The Simpsons - General Discussion

[nymusix]

Springfield turns into a winter wonderland filled with yuletide revelers when snow blankets the town as a result of the nuclear-power plant springing a leak, so Marge turns their abode into boardinghouse.

[nymusix]

Well this episode kind of sucks... Not that it's a surprise. 

[nymusix]

When Comic Book Guy meets a woman writing an autobiographical mange, he seeks Homer's advice on dating.

[nymusix]

Pretty good Stan Lee cameo but other than that pretty meh episode. 

[Eucrid]

I don't where you all get those little one line synopsis but Lisa makes a hero speech about Homer which lands him the job of a referee at the World Cup in Brazil.

And this really annoyed me. It was just one lazy narrow minded anti-"soccer" joke after another. And these can be done well, usually with the ingrained, US centric ignorance as the joke itself. Look at Colbert, he's always mocking soccer and it works incredibly well on 2 levels. This was lazy, hackneyed rubbish though. And no real players as guest stars. Made up players in the games Homer was refereeing. Luxemurg in the World Cup finals, come on the qualifying is over and we know what countries are going to be represented. Even if we didn't everyone knew Luxembourg wouldn't be. Gah!

Ok maybe I should have thrown an I am not a crackpot in here somewhere but this is the Simpsons, they should be better than this. This is what I'd expect from Family Guy.

[JTMacc99]

It's my guess that the World Cup was simply a reason to bring the Simpsons back to Brazil. Which probably had to be done given what happened the last time they had an episode where they visited Brazil.

I'm pretty sure that if it had been the Winter Olympics being held in Brazil, they would have done a similar episode a couple months ago with Homer as a figure skating judge. (Heh, there are just so many things wrong with that last sentence.)  So having said that, I don't think this was ever supposed to be an episode about soccer, and I won't judge them too harshly on their soccer jokes.  Although the world class injury faker was pretty funny.

As for what I thought the episode did well, I liked the family dynamic. I especially liked Lisa's very late call that Marge was her hero and Marge's completly awesome "I'm a little shocked I didn't get more consideration earlier" reaction. And I also really liked the nod to the show's history several times, including all of the subtle references to the earlier issues the family caused with their visit to Brazil, the fact that Martin Prince is the smartest kid in the school, the way they brought in a completely obscure figure in American History as part of a school production, and a few nods to things Homer has done over the years.

[David T. Cole]

Discuss The Simpsons Here!

[David T. Cole]

Dare to choose!

[ElleryAnne]

My all-time favorite:  "Stupid babies need the MOST attention."

Runner-up:  "She's saying, 'I AM A LEECH'."

(Mainly because I use both of those quotes in RL when I want to annoy my sister-in-law.)

[JTMacc99]

Banana Bread! What the hell were you thinking!?

[M. Darcy]

I've used this a lot the past few weeks - Lousy Smarch weather.

[iamdog]

Call-backs to episodes long past being the highlight isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. The mob standover tactics came across as being almost willfully ignorant of the horriffic violence that is the reality of such situations, perhaps they were trying to avoid offending Brazillians again? But then why play up to such a negative stereotype when there's so much else on offer - the few short pans of Rio's skyline and the river at the end were lovely and I wanted more of that. Instead we got a grade-b Fat Tony story and dumb 'soccer is dumb' jokes. And it was another episode that just suddenly seemed to end.

[iamdog]

Well where to start! Honestly I've missed quite a few episodes of the past few seasons but for me the worst episode was the one in which they killed off Maude Flanders. So pointless and unnecessary and, as I later found out, so spiteful. And it wasn't even funny.

[halgia]

Lisa dates a boy named Lucas Bortner, who wants to be a competitive eater. Marge becomes concerned that Lisa is trying to marry a boy that’s just like Homer. Bart helps Snake Jailbird break out of jail and starts to receive gifts from him, making Milhouse jealous.

Originally aired April 6, 2014.

[Galileo908]

Hey folks, those of you from TWoP will know me as InvaderNorbert. You may remember me from such boards such as Cartoons & Kids Show and The Simpsons. I'm gonna be posting my thoughts on these episodes over here as well!

With that out of the way, my thoughts on this week:

Loved that Minecraft intro.

Kind of surprised it took Moe this long to discover drinking games. Then again, most issues with modern drinking are foreign to Moe.

Lucas$ (Luca-Dollar) was a pretty charismatic character. We haven't seen one of those in a while! Zach Galifinakis played him really well. I liked the route they went on with Lisa, the relationship reminded Marge too much of Homer. And I'll admit, I thought Homer's indignation was pretty justified. Even the "please forgive me, I'm spouting the episode's reset button speech" didn't work on Homer.

