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Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Miracle on Evergreen Terrace

In the comic book The Maxx, one character, a sullen teen, has an epiphany when she's reminded of a poster with a saying on it. And she hates it, lamenting that a profound thought is wound up in a trite expression. And there are truisms to be found in lessons on TV that seem so basic that they are completely bloodless and borderline meaningless. Winning isn't everything, for example, is true but it kind of removes the weight of the effort and passion it might take to become a winner, which is WHY a loss can be devastating. The truth can set you free is true but the truth can be a hurtful thing, too. And Christmas being more about family togetherness than material goods forgets that a lot of effort and love and meaning is attached to material goods and that it isn't as simple as "material = bad".

In this episode, Bart wakes up early on Christmas morning to peak at his gifts but accidentally causes a fire that melts the family's plastic tree and destroys their presents. Bart hides the evidence and lies about Christmas being stolen by a burglar. After a rough Christmas morning, the news of the Simpsons' woes hit the airwaves and the town comes together to provide for the family. The family is encouraged to splurge on something fun and they buy a new car. An accident destroys the car and later Bart confesses the truth. When the truth comes out the town feels betrayed and the Simpsons are shunned. After a failed attempt to raise money to pay Springfield back, they return home to discover that the townspeople are robbing them. It seems they decided that they would be happy to call it square if they got something in return. The Simpsons are left with nothing but a washcloth... which they play with, leaving us with a happy image of the family despite everything.

The Simpsons is a surprisingly adept show with its Christmas episodes. Certainly not all of them are gold. In particular, ones from the last decade. But even in there, Holidays of Future Passed is better than it had any right to be. The show can be sentimental and wacky and dark but several of these Holiday specials seem to go in a rougher direction while still having a bit heart. The first one denies us conventional Christmas miracles and toys with the idea that misfortune on Christmas doesn't entitle you to a happy ending, but you can still find one if you look around. Meanwhile "Marge Be Not Proud" is a very emotionally heartwrenching episode about a wedge in the family. And Miracle on Evergreen Terrace isn't a message episode but one that seems to question a lot of conventional Christmas episode endings and morals.

Bart does something wrong but this one doesn't feel like the lesson is "don't lie", but rather it feels like an examination of the nature of gifts and losing things of value both material and immaterial. It actually reminds me of Blood Feud: it never comes to any complete conclusions but feels like an examination on the weird social balance of gifts and charity and the idea that helping those in need isn't as fun if they've also been lying to you. Though it isn't as strong as Marge Be Not Proud, I feel like it wraps some headier ideas about social contracts into a silly joke filled romp. I mean, the journey feels pointed when the townspeople basically become criminals to get a sense of justice rather than taking the loss and moving on. The Simpsons accidentally hurt people and they come to the conclusion that they want not to hurt back, but rather something of equal value. And while it does end with the conventional ending moral of "we don't need material goods to be happy", it is after 20 minutes of showing the weight and importance these material goods have in the form of gifts and necessities. It really does earn it and both does and doesn't set the world to right at the end. Socially, yes. But financially, the Simpsons end up in more dire straights than ever and THE END because while things will continue to be rough (until next week), they can still find fun and warmth.

I also like Bart a lot in this episode. The Simpsons is getting more cartoony but this is one where Bart's pain and guilt feel real thanks to the direction and the acting by Nancy Cartwright. Bart doesn't feel bad because he gets caught. He doesn't feel bad because he hurts people because he's feeling miserable long before anyone feels anything. Bart's pain is obvious but where it comes from is this idea that people are pitying him for something he's actually responsible. I love the show remembering that despite his "bad boy" posturing, that aspect enhances stories where the character is allowed to be vulnerable. When Bart confesses, is done in only a couple sentences but the weight the moment is imbued with is pretty strong stuff. If there's one thing the Simpsons does best, its sad Christmas episodes that earn their happy endings.

Jokes I missed before:

Other great jokes:


"Oh, he was wearing a striped convicts shirt and was carrying a bag with a dollar sign on it."
"Classic burglar."

"That's not as fun as it looks."
"Nothing could be as fun as that looks."

"Is your husband or lover here, ma'am?"

"So when you found out Christmas was ruined, how did you feel?
"How do you THINK I felt?"
"Absolutely devastated. 'Absolutely devasted', the words of a heartbroken mother..."

"Homer, you won't believe what's happened! Its a miracle."
"Oh, Marge, I don't want to hear any more about that silver polish."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I jabbed you with my pen."
"OW. You're doing it again."
"I know."

"Strong words. Strong, bewildering words."

And no, you don't have to tell me Marge wouldn't be in Final Jeopardy with a negative score. I know.

Other notes:
Marge making bloody spearheads isn't that funny as a joke but as a character touch I love that Marge would do that for Bart.

What ever happened to the Flanders' pony?

Kent Brockman is the MVP jokesman of the episode.
 

Octopus Prime

Mysterious Contraption
(He/Him)
In the commentary, someone joked that this was the series final episode, and it was just aired out of order. And, by George, I think they’re right
 

Octopus Prime

Mysterious Contraption
(He/Him)
Meanwhile in the future;
With a couple of exceptions, season 18 is another upswing season; some of the recent ones I’ve watched could have slotted into the wackier episodes of the Golden Age!

I mean, people’d have hated them if they were, but I had some genuine laughs.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
All Singing, All Dancing

As a kid, I thought musical numbers sucked. Now I think differently. Didn't save this one.

In this episode, Clint Eastwood comes to town, only to have his attention drawn to the shabbiness of his wagon. Soon, the whole town comes together to paint the wagon. Lee Marvin, curious about the commotion, learns what is happening and sees a problem... a spot has been missed. With the help of Lee Marvin, the wagon is finished due to the application of oil-based paint on pine. Then there's 17 minutes of dead air.

All Singing, All Dancing isn't the worst of the clips shows but its pretty weak. And I think part of it is that a lot of the musical numbers work for me better within the context of the episode. I remember being actively bored when the episode first aired, save for the little bits of original material. And with one MAJOR exception, even that stuff falls flat for me. I do think its smarter for the Simpsons to use the clips show as an opportunity to highlight one aspect of the show but unfortunately, I don't think it works.

But fuck, if the Paint Your Wagon doesn't make me grin from ear to ear every time. Its catchy and memorable and fun and while it feels like a Critic joke, its one so perfectly realized that this isn't a complaint this time. Its also one of those jokes that's even funnier when you realize, while it in no way represents the Sergio Leone-meets-Rogers and Hammerstein movie we see, Paint Your Wagon is AN ACTUAL MOVIE.


Adapted by THE WRITER OF NETWORK no less.


The movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long.


This is three years AFTER the Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Also, may have a pro-polyamorous message?


