There’s a brief moment in this episode, where Homer is asked by Marge if he drinks to escape reality, and Homer imagines himself really buff and making his pecs dance. I really like those little moments where we see the really weird world that is the inside of Homer’s mind.
Oh yeah, and in this episode, he temporarily gives up drinking.
Ralph Wiggum has, thus far, just been a kid in Lisa’s class. This episode gives him the spotlight and begins the idea Ralph may be the single dumbest person in Springfield.
Of course, the people behind the show would have you know that Homer doesn’t hold that position. Nope, there is one adult in Springfield dumber than Homer. That would be Chief Wiggum.
Despite appearances, Homer Simpsons is only supposed to be 36 or so years old. The baldness doesn’t help people remember that.
Neither does this episode, where he needs bypass surgery.
Most episodes of The Simpsons that showcase the relationship between Lisa and Homer show how clueless Homer is about his sensitive middle child and he needs to learn a lesson.
This episode is a nice change of pace because Homer actually is the one who gets it right this time.
Today’s episode was actually blocked from the Fox affiliate in the city of New Orleans when it first ran. Apparently, some critic got ahold of the lyrics for one of the made-up songs in the fake musical Marge appears in. Said lyrics describe New Orleans as being full of pirates, thieves, whores, and the like. That angered people. What they didn’t see was the song was a joke and the lyrics were way over the top and that no one involved with the show actually was saying that stuff about New Orleans was true. The people there found that out when the episode was back as a rerun.
Meanwhile, the estate of Tennessee Williams blocked using A Streetcar Named Desire from being used, but American copyright law allows for the use of a handful of lines so long as it doesn’t go beyond that. That was why Marge is in a musical in the first place.
Continue reading Simpsons Did It!: “A Streetcar Named Marge”
Selma Bouvier does not want to die alone. We got a sense of that when Principal Skinner was courting her more hostile sister Patty, but Selma makes plenty of bad romantic decisions entirely on her own.
This episode may be one of my all-time favorites.
That title is so The Simpsons. Give us a main plot about Marge needing a break but name the episode after Homer.
Oh, and the only reason this goes live on a Saturday was due to A) I write these well in advance and 2) we had special content on April Fool’s Day, so there’s that.
When I first saw this particular episode, I thought the writers were riffing on Jessica McClure, who as a baby fell down a well and became a media sensation until her rescue.
Then years later I learned the real inspiration was a dark Billy Wilder comedy starring Kirk Douglas called Ace in the Hole. That’s actually a pretty good movie, and a lesser-known film from Wilder. But that’s not important right now.
Most every one in Springfield believes Bart Simpson will grow up bad.
But somehow, Bart manages to join the mafia before his eleventh birthday.
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