Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
S5E14&15 - Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy & Deep Space Homer
0 Playsin 6 hours
Jon, Michael, and Matt watch The Simpsons episodes 'Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy' & 'Deep Space Homer', and discuss what they say about society.
Follow us on the Socials:
Jon: @Meroka.bsky.social
Matt: @mattperspective.bsky.social
Michael: @buttonmashhorse.bsky.social
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Greetings
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello, this is Mole Man in the Morning. Good Mole Man to you. Hello, welcome to Mole Man in the Morning. God bless Mole Man. That's because I'm in America.
00:00:14
Speaker
Ah, cool. Very patriotic of you. I thought so. I've learnt the true majesty of this country and why it's better than every other country. And not being in this country makes you a loser.
00:00:27
Speaker
Okay, well... Two losers are gonna join you for this, right? I've genuinely spent a lot of my holiday going, here's why America's weird. It's not... i Right, I'm not gonna, like, but because we don't want it, like, to be, like, a super long podcast about how Matt went on a holiday. This country is not terrible. It's not as terrible as the news makes it out to be.
00:00:47
Speaker
and But it is so strange. The vibe in America is And now that I've travelled across America, i can say this.
Travel Experiences and Pizza Debates
00:00:55
Speaker
It's just weird. Like... There's just a weird vibe all the time. Everything feels very, very commercialized.
00:01:03
Speaker
And one of the things I was talking about with Jill the other day was ah the fact that none of the buildings feel old. Even though in England, you will go to a WH Smith and you won't ever think about the fact that you're in a hundred year old building or even in a 200 building. You are in year old building.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, Whereas everything in America, for one, America's flat as fuck. ah The only time it's not is when you go to like, Arizona and go to the Grand Canyon. It's flat as hell.
00:01:33
Speaker
And, yeah, every building is, like, 12 years old and... could at any moment just be knocked down yeah I do find flat places very eerie flat flat is eerie to me whenever you go somewhere and it's like this this is just unnaturally flat you have leveled the land if yeah you should not do this where are your hills don't Don't go through Texas, Oklahoma, or um Missouri then.
00:01:59
Speaker
They are genuinely, disturbingly flat. I visited Boston a bunch. That's very flat, because quite a lot yeah the city is just reclaimed ocean that they've just turned you back into land.
00:02:11
Speaker
We're going to Boston this weekend. Nice. That's a good city. We're going to Yeah. We're going to see Caitlin. Well, we're going in New England. I don't know if we're going into Boston, but we might do. Oh, that was weird one of the other things I forgot to say earlier.
00:02:22
Speaker
I had Chicago Town Pizza. Insanely overrated. ah okay. We genuinely went to a world famous Chicago, like deep dish place.
00:02:34
Speaker
And it was unfathomably meh. And we'd been driving for 12 hours. So you'd think whatever we ate, we'd be like, this is the best food we've ever eaten. It was so mid.
00:02:45
Speaker
It was so mid and so expensive. At the risk of absolutely annihilating this podcast. I had this conversation with somebody yesterday. I've literally never had like authentic, genuine, like Chicago style pizza. So like, I'm not really familiar with like what makes it that special. It just seems like to to see the description of it seems like a pastry bowl of slop.
00:03:08
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. That is an accurate description. it's ta It's tasty slop, but it's it's a pain in the ass to eat. I'm team Detroit, although Detroit-style pizza is, like, top-tier pizza.
00:03:20
Speaker
I haven't had Detroit-style pizza. Oh, it's really deep, but it's really bready. It's good. I've... ah So far, from all the pizza I've had, New York pizza destroys. I love New York pizza. It's so good. new York's very good, yeah. we're gonna go We're gonna go into Manhattan one more time before I leave to get a pizza from Angelino's.
00:03:41
Speaker
it's so It's so good. Delicious. Amazing. 10 out of 10. thank you Anyway, hi, but we are Mole Man in the Morning. I did say I was trying. Welcome welcome back to Mole Man in the Morning, the podcast that sometimes comes out one sin once in a blue moon after everyone's finished having the holidays and road trips.
00:04:03
Speaker
i thought I thought we'd been cancelled for talking about a poo. I mean, tried, they tried. Yeah. I don't know if they did. Maybe. Maybe they did. ah Anyway, we're here slightly, very, very slightly more frequently than All for Arnold still, but we're working on it. Shut up.
00:04:23
Speaker
Your podcast of The Simpsons has a lot to say about society. I am your host, John. i' am joined as ever by my two road-tripping co-hosts, Matt. God bless America.
00:04:35
Speaker
And I guess maybe less road-tripping and more just... Chlouching....co-host, Michael. Adley ho, podcasterinos. I am in my house.
Introduction to 'Mole Man in the Morning'
00:04:47
Speaker
Good place to be. Yeah, thanks day for update. For everyone that was wondering, I am not in my house.
00:04:56
Speaker
Yeah, you're in the open room. Just in the gutter somewhere, really. yeah
00:05:02
Speaker
We are here to talk about two more episodes of season five of The Simpsons. We are going to be looking at Lisa versus Malibu Stacy and Deep Space Homer today. We are mid-season five, man. That's wild.
00:05:15
Speaker
We're about two-thirds of the way through now. We are in season five. We are in season five. And once again, we're on the eve of Halloween and and we're nowhere near the Halloween episode. Yeah, that that has absolutely happened. In fact, the not that it is a ah thematic episode, but ah Lisa versus Malibu Stacy came out very close to Valentine's Day.
00:05:37
Speaker
um yeah But we we will get to the date shortly after we talk about the important business of what the hell are we drinking? I bought ah something while I was here. Obviously, I didn't bring alcohol into America because that's a crime.
00:05:53
Speaker
ah So I got Lagunitas Uncensored Punch. Tropical Fruit Punch contains alcohol. It sounds fun. There you go.
00:06:05
Speaker
um my Thank you for my resident fucking nerd. um It has nine per soint. Apparently, I've already been dronking. ah It's about the size of a monster. yeah ah It's the size of a monster can. I may be absolutely belaced after this.
00:06:23
Speaker
Good God. um But it's got an octopus crushing fruit on the can. So here is my taste test now.
00:06:32
Speaker
yeah I mean, the it's definitely alcoholic fruit punch. I'm going to give another sip. It's too cidery for my liking, but I'm going to finish it because I'm not a coward.
The Expired Drinks Discussion
00:06:47
Speaker
Michael, what you got? I have some more expired Peroni.
00:06:53
Speaker
Hang on, it was expired last time and two months have elapsed since last we heard about your beer. Yes, we found some more expired ah crates at work, so I ended up with more. I'm on to talk. i've got I have got literal stacks of ah very, very well expired lemon and lime soda and ginger beer in my house, like literally towers of cans because they were like, well, they're going in the crusher. I'm like, no, they're not.
00:07:19
Speaker
Does pop go off? Is it alcoholic ginger beer? No, it's not. These are just soft drinks. but um ah Does it go off? They haven't poisoned me yet. Well, there you go. I think it just goes flat.
00:07:32
Speaker
I mean, they'd lose some flavour probably, but as long as it's sealed, it's not going to go flat. It'd be great. Physics. So what are you drinking, John? Ginger beer? Am I drinking? I'm not drinking ginger beer now. I'm drinking Vault City Iron Brew.
00:07:47
Speaker
Is it alcoholic? and is's four point eight percent and It is It is a beer that tastes like Iron Brew. Oh, okay. So it's not like a... crazy i it Is it a legit collaboration with Iron Brew? or Oh, no. It's I-R-O-N Brew.
00:08:01
Speaker
ah that's so boring. this one You could just add vodka to Iron Brew if you want alcoholic Iron Brew. I mean, as much as ah soon as Coca-Cola did, like, you know, the collaboration with Jack Daniels, I am kind of amazed that Iron... I feel like Iron Brew, the Scottish drink, would then also be like, fuck it, we ball.
00:08:24
Speaker
ah Oh, collab with Buckfast. Let's see that. don't know.
00:08:31
Speaker
Yeah, that is... ah I don't know what I expected. It doesn't taste much like beer. It tastes like iron brew. ah Eminently quaffable. You could get drunk very fast drinking that shit.
00:08:42
Speaker
Yeah, I like my beer. It tastes like beer. Do you know what? more i drink this, genuinely, the more I'm like coming around to it. Yeah. That's the 9%. That's the 9%. Yeah. Right, Simpsons game.
The Simpsons Season Five Highlights
00:08:54
Speaker
and Anyway, yeah. Lisa vs Malibu Stacy, episode 14 of season 5 aired every I didn't have to remember any gags for this episode for once, this entire episode. I don't have to go, I wasn't paying attention.
00:09:09
Speaker
ah Why? Sorry? What? For neither this episode or the next episode have chalkboard or... Oh, the chalkboard... No, they have couch gags. They have couch gags. They don't have the chalkboard gags. We were saving us a couple of seconds there.
00:09:22
Speaker
Yeah, no, they really had to... never pay attention to the stuff in with these. Yeah, February 17th, 1994 was the words I was trying to get out. I'm alive! Yay! Congratulations again um still being alive. Yay!
00:09:36
Speaker
It's becoming a risky proposition. it's going to be weird it's It's going to be weird when one episode I just go, I was dead that day.
00:09:46
Speaker
Do you guys know anyone that has been like legally dead? You know, like the whole like they were they died and then brought back hospital thing? I feel like someone told me they did. Yeah, someone I used to work with reckoned that had happened to them, yeah.
00:10:04
Speaker
It's nothing to do with Simpsons, I'm just genuinely curious. Like, I had to really question my memories from it. I was like, was it you? Was it you that said that? i felt like, I i thought it was a good chance it was Matt. It feels like someone I'd say, just, I was dead that day. It does.
00:10:21
Speaker
This is what happens when you have a mentally unstable friend. You you confuse all of the weird shit other people say with shit they say.
00:10:31
Speaker
Alright, Michael, do your thing. Was anybody dead February 17th, 1994? I assume the answer's yes. Well, there were a few people dead, but apparently not all that else happened. Gertrude Frazier, American slalom skier.
00:10:45
Speaker
You can say American slag. Fucking Gretchen Fraser, what a whore. Well, the website doesn't say the word whore, I'm assuming she's not a slug.
00:10:57
Speaker
I mean... but She is dead at 75. It would be real, real impressive if you were so famous for sleeping around that that... Your name was recorded in history on this day dot com for just like so-and-so American slag dies at 75. Promiscuous. I wonder what the most famous prostitute is, other than Donald Trump.
00:11:27
Speaker
Yeah. yeah i'll let I'll let you come home before I put this episode out. To the NSA agent that's so currently listening to this conversation, that was a joke.
Barbie Doll Controversies and Toy Pranks
00:11:41
Speaker
Yeah, sure. The ICE agents might have a different impression. Shut up. I'm already anxious.
00:11:50
Speaker
Anyway, Randy Schultz, also American journalist, also died ah age 41. I read about Andy Schultz. I have absolutely nothing else for on this day.
00:12:01
Speaker
um I can tell you what the number ones were. and yes The US number one, because Matt's in America, The Power of Love by Celine Dion. It's good song.
00:12:12
Speaker
who I believe is Canadian. know And the UK, number one, is ironically an American. Mariah Carey, Without You. Also good song? I have no idea if I know either of those.
00:12:24
Speaker
power You don't know Power of Love? I know Power of Love by Huey Lewis. Is the Celine Dion just the ah cover on there? Is that not the same song? No!
00:12:36
Speaker
Oh, shit, then I don't fucking know.
00:12:39
Speaker
Celine Dion had done a cover of Huey Lewis and Supervision of Power of the Love. That would have been amazing. Huey Lewis and the News' ah Power of Love is fucking a banger. Oh, yeah, 100%, but like this is not it.
00:12:53
Speaker
Yeah, apparently not. It's a very different song. but no balls. Right, so as you may have guessed, there is no chalkboard gag for this one, I'm afraid.
00:13:03
Speaker
No, but there's a Monty Python reference. Yes, there is Absolutely, yes. The couch gag is the Monty Python's Flying Circus foot coming and stomping the family down. Has that been used before? It feels like a reused one.
00:13:16
Speaker
But a scene in Homer goes to college, yes. Yeah, there we go. It's a good gag, though. I love the ah love when humor acknowledges that they watched Monty Python, because it's it's got it's done that kind of thing of, like, it became mainstream for a while, but before that it was, like, super esoteric and weird, and then now it's gone back to being super esoteric and weird, where no one's seen it, and that's funny. You reckon?
