Damn, that was one of my top choices for round 4. Top-12 episode for me. I’ve got my pick though; let me write it up.
Dad, was that your commercial?
I… dont know
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yeah, that was one of my options
Its a pornography store! I was buying pornography!
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Quoting since writeup was so far after most already are further down in the thread.
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One of my favorites, another episode of nonstop comedy, and I’m starting to build a theme with “Homer’s career adventures” here. Also, I believe, the first significant appearance in this draft of one of Springfield’s most beloved supporting characters:
"Homie The Clown"
Krusty’s misadventures in gambling and debts to the mob lead him to open a clown college to make money. Homer sees a billboard for the college and it slowly seeps in his brain until he decides to sign up. Homer quickly discovers the perks of people thinking he’s Krusty, until the mob starts targeting him, leading to even more hijinks when Homer and Krusty have to perform their most difficult trick for the mob boss to save their lives.
Some highlights:
- “Gambling is the finest thing a person can do, if he’s good at it!”
- “It’s Krusterrific, Johnny Unitas! But is my upper lip supposed to bleed like this?” “Probably!”
- “You mean like that bozo, Bonko the Clown?”
- “Pfft. Clown college? You can’t eat that.”
- “That billboard had no effect on me whatsoever!”
- “Hey, Homer, the section you’re supposed to be monitoring is on fire!” “…Clowns are funny…”
- Homer’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind moment with the mashed potatoes and everything that comes from that (“Mom?” “I think I’ll have some wine.”)
- “Yes, Homey? Doo-do-doo-doo-do-do-doo-doo-do-do…”
- “What’s a Chachi?”
- “Those are supposed to be baggy pants. BAGGY!”
- “Kill wealthy dowager.”
- “Burn that seat.”
- Krusty’s joy buzzer at the graduation
- Homer beating the Krusty Burglar to death and the kids’ horrified reactions (“Stop, stop, he’s already dead!”)
- “There’s your giraffe, little girl.” “I’m a boy!” “That’s the spirit! Never give up.”
- “I don’t know, Bart. My dad’s a pretty big wheel down at the cracker factory.”
- “Yeah, when I started this clown thing I thought it would be nothing but glory. You know, the glory of being a clown?”
- Homer telling off Dick Cavett (“Look, you’re gonna be having dinner with Groucho tonight if you don’t beat it”)
- “Being a clown sucks. You get kicked by kids, bit by dogs, and admired by the elderly.”
- “I’m not saying it won’t work. I’m saying it’s dishonest.” “Well, if we agree, then why are we arguing?”
- Krusty betting on the Washington Generals
- “Those are… speed holes.”
- “I told you we should have bought more than three bullets!”
- “Joe Valachi!” “The same Joe Valachi who squealed to the Senate Committee about organized crime?”
- The final “spin cycle fantastique” trick
- “You have brought great joy to this old Italian stereotype.” “Don Vittorio, no–” “Yes, yes, I am, I know it.”
In conclusion,
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Bonus content mostly from this episode:
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Gonna be about 4-5 hours from now
So many of the best moments from this episode make great GIFs. Really this episode has a lot of kinetic fun in a way The Simpsons doesn’t always do:
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“Street signs indoors? Hah, whatever!”
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Rather than write up my episode and not give it its proper due I’ll post this and try to find some quotes: “Mr Plow at 25”
I feel like upon rewatching this episode recently it didn’t have as many great jokes or lines as you might expect of a “classic”. However, much like it’s signature jingle, there’s something about it that stays with you. Also as a current Tucson resident I had to take the episode with our most famous resident, Linda Rondstadt. From the article, Dan Castellaneta won an Emmy on this episode for his voicing of both Homer and Barney.
The idea, that Homer buys a massive truck and pays for it by becoming Springfield’s snow removal hero, was born out of a single desire: Writer Jon Vitti wanted to meet Adam West.
Smith: Homer became a much more multifaceted, marshmallow-hearted man in later episodes. And I think this is the first time we crept up to that line, but we still didn’t cross it. So, he maintains some of that edge to him.
Castellaneta: It was the first time they used Barney not as a gag, but as a full-blown character.
Smith: I love that this is the episode where we find out how Barney became an alcoholic. It is such a heartbreaking moment.
I love the gag of Homer turning the radio dial to keep his truck from falling over the cliff
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Why doesnt Batman dance anymore? Remember the Batusi?
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I have a theory that Conan O’Brien is pretty much responsible for Adam West’s late-career revival, between this episode and this:
I haven’t seriously watched the Simpsons in a looooooooooooooong time, but all of these picks remind me that when it’s great, it’s unstoppable.
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I submit a show has never and will never have a consecutive streak of untouchable episodes as the simpsons did from S4-S8. That’s over 100 episodes of non stop bangers, without a single miss (clip shows do not count). Its an unprecedented accomplishment.
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Also its stupid crazy how pretty much every episode is still relevant today nearly 30 years later
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The article I posted also comes to this conclusion.
I’ve probably never given enough thought to the fact that people had to write and produce these episodes and they didn’t just magically appear in, like, perfect form. Really is sort of staggering when you make this realization.
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Continuing with the 2020 theme… I bring you my 3rd pick, Season 8 Ep. 10, "The Springfield Files."
2020 had everything… including actual ALIENS! https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/politics/pentagon-ufo-videos/index.html Well, a UFO anyway. In this episode, Homer believes he has discovered an alien in springfield.
Oh man I already had to pause because there’s so much good stuff in the first minute.
Leonard Nimoy guest spot! “The following tale of alien encounters is true. And by true, I mean false. It’s all lies. But they’re entertaining lies. And in the end, isn’t that the real truth? The answer is: No.”
Poignant, lol.
Homer describing the movie “speed” to his coworkers and saying “I think it was called ‘the bus that couldn’t slow down’” hahaha. It made me laugh extra hard because I actually had to google “bus that couldn’t slow down movie” to remember the name of that dang thing.
Burns - “What’ll you be doing on this friday, smithers? Something gay, I suppose?” Smithers - “Wh- what?”
millhouse’s video game immediately getting a game over for no reason after he inserted 40 quarters into the machine
“Mmm, needs more dog.”
Jesus I’m noticing there is a lot of jokes about homer drinking and driving in these earlier seasons. I guess that wasn’t really frowned upon as much in those days.
HAHA homer screaming at “DIE” then screaming louder at the word “DIET”
Wow, they were allowed to just play the x-files theme? later edit: I didn’t realize x-files was a fox show.
“It’s just that everyone who claims they saw an alien are always pathetic lowlifes with boring jobs. Oh… thank you, uh, dad.”
“The alien has a sweet heavenly voice… Like urkel! And he appears every friday night… like Urkel!”
Oh, scully and mulder are guest starring. That explains the x-files theme song.
Lol disney would go after fox so hard for the chewbacca reference.
Lie detector test - “Do you understand?” Homer - “Yes” machine blows up
Homer thinks apollo creed went to the moon
“Now son, you don’t wanna drink beer, that’s for daddies and kids with fake id’s.”
hahahaha all their camping gear has ned flanders labels
“It’s bringing love! don’t let it escape” angry mob descends on the alien
Haha the burns twist at the end. I enjoyed this episode, I never had seen it before.
Next one coming soonish
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