So my review for the movie I never watched is: amazing but too long.

Oh, wait, there was a Simpsons episode in here? C- I guess. Seems kind but the episode was pointless rather than downright offensive after all.

Other great jokes:

"They put us on the Waiting to Exhale waiting list but they said don't hold your breath."

And now, the whole thing.

 

fanboymaster

(He/Him)
Fake Lee Marvin's croaky singing voice is among the funniest things I've ever heard and it being followed up by the VHS being fired from the VCR straight into a trashcan is perfect. I can forgive any other faults in this episode because that's a funnier setup than any of the other clipshows by a mile.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Bart Carny

I don't think I'll ever understand the mentality that allows someone to prey on other people through trickery. I've had SEVERAL bikes stolen in my life and somehow the principle of the thing always feels far more worse than the practical cost. I tend to walk around, stirring ugly and dumb revenge fantasies in my head afterwards. It puts me in an awful and toxic mindset and feels far worse than what the non-emotional reality of the situation is: an annoying financial cost and that's usually about it. But I think its the idea there's someone out there who can't be bothered to sympathize with what they did to me bugs me. Maybe if I met them, I might be able to sympathize with them. But probably not. Maybe they have a sob story that makes the criminal more sympathetic. Or maybe they are just predatory jerks.

In this episode, the Simpsons visit the carnival where Bart ends up destroying the main attraction. Homer, who already seems to have romanticized the carny life, decides to join Bart in working for the carnival to pay back the damage. During this time, Bart and Homer take over a crooked ring-toss game from the Cooders, a father-son team, while they are away for the evening. Homer accidentally allows the police to close down the event and Homer invites the Cooders to stay with them until they can get back on their feet. This rankles Marge but eventually even Marge and Lisa are won over by the Cooders... until the Cooders lock out the Simpsons and start squatting in their house. The Simpsons find no help from the police but then Homer comes up with a solution; he challenges the Cooders to a bet where if he wins the Simpsons get their house back and if he loses, the Cooders get the deed to the house. But shortly after the Cooders leave to watch the bet, the Simpsons rush in and lock out the Cooders.

Its funny that John Swartzwelder has generally been assigned episodes that he politically doesn't agree with and manages to do amazing things with them. But this is an episode that feels a little more reflective of his world view. The villains of the Simpsons are usually people who are in authority of some kind. This episode is a little different and a little classicist as it feels much like "scummy, low-class folk" and therefore punching down compared to Mr. Burns or Sideshow Bob. The Cooders are below the Simpsons in money and social standing and Marge is often complaining about their uncouth behaviour... and she lives with Homer. So there are elements that while not as problematic as a lot of the problems in reviewing the show, it doesn't sit entirely great with me.

Despite these complaints, I do like the episode. Its still quite funny with a lot of memorable bits. Yes, this is the Simpsons leaning a bit closer to its wackier and less sentimental phase, but generally, if I think its funny, I don't mind (lets bring this up again in Saddlesore Galactica). I think it also helps that Homer's oafishness, while very broad, doesn't seem as overtly awful as "Beer Can" Homer, the Homer who throws beer cans. Swartzwelder, generally a writer I think of as unsentimental, seems like he would be a writer more likely to indulge in Homer's ugly side in the name of a joke but as he once explained to Dana Gould, to him Homer is a dog. Just a big dumb human dog. He writes him as very emotion driven but while he can have outrageous fits of anger about stupid things, he's also often a big gormless man-mutt. This often will mean that he writes a Homer with less depth but considering we are heading into a less depth era, this is the Homer I tend to be more happy to see, the one who isn't ugly on the inside. Marge is less fortunate in the episode, as 90% of what she is given to do is complain or moan.

Swartzwelder always strikes me as a gag-driven writer but he knows how to keep things in theme. I feel like the Simpsons becomes known as a show with largely unrelated first acts to the next parts but the message of money, who to trust and how to make money without working is present throughout, particularly starting with a very funny but unrelated piece of business involving the kids avoiding yard work. This seems to tie in with the writer's libertarian views as well: the kids are completely unmotivated to do necessary work and end up getting money regardless, which encourages their laziness. That's when we get into the tale of Homer befriending a real money-for-nothing family only to learn concepts like "the carny code" is basically as erroneous as "honor among thieves" and Homer outsmarts them specifically by not playing their game and simply waiting for a chance to put their foot in the door. While I don't agree with Swartzwelder on what I believe is his first act summary of welfare, the idea that Homer learns to beat a crooked game by not playing is a fun one. Overall, I wouldn't put it in the top tier but it might be better than half of the seasons episodes so far.

Jokes I missed before:

343325.jpg


Other great jokes:

"Dingdingdingdingding"
"ICE CREAM MAN, ICE CREAM MAN."

"Lisa, chop off my hands."
"No! Then who would chop off my hands?"
"Alright, you chop my hands half way off and I'll still have enough strength to---"

"I wanna go on the yardwork simulator!"


"There's some who say Hitler's skeleton is still in the trunk. Other's say just a spare tire. I'm a busy man so I haven't checked yet."

"We just saw the most amazing camel."
"It was wearing a hat!"

"Ya hear that Bart? The carny code. Bart? Did you hear that?"
"YES!"

"The main thing is to bring in the rubes."
"Do whatever it takes; sweet talk, insults, slang from the 30s no one uses anymore?"
"You mean like 'rubes'?"
"Now you're on the trolley."


"Wow, can you do that again?"
"Not for a little while."

"I wish we had a glass bottom car. I can't help but wonder what we're missing."
1004486.jpg


"That's it! Fire!"

Other notes:
Other specifically classist joke: Lisa hose spraying a couch down.

Jim Varney does good work in this episode.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
The Joy of Sect

Its easy to laugh at the ridiculousness of the propaganda and beliefs of cults and spurious religious organizations that promise us they totally aren't cults but they are though. The damage they do, however, to individuals is horrifying and shouldn't be underestimated. Being "smarter than that" really isn't a defense, as the techniques used to manipulate people don't give a damned about how smart you are. Anyone can be drained of their willpower and be made susceptible to predatory belief systems. In fact, the Simpsons was working on a script where Lisa becomes a Scientologist (sorry, a Scientopteran) but the producers worried that Nancy Cartwright, who is a Scientologist, would be personally attacked. Despite embarrassing failures like Battlefield: Earth and widely publicized abuses, Scientology's power remains strongly consistent. Though the public face is generally "wacky cult that rich people buy into", the fact is the reality is far more upsetting as people lives are ruined and completely controlled by the group.