00:13:39
Speaker
I think so, yeah. I don't think as many people have watched Monty Python as, for one, say they have. i think a lot I think a lot of sad little hipsters just say they've watched it because they don't want to be left out.
00:13:50
Speaker
Do you reckon that's kind of more of a generational thing, whereas the kids are getting all their humour online and like and like nobody's watching Monty Python anymore because nobody watches shit in the same way anymore?
00:14:03
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think so. I think that's why less people reference comedians now as well. Because most people don't watch comedians, they watch comedians as as podcasts.
00:14:14
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think more people of the younger generations, and probably our generation, know Marc Maron from interviewing Obama than they do his actual stand-up comedy.
00:14:26
Speaker
I don't know him anyway, so... Marc Maron's sick, you'd love him. and good The episode starts with Dr. Hibbert opening the new Spinkfield Centre for Geriatric Care. Is it meant to be a bit that he's so fucking miserable in this bit?
00:14:40
Speaker
I don't think so. I didn't know if it was like a bit of him like, because the gag is also kind of like that he doesn't actually have a medical license and that he's not a great doctor and that he doesn't care.
00:14:51
Speaker
So I thought like that was feeding into that gag of him being like, and we're here to open this medical center because that's very... Dr. Hibbert's got a medical license, hasn't he? No. Where get that from?
00:15:03
Speaker
There's a joke in one of the earlier episodes where um they say it's like a crime to practice with a medical license and Dr. Hibbert gets up to leave. Don't remember that. Okay. It's a proper throwaway gag.
00:15:14
Speaker
Okay. Or I got it wrong. I mean, like, Dr. Nick's usually your gag fake doctor if they need a fake doctor for stuff. But Hibbert's, like, generally portrayed as, like, an actual doctor.
00:15:27
Speaker
I might got it wrong. That's if it's trying to get his centre open, but Abe wants Matlock, and he's very... David but finally introduces Matlock by saying he's the man that puts young people behind bars where they belong. Where they should be.
00:15:41
Speaker
We love you, Matlock! Matlock! Matlock comes on with two canes, and the crowd is singing, we love you, Matlock. Yeah, because Matlock was very old at this point.
00:15:53
Speaker
Like, so damn. Unfortunately, Matlock is then immediately... ah stampeded by the crowd. and we seem Yeah, I liked Elvis fever, but for Matlock. We see that his hair's being yanked out and his scarf is being... That man.
00:16:08
Speaker
He's not having a good time. We then see that Jasper asks Abe on the but bus ride back what's wrong. He says, all he's been talking about is beating Matlock and now he's wiped his pills. Then we see him beat the guy was great he read the label and goes, hu take one every he hour to prevent spastic heart convulsions. The ambulance is so perfectly tight. That was so funny.
00:16:28
Speaker
Oh, I cackled. That was great. There's an ambulance in the background where heart compressions are coming on. Clear! this The first half of this episode is just extremely Abe-heavy and it's fucking incredible. This is one of those episodes where the B-plot so much better than the Abe-plot.
00:16:45
Speaker
there is there is a There is a solid, like, good, like, it must be like 10, 20 seconds of just Abe just talking basically to himself. And I'm watching this going, I could just watch half an hour of this. Just give me half an hour just Abe lines.
00:17:01
Speaker
Just no context. It would be great. I would love a Abe Simpson podcast. So it's it's it's Dan Castellaneta, right, that does Abe Simpson, right?
00:17:13
Speaker
think so. um i would love him to just do a podcast as if Abe Simpson was doing a podcast. And but it only has to be like 20 minutes long, really some once a month.
00:17:25
Speaker
I will listen to them over and over. Of him just telling stories or complaining, it it would be fucking spectacular. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:17:37
Speaker
We then see that Abe explains that he's realised that he's now old. He's scared of Death's clammy hand on his shoulder before realising... That's my shoulder!
00:17:47
Speaker
In the next scene, we see that Grandpa has decided to give away his inheritance to the family early. He introduces himself by saying hello. Yeah, the it was such a weird, like, opening. I think that's the best thing, one of the best things about Abe Simpson is he even manages to put the audience on edge.
00:18:05
Speaker
That you do even you as the audience are like, wait, should I be here?
00:18:11
Speaker
So Abe gives Lisa the gift of all his entire lifetime of personal correspondence. And Lisa leaves one of them out. Sign with a fucking telegram? Yeah. so From Western Union.
00:18:24
Speaker
Lisa reads out every single line, which includes all the full stops, which was but he had sent to Boris Karloff. That's just, like, i've I've got those screenshots I can pick over, like, the details of it.
00:18:35
Speaker
um Yeah, sent in 1935. Goddamn. My nana was, like, 12 then. I would have been five, yeah. man man My nana was old, yo.
00:18:48
Speaker
My nana was born in, like, 28. So she'd have been seven. Campot then reveals that he's going to give a gift to Homer and Homer does the traditional woohoo. Then Abe qualifies it for saying, and his entire family.
00:18:59
Speaker
Homer goes, don't. and so Abe hands over an entire box of mint-conditioned silver dollars and he starts going... must be worth so much more than they use, right?
00:19:10
Speaker
Oh, yeah. They use them. Is that kind of part of the gag? Because they never acknowledge it. But I was like, surely if you took them to a collector, you would get like triple the value.
00:19:23
Speaker
um I'm just very, very quickly Googled 1918 Liberty Head Silver Dollar and they are selling on eBay for 30 quid each, at least. Holy fuck.
00:19:36
Speaker
think had a full box of them. I mean, this was in the 90s, so maybe they wouldn't have been quite worth that much. But still, that's a lot of Bob, guys. Mm-hmm.
00:19:48
Speaker
Ian starts going into the story about how he got the dollars from a zeppelin flown by J.D. Rockefeller before. It is so hard to follow Abe's stories, man. It's so hard. The family decide they're not going to, and Homer says he'd like to stay and listen to the amusing antidote, but they're off to the mall to go spend them.
00:20:07
Speaker
ah No, no, no, no, no. Can I stop you there? No, I wrote this down because Homer does not say I'd love to listen to your amusing anecdotes. He says I'd love to listen to your amusing antidotes. It's even better i Do you know, I like the idea that that's actually secretly genius Homer It's not Homer Mick saying a word wrong It's him saying that this is so fucking boring That it's not an anecdote, it's an antidote but As in it's a bad anecdote.
00:20:35
Speaker
I don't think Homer's that clever. that's ah Grandpa's not letting that stuff in because we didn't go to the car and Grandpa is still talking about his wash tub. Which then transcends into a story about having his turkey. Walking birds.
00:20:52
Speaker
but walking birds yeah And he starts going through all the trimmings that he had, which include gun cranberries, Indian eyes, stuff with, yam stuff with gunpowder. They have to be a thing. I forgot to Google this. Indian eyes, vegetable.
00:21:08
Speaker
It must be a thing. It must be a thing. I'm going to get put on a list for Googling this, but... and Many common spinach carrots. It doesn't seem to come up.
00:21:19
Speaker
I think it's just Abe being Abe. Just saying something funny and slightly racist because he's an old man. but like because Oh, it actually is! Okay. A longan fruit.
00:21:33
Speaker
ah like Dragon's Eye. It's a tropical tree species and produces edible fruit. go There you I will send you over a picture of them. they're actually They actually look kind of inedible.
00:21:45
Speaker
Inedible. Okay. Love things to look inedible. don't Those don't look edible. Those don't look like you should be eating them. ah Yeah, yeah they they look... They look like they would give you the runs. ah description Yeah, accurate description, I would say.
00:22:02
Speaker
Carry on. And Grandpa Enz's story by saying that they used to go football baseball. Did you guys look at the um the shops in the background? Yeah. so My two personal favourites were House of No Refunds and Just Vinegar.
00:22:16
Speaker
One size fits all lingerie.
00:22:20
Speaker
Perfect. You're going to take them off anyway, so who cares if they fit?
00:22:26
Speaker
Fair enough, yeah. The whole point of lingerie is for them to be taken off. So... Inside the toy store, we see that Maggie's playing with a Hetch-a-Sketch and she's written her entire name before Homer walks over and puts her toy on top and it's Sergeant Fug's mounted top command post.
00:22:41
Speaker
Looks suspiciously like Thunderbirds. I was thinking that, yeah, the the Thunderbirds Island. I had that. yeah yeah It was awesome. yeah it was a great I didn't have any of the Thunderbirds.
00:22:52
Speaker
I just had the island. So I played with my Lego figures. I had the the whole shebang. I had all the little toys and everything. Fucking hell, you were just minted parent.
00:23:04
Speaker
Or just very willing to give you a good Christmas. I think it may not have been the official version. Oh, I did not know there was no pops. Yeah, you can make anything.
00:23:16
Speaker
But so yeah, Homer's trying to get Maggie to play with it, and Marge points out that it really isn't safe for a baby. Homer then says she's too worried, and then cuts his finger, gets electrocuted, and then shoots a missile into his mouth where it explodes. But then explodes.
00:23:29
Speaker
Fucking hell. Meanwhile, Grandpa is expecting some of the other toys, and he's still ranting. He opens a toy rocket and really struggles to break the tag thing. proper goes for it, man. i Again, it was one of those, like, Matt predicts the gag before it happens things where I thought he was then going to give up.
00:23:48
Speaker
Or then the gag would just be him trying desperately to break this one toy. But no, he breaks it and then moves on. But i really thought they were just going to have him just, like, struggle to break it. He also so stamps on some toy soldiers until security comes and takes them away, telling him that the soldiers won't bother him anymore.
00:24:03
Speaker
that That was so good. I loved that. That was great. The soldiers won't bother you anymore. and i As Homer's walking through the store, he hears a musical note and we see that he's accidentally walked across a giant keyboard. i love this bit so much. This is so good. tell Homer starts doing rock around the clock, but unfortunately he has no musical talent. and Absolutely. Just shoot us as he's stomping on the keys.
00:24:27
Speaker
This is the genuine reaction to what would happen in Big when he starts playing the fuck... It's not cute when you play an instrument in a toy shop. It's fucking annoying. We start to see everyone is holding their ears, that the dogs are howling.
00:24:41
Speaker
Homer breaks the keyboard by doing a power slide. He's then booed out of the store while Homer says, thank you so much. yeah So good. no Love it. Then he cuts to the Valley of the Dolls.
00:24:54
Speaker
Valley of the Dolls, yep. We didn't see the... Wait, did it say Valley of the Dolls? It was the sign. I didn't notice that. It was the sign with the walk-in. I swear I've watched Valley of the Dolls at, like, the middle of the night when I wanted to watch a scary movie.
00:25:08
Speaker
I think it is this is a movie, isn't it? Yeah. There's Children of the Corn, Valley of the Dolls, Valley of the Dolls. Holy shit, is a nineteen sixty seven film it's a 1967 film. It does not look like a horror film. It looks like a porno.
00:25:23
Speaker
It's a drama by Mark Robson. ah Wikipedia reckons it was a book written in 1966 originally. You're a book written in 1966. I know.
00:25:34
Speaker
so Anyway, Simpsons. We see multiple girls fighting over doors and Lisa warns her mother, she might get a bit crazy, and March is understanding that Lisa is there calling someone horse-faced and telling her to get their ugly books off the Summer Fun Fest.
00:25:47
Speaker
I mean, it's fair she was going to take the Summer Fun Fest. Then look at some girls looking in the bargain bucket basement and we see that we can have Achy Breaky Stacey and Improv Stacey and both girls go, eww.
00:26:01
Speaker
I don't get this joke. What what was the joke here? the joke The joke, and I don't agree with this because my girlfriend has stood behind me so I'm going to preface that. um i I don't agree with this but the joke is that no one likes female comedians.
00:26:13
Speaker
But what about, why didn't they want Achy Breaky Stacey though? Because she's Achy Breaky. Oh. Oh, tell my... I didn't know! didn't know! Isn't that the... Sorry, was... What was Eiky Breaky's... Was she in, like, a wheelchair or something?
00:26:27
Speaker
No, she was dressed as a country singer. Oh, then the joke is that they hear the song's annoying. Eiky Breaky Heart. Possibly. but I guess so. Which is bullshit. It's a cracking song.
Buzz Cola and Satirical Humor
00:26:38
Speaker
I mean, the the only the only interpretation I could take from it was just that they didn't want cheap toys, but also then they went, ooh, cheap toys. So, like, ah yeah yeah. The joke is that country singers are annoying and that female comedians are annoying.
