Season four of The Simpsons opens with a look forward…if you buy that weird theory that The Flintstones and The Jetsons take place at the same time, with the Jetsons and their neighbors living well above the devastated world below that got knocked back to the stone age of, you guessed it, the world of Bedrock and the Flintstones.
I think that’s a load of hooey, but the Flintstones were on the Simpson’s couch in the opening credits.
Ah, summer, when most kids would be moving on to the next grade but you know Bart and Lisa won’t be.
Instead, Bart wants to go to Kamp Krusty. Lisa does too, but she actually has high enough grades for it. Even Bart’s attempt to doctor his report card doesn’t work because he can’t even come up with plausible lies. Fortunately, Homer blames himself for Bart’s low performance and doesn’t want his son around anyway.
Fortunately for Homer that is. Kamp Krusty is, like many products endorsed by Krusty the Clown, not exactly a high quality experience. Homer and Marge left to their own devices without their two older kids are having a blast, and not just with a picnic basket full of fireworks. Homer is even growing hair and losing weight.
As a trivia note, the original plan for a Simpsons movie was a summer camp plot. But then the writers couldn’t come up with nearly enough material and just made this episode instead.
Yes, Kamp Krusty is being run by the unscrupulous Mr. Black, with Jimbo Jones and his cronies acting as counselors. The cabins are shabby at best, arts and crafts is a sweat shop, and while Lisa is stuck in a horrible ennui that is worse than usual for her, Bart holds out hope that Krusty (who’s at Wimbledon) will actually show up.
Sheesh, Bart. Krusty isn’t coming. Not for you or the nearby fat camp Martin got sent to. Mr. Black will just dress up Barney as a clown and hope no one notices.
Sheesh, Mr. Black. Of course the kids notice. Now Bart can lead a rebellion and scare off Black and his bullies to a nearby hydrofoil. It’s Lord of the Flies time.
That stuff on TV and seeing Bart on TV as the leader will cause Homer to lose everything he’s gained inside of ten seconds. Poor guy.
Fortunately, the real Krusty shows up and promises to make good on the crappy experience. Bart, for one, thinks he should because Bart would never put his name on an inferior product. Sure he wouldn’t. Krusty promises to make it up to the campers by taking them to the happiest place on Earth.
That’d be Tijuana. Oh, Krusty…
Gabbing Geek 