In this episode, Homer accepts a free weekend getaway provided by the Movementarians, a sketchy religious group. Homer attends, as do many other Springfield residents and they end up getting brainwashed. Homer is accidentally resistant but is eventually brainwashed and sells his life and family to the Movementarians. The Simpsons are forced to toil in the cults lima bean fields all day and Bart, Lisa and Maggie are brainwashed, too. Marge escapes and gets help from Reverend Lovejoy, Groundskeeper Willie and Flanders to deprogram the kids. The kids prove to be easy to deprogram with the right trickery but Homer proves resistant and is taken away while Homer is being deprogrammed with beer. After Homer is returned, he reveals he's been cured of the brainwashing and exposes the leader of the organization a fraud, dissolving the Movementarians.

Season nine is where some cracks are starting to show but I do see an interesting theme running through it: people preying on the beliefs of others; Bart Carny, Miracle on Evergreen Terrace, Realty Bites and Lisa the Skeptic. And in general, despite my issues with Bart Carny, I feel like the season is at its best in this mode. The show has always had anti-authoritarian stories but I feel like this singular focus for a swath of episodes has actually been pretty successful. And even though the Movementarians are overtly silly, the show does a great job at depicting the harm they do has insidious, giving us some horror suspense thrills. The show remains silly throughout and remains in a genre fiction tone and is a comedy, so don't expect a depiction that unearths the real horror of what cults are capable of but it is also specific and smart enough to tell a story that's both funny and astute about how cults work.

Its funny how this episode turns out in that it seems to be avoiding specific Scientology signifiers, but it somehow also feels like Scientologist. I feel like the sheen is supposed to be that of a smaller scale cult but the strategies are all cults. Still, the specifics of the cult buying up the media and their army of lawyers feels very specific to Scientology. I have no doubt lots of other cults do the same but I feel like this is something very closely associated with Scientology. But the elements of "toiling in fields" feels like a way to do a Scientology episode and try to equate it with other cults (though I feel like Scientology also has some toiling elements), so I'm surprised Cartwright was OK with it. Maybe there's enough plausible deniability that she just thought "Oh, this is just a cult, not like my real religion." I feel like the writer must have also been really interested cults at the time, as there are lots of interesting specifics to the brainwashing. While I feel like even with my limited knowledge of brainwashing techniques, there are certain elements that feel oversimplified, the mechanics within feel right. Constantly being told the freedom is in your hands but presenting a road of danger and hardship and shame on said path out. Searching to exploit people from an emotional perspective. It feels a piece with what little I know.

I feel like the episode, like Bart Carny, feels like the themes are present even in the scenes that don't directly effect the main plot, such as starting with a group of people in an airport rising up against people who failed them... a poor football team whose only crime is not winning. And then we end with a cheeky and disturbingly prophetic gag that we are so inundated with brainwashing techniques all the time that maybe we should still be worried post cult. I also love the first act of Homer being brainwash proof not because he's strong willed but because everything slides off his back. Then the reveal he's been primed all his life to be taken in. I also think its smart for Marge to be the one who is the one who has to save the day. It would be easy to make it Lisa, who is the smartest, or Bart, who is the most anti-authoritarian, the free ones but it shows being those things don't make you immune to brainwashing techniques. Marge isn't "immune", she's simply in a spot where she can see the patterns and escape. Season 9 might have its flaws, but I feel like it is definitely getting some things right and I'm curious to see if the loose theme will continue for the rest of the season.

Jokes I missed before:
655637.jpg

Other great jokes:

"Do you have anything by Robert Ludlum?"
"Get out."
What would be the equivalent of "Crichton and King" in the modern era. I think King is still in the mix.

"Watch yourself, Dad, you are the highly suggestable type."
"Yes, I am the highly suggestable type."

"The leader knows how miserable you, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie are."
"Really? I'm surprised about Maggie."

"A free movie? Thanks. OUT OF MY WAY, JERKASS."




"You what?!"
"Come again, Marge?"
"You what?!"


"This so called new religion is nothing but a pack of weird rituals and chants designed to take the money of fools. Now let's say the lords prayer forty times while we pass the collection plate."

"You know how I try to put the best face on everything but THERE'S NO FACE ON THAT DAMNED BEAN!"




"He's OUR husband now!"
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Das Bus

One thing I've learned from teaching is that you can only hold as much power over kids, and adults, as they allow. OK, that's not completely true, as I can just straight pick up my almost two year old nephew when things need to happen but I can't MAKE them do things. And this rule applies to law as well. Our laws aren't immutable and all that needs to happen is for people to silently ignore the rules. This is definitely we see happen in politics a lot, as people who overtly break laws are often just... left alone. And this article is written just a few months after the Capitol attacks, where people are trying to find ways to excuse people who took part in an insurrection. Turning against laws and rules can have merit if it is unjust but people often decide that the "unjust" ones are simply the ones they disagree with. Rules and laws are important but are also often filled with systematic problems. Its already complicated to navigate but it is also scary that they are often just straight up ignored.

In this episode, The Springfield Elementary Model United Nations is going on a trip but midway through the trip, the bus crashes into the ocean. The kids all survive but are separated from Otto and end up on an uninhabited island. The kids think they can make a paradise for themselves but it soon becomes apparent the kids don't have the skills to make their dreams come true. When Lisa remembers that there is a cooler full of food on the bus, Bart retrieves it and the kids reluctantly ration it. But the next morning, the food is missing and Milhouse seems to be the culprit. The kids hold a trial where, due to lack of evidence, Milhouse is found not guilty. The verdict angers most of the kids who threaten to stone Milhouse, causing Milhouse, Lisa and Bart to flee. They hide in a cave where they discover the real culprit, a wild boar. The kids use the boar for food and function as a society.

Das Bus is definitely an episode where continuity doesn't seem to matter. Obviously there's the "putting the hat" on the lack of resolution by the end of the episode. And the fact that the kids are tired at the end of the movie at the beginning doesn't enter into the plot even though its not really played for the joke. The movie they watch fits in thematically (being about rules and being trapped and such) but other than that, its weird that they have a "kids stay up all night" section without it being important. It apparently takes place over the course of maybe 36 hours and in that time Homer creates and loses an internet company. And this would be a good commentary on the Internet bubble that getting closer to popping at the time of the episode's airing but also by this time the Simpsons and all the other parents would be made aware of the fact that the kids never made it to their destination. I think you can fudge up some reasons not to figure this out but it feels kind of weird to have the parents starting a business while the kids are in dire straight. But the weirdness of the juxtaposition doesn't make it a bad episode, just kind of wonky. And that wonkiness doesn't take away from the fact that this is a really funny episode.