00:26:53
Speaker
Cool. Right. Didn't take that from what I watched, but fair enough. We then see some girls interview one of the shop workers to ask what's in the box, and he reveals it's the new talking Malibu Stacey. What's in the box?
00:27:05
Speaker
ah Which leads to a stampede, and we see the employee going, ah, help. It's the wise. We then see that the family are going home with their purchases, and Homer is making a muffin, and Marge scolds him, saying, it's not a good idea to use that while driving, Homer says, that's why I bought it. That's what he fucking bought it for.
00:27:21
Speaker
Idiot. Love that. Yeah. Bart has got the Sergeant Thug thing, and Lisa thanks Grandpa for buying the toys, as Grandpa has to avoid one of the missiles. She says he's his eggshell thin. Yeah.
00:27:33
Speaker
ah Grandpa says that they wasted all their money and they should have bought some storm windows or a pipe organ. And he's just going into a series. A nice pipe organ. and I don't know why. I just feel like the word nice pipe organ just makes it so much funnier.
00:27:47
Speaker
this is this is This is that bit that was talking about with Abe. just like Everyone else is just not engaging with him and Abe just keeps going. Absolutely. He's moaning about so many things.
00:27:58
Speaker
He complains that it smells like mustard. There's too many ugly people. The president is a Democrat. That's true though. There are too many ugly people. I think they just wrote this bit because they fucking love writing Abe bits as far as I can make it Yeah, they just they just didn't stop writing and then they were like, no, but we want to keep it all in.
00:28:15
Speaker
No, but you need to trim some of it out. No. This is why we didn't get a chalkboard guy. Nothing about that was lost. The family eventually get home and they immediately out the car as the cave car get out of the car. we just like Why didn't they close the door? Why'd they leave all the doors open? I don't know why, but that shot very specifically reminded me a Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2, which i don't think even what I don't think they were even out at the point, but that's what it reminded me of.
00:28:42
Speaker
Well, who's going to take it? There's still someone in there.
00:28:47
Speaker
He finally manages to make it into the house and every door slam. as he sits Too many leaves in your walkway. this Which we just saw a shot of and there's no leaves. No, there isn't.
00:29:01
Speaker
So Grandpa sits on the sofa and we see Homer trying to sneak past him until he knocks the phone over. but And Grandpa asks, why has everyone avoided me? And says, is it because my weird face reminds you of the spectre of death? Yes. Homer's response that is yes, but there's more.
00:29:14
Speaker
And then he tells Grandpa that he's a weird, sore-headed old crank and no one likes him. And Grandpa's response to this consornity. but asks what he's going to do about it, and then we get a TV ad for Buzz Cola, and we see the old people drinking the Buzz Cola, and they become super happy and boogie hot stars. Having now been in America for a while, the ads are like that.
00:29:37
Speaker
One sip and I'm totally hippies at a tremendous tagline. yeah every Every time I've seen ads on TV in America, it's been super weird. yeah it' that They're very strange. The amount of times that so many ads in America also say may cause death. I'm just like, please stop saying that. That is those one of the biggest culture shock things, I think, for anybody not as American. just listen at how much yeah How much medicine is just advertised to you? It's like, ask your doctor to to prescribe this. And I'm like...
00:30:07
Speaker
No, that's not how prescriptions work. You don't go and say, I need this medication because an advert told me it needed I needed it. The thing is, as well, is the joke is always like may cause anal leakage, but it's like, no, let's focus on the may cause death.
00:30:20
Speaker
that They're allowed to just say may cause death.
00:30:25
Speaker
i assume the chance is quite slim. A trans woman isn't allowed to read a fucking story to a child, but we're allowed to sell medicine that may just fucking kill you. Yep. Yep. Yep.
00:30:36
Speaker
But it works because Grandpa is completely sold on this and decides he's going to start acting young and he's going to start by drinking the buzz cola. He steals Homer's buzz cola. That polaroid, like, fucking materialised. Yeah, he just has it on deck right there.
00:30:47
Speaker
Yep. So Grandpa drinks it then, unfortunately, the bubbles burn his tongue and he has to flee to go get water. Yeah. ah grandpa Go back to Lisa and Lisa is doing some form of new engine or assembly thing with her dolls and Malibu Stacey comes up to deliver what will be the memorable address but unfortunately that is Stacey's best Stacey can come up with is I wish to talk shopping in school and let's bake some cookies for the boys They should teach budgeting in schools though with the They said shopping not budgeting no that's not the same thing this Yeah that's true How do you teach shopping? You give them money you get thing
00:31:23
Speaker
End of class. Here's diploma. Lisa Lament and asks Malibu Stacy that surely she's waited a whole life for a talk. Maybe she must have something relevant to say. And Stacy doesn't because don't ask me.
00:31:36
Speaker
I'm just a girl and giggles. and but In such a creepy way. Yeah, Bart is inserted in a shot that just looks like it shouldn't be in the episode. It just goes, right on.
00:31:48
Speaker
Right on, sister. ah So, I mean, the background context this is that obviously Barbie had been popular for a while and they did release a Talking Barbie in the early 90s.
00:31:58
Speaker
It was very much controversial because phrases included were, will we ever have enough clothes? I love shopping and want to have a pizza party. Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases. There are over 200 million combinations.
00:32:13
Speaker
One of the phrases that you could get on your Talking Barbie doll was, math class is tough. About 1.5% of all the dolls said the phrase, ah but it drew enough criticism that they offered to to swap anyone's doll that had that phrase included. I'm genuinely impressed that they had random phrases back then.
00:32:34
Speaker
just thought they just had the pre-programmed ones. Oh yeah, I would have genuinely expected there's like three things and every doll says the same thing. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I did genuinely have a note that I was, I remember there was an actual protest about this stuff, but I've forgotten all about it.
00:32:47
Speaker
Um, so yeah, thank you for doing that research. Cause I, I didn't even know if it was about Barbie. Cause I'm genuinely where I remember hearing this, which shows how fucking British I am is bargain.
00:32:59
Speaker
so They did a bit about it in bargain. And I was like, that's fucking fascinating. Tim, want to caught you can tell me anything. Yeah. I love Tim Warracott, man.
00:33:11
Speaker
So Lisa goes into a bit of a rant as she explains quite rightly why this is sexist and this will influence the entire generation of girls to think that this is appropriate. But blankly... That's what I was going to say.
00:33:23
Speaker
Lisa yeets the thing out the window and then we go to Grandpa riding a bicycle with no hands going... I'm 18 years! Unfortunately, Malibu Stacey gets caught in the wheel and Grandpa goes flying and lands in an open grave.
00:33:37
Speaker
I've actually seen someone go arse over tea kettle on their bike because of something, like someone got caught in their sports. It is not pleasant. And yet, really funny.
00:33:49
Speaker
um I mean, it even easier to do on a scooter and I've stacked it a couple of times on a scooter. Oh, fucking hell. Yeah, no, thank you. The grandpa goes quite the distance into his open grave and then says, oh, this isn't so bad.
00:34:01
Speaker
I do love as well the two guys, the diggers having lunch. looks Look after he falls and then look look away. so like just i don't get paid enough for this. I don't think they saw They just heard a noise and looked. Yeah. Then you go to Lisa's friends playing with the dolls and Lisa says, do people see anything wrong of it? And one of the girls pulls the string and it's now in the voice of Spider-Man.
00:34:23
Speaker
They would never have a voice like that voice Spider-Man. Someone call for a webslinger! Like, wha- who the f- wha- you didn't even try!
00:34:35
Speaker
I was going to say, there there is there is us also a background story to that one. There was, like, some weird, like... i Yeah, was like Action Man or something got... They got programmed with girls' voices, and girls' voices got... A girl doll voice got programmed with, like Action Man or something. and I know it wasn't Action Man, because it was in America, and Action Man is British. It it was, like, an intentional sabotage thing. There was their group called the Barbie liber Liberation Organization, which bought Barbies and G.I. i Joe toys.
00:35:05
Speaker
Oh, okay. Swap the voice boxes, put them back in the boxes, and then return them to the stores so that people then bought them and and then got a Barbie that had G.I. Joe phrases programmed into them because people had, like, sabotaged them like this.
00:35:18
Speaker
Don't those sell for, like, an insane amount now or something? I imagine that, yeah, quite probably. They're probably a collector's piece at this point, yeah. That is an amazing petty thing to do. I know, was great, yeah.
00:35:28
Speaker
Shop-giving, that's what they called it. Instead of shoplifting, there was shop-giving. Lisa points out that this is sexist and the girls just laugh because Lisa said a dirty word. And we then see that the family are at dinner and Lisa says they cannot keep making dolls that say things and something has to be done.
00:35:44
Speaker
Everyone stops chewing very slowly, Lisa says. Marge says, Lisa, normally I encourage you to stand up what you believe in, but you've been doing that an awful lot lately. Yeah. as well Bart then holds up a newspaper article that reveals that Lisa made them march in the gay rights parade.
00:36:00
Speaker
Is this the picture of Bart just like there?
00:36:05
Speaker
It was. And Homer then points out that they can't watch Fox News anymore because they own those chemical weapon plants in Syria. Yeah. that Might be a problem in a couple of years. Yeah, do yeah does does Fox own chemical plants in Syria?
00:36:19
Speaker
I haven't dug into that. I'm going to level with you. kind of wouldn't surprise me at this point, though. I mean, probably the company that owns Fox that owns Fox that owns Fox kind of thing, you know?
00:36:31
Speaker
It'll be like a subdivision. Yeah, like the the the company that owns the one on top of the one on top of the one on top of something. I feel like it'd be more likely just like they've got significant investments rather than outright ownership, but yeah.
00:36:42
Speaker
Yeah. Well, it's all right, because the fucking fascist regime is going to own ea soon, so yeah great. Great. That's fun. Yeah, well, they're going to get rid of the woke, so it's all good.
00:36:53
Speaker
Oh, that's the right thing, yeah. Yeah, we won't have to put up with gay characters in Mass Effect now. The world is healing.
00:37:03
Speaker
Michael has this incredible ability to let silence fall before saying an absolute fucking banger. This is how kept my job for 50 episodes or how many weeks.
00:37:16
Speaker
Anyway, it's Simpsons. At least I can't believe that Marge would just let this happen and the fuck. the world be like this for her daughters growing up, and Marge points out that she had a Malibu Stacey and she turned out alright. Then she encourages everyone to forget their troubles with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream.
00:37:29
Speaker
Lisa pulls the string and Malibu Stacey says that exact same thing." ah Incredible that she managed get to get to do that. Yeah, that for one, yeah, they're random phrases, so they don't say that constantly, and also the fact that they've then kept the same recorded voice line for, what, like 30 years since Marge was a child?
00:37:47
Speaker
I mean, were they talking when Marge was a child? Like, inre the the implication... Wait, yeah! The joke doesn't even work! Then it cuts to Lisa calling the company and we see the auto-tone options, which include, if you Ew.
00:38:05
Speaker
If you've been given a A replacement head. Head, because you gave it a haircut. ah you can get I bet that's genuinely a service. Yeah. I can see it, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Because kids kids fucking destroy their toys.
00:38:17
Speaker
who Lisa learns that there's a tour option and Marge says she asks Lisa she's not good to for a red paint at the executives again because the Keebler people didn't enjoy it. I don't get this bit.
00:38:29
Speaker
Yeah, no, i it was a while ago when I first watched this episode. um I looked up Keebler. I did not do it again today. they may They make snacks. They make crackers. They're a cookie company, aren't they?
00:38:41
Speaker
Yeah, they yeah, that yeah, broadly speaking, yeah. um he hates we i don't I don't know what Keebler has done that is so objectionable to Lisa, I've got to be honest. Like, they just seem like ah snack company.
00:38:57
Speaker
See, this guy that's a guy, the guy in the comments that was complaining about us not getting one single obtuse-as-fuck reference from Dr. Lovejoy or whatever... Who the hell is Dr. Love John?
00:39:10
Speaker
Yeah, that one. i have seen Since we last recorded, I have watched ah Dr. Strangelove. So I'm up to date with my Strangelove stuff. Yeah, it's pretty good. I thought it was going to be more serious than it was. It's quite a silly film.
00:39:21
Speaker
yeah um Yeah. Well, to him, we're trying, all right? Fucking hell. I'm aggressive. We didn't see that it at all takes place, and I don't know if anyone got wind of the sign, but there were too many words on it for me.
00:39:33
Speaker
i It is Petrochem Petrochemical Corporation, proud makers of caustic polypropylene and Malibu Stacy. <unk> Well, you know... We then see the tour taking place and the tour guide tries to sell it as a little bit of fairy dust goes into each doll being made.
