sister get along well overall but there's always tension regarding things like how I discipline the kids, feeding them and entertaining them. Not saying that's always the case but there are situations where it causes a bit of friction and generally I try to acquiesce to her and her partner's desires. My sister also insists on trying new things, which is cool, but much harder in the pandemic age, allowing the kids to grow and finding new things for us to do. Its not hard for a routine to become a rut if I'm not jostled out of my complacency sometimes.

In this episode, Marge finds that she's losing her hair due to the stress of taking care of the entire household. Marge suggests getting a nanny to help around the house and the search for a nanny begins. They end up finding the perfect nanny in Sherry Bobbins, who is soon beloved by the whole family and encourages them to be better. But eventually, when the family seems ready, she heads out the door... only to find them reverting to their old ways. Sherry stays but instead of making them better, she ends up being beaten down by the family. The family sings a song to let her know that they have no interest in changing and encouraging her to stop fixing them and move on. She then dies.

I don't... hate this episode, but I'm surprised how less-than-good it is on a rewatch. So what's wrong? Is it another case of aging poorly? No, there's only a couple dicey jokes about Krustying holding his "KKK" at the Apollo Theatre and Apu as Stonewall Jackson (mostly revolving around his catchphrase) but apart from that there's no such issues. Is it that its spread its reality too thin? No, this isn't an issue for me, especially since I feel like it doesn't cloud one of the virtues of the episode, which is the theme and commentary (which I'll get to, just give me a paragraph). No, its just that its only kinda funny and has some interminable musical numbers. I used to be one of those people who didn't like musicals. I like them much more now but I don't really care for the songs in this episode. I feel like the songs take up a LOT of room. Their structure is simple and not awful (except the kids singing about the nanny they want) but they don't have many particularly great jokes that make me want to sing along.

But revisiting it also makes me see what the episode is about is far more interesting than the episode itself. The structure, at its base level is actually interesting and in theory (and in theory alone) does a good thing with its parody by using it to make commentary on our characters and maybe on people in general. I think the theme is people CAN change but they are resistant to it, especially if they are beginning from a place of relative comfort. It is easy to slip back into old habits from good and one person can't change a group of people if their interest in changing isn't there. Instead, the Simpsons make her a doormat, the role Marge once played except now Marge is also complicit. In addition, it also feels like a commentary on the show and on TV in general to reset to the status quo (which is interesting to look at in an era where it feels like non-serialized TV is the exception rather than the rule). I think there's a lot going on here that is great on paper but lacks something in practice.

I really don't mind that there's a magic nanny at the center. The Simpsons usually keep this kind of stuff to jokes that don't intrude on the plot and here... it actually kind of doesn't. Sherry displays a few magic powers but the episode is pretty much the same without them. That's not to say "they don't need them so they shouldn't have bothered" so much as "they don't interrupt the plot so I don't mind them". But the jokes are kind of weak in this episode. There's a lot of stuff that feels like lesser Mad Magazine and the nanny being "Sherry Bobbins" feels like the beginning of one of my least favourite recurring Simpsons bits where Simpsons have brand names that are one letter off. And I don't mean "Magnet Box" and "Sorny" where the joke is that they are knock off brands. This is more as if the joke is "We can't say Sony, so Sorny". And as a commentary on the status quo, the last song isn't bad but I feel like it is only a little bit cutting and doesn't feel as incisive as I want. Frankly, I'm surprised how little I liked this episode and while I could watch it again without cringing, there are so many better ones to move onto.

Jokes I missed before:

Homer, upon trying to reveal a nanny is "a man in drag" says "gimme those."

Yeeeeesh.

Other great jokes:

"You're not going to like our NYPD Shoe sketch. Its pretty much the same thing."

My college radio station used this as an ID.

"Is this legal, man?"
"Only here and in Mississippi."

"With you, every day is Guy Fox Day."

"I've been singing to you all day, I'm not a bloody jukebox... oh, all right."
This is basically my work day.

I love that when everyone starts reverting, the writer's decided Lisa should just stare blankly walking around the house banging a saucepan with a wooden spoon.

"Now I'm going to Emmet's Fix-It Shop... to fix Emmet."
I like this joke but I feel like this and last season are bringing a few bad habits from The Critic's writers room in terms of their approach to pop culture jokes.


Other notes:

Man, the 90s were filled with very dumb jokes about Quentin Tarantino. There's a fucking mountain of stuff to comment on about him and his films but I feel like it was mostly the wrong ones. One of the most confounding was a 90s Casper episode where the premise was that he was weird for trying to film scenes... out of order. Which is... just movie making?

I'm surprised at some of the animation gaffs at this point in the series.

Does Homer have really short arms or are Bart's really long?

I had intended to get to this in the main article but I didn't find the room. Pamela Hayden does a good job in the lead role and is a good singer but I feel like for some reason the show, still at its height in popularity, were unable to get a big star who can act and sing for this role. I wonder if it was intended for someone specific (maybe even Julie Andrews) or if this was an open slot, like how Belle from a few episodes back was going to be a big star and they went with Tress MacNeille (no shade to Pamela, but I feel like it worked better there than here, though its nice that she gets to show off her pipes).