A parody of Lord of the Flies, a book I never read (is this the one with Gollum?). I did get the basic rundown: kids stuck on an island, try to get along, infighting fucks things up because kids aren't prepared for this and perhaps the message is its a microcosm about how fucked up real world politics are and how childish adults are. Anyway, I know it follows some basic similarities and this episode follows similar grounds. The theme of this episode is that people can talk big about rules and laws, but it doesn't make much of a difference if no one bothers to follow them. Lisa tries to sell the kids on the rules several times but it becomes increasingly hard when it doesn't give people what they want rather than what they need. I don't know if it acts as an echoing or counterargument to the points of the source of the parody but on its own its fine. It does act as an interesting counterpart (yet I don't think a counterpoint) to the show's anti-authority views, pointing that laws and rules are important but following them can be hard. Heck, not only do the person who Bart and Lisa defend turn out to have partially done the crime, he constantly sucks during their escape attempts, making Bart and Lisa carry them and not helping them escape.

The subplot, meanwhile, is a bunch of silliness that also pokes holes in the Internet age of the late 90s. People have more or less found ways to properly monetize the internet but in the 90s and early 2000s, people were scrambling to figure out the "information superhighway". Though it is a parody of a bygone era, as a period piece, Das Bus still holds up as a pitch perfect skewering of the era, with Homer working out of his home on absolutely nothing. He's selling himself as the top internet company but doesn't even have a computer and doesn't figure out until the end that "the internet is on computers, now". Its a fugazzi that even Homer seems to think is real and worth something but exists in no way shape or form. There isn't a plan at all, let alone one taking into account the future, the medium or anything other than "this internet thing is big". And then Homer is bought out but even that's a scam where Bill Gates just decimates his company (the dining room) and Homer and Marge are trembling in fear of the nerd bully. I'm a little disappointed they didn't make a bigger episode, because while a lot of pop culture about the internet looks dumb today (that isn't Snow Crash or, weirdly, Videodrome which somehow is about the internet without being about the internet) this subplot holds up and has enough meat left on the bone for a bigger and more pointed episode.

Jokes I missed before:

214230.jpg

Other great jokes:



"Do you kids want to be like the real UN or do you just want to squabble and waste time."

"Maude, eh?"

"Go banana!"

"I guess this is the end Wendell."
"He's Wendell, I'm Louis."
"Whatever, just tell Wendell I said hi."

"How many monkey butlers will there be?"
"One at first, but he'll train others."

"And maybe some wine for the older kids."
"Delicious wine?"
"Exactly."

"I think I'll make myself... Vice President. No wait... JUNIOR Vice President."


"Remember what we learned at UN Club."
CG3tQn_KHb-WM0ntOyTQHRRQ_Z0=.gif



"Now throw back the rope."
"There's no time!"

"And they were rescued by, oh, lets say... Moe!"

Other notes:

As in Itchy and Scratchy the Movie, Bart proves he could be a good judge. Even though he hated doing it and isn't afraid to acknowledge it, he made the right legal call. I think my ideal headcanon future is Bart as gay or bi judge who ends up on the supreme court and Lisa, is an activist who eschews a financial view of success of finding emotional fulfillment in a job that allows her to help others and do the right thing.
 

jpfriction

(He, Him)
We watched this episode in my 10th grade civics class during our lord of the flies discussion. It was a bit more popular than that depressing as damn ass hell book/movie.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
The Last Temptation of Krust

When I was in my teens, an older friend introduced me to his favorite comic: Bill Hicks. Bill Hicks was known for being foul mouthed and uncompromising, died fairly young and generated a sort of cult of personality based on his wisdom. It spoke very much to me and while I wouldn't have called him my favourite comic, I very much liked his work. But you know, I haven't listened to his work in years. I suspect that my taste in comedy will have evolved that I may find it more problematic than wise. I feel like there is an entire genre of "soothsaying" comics, most famously George Carlin, which has evolved into sort of the comedy pundits that pretty much every late night host HAD to become following the success of Jon Stewart. But while I don't mean to take away from the actual talent many of these comics have, I think the myth often forgets the fact that most of these people were just people telling jokes, sometimes wise ones but they could also tell clunkers. What people really respond to is the appearance of integrity, which also ties into the gripe about performers (particularly musicians) "selling out", which is a criticism I feel like doesn't exist any more. This could be a commentary on the nature of modern day integrity but it is probably more likely reflective of what people understand about success, both creativity and financially.

In this episode, when the Simpsons hear about a comedy charity show, Bart becomes insistent that Krusty take part. Bart manages to get Krusty into the show but he bombs and bombs hard. Krusty comes to the realization that he was so busy selling out that he never worked on his act. Krusty tries to keep up with modern comedy techniques but finds himself too out of touch. During a press conference, Krusty manages to find his comedic voice by accident: an acerbic ranter who complains about modern life. Krusty finds critical success doing small gigs at Moe's, where he is respected by his fans and peers. In the end, though, Krusty is convinced to sell out once again, but this time Krusty finds he is fine with that,

This is a bit of an odd one, in terms of how its aged. Its not that it aged poorly at its core, though there are some problematic bits, including the dreaded "ironic racism" that was very in vogue in the 90s and basically throughout Family Guy (which still exists, somehow?). Guess what, intentionally shitty racist jokes isn't so much trenchant commentary so much as shitty shock humour. But what I'm really getting at is that I think the view of "selling out" in modern terms have changed. I think we generally don't care too much if a performer decides to make money in an ad. Its less of a sign of mediocrity and lack of integrity and more just another venture. People are far more bothered by performers personal beliefs that they put out into the world and outright crimes. When people complain about a celebrity is in an ad, its far less about "selling out" and more about the nature of the ad (re: Kendel Jenner's confoundingly tone deaf "Join the Conversation" ad).

We also have Krusty "telling it like it is". He's very much modelled after George Carlin and I think is also supposed to echo Bill Hicks (interesting in that he has an incredibly vulgar and insulting bit about Jay Leno) in his new incarnation and it is about a comedian finding a new voice. Its an interesting arc but the who thing, as I said, plays very 90s with "selling out" concerns. It also doesn't help that "telling it like it is" has more or less translated into "echoes the shitty things I believe" in modern times for audiences. Its an episode that more or less holds up as a story, some very unfortunate jokes aside, but also feels like an echo of a bygone era.

I also feel like the show knew exactly what it was doing having Jay Leno guesting. No one really likes Leno now. I don't even think he's "hated" so much as dismissed. Even though he and NBC did Conan O'Brien very dirty, I don't even think people can dredge up the energy to hate this guy when there are so many worse people (particularly in comedy). Even then, though, I feel like Leno was regarded as an extremely toothless bland comedian, the kind of comedian people viewed as a "sell-out". That said, his problem was more that he wasn't a good comedian after he got the gig and also not very good as an interviewer. In a way, the kind of TV host that Jay is was also of a bygone era. Jimmy Fallon tried to reflect that. He was "hipper" and more youthful and had the Roots as a houseband but like Leno he tried to put on a largely apolitical show and times changed quickly on him, making this venture completely out of step with the era he was in. Now everyone needs to have a take, and not having one is a weird look. Now everyone needs to be a political commentator as well as a comedian. Its something where I can't imagine the alternative in this era but its also weird for everyone to have to do this.

