All right, I never wrote up mine, so here we go:
"Bart’s Inner Child"
Another great unrelated first act features Homer getting a trampoline. After a bunch of the neighborhood kids get injured, Marge makes him get rid of it; Marge gets angry when the family tells her she’s no fun, so she goes to her sisters and they recommend self-help bullshit artist Brad Goodman, in another wonderful performance from Albert Brooks. Goodman has a seminar in Springfield that Bart interrupts, which leads Goodman to hold him up as an example of the “inner child” everyone should aspire to be. This leads everyone in town to be a bunch of lazy, impulsive slackers who screw up the “Do What You Feel” festival and blame it on Bart.
Great episode for a few reasons-- the hilarious first act, Brooks’ performance, a great showing by the Springfield mob, and good appearances from townfolk like Kent Brockman, Moe, and Troy McClure. Plus, James Brown as himself and the first appearance of McGarnigle!
Some favorite moments:
- “TRAMBAMPOLINE! TRAMBOPOLINE!”
- “It smells funny in there.” “No it doesn’t!”
- “Hey, Krusty–” CHK-CHK “You just keep right on driving.”
- “If this were a cartoon, the cliff would break off by now.” night falls “I’m thirsty!” crack “AAAAAHHHHHH!”
- “Hey, Old Man Simpson got rid of his trampoline.” “Let’s jump on his car instead!”
- “A few weeks ago, I was a washed-up actor with a drinking problem. Then Brad Goodman came along and gave me this job and a can of fortified wine!” glug-glug “Ahh, sweet liquor eases the pain.”
- “Troy, this circle is you.” “My God, it’s like you’ve known me my whole life!”
- The weird meta moments of purposely hacky expository sitcom dialogue (“What up, Marge?” and “Well, here we are at the Brad Goodman seminar.” “We know, Dad”)
- “Hey, Moe, what’s-a matter? You no talk-a with your accent no more.”
- “His name isn’t important!” – Great, brief moment of Brad Goodman’s facade breaking
- “We like Roy! We like Roy!”
- “This is madness! He’s just peddling a bunch of easy answers!” “And how!”
- “It’s simple, Bart. You’ve defined yourself as a rebel. In the absence of a repressive milieu, your societal niche has been co-opted.” “I see.”
- “It’ll be a welcome change from our annual ‘Do As We Say’ festival, started by German settlers in 1946.”
- “The mic’s on.” “I know it’s on!”
- “Oh, who am I kidding? The boathouse was the time!”
- “Oh, now, now, there’s no need to resort to violence.” “Ah, sure there is!”
- “Well, let’s go to the old mill anyway! Get some cider!”
- “Self-improvement is best left to people in big cities.”
- “No, self-improvement can be achieved, but not with a quick fix. It’s a long, arduous journey of personal and spiritual discovery.” “That’s what I’ve been saying! We’re all fine the way we are!”
- “Ooh, it’s that new show about the policeman who solves crimes in his spare time!”
- “It means he gets results, you STUPID CHIEF!” “Dad, sit down.” “Oh, sorry.”
In conclusion,