Heh, so this was the episode where they shoehorned in Marge's Project Runway dress. Looked nice, and liked how it genuinely made her look good and not creepy-sexy like all the other times they've tried to sexualize Marge.

Snake and Bart's plot was okay. I liked how Bart wasn't all that excited over all the "free" stuff Snake gave him, especially when Milhouse's iPad fell into his hands. Typical Wiggum to think that "Three strikes and you're out" meant "letting them out."

[JTMacc99]

I liked the route they went on with Lisa, the relationship reminded Marge too much of Homer.

If for no other reason, it gave the show a chance to let Patty and Selma break out some new insults.

I forget what the first one was, mostly because I laughed really hard not so much at the insult but at the way Patty and Selma cracked themselves up. Heh. I do remember the called him Justin Blobber at one point.

[halgia]

Set in the future, Homer has a new clone for every time he dies. Lisa is married to a zombie version of Milhouse, while Bart deals with custody issues with his ex-wife, Jenda. Each defines what love means to them.

[beadgirl]

Why have the writers decided that it is now canon (so to speak) that Lisa marries Milhouse?  What happened to the Lisa who "plan to have several torrid love affairs, and may or may not die young; [she hasn't] decided"?

[beadgirl]

The biggest laugh for me was "Actually, it's 'LucaDollar.'"  I will be calling Beadboy1 that from now on.

[JTMacc99]

I think that if you are going to tell a story that involves Lisa doing charity work with the Zombie population in the future, you might as well have Milhouse play the role he played here. I think that if this future episode had Lisa as the leader of some sort of major organization or political party, they would probably not have her ending up with Milhouse. Basically, there are some futures with her getting together with Milhouse, and some without. I don't think they would ever settle on that being defined as one or the other.

I think my favorite Homer Clone Death came when he electrocuted himself at the toaster. Heh.

[xander874]

This is one of the better flash-forward episodes to me. Certainly better than the last few. Although I will always argue that the one where Lisa almost marries Hugh is the real future (it's the one like the best), this was pretty funny and it encompassed so many characters. I especially liked the pan during the dinner scene when we saw Skinner and skeleton Agnes, and Maggie and Gerald (finally realizing their life-long feud was based in love).

[JTMacc99]

Heh. I forgot about that restaurant pan. I laughed at Maggie and Gerald. That was really smart.

[beadgirl]

Yeah, that pan was one of the good bits; Skinner with Agnes's ("It means lamb! Lamb of God!") corpse was very creepy and Norman-Batesy.  And to clarify, I liked the episode in general.  I just feel that over the last few years there have been more and more references to Lisa and Milhouse, and I don't see it as plausible at all.

[Iboatedhere]

Since TWOP is no more we really need to bump up this thread. Here are some of my favorites.

Island leader: "Why did you think a big balloon would stop people?"

Scientist:  "Shut up!  That's why!"

 

Homer: "Don't rock the boat. Don't even get in the boat. Just buy some ice cream and walk about the pier. But don't go in the bathrooms, they're filthy!" - I kind of regret not using that one as my senior quote.

 

Agnes: "You're hooked on love, Marge. I know the feeling. Nine months later Seymour plopped out me. I would've kept walking but there were cops everywhere."

 

In Bart The Lover Homer's drunken love letter to Marge is hilarious.

"Maybe it's the beer talking Marge but you've got a butt that won't quit. They've got these big chewy pretzels here that are [drunken hungry mumble] five dollars? Get outta of here."

I think it's the way Dan ramps up about the pretzels. 

 

Lunch lady Doris: "There's very little meat in these gym mats."

 

"Purple monkey dishwasher."

 

Marge: "Homer, is this the way you pictured married life?"

Homer: "Yeah, pretty much. Except we drove around in a van solving mysteries."

 

Homer singing: "I like pizza; I like bagels; I like hotdogs with mustard and beer. I'll eat eggplant, I could even eat a baby deer, la la la la la la la la who's that baby deer on the lawn out there?!"

 

Marge: "Can't we go anywhere without this family being associated with trouble? I have nothing to say to you."

Homer: "But Marge, I was a political prisoner!"

Marge: "How were you a political prisoner?"

Homer: "I kicked a giant mouse in the butt! Do I have to draw you a diagram?"

 

Homer: "Bart, I don't want to alarm you but there may be a Boogeyman or Boogeymen in the house."

later when Marge walks in and sees everyone barricaded with a shotgun and a mattress.

Marge: "What's going on here?"

Homer: "Oh nothing, Marge. Just a little incident involving the Boogeyman!"

 

Homer: "Sweet merciful crap! My car!"

 

Mr. Burns: "Is it about my cube?"

 

Smithers: Well sir, where should we dump this batch....the playground?

Mr. Burns: No, all those bald children are arousing suspicion. To the park!