Jokes I missed before:
I never noticed Krusty's "press release" is one of those "tag" posters you find on telephone polls.

I also feel like when Bart gets in the Canyonero, he makes the comment "This IS roomy" and... the acoustics... I think the sound designers did something subtly clever there.

Other great jokes:

"What do we need church shoes for? Jesus wore sandals."
"Maybe if he had better arch support they wouldn't have caught them."

"Excuse me ma'am, do you like to laugh."
"Hahahahaha. Yes. As long as its tasteful. And not at somebody. Or with. And not--"

"Oh, I get it! I get jokes!"

"The man Spencer Tracy called the most promising newcomer of 1959..."

I love Krusty admitting he doesn't know what Sideshow Mel is supposed to be.

Weirdly I can't find Kent Brockman as Krusty videos. Its a solid bit.

Krusty bombing in front of the Simpsons is pretty good, too. Especially when Bart blames the acoustics of the family's living room.

"But Krusty, why now? Why not 20 years ago."

"Impeach Churchill!"
Homer's inappropriate responses to comedy are the best part of any Krusty set.

"DON'T YOU HATE PANTS?!"

Best bit of the episode by far. Clearly the writers felt the same way, as they gave it extra time. Even if it was too kill time, that easily could have gone to another bit but it went here.

Other notes:
I remember I used to have a crush on Jeanene Garafalo and people kept talkin' bout how "ugly" she was. I was at an age to say and think similarly shitty things but I super never ever got this.

I was never familiar with the large guy whose name I can't remember.

My favourite comic of the episodes line up is easily Steven Wright. Big fan of one liner comics like he and Demitri Martin and Mitch Hedberg.
 

MetManMas

Me and My Bestie
(He, him)
On the subject of Krusty's new fans turning on him when he did the Canyonero endorsement, IMO, the problem was less that Krusty was selling out again and more that he turned his act into a direct plug for the thing he was selling out for after decrying it a moment ago.

Commercials on TV are one thing but it's pretty tasteless to go directly into an advert within your own comedy bit.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Dumbbell Indemnity

Recently, I finally got a bite in the online dating world. The person seemed to like me and we seemed to have a fair bit in common. We talked for a while and we even went on a virtual date. Eventually she just deleted her account out of the blue. It leaves me wondering what I did or didn't do. Granted, there was stuff. I kind of messed on contacting her following the virtual date and then the next weekend I forgot to talk to her. But I also know I shouldn't beat myself up about it. Its just that the dating pool is always kind of small and its rare to find someone who I might be interested in, so when she took 24 hours to respond to me at one point, I felt tension that she might not contact me again, like I insulted her. I am used to being alone but I also know the dread that I might miss my chance to change that scenario.

In this episode, Moe feels lonely and Homer takes him out to the singles club. Things go badly, but when he's venting about it, he meets Rene, a young woman who starts to connect with Moe. They end up having a series of dates that go quite well and Moe feels compelled to splurge on romantic gestures. When Moe realizes his budget won't allow his current trend, he comes up with the idea of insurance fraud, using his beat up old car. Homer agrees to steal the car for him with the help of Moe's perfect crime. However, Homer screws things up and ends up getting arrested. Moe sticks to his story and Homer finds himself betrayed. Moe eventually feels bad and confesses to Rene, who eventually tires of Moe trying to solve his problems with another crime and ends the relationship. Meanwhile, Homer escapes and fights Moe, who accidentally set his bar on fire moments before. Homer and Moe survive and reconcile, with the Simpson residence used as the new location of Moe's.

I kind of relate a lot to Moe in this episode and not in a good way. Moe spends a lot of the first act beating himself up, which I feel like I do as well when I think about how I relate to romance and the idea of my own attractiveness. I know I am not "ugly" but I rarely feel "attractive" and certainly get his social awkwardness. It makes me uncomfortable, because I feel like Moe constantly beating himself up ends up resulting in a weird sort of "reverse negging" on Rene that feels kind of weird, where he beats himself in front of her and is saying stuff like "you could NEVER love someone like me." Moe doesn't read as intentionally or thoughtfully manipulative but I think its sort of in there. Its clearly that the relationship is something unhealthy, not because they are even "bad" for each other entirely, but more that Moe's self-esteem issues and cowardice make him unable to see that Rene seems to like him for his finer points while he's convinced that he needs to have a "hold" on her with money. Eventually, Rene finds that Moe's good points don't fix his complete lack of maturity and personal responsibility.

Its a pretty funny episode and one with a sort of sweet romance, even if its better that it ends in the end. Rene is played by Helen Hunt who at the time was actually dating Azaria. They eventually married but were divorced less than two years later. Sometimes, real life romance can spark serious chemistry (watch the Douglas Adams-scripted Doctor Who episode "City of Death" and boy does it show with the two leads even though there relationship in the series itself is non-romantic). Other times its strangely the opposite, where the real couple looks just awkward on screen (Gigli). This one feels a little closer to the former but while there are definite moments of cuteness between the two and Helen Hunt kills it, I feel like we are just looking at two competent performers doing good work. Of course, the nature of animation probably plays a role.

By this point in the series, its easy to see non-Simpsons characters carrying their own episodes with the Simpsons acting as ancillary figures. Moe is definitely in the top tier, as is Apu (obvious issues aside), Skinner, Krabappel and Mr. Burns. I feel like there were times the Simpsons would do this a little too often. I am of the opinion that Comic Book Guy has had FAR too many episodes about him, though this might be for the fact that the last recent episode I saw used him a lot and also was bad. I think to be in the top tier, you need to have not only charm and humour but some sort of depth. There were Moe episodes before and would be after but I think this is a very strong Moe showcase (a Moe-case, if you will), because he gets to be funny and kind of sweet but also ugly in word and deed. He's not a good person but he definitely has a hidden sweetness that makes you want to love him and maybe get some happiness. I think later on, they would go a little too far with this, making Moe VERY prone to suicide in some very dark humour, though it does lead to a genuinely sweet moment in a just so-so episode down the line. But here, I think they hit the sweet spot with Moe. So to speak.

Jokes I missed before:
I wouldn't say I missed it, but I always forget the lobster had a sombrero.

Other great jokes:
I didn't get into it, but this is one with some VERY good jokes.

"Do you mind if I have this dance?"
"Its all yours?"
I feel like someone on the writing staff wanted to write Mad Magazine style comebacks.


"Quit kissing that cat and get in the car!"