00:39:49
Speaker
then see some very grizzled and happy men making the things and there's a clog in the torso chute which Leroy has to clear and... Leroy, get your ass in gear! Shut shut your hole!
00:40:02
Speaker
We then see that there's a Malibu Stacy promotional video and it gives the background of Stacy Lavelle, the creator of Malibu Stacy, had a dream to build A doll, and that was also edible. And we see the kids eating the dolls.
00:40:16
Speaker
What did she say? It was made out of onion something? Dried onion meal. yeah Onion. er Lovely. then revealed that dolls were made out a plastic and it took America by storm. And you can just ask the world's largest Malibu Stacy collector, Waylon Smyrras.
00:40:34
Speaker
Hell yeah. but says he will see us at StacyCon at the San Diego Airport Hilton. I thought that's then what this was going to be about.
00:40:44
Speaker
But that never comes out. It does sort of feel like that's where they're going to go. Yeah, yeah. And the video ends with Stacey herself saying, just don't ask me. I'm just a girl. on the And the narrator going, she sure is... Also, sorry, they this this might be me being... Because as as we all know, I'm the most judgmental of the podcast.
00:41:03
Speaker
But this might be me being a huge judgmental prat. But if... The biggest collector of a children's, ah ah specifically marketed to girls' children's toy, is a 50-year-old dude, single dude,
00:41:20
Speaker
I would be creeped the fuck out.
00:41:24
Speaker
Yeah, but he's really good for business. He buys so much shit. It gives massive, massive brony vibes. And look, i don't you know I genuinely have friends that are My Little Pony fans that gen like the would call themselves bronies, but to even bronies admit that there are some weird-ass fucking bronies out there.
00:41:42
Speaker
So, just yeah saying that. I would not want my brand to be associated with that, is what I'm saying. But also, Bronies still buy merch like anybody else. They buy merch, yeah. Pokemon doesn't care about who buys it as long as they spend all their money. it So it's the same thing. Absolutely.
00:41:58
Speaker
It's all capitalism, baby. Yay. The tour guide just asks if there are any questions, and Lisa immediately goes into a thing asking if the sexist drivel is that intentional or just a mistake. And the tour guide says, we're mindful of such concerns. And then the executives open the door and she's called Jiggles, which is a... Jiggles, man.
00:42:17
Speaker
ah She's called Jiggles, he calls her Jiggles. I don't think that's her name. Jiggles. i I've not been given any other names, so I'm going with Jiggles. Okay, Jiggles goes in.
00:42:29
Speaker
Jiggles seems to love it and even slams the door shut with her ass. Hell yeah. yeah That's a woman I can work with. Whee!
00:42:39
Speaker
We're going to HR in the morning. ah Yeah, but I'm a white male, so it doesn't matter. Speaking of white males, Lisa and Grandpa are both sat at the table. Lisa's lamenting that she's a kid and no one listens to her. And Abe says he's old, so no one listens to him.
Demographic Privileges in The Simpsons
00:42:54
Speaker
Mama walks in it says he's a white male aged 18 to 49, so everyone listens to him, no matter how dumb the suggestion is. such a line. One of the best lines of the episode. It's so good. It's clever, and it's... It's one of those, it's one of again, it's one of those things that's like so beautiful about The Simpsons is anyone, any character can say a line like that.
00:43:12
Speaker
And you don't even stop to think, why the fuck are they saying Ralph Wiggum could say it and you wouldn't be confused. You would just be laughing. And I think that's fantastic.
00:43:23
Speaker
Homer pulls out his box of nuts and gum together at last. Is this an imp is the implication that Homer suggested nuts and gum? Yes. Yes, I believe so. I would read it that way. He rang someone up at the Keebler company, presumably, and said, hey, you should make nuts and gum. And he's a white male aged 18 to 49. So they're like, yeah, OK, let's do that. I could not imagine something I would despise more than nuts and gum.
00:43:50
Speaker
So Lisa and Abe both get fired up and they start finishing each other's sentences as they both start going. Sort of. So Lisa says that she's going to find the inventor of Malibu, Stacey, and Grandpa is going to come out retirement and Grandpa kind of gets mixed up and starts going, he's going to get a job, a real Malibu, and see if Stacey can help.
00:44:08
Speaker
Reinvent him. they just ends very feebly with Abe gun looking until he's going, help. yeah Lisa tells him, going get a job, and Grandpa says, yep, he's going where the action is.
00:44:19
Speaker
We then see that the action is at Krusty Burgers, and we see that Grandpa's trying to work the drive-thru, and he's calling it like he's trying to direct. I've lost your signal. Losing your transmission. We then see the man outside in the car screaming French fries, and Grandpa gets startled and asks his fellow worker, do we sell French fries?
00:44:37
Speaker
That was great. see that Lisa has gone to the home of Mr. Creep himself, Whalen Smithers. ah Remember in the 90s when you didn't feel icked out by a young girl going to the house of a 40-year-old single dude that collects Malibu Stacys, and that didn't feel creepy as fuck?
00:44:56
Speaker
You described him as 50 earlier, and I'm frantically skimming through his... has an age. He definitely has an age. I'm going through his fandom page and at some point he's apparently shown to be um a baby when Homer is 12.
00:45:09
Speaker
twelve So he's ah in theory 12 years younger than Homer. There is no fucking way that man is younger than Homer. Homer is 36. Waylon Smithers must in theory be 24. Wow. He's a brody. He's had a hard life.
00:45:22
Speaker
Yeah, that is so that is some grey-ass hair. He's been on the moment drinking at 31 years old. Because they even show young Smithers at some point with black hair, so that means at one point his hair just went grey.
00:45:36
Speaker
It was the stress of realising he's burned sexual. The one thing we can definitely say about Waylon Smithers is that he has an age. Yeah. Thank you, society.
00:45:48
Speaker
Lisa asks for herself in finding Stacy Lavelle and so yeah she's a complete recluse and hasn't been seen in public in 20 years. But he happens to be writing an article about her and it contains her last known whereabouts.
00:46:01
Speaker
Her last known whereabouts, by the way. Spoiler alert. Turns out to be her fucking house. so up Smithers says he'll print out copy and Lisa thanks him and the screensaver comes on and, good lord, it's naked Mr Burns going, hello Smithers. Hello Smithers, you're really good at turning me on.
00:46:20
Speaker
Smithers awkwardly says, you should probably ignore that. ew. Even, even if, even if you are the most accepting person ever, that's creepy as fuck.
00:46:32
Speaker
Oh yeah like There's no context in which that not creepy Even if you had a screensaver of your partner Doing that That you have ai generated You are a fucking creep
00:46:45
Speaker
I feel i would feel like if everybody's in on it, that would be quite funny though. Yeah, if your partner made it for you, that's one thing. But if you made it of your partner without their consent... I mean, if you make anything AI without the consent of the other person, it's a bit... You're a creep, yeah. That is what I meant, yeah.
00:47:04
Speaker
When I said to everyone in on it, that would the you know their consent was implied in that, yeah. ah Fans, ah post in the comments or whatever, and I will make them i will make one for both Michael and John.
00:47:18
Speaker
yeah You guys will get to see it, but you'll get the knowledge that Michael and John have them. and possibly use them. You have my consent to do so. Oh, I thought you meant you were going to make one of us to distribute to the fans as like a Patreon. No, no, no, I'll make one of me. I'll make one of me for you guys. Oh, okay.
00:47:36
Speaker
i just have I just had the image of turning on my computer. Hello, Michael. Hello, Michael. You're very good at turning me on.
00:47:48
Speaker
Damn right I am.
00:47:52
Speaker
But also like Windows just doesn't have like a boot up video like that. You can make apps for it. Oh, God. so It turns out that Stacey Lavelle lives at Recluse Ranch.
00:48:04
Speaker
Is that genuinely what it says? I missed that detail. Is that what it's called? That's so good. think I might have got it. Yeah, it says Recluse Ranch Estates. and Oh, it totally is. Yeah, yeah. missed that detail. Oh, they then could have done a great bit of, like, some of the the addresses, like, in the background being for, like, people that are famously reclusive or, like, Elvis, you know, because obviously everyone's like Elvis is still alive or that would have been that would have been great.
00:48:28
Speaker
But to Lisa says she can't believe it and looks at a photo of her Malibu Stacey dream house, which turns out to be Stacey's house. I genuinely just thought that was kind of cute. i know it's meant to be a gag, but I generally thought, you know, that's really sweet that she got her dream house.
00:48:41
Speaker
but Lisa presses the intercom and says, you'd like to talk to her about Malibu Stacey and just hear over the intercom, do you know how many kids have tried to trap me down with stuff? Am I the first? And it's like, yes. Yes. So Lisa plays the doll for Stacey and the line is, thinking too much gives you wrinkles and The iron gates open and Lisa goes in.
00:49:00
Speaker
A boy runs through and goes, I've been waiting nine years to get my Frisbee back. That was me so great, man. And he throws it back straight And then you just hear the, aw. ah Aw, nuts. See inside Stacey's house and Lisa once again plays the doll and we get a, this time it's now just a wolf whistle. so The game progressively works.
00:49:23
Speaker
Well, she says, my name is Stacy, but you can call me one wolf whistle. I can't whistle something. not going to it. I tried to do it there. I apologize to the internet. And Stacy goes, what do you want me to do about it? And Lisa says, change it. It's still your company.
Stacy Lavelle's Storyline
00:49:36
Speaker
And Stacy says, nope, I was forced out because my way of thinking wasn't cost effective. And then in a small voice goes, was funneling profits the Viet Cong.
00:49:47
Speaker
I mean, that's pretty not cost effective. That's fair. So Lisa makes a meta joke about she'd be mortified if someone made a lousy product with a name Simpson on it. Yeah. No one touches my butterfinger.
00:50:00
Speaker
Stacy then says she's been living the lifestyle and learned some far harsh lessons as she goes through all her husbands, which include Ken, Johnny, Joe, Dr. Colossus. This was so good.
00:50:10
Speaker
This was, and the way it pays off later in the episode, i fucking died. So Lisa says, so can do we can think of something. and she goes, well, right now, I'm too drunk. And Lisa goes, no, you're not. And then we just go. The just silent sip. And then just her lazy blink.
00:50:29
Speaker
Oh, man, fucking crisp. It was great. I did enjoy Lisa's. I'll come back tomorrow. I'll come back tomorrow. Then see that the squeaky voice teen is now Abe's manager.
00:50:41
Speaker
And he says, we need more secret sauce. Let's put some mayonnaise in the sun. The screenplay's being Old Man Peterson, apparently. Grandpa decides to have a bit of fun and sticks his old Steve into a hamburger and says, here's a burger that can take a bite out of you.
00:50:56
Speaker
but guys swear Al's made that pun to me before. He probably has. Probably in reference to this. Abe's co-worker is not paying attention, so ends up packing the sandwich and putting in the bag. I don't think he's not paying attention. I think he just doesn't give a shit.
00:51:12
Speaker
yeah I think he's deliberately ignoring him. We then see that the... ah We then hear off screen the customer going, Gah, the sandwich took a bite on me! That's fair.
00:51:23
Speaker
We then see that ah Lisa is back at Stacey's place and then suggests that they make their own talking doll and which she will have the wisdom of Gertrude Stein and the wit of Kathy Guy's weight. God, shut up, Lisa.
00:51:35
Speaker
Well, it's going to keep going. There's a few more characters to compare to. yeah go on. The tenacity of Nina Tottenberg and the common sense of Elizabeth Candy Stanton and the down-to-earth good looks of Eleanor Roosevelt.
00:51:46
Speaker
I understand that there is genuinely like a need to make role models for kids. I do think some people take it too far. Well, Stacy's inspired throws a drink into the fire and says, we're making the noise. Yeah, that was awesome. That was very dramatic.
00:52:00
Speaker
Flames leap up, yeah. There's a knock on the door and it turns out that Combat Action Joe is at the door and he wants Stacy back. Oh, he has a neck seam!
00:52:12
Speaker
Like an action figure! Oh, does he? I missed that. He has a neck seam. Oh, God. I was fucking... I was almost on the floor. It was so fucking funny.
00:52:23
Speaker
He has a neck seam. ha. Stacey tells him it's over and he needs to release him ah from his Kung Fu grip. And he says, I'm going to bomb your house into the... I just thought you were going to release me from your Kung Fu grip. Because I remember as a kid watching adverts and they were like, lever action, karate chop. And like, you'd see action man like cut through wood and you're like, holy shit, I need to pester my mum now.