 

Troy McClure: If a cow ever got the chance he'd eat you and everyone you care about.

 

Homer (monotone): I will send Bart the money to fly home. Then I will murder him.

 

Bart: Why do we need church shoes? Jesus wore sandals.

Homer: Maybe if he had better arch support they wouldn't have caught him.

 

Sunday School Teacher: Ralph, Jesus did not have wheels.

 

Marge: I want to see what's bothering Bart, but I'm afraid of smothering him.

Homer: Yeah, then we'd get the chair.

Marge: That's not what I meant.

Homer: It was, Marge, admit it.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Iboatedhere

[radishcake]

Homer: "I kicked a giant mouse in the butt! Do I have to draw you a diagram?"

I actually say this when I am questioned about things by my husband. :)

[Iboatedhere]

Moe: I'm more of a well wisher in that I don't wish him any specific harm.

 

Aide: Election in November.

Mayer Quimby: What? Again? This stupid country.

 

Lisa: Women won't like being shot in the face.

Homer: Women will like what I tell them to like.

 

Homer: Run Marge! Pump those crazy legs! - If I ever watch someone run a marathon that's what I'm going to put on my sign.

 

"Man alive. There are men....alive in here."

[ElleryAnne]

Lisa, handing out bumper stickers.  "Vote for Quimby.  This time he's the lesser of two evils."

[Kaboom 2.0]

Just yesterday my boyfriend rolled his eyes and grumbled that my entire life revolves around the Simpsons and quoting/paraphrasing them on a daily basis. Which is totally incorrect. I throw in Futurama quotes too. :-)

 

Iboatedhere, he runs marathons and I actually yelled "run baby! pump those crazy legs!" when he ran by me the last time he ran the Baltimore marathon a few years ago. He swears he didn't hear me.

 

And of course when we go to a theme park and park in a massive parking lot I tell him "now remember, we parked in the Itchy lot."

[JTMacc99]

You know Smithers, "I told you so has a brother." His name is "Shut the hell up!"

[AimingforYoko]

One of my first non-Lost comments at TWoP was this quote:
"I can't live the buttoned down life like you. I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles! Sure, I might offend a few of the blue-noses with my cocky stride and musky odor - oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called 'City Fathers' who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about what's to be done with this Homer Simpson?"
Favorite. Homer rant. Ever.

[Iboatedhere]

Homer: Animals are crapping in our house and we're picking it up. Did we lose a war? That's not America. That's not even Mexico.

 

Marge: Homer, that's crazy lady that lives in our trash pile attacked me again.

Homer: That's not how she tells it.

 

Ray Patterson: Sorry I'm late. Someone tampered with my brakes.

Homer: Well then you should've been early.

 

Kent Brockman: What have you been up to, Lurleen?

Lurleen: I spent last night in a ditch.

 

Barney: Jesus must be spinning in his grave.

 

Homer: Come on, Marge! Less artsy, more fartsy.

 

Milhouse: Remember the time he ate my goldfish and you lied and said I never had a goldfish? Then why did I have the bowl, Bart? Why did I have the bowl?

 

Krusty: Hey! Guns aren't toys. They're for family protection, hunting dangerous or delicious animals, and keeping the King of England out of your face!

 

Moe: You're too late. Beat it. Lousy civilians. I wish I could burn them all.

Quimby: Easy there, Fire Chief Moe.

[ElderPrice]

"The ironing is delicious!" I use this one all the time. 

[Iboatedhere]

Milhouse: Sometimes I wish a cat would eat me.

[Iboatedhere]

Since everywhere I turn there's a story about an uproar caused by a woman breast feeding in public I feel like this quote is appropriate:

 

Kent Brockman: Remember, an eclipse is like a woman breast feeding in a restaurant: It's free, it's beautiful, but under no circumstances should you look at it.

[ElleryAnne]

Cecil:  Goodness, I had no idea.  For you see, I have been on Mars for the last decade.  In a cave. With my eyes shut and my fingers in my ears.

Edited June 12, 2014 by ElleryAnne

[Spartan Girl]

I saw this episode recently, and while there were some good parts, I was too annoyed by the usual Homer and Marge crap to really enjoy the episode.  So basically all their problems are resolved when Marge reprograms a robot Homer to her liking?

 

Remember when Homer and Marge used to be a likable couple?  What happened to the Marge who loved Homer for all his faults instead of passive aggressively imagining him changing?  And any time she talks about things "wifely obedience" I want to punch her.

[Bort]

The "folded faster than Superman on laundry day" quote is one that I use ALL THE TIME.

[JTMacc99]

The episode that came from was just on the other day. I remember cracking up when I was watching it with my kids, who naturally questioned my sanity.

 

They need to fold everybody's laundry in the house for a couple months and THEN they'll get that joke.