"And bring us your finest crap stuffed with your second finest."
"Excellent, sir. Lobster stuffed with tacos."
I would eat this. Don't think I wouldn't.

"Yeah, I want to send her two dozen roses and I want to put something nice on the card. Something like 'Rene my treasure.'"
"Hahahaha."
"Shut up or I'll ram a stool down your throat! No, don't put that on the card. Well, let me hear how it sounds. No, take it out, take it out."

"I don't know. I can just imagine what Marge would say."
"Homer, I insist you steal that car."
"I'll do it."



"That car thief can't hold his breath forever."
"And if he can, Chief?"
"Then may God help us all."

"You know fingerprints are just like snowflakes. They're both very pretty."

"Hawaii? What about Hawaii? Moe, who's going to Hawaii? Am I going to Hawaii?"
"Stop staying Hawaii in there."

DsGri-WgH_Nk9d6W-cCRZ8SQuPs=.gif


"Where ya goin' baby? Ya goin' to get the corpses?"
"Yes. I'm going to get the corpses."
"Ya want me to come with?"

Other notes:

So... I guess no one bothered to recatch Homer who escaped from prison. That actually sounds about right.
 
Last edited:

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
This Little Wiggy

As as child, I had two "friends" with whom I had that was more motivated by personal gain than anything else. In both cases, they had video game systems I could play when I couldn't get to see my friend whose large family often had the latest game systems. Even I knew it was bad to be friends with this kid under false pretenses. I won't say that he was bad (though I found out his dad was homophobic. I'm actually relieved to know that said belief disgusted me even as an elementary school student in the early 90s) but I didn't relate to anything about him and he seemed more like he needed a friend that anyone would do. I had a similar relationship with a kid who was a bit more of a problem child and we were closer to actual friends but frankly, I kind of knew the friendship was more games motivated. It took me a while to realize that I'd rather hang around with people I wanted to be with rather than people with things I wanted to hang out with.

In this episode, Marge encounters Ralph at a museum and decides he's a sweet, lonely boy who needs a friend. She sets up a playdate with Bart, who wants nothing to do with Ralph. Eventually, Bart realizes the advantages of hanging out with the son of Springfield's top cop when he learns he has a skeleton/master key to the city. Bart steals it and he and Ralph go on a tour of Springfield's closed stores. Bart tries to use the leverage of the key to get in with the cool kids and takes them to a closed penitentiary but ends up betraying Ralph to do so. In short order, Bart is betrayed in turn by the cooler kids who throw the key into the prison, Bart and Ralph get it back and explore the old prison while they are there, playing with an old electric chair. Some time after, Bart and Ralph learn that Mayor Quimby is doing a public demonstration of an electric chair that he assumes is turned off. Ralph comes up with the brilliant idea of asking Lisa for help, who saves the day.

We are basically at endgame Ralph. A lot of other characters in this era are still undergoing transformations. Homer isn't quite as consistently awful yet. There's nary a flicker of Flanders' ultra conservatism and homophobia yet, thank God. Ralph is the first one to go VERY VERY broad. In the first major episode centered around him, Ralph is a very awkward kid. And he is still dumb in that one but the show gives him nuance. But it didn't take him too long at all to become a non-sequitur/one-off joke machine. And occasionally, it kind of makes it a little uncomfortable when the writers throw in lines implying he's not just "cartoon stupid" but instead has an intellectual disability. Why would you throw that in? It kind of ruins any sort of fun at laughing at this antics. The only other Ralph episode I can think of is a later series "Ralph for president" episode, which I suspect plays very weird today and is more about him being used as a prop. This is probably the first time he's been so center since the Valentine's Day episode and while the show is not without sympathy for the kid, his role is mostly vulnerable joke machine and even though it ends on his "victory", its really more about Bart's failings.

This isn't a bad episode but mostly its virtues is in vehicle for jokes. Structurally, I think falters on sticking to the point I think it was pointing at, the fickle nature of childhood friendships, in giving Ralph some ironic hero moment that is really Lisa's. I don't necessarily mind subverting tropes of heroic shows of virtues but it keeps it from the potential of having some interesting depths that the premise could provide. And I think it does show a good job of Bart starting a friendship based on selfish motivations, which does speak to me more than "will Ralph save the day". I just think there are better ways to wrap up that last act into something more touching.

Jokes I missed before:
"I'm going to toss the virtual salad."
Ew. Why, show?

Other great jokes:
"Now who's calculator can tell me what seven times eight is?"
"Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Low battery?"
"Whatever."
*Smug Milhouse*

"Greetings Earth Children!"
"Where are you from?"
"...Earth."

"While you're enjoying our Hall of Wonders your car will be unfortunately be subjected to repeated break-ins."

"Ovulate damn you ovulate!"

I love that Marge's two thumbs up assurance that Bart's cool would rub off on Ralph works on Bart.

"Bushes are nice because they don't have prickers. Unless they do. This one did."

"This is where I saw the leprechaun."
"Uh-huh."
"He tells me to burn things."

"But he says I'm not allowed in there."
"Did he say I'm not allowed in there?"
"Yes."

"Wow, Dad's been in jail six times. Aw, mom's only been in twice."

"Its just an abandoned prison. All the murderers are long dead, and I'm sure their ghosts are probably in Hell."

"The pointy kitty took it."

"Why do I always shout first? Just gives them a chance to run away. I'm an idiot."

"Ya done grand, laddie. Now you know what to do. Burn the house down. Burn them all!"
Other notes:

I feel like the answering machine bit is an old one by the time the episode hit. I cannot tell if the joke is the that the Simpsons are just that behind the times or if it is a genuine skewering of something the Simpsons writers assume is still popular.

I want funeral fudge. I bet it has more of a dark chocolate taste.
 

Octopus Prime

Mysterious Contraption
(He/Him)
Since you brought up the Ralph for President thing... I didn’t see it in my rewatch. I definitely remember having seen it before), but I’m up to season 18 and it Didn’t come up.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Similarly, there was a joke about Billy Beer in season 4 or so and Homer doesn't say "We elected the wrong Carter." I was like "Did they cut it?" Then it turns out they returned to the Billy Beer well in season 9.
 

Büge

Arm Candy
(she/her)
"Why do I always shout first? Just gives them a chance to run away. I'm an idiot."
"Now Martha, we've been over this and over this! We're too old to start havin' children. If you're lookin' for somethin' to do, why don't ya start a new twine ball?"
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Simpson Tide

I like to think I'm not a completely irresponsible person but I do see myself as someone who is 38 and still doesn't feel like I'm a "grown up" yet. But then I watch the news and am shocked by the lack of maturity and personal responsibility of people in power. Its never just that people are evil, often transparently so, but even more than that they seem completely incompetent. I must take a lot of work to get to those positions of power and I can't wrap my head around how this happened, how someone can put in the work and still show very few signs of personal and professional growth.