00:52:51
Speaker
Then cut to the doll being made and... Stacey decides she's not going to use the Marge's hair. And the entire family goes, can we use our hair? And eventually Stacey goes, you all have hideous hair.
00:53:02
Speaker
The family are horrified by this until she goes, I mean, from a design point of view, and everyone just accepts it. So everyone goes, oh, well, if you put it that way.
00:53:11
Speaker
We then come to the recording studio and Lisa's having a bit of trouble with the lines and the techie then says, we've got other dolls coming in and then see Christy barging and going, all right, let's get this done. And we see Christy go through all his lines in like rapid succession and then tells Lisa... He does multiple takes as well.
00:53:27
Speaker
Yeah, learn from a professional. Yeah, he calls Sideshow Mel Slideshow Mel on one take. Whoops. Christy pushes through it and tells Lisa to learn from a professional. As he walks out, we then see the techie's only just turned the tape around and goes, Christy, we're ready for Christy.
00:53:41
Speaker
Krusty is like a perfect encapsulation of like Krusty is a timeless character because he is a perfect encapsulation of how celebrities don't actually care. Like I'm sure, I'm sure, you know, some celebrities are perfectly nice people, but they are in it for the money.
00:53:57
Speaker
And Krusty is a perfect encapsulation of that. But it like when he's in front of kids, he's, you know, great. But then as soon as, you know, the cameras are off, he becomes Krusty. I think it's great. It's amazing how so many of the jokes in Simpsons are still so timeless.
00:54:13
Speaker
m cut We then cut to see that the doll is now made and everyone is now discussing her name Bart's suggestion is Blabamout, the Jerky Doll for Jerks Lisa wants the name Minerva but Stacey says there's not enough commercial appeal on that Bart is now just suggesting Ugly Doris, Wendy Wingbag and eventually they settle on Lisa Lionheart And Bart is getting more and more frantic, going, someone pay attention to me.
00:54:36
Speaker
God, I used to... i Shut up, Bart. I used to be that kid, and I wish I could, like, go back in time and smack myself across the chops, man. Holy shit. Untreated ADD... ADHD is bad.
00:54:49
Speaker
You then see that the dolls are now going to be in the store, and Stacey says, it wasn't difficult. She just told them who they who she was and who Lisa was, and they couldn't resist. Lisa goes, really? And he well, I didn't that well i didt tell her who you were. Well, tell her were.
00:55:00
Speaker
It was great. We then see that Malibu Stacey executives can see this through some sort of hidden camera and they go, we've got to sink this doll them. Yeah, what the fuck? and But they're going to call in a favour from Washington and they call the senator goes, worry, I'll take care of this personally. Oh, was it the senator? I thought it was just a joke about the president taking bribes because that never happened. I'm glad they didn't make that joke because that would never happen. That would be weird.
00:55:25
Speaker
Was it a series? I genuinely thought that was intended to be... I mean, it looked like the this it looked like the president's desk. That's what I thought. At this point, we're Bill Clinton? is that but like Yeah, and they've had a Bill Clinton's... They've featured Bill Clinton in...
00:55:42
Speaker
the show so surely they would then have bill clinton but then maybe they couldn't have bill clinton you know they couldn't do a caricature of bill clinton yeah threatening someone i don't know they we've talked about this before but they love to put presidents in all the goddamn time they really really wanted to get a president at some point I mean, they literally do a joke about the president murdering someone later on in the episode. so This is true. this is true i have Yeah, I think it was supposed to be the president and they just did, like I said, for legal reasons, they couldn't depict Bill Clinton doing it, but they could depict a president.
00:56:20
Speaker
You know i mean? Yeah, i mean it doesn't look much like Bill Clinton, to be fair. Exactly. Exactly. yeah But it did it it that is that is the White House that they show out before they cut to it, right? um bum but um boom but i'm just um but I'm just going with what the website is telling me.
00:56:34
Speaker
Oh, so in the website it says the senator? Yeah, it just says the senator. okay. Alright, so... Oh, no, it says... no Oh, wait, no, I don't know what the White House looks like, apparently. No, that's not the White House. Oh, whoops. It's just a White House.
00:56:46
Speaker
john to help John, are we stupid? I am. don't know about you guys. Well, i'm I'm knee-deep in this drink, so... In your 9% stuff, yeah.
00:56:58
Speaker
and realized 9% was that bad. It's stronger than Dragon Sue, it just doesn't have the caffeine. Oh no! Whoever the hell this is, drives to the Simpsons' house personally and throws a brick at the door, laughs evilly, and then runs
Comedic Threats and Political Themes in The Simpsons
00:57:12
Speaker
off.
00:57:12
Speaker
Lisa then asks, did you hear something? And Ham goes, no. That's how that ends. Then we get to Ken Brockman's daughter trying to get Pester and Dad to make news reports about the doll, and Ken stopped feeling it because he's preparing a report about the 40th anniversary of Beetle Bailey.
00:57:30
Speaker
I don't know who that is. His daughter says, it's boring. Talk about the doll, and he goes, well, you were right about the Berlin Wall. I loved I don't know why that bit got me, but it got me. Just like the idea the idea that this kid preemptively said to her new her professional news reporter father, Dad, the Berlin Wall's going to come down.
00:57:49
Speaker
And he was like, well, I guess i'll take a I'll take a swing at it. yeah I mean, for the the situation to be analogous, like presumably she had to have known about the Berlin Wall and said, oh, you need to talk about the Berlin Wall.
00:58:03
Speaker
That's but that's more news than whatever anniversary of Beetle Bailey. Oh, yeah, I guess that's a news story. Yeah. OK. And then the next day the Berlin Wall came down or something. ah No, I kind of mean like the wall had already fallen and Kent Brockman didn't think he was newsworthy, but the kid encouraged him to talk about Okay, that makes sense. I thought it was the kid being like prescient or not. What's the word for being able to see the future? There's a word for it. Yeah, prescient. Yeah.
00:58:32
Speaker
Okay, fair enough. Yeah, you're all right. I'm awesome. That's he kept up by doing his report, which took about 28 minutes. But he found it really fascinating. He then, as the as the news program was ending, he just casually mentions a fan that the president was arrested for murder.
00:58:47
Speaker
The president murdering someone? That never happened. Bill Clinton? He then says, you can tune in. You can look at that tomorrow. or You can tune into another channel. Then he looks to the side and he goes, oh, do not tune into another channel. These bits were funny. I'm not going to say that.
00:59:02
Speaker
But they did feel like padding, which is weird for an episode that is like a long episode, you know? It's like, they they weren't bad effort bad bits, like I'm saying.
00:59:13
Speaker
But again, it's just like, just remove them. But I mean, it's their it's their runtime. They can what they fuck want with it. It is trying to create some sort of narrative reason for the success of Lisa Lionheart. Yeah. think it's just trying to like ah set that up for this is why kids are interested it because it was on the news for 28 minutes because Kent Brockman got distracted.
00:59:34
Speaker
It talks for 20 minutes, man. We don't see that the executives are now panicking and saying they've got to reinvent Malibu Stacy to stop this. One man goes, can we order Chinese food? And the executive goes, yes. And everyone's quite excited about that.
00:59:47
Speaker
I mean, that's fair. You know, if if my boss wanted me to work late and then I asked, if you will you buy me takeaway? And he said, yeah. I was like, all right, cool. We then cut back to Christy Berger and all the old folks are complaining and Abe is trying to pacify them before he realises he's old and he should be making the complaints himself.
01:00:05
Speaker
This B-plot just fucking they just decide this B-plot ends. They just decided it ends. So many of them do. yeah just Just to note that Jasper cut his tongue on the pancakes.
01:00:15
Speaker
but hey I loved Abe's final comment of this is the good lord lets us grow old for a reason to gain the wisdom to find fault with everything he's made. so yeah I didn't even have heard that. That's so grim.
01:00:27
Speaker
You can take this job and fill it. yeah also Gampo also reveals that he never once washed his hands. That's your policy, not mine. So the old people all get very excited and praise Abe and lift him up onto their shoulders. Unfortunately, everyone's hips, backs and knees go at the same time. Ow, ow, ow. That's a hostile visit and a half.
01:00:46
Speaker
And they just all end up in a big pile on the floor. That's a B plot. Oh, we also saw front-facing Mole Man. And that was terrifying. hated that. sort of thumb males Guess what the thumbnail is going to be, folks.
01:01:01
Speaker
We didn't see that it's the grand opening for the Lisa Lionheart doll and Waylon Spivers is increasing his creep meter by trying to push back the children. Yeah.
01:01:12
Speaker
The store's open and everybody's running frantically for the doors, but at that moment, the new Malibu Stacy is brought out in front, and she's better than ever because she now has a hat. She has a new hat! Lisa tries to point this out that this is just a cheap trick, but some of her also points out it's a new but she has a new hat!
01:01:29
Speaker
And everybody stampedes to take the way the... new doll. We then cut back and Lisa finally admits she can't beat big business but she then hears her doll's voice and one little girl bought it. Lisa muses out loud that ah if they got through to one little girl it was worth it.
01:01:43
Speaker
And Stacey under her breath goes yeah because I spent $46,000. Yeah as long as that girl pays $46,000 for that doll. What? Oh, nothing. Kudos to you.
01:01:55
Speaker
Everyone is leaving the store, but Homer stops everyone because there's something he's got to do. And Homer starts playing the Simpsons intro-outro on the keyboard as security staff fail in vain to stop him.
01:02:06
Speaker
um my The nerds don't even remotely line up with his dancing. course they don't. Don't be daffed. And for some reason when he breaks it, there's feedback. I don't know where the feedback came from. Because Simpsons.
01:02:20
Speaker
Because Simpsons. What did we think? ah Fun episode. Genuinely surprised by how behind Lisa's complaint I was as well. But the laughs were great. It was easy watching ah with a non-introduced B-plot that was fun.
01:02:36
Speaker
Genuinely great episode. Oh yeah, I had a great time on this one. really enjoyed it. I think a lot of what I was enjoying was just Abe, but like I'm not going to let that take away from it. Abe's great. but so great There were some great little jokes in there. Abe falling into the grave, a being lifted up, and then everyone falling over.
01:02:57
Speaker
I think it was a great mix of, like, the fun social commentary that that Simpsons does and then just bit, bit, bit, bit. Like, um we've talked about it before, where some episodes of Simpsons, which are just constant bits, and they're great. They're brilliant episodes.
01:03:10
Speaker
But every now and then, there's there's enough of, like, a Stack Raving Dad. Great example of an episode that has an actual plot that, you know, that actually goes through something and there's genuine...
01:03:22
Speaker
Not tension, but you know, there's this there's like conflict and blah, blah, blah. And that's what makes a really good episode of Simpsons. And while I don't think, I will spoiler, I don't think this is a homer, I do think it is a genuinely really good episode of Simpsons.
01:03:37
Speaker
Oh yeah, it's top tier for sure. Yeah, yeah, it's very good. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's genuinely got some social commentary in there as well. oh like so It's not nor not even close to subtle. It's just explicitly. No, they're very about Firing shots at capitalism and patriarchy left, right and centre.
01:03:53
Speaker
The fucking line about a white male aged 18 to 49. So on nose. Really on the nose. But that's the thing is is we don't come to Simpsons for subtlety. no And we never have. And that, you know, subtlety is when you get episodes like Little Caesar Goes to Washington.
01:04:09
Speaker
Little Caesar? Who's Little Caesar? When Little Caesar goes to Washington and sells all of the pizza, um yeah you you generally get episodes that just irritate people, or at least irritate me, and I'm in the the minority.
01:04:24
Speaker
But, you know, when when Simpsons truly embraces being Simpsons, they make great comedy, you know? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. yeah some scores? I'm happy to go first. I gave it a new hat out of Homer. A slight enhancement from others, but not exactly stunning.
01:04:42
Speaker
You know, because again, it wasn't ah it wasn't a Homer, but it was genuinely better than a lot of the episodes of Simpsons we've seen so far. I'm giving it a one sip and I'm totally hip out of Homer.
01:04:54
Speaker
Yeah.
01:04:57
Speaker
ah I gave it Bong Joon-ho out of Homer because it was not even slightly subtle but I do love it Jesus Christ that was a varying type of joke we we got here we got Michael who never explains his jokes and I love you for that please keep it up there's me who again as always tries to do what I do and then John who's just like fuck it naming Korean directors over here that's what I'm doing I don't care. Like, watched a bunch of Bong Joon-ho this year and like every single film it is just like completely Lisa versus Malibu Stacy levels of subtlety.