[Princess Sparkle]

I consistently use "Everything is coming up Millhouse" in my everyday life.  It's just too perfect not to use.

[mstaken]

This is the place to rank and discuss the 'best of' the Simpsons! Favorite episodes, favorite characters, favorite seasons, favorite running jokes...etc. 

 

Here's one to get us started: If you could keep just 10-15 Simpsons episodes, which would you choose?! 

[mstaken]

I totally agree about the way they killed off Maude. I also hate the 'chili pepper' episode to the point where I can't even rewatch it. (And normally I can find at least a few rewatch-worthy lines and moments from even my leats favorite episodes.) 

[JTMacc99]

To start:

Cape Feare (Your name is Homer Thompson)

Marge vs. Monorail (Simpson, Homer Simpson, He's the greatest guy in history. From the, town of Springfield, He's about to hit a chestnut tree. AAAAGH!)

22 Short Films about Springfiled (An Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?)

Flaming Moe's (Hugh Jass!  Somebody check the men's room for a Hugh Jass!)

 

Those four have been in my top 10 list forever and are never coming off it.  After that, there is an ever changing list that includes:

 

Last Exit to Springfield ("Oh man, I shouldn't have had all that beer and coffee and watermelon.)

Homer at the Bat (Hey, Homer's choking again.)

Rosebud (Ooooh! A head bag! They're chock full of heady... goodness.)

You Only Move Twice (Nobody every says Italy.)

Homer the Great (Who rigs ever Oscar night?)

Edited July 7, 2014 by JTMacc99

[mstaken]

Cape Feare (Your name is Homer Thompson)

 

Amen! Then again, I tend to love nearly every Sideshow Bob episode more than is rational :) 

 

22 Short Films about Springfiled (An Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?)

 

I adore this one as well. 

 

Looking through the list of episodes, I've noticed that a disproportionate number of my most rewatched favorites happen to hail from S5 and S7. But I do also like some of the recent seasons more than most do and (*whispers*) think S25 had a few absolute gems. 

[JTMacc99]

Well, you know, that's kind of why I noted that I have that short list that never comes off of my top ten, and then named a few other older episodes that have always made me happy to see them.  But it would be unfair of me to say that I haven't really enjoyed many of the episodes made in the last ten years. There are a whole bunch of really fun and smart episodes in the last batch of 200, but there is no chance I'll remember them as fondly as I will the ten or so I just mentioned. I watched those old episodes dozens of times, and that was even before the DVR, which means I video taped the damn things and watched them over and over again.  Those are the episodes that made The Simpsons a second language between me and my friends. Those are the episodes that made The Simpsons part of our collective culture.

[mstaken]

watched those old episodes dozens of times,

 

Only dozens?! You're way behind, my friend :) 

 

What are your five(ish) favorite seasons? No ties allowed, of course, because I'm sadistic that way. 

[Spartan Girl]

IMO any of the episodes in the last 5-10 years would fit well in this category. 

[Spartan Girl]

Homer the Great (Who rigs ever Oscar night?)

 

 

"We do!  We do!"  Heh.

 

Favorite seasons would probably be any one between 1-10.  The show was so much better back then.  Homer was dumb without being a jerk and not every word out of Marge's mouth annoyed the crap out of me.  *sigh* Where did those days go?

[JTMacc99]

The season 3-9 heyday also had the advantage of still being able to explore new things about the characters. For example, we knew that Moe was a sad, angry guy who was also a little shady and a small time bookie.  But in season five, (in the Cape Feare episode) we learned that he was also dabbling in international wildlife smuggling.  Of course, when he got caught, he waved the pandas out of the back door. Andele!

[honybr]

I consistently use "Everything is coming up Millhouse" in my everyday life.  It's just too perfect not to use.

 

Me too.  I finally got my husband to use it.

 

My favorite quote ever will always be from Homer "I am so smart! S-M-R-T".  I say this all the time when I do something dumb.

 

I also use "Chesty LaRue" quite often too. 

[Iboatedhere]

Bart: Is there a doggie hell?

Homer: There couldn't be a heaven without a hell.

Bart: Who's in there?

Homer: Hitler's dog and that dog Nixon had- what's his name? Chester?

Lisa: Checkers.

Homer: One of the Lassies too. The mean one. The one that mauled Timmy.

 

Homer: I'm not going to die. That only happens to bad people.

Bart: What about Abe Lincoln.

Homer: He sold poison milk to school children.

 

Homer: I know, you could march to Selma....and tell her she's ugly!

 

Homer: that's not a bug, that's the queen of something!

 

Milhouse: You don't want me to be with you, you don't want me to be with someone else, how miserable do I have to be before you're happy? < not a funny one but it resonated with me.