In this episode, Homer is fired and joins the US naval reserves. Homer graduates from boot camp and ends up involved in war games on a US sub. Homer makes a good impression on the Captain and is made acting captain when the admiral investigates a blockage in a torpedo tube. When another ship arrives, Homer decides to fire on them, launching the Captain and leaving Homer in charge. Homer bungles the ship into Russian Waters, causing an international incident. Homer manages to use his wits to solve one problem and manages to use a weak excuse to disarm a tense situation. Homer is dishonorably discharged, saved from jail by the fact that everyone else in Homer's hearing is involved in various scandals.

I remember Simpson Tide being, at least, a very funny episode. Upon rewatch... not really. The thing is, the good lines are pretty funny but so much of it is pretty subpar. First lets look at the plot itself; the whole thing feels like a throwaway. There are technically stakes, global stakes, but it all feels really teflon and thrown together in order to get to the comedy goal of Homer being a military leader. Homer loses his job and is basically rushed through some boot camp hijinx into the story. I'm not saying a comedy can't work as a series of jokes but this feels really slapdash. And Bart's b-plot is an even bigger nothing, serving mostly to set up a Homer hero moment and the two otherwise don't feed into each other well.

Thematically, its essentially a comedy about the idea that in what is supposed to be a proud tradition of defense, inappropriate people can get into positions of power due to poor judgement. But while it is a theme that thought went into in the structure (particularly Homer getting off the hook due to everyone else being as much of a hot mess as he), it really feels more like it largely began and ended with "lets put Homer in the navy and the jokes will follow." It doesn't say a lot about the government or Homer as a character that hasn't been said better in other episodes. Again, the Bart b-plot is even weaker, as the tension between Homer and Bart feels really manufactured and doesn't work well with what the episode is supposedly on about.

In terms of comedy, there are some really shiny bright spots but its amazing how cheesy the majority of it is. Homer accidentally impressing the Captain (name... ugh, Captain Tenielle) with his foolishness, the In the Navy bit, the Planet of the Donuts dream sequence. I wasn't surprised to find the episode was written by The Critic vets, because a lot of the "zanier" jokes, which eschew internal logic in favour of a cultural reference joke (the aforementioned Village People bit and the JFK bit which makes NO SENSE to me in context. Why would he just say that apropos of nothing and to no one?) The biggest offender is probably the Starbuck gag, an eyerolling clunker of a joke EVERYONE was making at the time. Heck, in about 9 seasons, the show ends up making a joke about how cliched Starbucks jokes are. But the good jokes are pretty good and I use them to this day. The strength of those is probably why I had a more pleasant memory of this episode. Instead, this is an episode edging on self-parody.

Jokes I missed Before:

Not so much as joke but I appreciate that the actors in the UN scene underplay their two lines before the "Russian" ambassador reveals the Soviet Union is still around.

Other great jokes:


"Blackula, followed by Blackenstein, then its the Blunch Black of Blotre Blame."

"We don't have the clapper."
"Sorry Marge, I can't hear you. I'm clapping."

"Alright Simpson, you don't like me and I don't like you."
"I like you."
"OK, you like me but I don't like you."
"Maybe if you got to know me better."
"What are you, a comedian?"
"Well, I'm no Margeret Cho but I do a pretty good Columbo impression. Just one more *ahem ahem* Can I go get a drink of water?"

"Milhouse, my mom wears earrings. Do you think she's cool?"
"No, I think she's hot! Sorry, that just slipped out."

"Lost this eye in Haiti. I was drinking a mai tai and I forgot to take the little parasol out."

I love that Bob Denver's "act" is a plea for mercy.



Other notes:

To me, the only real Captain Tenielle was this one.

latest

...Oh, wait...
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
The Trouble With Trillions

In my heart of hearts, I'm someone who is scared of breaking the rules. I guess I felt if I never broke any laws, I would stay out of trouble. But getting older, I see there are laws worth breaking and "you have nothing to fear from the law if you do nothing wrong" is deeply naïve. I'm pretty fortunate, living a life of privilege based on my class and race so for me, I probably am safe in these things but knowing that I am living within a system that can oppress and prey upon its citizens with ease now gives me a healthy skepticism of the people I once assumed were around to help me.

In this episode, Homer, desperate to get his taxes done on time, fudges a lot of numbers, only to get audited. The government threatens him with five years in prison unless he becomes a government stooge. Homer gets a peer arrested and the FBI decides the next step is to help take down Mr. Burns. It turns out following World War II, the American government printed a trillion dollar bill as a form of aid to Europe. It seems they let Burns deliver the bill and it never arrived. Homer is tasked with finding the bill. Homer succeeds but as Burns protests his arrest, Homer decides he doesn't want to be a victim of the government anymore. He frees bird and together with Smithers, they escape with the bill to Cuba. They assume they'll be welcomed but in the end Burns is robbed by Castro and the trio work their way back home, with Burns planning to bribe the jury during his upcoming trial.

The Trouble With Trillions is an episode I wasn't sure how well would play returning to it. I definitely remembered it as one of the wackier ones of the season and it is. But I also feel in comparison to this one, it is an exploration of our relationship with our government and money. I was afraid of this simply because "our tax dollars pay for [[complaint]]" is often a conservative rallying cry but I feel like this one comes to the conclusion that whatever your political stripe, you should be very worried about where your money is going. I mean, I really tried to gauge politically if the themes were more conservative or liberal and while I definitely wouldn't call it apolitical, its one that kind of plays to both sides. I can easily see anyone using it as an argument for their political agenda. It goes through the entire episode and while I think there's a message that the fucked up nature of the US isn't the WORST government, I feel this is more of an "exploration" episode than a definitive answers episode, which might be why I can see it being open to a preferred invitation.

Within it, we start with Flanders happily paying his taxes, listing off the nice things (and cops) that taxes pay for. But we also see that taxes can also pay for the government to bully people like Homer. The people the government targets ARE definite villains. Burns is the obvious big one, stealing money from people in need. Yet I feel like Charlie's "beating up government officials" reads a LOT worse in light of recent events. None of this forgives, of course, how Homer is treated and the fact that Homer being bullied is terrible evil. There's not a lot of good guys in this episode, with Homer coming closest, committing a crime and literally trying to close his eyes and cover his ears to try to deny it. But the two countries the episode takes place in are fraught with corruption, the difference being that Cuba can bully much quicker. The episode plays for high comedy but it is among the most cynical of this episode's season, saying that you really need to be aware of what the government is doing with your money because it can be against your interests to commit crimes.