01:05:35
Speaker
Just fuck the cops, fuck the government. And it's great. I'm going to ask a stupid question that may make me seem slightly ignorant. Is Bong Joon-ho the guy that did Parasite? It is. Yes. Okay, cool. So I'm not a racist. Awesome.
01:05:46
Speaker
um I haven't watched it He did Mickey 17. Oh, sick. I haven't watched that yet. Is it good? It's very good, yeah. Oh, awesome. Because I was going to go see it, and then everyone was like, it's shit. was like, well, why is it shit? And then no one could give an answer. No, it's not.
01:05:59
Speaker
It's been great. Awesome. Cool. I like how you censor yourself as well. Anyway, carry on. What did it say about society, guys? As always, i have mine all pre-written as usual. Sorry to break it to the fans. It's probably also one of the most easily digestible political episodes of Simpsons that I've seen.
01:06:18
Speaker
But I don't know how people in the 90s reacted to it. That's what I'd be interested in is how people thought about it in the 90s. Because right now, to me, i I watch this and go, yeah, makes sense. I honestly don't know if much has changed with Barbie since I was a kid.
01:06:32
Speaker
I never played with them. There's always felt like a vibe to me with Barbie of girls can do anything, you know? But again, I'm not a six-year-old girl. Though now that I've shaved my face, that might be hard to tell.
01:06:44
Speaker
jack you Genuinely, I always felt like Barbie felt kind of feminist, even if it didn't to some people. Again, I was six, so... what the fuck did I know about politics? i used I used to genuinely think capitalism was a good system, so clearly I was not in good brain.
01:07:05
Speaker
But yeah, I thought, you know, it was a fun, easily digestible political episode. I mean, I think most of the discussion at the time of circled back to just comparing it to Barbie and the debate around Barbie and yes and obviously the controversy of the the talking Barbie in 1992 as well.
01:07:23
Speaker
Whether anybody thought much about its like critiques of capitalism and patriarchy and whatnot, I've not found much about that specifically. if there were, I don't think it was the main discourse around it. I think it was just like...
01:07:37
Speaker
hey, let's talk about Barbie, you know? Yeah, I think that's the thing. It's like Simpsons does that sometimes. They just, they're not there to make a stand. You know, they're not there to be like, here is how we feel politically one way or the other. I think they do do that sometimes, but in this episode at the very least,
01:07:54
Speaker
I don't think they were trying to do that. I don't think they were trying to say like, oh, we need to create good role models for young girls. Or they're saying, you know, fuck it. Every girl should be a trad wife.
01:08:04
Speaker
I think they were just, they were taking something that was politically relevant and to the time and making a episode of Simpsons around it that then made it comedic.
Disney's Progressive Messaging Shift
01:08:15
Speaker
whether it made people think about it, you know, is kind of a bonus or not a bonus or whatever, but it worked out.
01:08:21
Speaker
Sorry, Michael, your thoughts. Yeah, I think you've covered everything there. Yeah, I mean, this episode for me had, like, Joyce Messier from Disco Elysium manifesting herself in my head once again to remind us all that Capital has the ability to so subsume all critiques into itself, even those who would critique Capital end up reinforcing it instead.
01:08:41
Speaker
Yeah, well, I mean, there's a great... Sorry, I know this episode's already running long, but Disney's a great example. Disney have made for years a bunch of extremely progressive media that said it's okay to be gay, it's okay to not be Christian, it's okay to be a woman. You know, they've done this.
01:08:55
Speaker
And now all of a sudden, all of Disney's films are like bombing because they're trying not to push that message anymore because they've realized that if they push it any further, society they their view that what they want society to be will crumble.
Anticipation for The Second Simpsons Movie
01:09:09
Speaker
I mean, the connection to that particular quote for me ah was more like the the hat, because Simpsons are going, lol, if you stick a new hat on it idiots will just buy anything as long as it's got a new hat on it.
01:09:21
Speaker
And then like 10 years later, or I don't know timelines, but 10-ish years later, you've got TF2 going, ah it's got a new hat on it. And everyone goes, ah, yeah, okay, but I'm going to buy it.
01:09:32
Speaker
Or Simpsons being like, we're doing a second movie is it great' actually a great example because it's fucking Simpsons. Yeah. So that's that. We have to review that movie. At some point, we have to review that movie. I feel like we should review the movie when it comes out. I mean, I know it's out of order, but we should review it when it comes out and then review it again when we finally get to it.
01:09:55
Speaker
when you i'm i'm I'm not familiar with the context of the second Simpsons movie. Is it in development? Is that where that is? ah They released teaser posters. ah Okay. Simpsons movie 2. Oh, I see a date saying 2027. Okay, we might be on season 7 by then.
01:10:13
Speaker
At this rate. yeah Yeah, we
Historical Jazz Day and Humor Boundaries
01:10:16
Speaker
probably should. I mean, I've always thought like a lot of the sort of side media to Simpsons would be good to cover if we ever get successful enough to make it worth starting a Patreon and doing like bonus episodes and things. Yeah. So movies might fall into that.
01:10:30
Speaker
I don't know. We'll see. Anyway, Simpsons. Anyway, another episode of Simpsons. Let's move on to Deep Space Homer, episode 15, aired February 24th, 1994.
01:10:43
Speaker
Anything happening on this day? i was also alive then. Congratulations to you. Let us know when you die. i so like I'll give you a call. a new scoreboard is unveiled at new cleveland indians park slow news day i think i've talked about this before guys yeah i i i genuinely i know i've talked about this before but i genuinely love the fact that there was one time on bbc news where they didn't they just played night they played jazz music because no news happened yeah right i think you mentioned this last time
01:11:16
Speaker
Yeah, it was on it was on it was on the radio back then. listen No news happened, so like, here's some jazz. Okay, I'm specifically becoming a Return With A V guy for that day in particular. Hell yeah. Just give me a day when there is no news worth reporting.
01:11:36
Speaker
Oh, man. I feel like if there was a day where there was no news, my anxiety would drop. i would but like That would be the only day ever that I feel no anxiety. It's like, wow, this is what people felt like. Awesome.
01:11:49
Speaker
Your number ones remain exactly the same. That's fair enough. I still haven't heard either of them, even though I thought I had.
01:11:57
Speaker
I'm sorry, I lied to you. It's a shame.
01:12:03
Speaker
Again, there's no chalkboard gag. Yeah, another long episode. So we get to our couch gag, which is a very fat man on the couch. and Guy, then the punchline is fat. That's what the punchline Fat.
01:12:13
Speaker
Do you get it? Isn't it funny? The punchline is fat. Yep.
Bart's Inner Child and Workplace Satire
01:12:19
Speaker
It's also the visual comedy of six people trying to squeeze on the couch. It's one of those things where I have that conflict in me where I watch these kind of gags and be like, this is funny, but am I allowed to laugh?
01:12:32
Speaker
You know, and it's why I kind of understand that kind of like right leaning position of, oh, you can't laugh at anything anymore. And it's like, no, you can. We just like, there's limits, but stuff I used to find funny. I have to like, look back now and be like, am I an asshole for finding this funny?
01:12:48
Speaker
It's weird. Carry on. Yeah, I mean, like, I think it's fine. You're allowed to laugh at things. It's just that there are some things which, if you laugh at them, you're an asshole for doing it. Yeah. No stopping you. Thanks, John. Thanks, John. That is a very simplistic and very incorrect way to answer that query. You're allowed to laugh at it, Matt. You're just a piece of shit, and I hate you.
01:13:10
Speaker
I use you in the general sense. It's like you personally. Anyway, first scene in Bart's Inner Child. So we then cut to the power plant and we see a spivist over the PA going, our workers must trudge immediately to the main yard for the mandatory work of the week award. He's trudging out.
01:13:27
Speaker
We then see everybody trudging past an X-ray machine and the security guards are looking through and we do see that some people are bringing in pistols and Uzis. What are they looking for in this moment? but Because it's definitely not weapons.
01:13:38
Speaker
but One guy walks through with an Uzi, two kids are posing as an adult and then we see a neat and a four looking skeleton. He goes, oh, hey, Helmer. He was at the helm and go, hey. scratching his arm pit like a chimp.
01:13:51
Speaker
We don't see everyone in the courtyard with medals around their neck and Carl mentions that everyone has already won one of these except, whoa, and we see the four hold. Then Homer comes in and Homer says... How did Homer not win a worker of the week for saving the plant from a meltdown?
01:14:07
Speaker
Well that was employee of the month. That's the difference. Oh, my apologies. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, yeah, that point. So Homer says that today will be his day, and when he says how, because Homer reveals that there's a union rule that says every employee must win it once, regardless of him.
01:14:22
Speaker
I love how Homer doesn't try to convince himself that he is a good worker. He just says, no, I have to win it because the union says so. It's my turn. It's my turn.
01:14:33
Speaker
And incompetence, obesity, or rank of odour will not stop him. Why? you You can't put obesity there. he We're not giving you this Worker of the Week award because you're fat.
01:14:47
Speaker
No, it's then tells the workers that they need to have odd hush for Mr. Burns and everyone gasps. They do give him an odd hush. They give him an odd hush. It's appropriate. Burns starts by saying everyone that they must need to crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season and promises a new donkey whoever brings him the head of the gym. This was so weird. Is this supposed to be a dementia joke?
01:15:10
Speaker
I think it's just Burns has got a lot on his plate. Because a powerful a powerful leader would never have dementia, right? And just to correct you, he doesn't promise a new donkey. He promises a shiny new donkey.
01:15:21
Speaker
A shiny... I want i want say shi um want to see a shiny donkey. how many How many donkeys do you have to encounter in a row before you get the combo so you can see a shiny donkey?
01:15:32
Speaker
That's only that's imagine that's a Pokemon joke for you fucking losers out there. I got that reference. Yeah! Ben Smith is whispers into his ear and Ben says, oh, no, it actually, it's time for the work of work of the week award.
01:15:47
Speaker
And Burns can't believe they've overlooked this person for so long. I love how he struggles to hold the medal as well. Because he's old. But Burns finally reveals that... The award goes to an inanimate, a carbon rod.
01:16:01
Speaker
Everyone cheers Wally and Homer goes, they want inanimate, huh? I'll show him inanimate. dude, this is the dumbest joke in all of Simpsons.
01:16:11
Speaker
I was genuinely cackling. It's so fucking funny. It was it was the change of lighting that got me. It was the change of lighting I don't know why, but when that happened, i Oh, God. It fucking got me.
01:16:27
Speaker
the holess So Homer legitimately just stands there for a while glaring at the left. He freezes angry and seething, completely inanimate, until the sun goes down. It's so good, man.
01:16:39
Speaker
He really was inanimate. Homer is despondent at the dinner table as he complains about it being a popularity contest and while ask if he actually got to see the rod. going to lie, he is right about Employee of the Month being a popularity contest in my experience, because slavery would like the ones I'm familiar with is usually staff voting for each other, and it's just like, yes, who who do you who did you like this month? yeah Gee, I wonder who never won Worker of the Week.
01:17:05
Speaker
I have never won Employee of the Week, all month. Neither have I, sir. We're the same boat. My bosses have all universally hated me because I'm weird. That seems fair.
01:17:19
Speaker
That seems fair, Matt. You're a piece of shit. I wouldn't like you either. It's because you find fat people funny.
01:17:28
Speaker
I'm sorry guys So Homer laments the fact that no one respects him at work and Marge says we respect him and then we see that Bart is writing the words insert brain here with an arrow on the back of his head I did like as well when Marge like says we respect you she like puts her arm around Lisa and Maggie and they keep eating Lisa and Bart laugh and Marge tells Homer a part off of drawing on Homer's skull but then she starts to laugh.
01:17:52
Speaker
Homer wants to read what it says and we then start trying to spin to see the back of his head and he starts going around. Is this the beginning of the running on the ground thing? Yeah. I didn't think we'd seen it yet. I thought we had already seen him do that.
01:18:05
Speaker
Maybe. My memory is that. You're thinking of the union one where he starts cooking like a chicken and doing that spin on the ground after. Yeah, that one. This one, Homer's trying to see the message on the back of his head and the family are laughing in hysterics until they stop laughing because it stops being funny. It gets weird after a while. Yeah, it really does. Marjorie looks concerned after a while.
01:18:25
Speaker
When I cut to Homer, I go, saying, ah, TV respects me. It laughs with me, not at me. Then turns it on, and it's just a man laughing straight away. Yeah. I'm hoping it changes the channel. We see that there's a space launch going on, and we see that it's quite dry.
