Beyond Blunderdome
Its always disappointing when someone you are a fan of turns out to be a monster. I was definitely a fan of Mel Gibson. I really enjoyed his movies but after discovering what we know about him now, it kind of casts a pall over the great works he's been involved with, such as the Mad Max movies and, heck, Maverick (I liked that one). Frankly, I'm never stable about how I want to engage with the work of an artist who turns out to be a creep. Like, I think I have less of a problem going back to Mad Max than his other works for reasons I'm not sure of. Perhaps despite being the lead, it is very much George Miller's "vehicle" (this might be why I think I might be able to go back to Baby Driver, despite featuring TWO monsters). But even the ones I feel I can return to have a taint on them. I can still get some enjoyment, but now there's a bitter, acrid taste. A nagging in my brain. I can watch again but it will never be as good. The quality of the work might be the same but it is impossible for me to ignore how the real world informs my taking in of the art.
In this episode, Homer and Marge get movie tickets to a special sneak preview screening of a remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington directed by and starring Mel Gibson. Everybody likes the movie except Homer, who finds it dull, and when Mel, who is already nervous about the lack of action in his movie, reads Homer's review, he invites him to Hollywood to try to fix it. Eventually, the two come to the mutual decision that the ending needs to be changed and end up creating an ultra-violent and offensive finale. The studio executives freak out and try to destroy the film but Homer and Mel work to save it. Eventually they succeed but the film is universally panned.
Going in, I remembered this as an episode that was funny but had an unfortunate focal point. Its not QUITE as bad as the Michael Jackson episode in every respect but it is in most respects a much weaker episode than I remember. The message and satire aren't very compelling, fewer jokes land than I remember (though there are some really good ones) and like a LOT of episodes about how great the guest star is (a tone that never really works for a show that is supposed to be pretty cynical about fame, authority and hero worship), it looks pretty bad in retrospect. There's a bit when he talks about how he's TOO beloved that people don't want to be critical of him and cops don't give him a ticket when they pull him over. Its almost perfect in its "This don't look good." As much as I don't want to give Mel kudos, he is doing some decent joke delivery (certainly compared to some other movie stars asked to play themselves) with a lot of the problems laid at the feet of its fawning script. It feels like the fawning is intentionally absurd but fawning is still fawning and it looks even worse knowing what we know about him.
The message seems to be mocking the idea of focus groups and letting a loudmouth rando like Homer decide the direction of the picture with some weaker subversion being it is the creative force rather than the business side leading the film astray. I feel like focus group jokes were kind of big at the time (MST3k had a segment related to their own woes in making their movie in this regard) with the message of the folly of trying to please a large demographic of people rather than simply making something artistically complete. But as a cheeky subversion of this premise, it's comedy is a bit more miss than hit with some tired Hollywood jokes ("Now where is that kid with my latte") and weird non-jokes ("We're lesbians!").
There are other ideas that I think the episode looks to explore but kind of... doesn't. Homer doesn't want to look at a film with a real critical eye, he just wants a distraction and I think the episode, while mocking Homer's buffoonish taste, might have an interesting idea that its completely OK to just enjoy a movie for the basest, stupidest reasons like car explosions. Some people just want escape and have different ideas. But while this idea bubbles up, there's not a lot there and I would like to see an episode exploring the idea that shallow enjoyment is still valid and that some people aren't seeking "art", they just want fun and how the ideas can crash against each other. But instead, its more a generic and unfocused parody of Hollywood. I suppose it also doesn't help that the adventure is about the sanctity of a remake that seems like people want to be slavishly echoing the original, which, generally, seems like the exact wrong way to do a remake. I mean, I'm pretty sure the general consensus is to repurpose old ideas to forge a new identity instead of a dull echo. But maybe it makes sense that the Simpsons would value the latter at this point.
"Does the opening scene mirror the themes of the episode" watch 2021:
Yes, I think. Homer watches a commercial that tries to appeal of his sense of humanity but instead he only responds to his basest desires (a free gift)
Jokes I missed before:
Less a joke but I finally checked out the dialogue in the scene where Homer fast forwards it. Clearly, this film had problems before Homer jumped aboard.
Other great jokes:
"Good evening, I'm Edward Christian, assistant VP of finance and distribution at Polystar Pictures."
"Dang, I should have brought the camera."
"Also with me tonight are the dynamic duo William Milo and Robin Hanna who greenlighted all of Shaquille O'Neill's movies including Kazaam! How's the popcorn guys."
"Needs salt!"
*Uproarious laughter*
"At least the Jimmy Stewart version had the invisible rabbit who ran the savings and loan."
"Hollyood here we come! Hollywood here we are!"
"Quit doing that Mom."
"This is worse than Godfather III."
"Whoa, let's not say things we can't take back."
"Movies aren't stupid. They fill us with romance and hatred and revenge fantasies. Lethal Weapon taught me that suicide is funny."
"That really wasn't my intention."
"Before Lethal Weapon 2, I never thought there could be a bomb in my toilet. But now I check every time."
"Its true, he does."
"Wait a minute, he's just a dummy."
"Yeah, but he sells tickets."
*long pause to soak in a very stupid joke*
"Let's go."
"Will you tell me the rest of the plan?"
"It's your plan from Braveheart. Your army mooned the enemy until they could take no more and surrendered."
"No, they didn't. They attacked us in a horribly bloody battle, remember?"
"Actually, I didn't see it but on the poster--"
"When did we stop rooting for the man with the flame thrower or the acid shooting gun of some kind."
"I blame the Internet and the return of swing music."
Other notes:
I don't think Homer driving an electric car into the ocean is too stupid for Homer but the logical consistency of Homer's reasoning is lazily not there even for this show. There has to be a joke or even an anti-comedy bit to explain it and "Relax, its an electric car" doesn't cut it on the latter.
Homer calling Marge his property is a little too gross for a "clueless oaf" joke, a fact more pointed that he's telling this to Mel Gibson.
"We're lesbians!" is such a bizarre non-joke. I can't tell if the writers were jazzed if they could finally say "lesbian" or if they were thought they were sticking it to the couple for... being too conspicuously lesbian, maybe?
Not quite a transphobic joke but in the same ballpark very nearby is the show having a joke about Marge confusing "Judge Judy" with a man. So I'm going to say "three for three" at this point in the bad LGBTQ+ takes run in this series.