The Trouble With Trillions is definitely an overtly goofy episode. Even the premise of the trillion dollar bill makes very little sense. It could never be spent and therefore does it have any actual true value? If anything, it could only be a symbol for actual money to help Europe. But for whatever reason, everyone agrees that this can somehow definitely be used. The episode never really points this out but whether it is the writers not caring or simply deciding not to call attention to it (which I feel like they would. Its not like the show plays subtle in this era), it does work thematically into the ridiculousness of the whole plot. I mean, if it can't really be spent, does anyone have ANY MONEY that they are struggling so hard for? I don't think the Trouble With Trillions is the best or smartest episode of the season but I feel like it is one that is very funny and is very interested in digging into its themes, unlike the last episode which was mildly funny and pretty uninterested in its themes.

Jokes I missed before:

486401.jpg


Other jokes:

"Sir, why did you wait until the last minute to pay your taxes."
"Cause I'm an idiot. HAPPY?"
I feel Krusty here, whenever I'm asked I did a thing.

"Let's say you pull a thorn out of the Pope's butt and he grants you one wish. What'll it be?"
"Only one, eh? Well, I've always wondered what it would feel like to wear something that's been ironed."
"That'd be sweet. What about you, Moe?"
"Well, I was going to say a night with Joey Heatherton but an ironed shirt? Damn, that's tempting."


"This film will self-destruct... if not properly stored."

"We believe that Burns still has that bill somewhere in the house, but all we've ascertained from satellite photos is that its not on the roof."

I love Burns failed attempt to scald Homer. "*sigh* Let me get you a towel."

"That intrepid lad is my great grandpapa, tossing their tea without a care in the world what the caffeine would do to the Fenway flounder."
"Is that a fish?"
"It was."

"I'm gonna write the best darn article... oh right."

"Take 'er down, Smithers!"
"Uh, you're flying the plane sir."
"Excellent."


Other notes:

Man, that dinner Smithers made for burns sounds good. I'm sure "pheasant under duck" is good but I do love root veg as a remoulade.

I've eaten donkey meat when I was in China. It was good.
 

Octopus Prime

Mysterious Contraption
(He/Him)
Nothing I’ve noticed.

They don’t have the bonus features of the DVDs, of course, but otherwise everything’s intact.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Basically nothing as far as I can tell. Though I think some of season 9 eps are out of order? According to most other lists, Lisa the Simpson happens later in the season. But they definitely kept the gags taken out of syndication. And even the problematic gags. Like, LGBT slurs.

Notably, The Muppet Show kept all of its problematic gags but has disclaimers before some eps. The only thing cut is due to licensing stuff. But I don't think the Simpsons ever got that problem?
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
Girly Edition

I'm not proud of how ill-informed I am, news wise. Most of the news that comes to my attention lately is stuff that falls under my nose rather than something I seek out and in the 2000s, most of it was stuff I was experiencing through comedy programs like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. These were shows that obviously gained popularity in part due to its comedy but people also kept describing them as having more trustworthiness than the actual news. This is because it often gave a sense of perspective to stories many news programs didn't include for the intent of "objectivity", often to a degree that comes across as ridiculous. Around that time, there were also a number of incredibly dumb right wing punditry shows that seemed to want to mimic the movie Network, completely missing the message of the movie Network: we should be very weary of news reframed as entertainment.

In this episode, Lisa is given her own TV show: Kidz Newz, an educational program for kids. Bart joins the program as the sports anchor despite Lisa's trepidation and immediately kills it and is bumped up to co-anchor. Bart overhears Lisa complaining that Bart isn't smart enough to be co-anchor and hurt, Bart tries to prove her wrong. Unable to do so, he instead finds a way to upstage her with advice from Kent Brockman: sappy human interest stories. People love Bart's segments but Lisa is disgusted by the manipulative and empty nature of them and how it perverts the show she wants to make. After a failed attempt to emulate Bart, Lisa instead tricks Bart into doing a story about Willie, who Bart left homeless following a prank. When Willie literally tries to kill Bart, Lisa intervenes, using Bart's techniques to defuse the situation. The kids realize their opposing styles can actually be complimentary, though they get cancelled anyway. Also, Homer gets a monkey.

I often have a problem with shows within a show. For a quick sketch, its usually fine but it gets trickier when it becomes part of the story. The worst is when we hear someone talk about a significant work of art and what we are presented with sucks (I feel like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is famous for this). But my problem with this one is... Kidz News never makes a lot of sense. If it was a program purely for Springfield Elementary, fine, but it seems to be a kids news show for the whole city that also only talks about stuff happening in one school? It just feels like the bits for the program itself don't really work for me. I mean, Lisa talks so much game about good kids news and the stories are... ham salad? It feels weird for us to get invested in the integrity of Lisa's news show when its kind of crap to begin with. I also think that the Kidz Newz gags that aren't that good and I might have forgiven this if they were better.

As for the episode, its fine. I remember liking it more, but its still good. I feel unlike Lisa the Simpson, despite Lisa labelling Bart as dumb, he proves himself to be savvy, while Lisa is smart but lacks Bart's ability to connect with his audience. Too late, the kids realize that working together they could be far greater than the some of their parts, yadda yadda yadda. But at the same time, I do like episodes where we get to compare and contrast the two kids' skillsets. I also find this episode mostly doesn't have Bart be too meanspirited, despite literally rendering Willie homeless. Of course, part of that is its first introduced as another Bart prank before revealing the real consequence. The b-plot comes off as far nastier, funny bits aside, as we see Homer abusing an animal with bad training.

This is also the second major appearance of Lindsay Nagel (still a brunette at this point), a character I am only now suspecting is inspired by Faye Dunaway in Network. Like the character in the film, she's more concerned about eyes on screen than the integrity of the show. But she's also pretty right about Bart's worth and its unfortunate that Lisa fails to recognize her lack of having gold under her nose. Its understandable that she doesn't want the flash over substance Bart begins with and certainly not the trash stories Bart brings to work. But as she says at the end, she realizes the very tools Bart wields could have been used for good.

Jokes I missed before:

I just assumed Jordash was a made up word, rather than a brand.

Other great jokes:
"What don't they learn? Don't trust mice. Cats are made of glass."

I love the excess of the length of Krusty's show.

170636.jpg


"I can't wait to eat that monkey."
Funniest way for us to feel less bad about Grandpa getting betrayed.

"Zork? What is zork?"
"I didn't say zork."
I love pointless gaslighting

"Hey Jughead, did ya hear? The supreme court reversed---"

"This is the most prestigious award Del Monte gives."
Del Monte had potential for The Jumble level of ridicule on this show.


I love Lisa coyly telling Bart he'll need to ride his bike "pretty fast" before learning he gets a chopper.

"PRAY FOR MOJO."

 
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