01:18:42
Speaker
I mean, yeah, space launches usually kind of are, to be fair. Yep. I mean, like you see the rocket go, and the rocket's is spectacular, but like the the you know the commentary in the lead-up to it is, yep, that's science.
Public Perception of Science
01:18:53
Speaker
Everyone's just waiting for the point where they say, make rocket go now.
01:18:57
Speaker
So, we then see that they're talking about the logistics of making screws weightless, and Helmer gets a bit bored, but he accidentally knocks the batteries out remote. It is also hard to explain why some spaceflights are important.
01:19:10
Speaker
It is hard to explain why certain bits of science are important. It is, but, like, yeah, I mean... it's all It is important. is no i' know i'm not goingnna I'm not going to start going down. And that's why vaccines are bullshit. I'm not going to do that.
01:19:27
Speaker
What I'm saying is it is hard. And i I think it's funny that that Simpsons... know how to make fun of that. if if they If I want to derail things, and I do because it's my podcast, and I want to get into this, anyone wants ah convincing, an interesting bit of science news that came across my feed a few weeks ago is that, I think it was Japanese scientists have... um The T3 growing thing!
01:19:56
Speaker
Sorry? The teeth regrowing thing. No, it was it was but bone fusing. Oh, fuck. They found a substance that, like, clams use to, like, stick themselves onto stuff, and they can use it just glue bones back together, and it's, like, it's way better than any e other technology we've got for, like, repairing fractures.
01:20:14
Speaker
Holy shit. that must That must be linked to them figuring out how... Because the Japanese also figured out how to regrow teeth. Oh, maybe. Maybe clams regrow teeth. Science is weird. What you do is you put the tooth in the clam and it puts a layer around it.
01:20:32
Speaker
This is just going to lead to a lot of clams being harmed. You get really pearly teeth. I would love all of my teeth to be made of mother of pearl. I'd be sick.
01:20:44
Speaker
But yeah, like somebody somewhere had to like research the goop that clams make and that led to being able to fix bones. But someone somewhere was like, why are you researching clam goop?
01:20:54
Speaker
Yeah, you never know where the breakthrough is going to come from. yeah Well, penicillin is a great example of that. But anyway, before I yeah before i lose my mind, let's continue.
01:21:06
Speaker
Yeah, research shit is good. So speaking of losing their mind, Homer's on the floor trying to find the batteries as the couple as the commentators are talking about the three musketeers of a mathematician, a different kind of mathematician, and a statistician.
01:21:19
Speaker
yeah but i think point but that But this gag is is kind of my point of like that that Simpsons makes fun of everyone in the sense that they at one point they make fun of how dry and boring and and uninteresting science can be.
01:21:31
Speaker
But then they make fun of people that are like, oh no, science, turn the TV over. I think that's great. Bart comes in and joins the panic and Homer can now get these batteries in the remote. Bart makes a lunging leap and eventually unplugs the TV and everyone is relieved.
01:21:45
Speaker
Imagine being that desperate to not learn. We're going to cut to NASA in mission control and the assistant points out it's a serious problem because the Nielsen ratings are at the lowest and ah the scientist panics because they're being beat by Connie Chung's Christmas.
01:21:59
Speaker
I like that there's a vague implication that specifically Bart pulling out the plug was the straw that broke the camel's back. That was what plunged their ratings to the lowest point. They were doing fine right up until that plug was pulled and then they're shit, our ratings, that's it, they're gone. and We've lost half our audience. They've sunk too far.
01:22:19
Speaker
go to the NASA meeting and they're panicking going to lose their funding and they're wondering how to fix this and one's assistant suggests that they finally told the public truth that chimps came back from space super intelligent. Oh, this was so good.
01:22:31
Speaker
We don't go to the super intelligent chimps in suit going. I don't think we'll be telling them that.
01:22:39
Speaker
So the assistant then points out the public see astronauts as clean-cut athletic go-getters and they hate people like that. That's true, I do. Yeah, yeah. But then give us some examples. But when someone comes at you with all that positive energy and they're clearly like, they take care of themselves and they eat kale and you're just like, I'm going to stab you.
01:22:59
Speaker
I'm going to stab you. um So we then get some examples of who people do like, which includes Tim Allen and Home Improvement, where he souped up his lawnmower and accidentally Wilson. Oh, is who that's referencing? Fuck me. had no idea what that was supposed to be. Well done, Michael.
01:23:16
Speaker
I used to watch it. Well, you know, we've all got to watch something. So Tim Allen inadvertently kills the next door neighbor, Wilson, and goes, well, I'm going back to jail, which was a which is a joke at Tim Allen, because he did actually go to jail.
01:23:29
Speaker
Oh, fucking hell. Used to deal coke.
NASA's Comedic Astronaut Selection
01:23:32
Speaker
Oh, well, didn't we all? We don't cut to Married With Children and Peggy wants to have sex with Al and Al goes, nah.
01:23:41
Speaker
You all just looks at it and Al flushes the toilet. This is the third time they've referenced Married With Kids. Is it? I only counted two. I'm fairly certain. I'm fairly certain they've done it once before.
01:23:52
Speaker
They do dunk on it a few times, certainly, yeah. I remember watching that as a kid because my dad watched it. Oh yeah, my dad was good. Hey, dude! High five! Hey!
01:24:05
Speaker
Don't worry, Audacity picked it up even if Discord didn't. Okay, good good. I was gonna say, did you guys both, like, slap your screens or something? I clapped my hands. i just I just made the noise.
01:24:17
Speaker
Someone points out that these are blue-collar slobs, and the scientist says that's who we need. And someone suggests a lengthy, inefficient search at the taxpayer's expense. Wish there was an easier way. i like the moment That's a good line, man. That was great.
01:24:33
Speaker
At that moment, the phone rings and we see that homos might call Nassau and when they ask him how he got there... They all keep calling it Nassau. I picked up on that, yeah, because I i literally wrote Nassau down like like the fucking the fucking pirate town, Nassau. Yeah, but there's there's also Nassau County somewhere in somewhere in America. all right. There's Nassau County. So I was like, is it is it meant to be like a very subtle joke?
01:24:59
Speaker
that so many Americans call it Nassau because they've heard of Nassau County. i my I thought it was just Homer being Homer and stupid. No, but then the Colonel says it as well. Yeah, well, I picked up on Homer saying it first, and then someone else called it i was like oh, no, this is just what the Simpsons producers think.
01:25:21
Speaker
It's how you say NASA. Yeah. Well, it's all right, because it's aric cause they're about to defund NASA, so it doesn't fucking matter. Anyway, Simpsons... So NASA asks how he got the phone number and Homer goes, shut up. I love Homer saying shut up.
01:25:38
Speaker
He's also looking for some Tang and then we hear that the toilet flushes and the long search is over. Aren't we all? We then come back to Homer and Homer's now calling President Clinton in his search for Tang. He hasn't been arrested for murder?
01:25:52
Speaker
Got away with that, Baron. Well, not probably... Yeah, I guess he was the vice president. I don't... I don't know. So, uh... Omar tells Clinton to shut up before NASA interrupts him, and, uh... Omar pins the blame on Barney, and, uh... The scientist asks Barney if he'd like to become an astronaut, and Barney is quite excited, and, uh...
01:26:10
Speaker
When they point out to Barney, he's going to get the respect of all his family and friends. I like how he... Yeah, because they had to say the specific thing that Homer wanted at the time. Homer didn't care about Barney becoming an astronaut.
01:26:20
Speaker
He cared about Barney getting the respect of his friends and family. who So Bart, Homer charges in and reveals he made the crank call and he he tells him that he's got a file. yeah I've got a file!
01:26:31
Speaker
have a file! The scientists decide better just take both of them and one of them just knocks Bart. What this called? Because I keep calling it a beaver tail because I know that's like a that's like a joke name of it.
01:26:43
Speaker
It's a Billy Club. I know it's a blackjack. A blackjack, yeah! The scientist says they wanted to both be astronauts. He goes, I know. Yeah, he's We then see that the Simpsons have joined the Beverly Hillbillies and they're in the Beverly Hillbillies car driving to NASA training grounds.
01:27:01
Speaker
Excuse me, the NASA. At least say it. um I'll get it. I'll get it eventually. the deal What was the deal with the car, by the way? like What was the context of this? in I don't... It's the intro to the Beverly Hillbillies, which was a show on the 60s.
01:27:17
Speaker
I don't know why they showed it in here. Why are the Simpsons driving it? So what we're learning is that this is that the Simpsons writers had just binge-watched a bunch of TV before writing an episode today. yeah I mean, the best thing I can give you is it was a fish out of water scenario they were trying to draw.
01:27:34
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, that makes sense. Okay. But yeah, so they hold a press conference and they reveal that these are the astronauts. I like how they've got them in little outfits. Yeah, the modern man, Bonnie's dressed as a golfer, Homer's as if he's doing a barbecue in the background. Praise the chief.
01:27:51
Speaker
Praise the chef. Hail to the chef. Hail to the chef. My apologies. So they open questions to the press and the reporters keep asking, is this a joke? Fuck it all.
01:28:03
Speaker
No more questions about how this is a joke. And they all put their hands down. One of the reporters finally asks if they think it's a good idea to send unqualified people into space and Homer takes over the question and goes, it's only a risk if they get sent to the planet of the apes. That horrible planet of the apes.
01:28:19
Speaker
Homer then that it's actually Earth and does the entirety of the closing speech. This is what to what it took for Homer to figure out the plot of Planet of the Apes. He does the exact word for word in the ending.
01:28:33
Speaker
Maybe he's never watched it. He's just seen that one frame of the Statue of Liberty. it is and What a great movie. Anyway. As someone's lamenting the fate of Earth on the floor, Barney passes out drunk and the press conference ends and we just see Barney being pulled back out. Where did he get the booze from?
01:28:51
Speaker
Where did he get the booze from, guys? Barney's just always going Barney finds a way, just like he found a way to teleport back into Moe's Bar. We then see that training is about to begin and it's revealed that only one of them will be able to go into space.
01:29:06
Speaker
And Barney's told that he can't drink any beer. Barney complains because now he's going to have to drink wine. Yeah, only wine. oh ah did Yeah, very simple but very funny. never seen Barney drink wine.
01:29:18
Speaker
No, we have. we had We must have seen him drink, not from a glass, I'm saying he probably drank it from a bottle. We must have. we Yeah, maybe. yeah Do we, all three of us, just have shit memories?
01:29:33
Speaker
but I'm drunk most of the time that we record these, so I think it's fair that I don't remember.
01:29:41
Speaker
Well, John and I are all the older people. old. Yeah, that's my excuse. your Your excuse is that you're old. I'm drinking a buzz cola and it's burning my throat. Oh, no.
01:29:52
Speaker
They made me take the elephant, giraffe, lion test thing. Oh, very good. it's ah It's an IQ test. Kamala Harris couldn't pass it. You got results that no one's ever seen before. It was amazing.
01:30:04
Speaker
Then see the family around the dinner and Bart says he's feeling the opposite of shame and Marge has pride and Bart goes, nope, not that. Not quite that. And Helper goes, less shame? Bart accepts that.
01:30:15
Speaker
that was That was cute. So Marge starts going through how she's feeling and it's nervous, anxious, wary, apprehensive. God, this went on for a while. And also sleepy isn't an emotion.
01:30:28
Speaker
Marge finally says there's something that you've just got to do and Homer wasn't paying attention at all. Who would be? She talks a lot. Hobo turns up to the training and he introduces it as, he's on time, but he's not, and he can't see Barney. Let's crash the rocket for the White House and kill the President, Gumball.
01:30:43
Speaker
Turns out that Barney is now sober and he's been there since sundown and Barney's regained his balance addiction and Barney does so several corticis. You know what? It is actually genuinely hard to sing that song.
01:30:56
Speaker
I don't know why. It's kind of a tongue twister. I am a major model of them, or a major general. i did at one point make a very concerted effort to try and learn it. i I've got some of it, but definitely couldn't do the whole thing. and i i only know I only know the version from Mass Effect where a fucking Solarian learns it. Oh, the scientist Solarian. Yeah, that's great.
01:31:18
Speaker
Homer starts trying to do his own version with a man from Nantucket, but crashes into the wall. I mean, it's still impressive that a that a guy like Homer can do a fucking cartwheel. Yeah.
01:31:29
Speaker
So they're now on the G-Force machine and we see that Barney's face gets pulled back. Homer does it his version of it and turns it to Popeye. They did fucking Popeye reference. What the actual balls? Did they just not know what to put here? i don't enjoy Popeye Homer because he can't stand them. I enjoyed it. I was just confused.
01:31:49
Speaker
It is a bit weird. There's no getting around that. You can see that they're blowing into the balls to keep lung capacity and we see that Homer actually drank his... I've done something similar, yeah. I was amazed, because I was like, because because obviously I only have my experience. I was like, I breathe normally.
01:32:06
Speaker
And then they were like, oh, do this asthma test. So I did, and I fucking struggled. And they were like, yeah, most people can keep it here for like four seconds. i was And I didn't even get close. I was like, oh God, I'm broken.
01:32:21
Speaker
yeah i had big issues within my teens i had a similar experience of being like oh yeah no your lungs just do not work yeah okay cool it's all yeah it's awesome it's awesome it's awesome to hear that isn't it it's good to know they're going to star trek and they're having a battle in the arena they've got it i love this star trek reference it's so good so many movies have done it as well it's great then see that the experienced ah astronauts are introduced and they include Ray Spanion and Buzz Aldrin, who is the second man on the moon.
01:32:51
Speaker
Buzz points out that second comes right after first. Everyone just pauses and looks awkwardly. Buzz Aldrin almost got arrested for punching a dude in the face who just came up to him in a bar and said the moon landing was fair.
01:33:03
Speaker
he He was right to do it, though. Absolutely. Fuck it. I jit genuinely, my dad's best friend doesn't believe in the moon landing. Oh, my God. And I genuinely, when he said it to me, i did not know how to respond.
01:33:15
Speaker
I was not the polite congenial person, you know, today back then. Fun trivia regarding this line. ah They were concerned that that line, might he might find it slightly insulting and had a backup line prepared, which was first to take a soil sample. But actually, he he he was quite happy to go with second comes right after first. No, you see he seems to be a very good humored person because he's in a... I think he's the guy that's in Frasier. is He makes a guest appearance in Frasier.
01:33:41
Speaker
Does he? And he talks about... he he they make the like the whole bit is that... Frasier is distracted while Buzz Aldrin is actually confessing to the world that they saw aliens
01:33:53
Speaker
ah well I thought it was fucking funny Jesus Christ I'll never share again on this show no memory i have no memory of the episode I've seen very little Frasier yo Frasier's dope I love Frasier Kelsey Grammar's a tool, but, you know, Frasier's great.
01:34:11
Speaker
Weirdly, I feel like I've got, like, a cultural, like, fairly thorough understanding of the whole concept of Frasier. If somebody does Frasier bits, I'm like, I get it. Genuinely, don't think ever watched much Frasier. You are the epitome of a person that said, if they said to me, I've watched all of Frasier multiple times, i would be like, all right.
01:34:29
Speaker
I would believe it, is what I'm saying. Fair play. Eventually, Bo's compliments Bonnie on kicking ass, and Homer says, there's still time, there's something called the swimsuit competition. And the scientist has to point out there is no swimsuit competition. So I shaved my bikini zone for nothing?
01:34:44
Speaker
so finally get to the results being announced, and the scientist announces that they are both winners, but in a more accurate way, Bonnie is the winner. I mean, it's fair. It's true. Helmer's quite gracious in his defeat and they all toast the mission and Barney goes into a slightly crazed look as he declares that it now begins.
01:35:00
Speaker
It begins! He starts chugging from the bottle and steals the jetpack. The jetpack runs out of fuel and Barney bounces off the roof of the pillow factory. Pillow factory, lands in a road and then gets run over by a truck containing marshmallows.
01:35:13
Speaker
It's very similar to a gag they did before, but yeah. It's yeah cuid it's a Luke Perry gag, isn't it? Yeah, through the jars of acid into the, I think, the nail factory or something. Yeah, it does land in the, I think it was the pillow factory. Oh, was it the pillow factory? Then they demolished the factory around him.
Pop Culture Parodies in The Simpsons
01:35:30
Speaker
Oh, right. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.
01:35:33
Speaker
Also, sorry, I know i've talked about this before, but I want to talk about it again. The early obsession with making alcoholism jokes is very, very interesting to me. Because one thing i've one thing I've thought about since we last talked about it is I actually do think a few people looked at these jokes, like looked at Barney Gumbel and thought, shit, is that what I'm like?
01:35:53
Speaker
So I do think there there there probably was a positive benefit to these jokes. But then there was the other side of that, that people used this kind of good-humored, silly vibes to excuse alcoholism.
01:36:07
Speaker
You're like, oh, that's just your silly uncle. He doesn't have a problem. And I find that so fascinating. But there's also probably like a level of problem use that isn't necessarily as self-destructive as Barney. It's like, you could probably excuse it by going, oh, at least I'm not Barney Gumbel. Yeah. Yeah.
01:36:24
Speaker
i think I might be a drunk, but I never crashed a jetpack. Yeah. yeah you know But i think I think that's so interesting because all I think all three of us, because we're all like v slightly different ages, but we all saw media as a kid that showed alcoholism in not a positive light, but a humorous or not negative light.
01:36:47
Speaker
And I find that really interesting. And I genuinely would love to know if there's like studies or, or at least for my shitty attention span, a good YouTube documentary or video essay on it.
01:37:01
Speaker
Because it it is true. Like we don't really have sitcoms making full of alcoholism anymore. And yet it was a very prevalent thing. It's just very, and Simpsons is a great example of it.
01:37:14
Speaker
I mean, i don't feel like I've watched... I'm struggling to name a recent sitcom. sitcom what Do they still make sitcoms these days? that a thing that exists?
01:37:25
Speaker
What's and yeah what's a modern sitcom? How I Met Your Father got cancelled after two seasons and was objectively better than How I Met Your Mother and I Will Die on that hill. Oh, okay. But yeah, if you're going to say, oh, do they show it in sitcoms these days? i'm like, I can't name a sitcom these days. I would love Yeah, because when we get to Modern Simpsons, I'm very curious if they still show Barney Gumbel as prevalently ah as they did.
01:37:48
Speaker
A little way is off that, though, yeah. Because even Homer's an alcoholic. Yeah, yeah. every Every time he's shown, he drinks... he's He's drinking dough. Well, Barney was actually drinking non-alcoholic champagne, so that shouldn't have happened.
01:38:01
Speaker
That got me. That fucking got me. That was great. um Homer has declared the winner by default, and Homer says it's the two sweetest words in the English language. Default. that's Default.
01:38:12
Speaker
The scientist knocks him out again, and it it turns out that it was a send away. Yeah, i love that. He's like, where did you even get that? Send away. Then they come back and we've got an itchy and scratchy cartoon and but they get the alien gag of scratchy. That makes an alien's gag despite it being a Star Trek reference.
01:38:29
Speaker
How dare they? Fucking amateurs. So itchy comes out of scratchy's stomach and then throws him out the airlock. Then cuts him in half with the rings of saturn before exploding his head. we don't get Yeah, this was fucking brutal. Like, i know Itchy and Scratchy gets progressively more violent.
01:38:46
Speaker
I was not ready for how violent Itchy and Scratchy gets. and Well, there was a warning. Don't worry, the preceding program contained scenes for extreme violence. that's That was great. That was so fun.
01:38:58
Speaker
That was fantastic. We see Lisa and Bart howling while Homer looks like he's a bad man. Yeah, I thought this bit was going to go somewhere, but it doesn't. It's just Homer looking terrified, which is great. it's not It's not that it's not funny. It's just I was kind of expecting there to be more to it, but it just ends.
01:39:14
Speaker
I mean, I think it probably plays into Homer's anxiety to actually go, because he freaks out to the next scene and doesn't want to go, right? True, true, true, true, true. We then see the slow motion walk of them walking towards the rocket, and Homer sees the rocket.
01:39:26
Speaker
We did the slow motion. Is this an Armageddon reference? Because I feel i feel like Armageddon was came out after this. I would have said so. I'm not sure. What about Deep Impact? Deep Impact. Maybe around the time of Deep I think they came out... Armageddon was 98.
01:39:39
Speaker
I thought they were about the same time, weren't they? Yeah, Deep Impact was 98, and so was Armageddon. Both of them were 98. So yeah, it's not... Maybe it's just a reference to the fact that they do s slow motion shots of astronauts. Yeah, because I remember that being a thing about like two very similar films kind of coming out at the same time, but developed independently. and like Yeah, Deep Impact didn't do... No one's ripping off the other.
01:39:59
Speaker
deep Deep Impact didn't do as well because Armageddon had Bruce Willis. kind of thing. But then most people that have seen it are like Deep Impact is an objectively better film. But I don't fucking know because I've only seen Armageddon.
01:40:11
Speaker
So Homer starts doing a slow motion before we hear a little pop before he starts running away. Yeah, why do they do that? I don't know. I'm not sure what that was. yeah We didn't see that home there was a gas station conveniently near the rocket launch so Homer can call it launch.
01:40:27
Speaker
And Homer doesn't really want to go through it. The only reason he's going through it is because he this is the only way he could get Marge to respect him. Marge says that Homer wasn't an astronaut when she met him and he didn't even know how to use a touch tone. but imagine Imagine that though as well of like being married to someone for enough to have two, three children.
01:40:44
Speaker
one of whom is 10 years old and you still don't think they respect you. That shows some serious low self-esteem. yeah So, Marge says he didn't know how to use a touchtone, but she still respected him, and we don't hear have the touchtone coming on, Marge passed the point after he already dialed.
01:41:02
Speaker
Imagine, we're going to get we are genuinely going to get to a point with technology where people don't understand what people are doing when they're dialing a phone in old media.
01:41:14
Speaker
Well, people already don't understand rotary phones. No, no, no. They don't understand how to use it, but they understand what it is. Oh, you do you think people won't even understand the concept of dialing? Yeah, exactly. It's like, you can look at a rotary phone and it'll be like, okay, this is a method of dialing ah number, but you might not know how to use it, which is fair, because if you've never used one, you've never fucking used one, Ellen DeGeneres, shoved up your ass.
01:41:40
Speaker
But... If, yeah, I feel like we're going to get genuinely to a point where the even having a number is weak. Sorry, I've been watching a lot of like, what if future videos and I'm drunk. So let's move on before I go on a tangent. Okay.
01:41:57
Speaker
Large points are that this could be an opportunity that Homer regrets for the rest of his life. And Homer laments as he talks about the story of missing... The fucking Mr. T story, man! It's so weird.
01:42:10
Speaker
He put off seeing Mr. T and he just missed Mr. T and I'm sad that he's not going to make that mistake again. He's going to space right now. you know Mr. T doesn't like the new A-Team film?
01:42:22
Speaker
And his reasoning is that no one died in the original A-Team show. Oh, okay. Yeah, he said it was too violent. I'm like, dude, you're B.A. fucking Baracus, the dude that kicked the shit out of Sylvester Stallone in Rocky number.
01:42:37
Speaker
That wasn't A-Team, it's fine. That's true. And he did not kill Rocky. This is true, yeah, he didn't kill him, he just kicked the seven bells of shit out of him. Yeah, but it's not murder.
01:42:48
Speaker
That's true. It's okay. There you go. From Michael's own lips, it's okay as long as you don't murder them.
01:42:56
Speaker
So Marge gives a bit of a pep talk, but then we hear the tone touch come back on. I love Marge's face. She's just like, God, I love you, but you're a fucking idiot. But then see the countdown beginning and I know my complaints about being thirsty and race asked if they could sedate the cargo. I love that they call him cargo.
01:43:16
Speaker
They can go through the checklist, which includes the IRS surveillance satellite. yeah was so Again, just to go on to that previous line about sedation. Ahead of schedule, they planned to sedate the Carbago. We want to sedate him earlier than we planned to. yeah They were like, he is going to be a nuisance, so let's knock him out.
01:43:36
Speaker
see So we go for the checklist, which he includes the IRS surveillance. Sorry, so just again, just as a tiny tiny a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny tiny tangent. if Imagine, imagine you see a live feed of astronauts and one of them's taking a fucking nap.
01:43:52
Speaker
Wouldn't you gain infinite respect for that man? He just went through one of the probably most difficult experiences humans can go through, leaving our fucking atmosphere and do just like, yeah, whatever.
01:44:04
Speaker
Okay. what What a Chad. We go for the checklist again and it's the IRS surveillance satellite, the ANTFORM and the children's letters to the God. but To be ejected. it was great.
01:44:18
Speaker
We then see the thing go off and it's three, two, one. make Make rocket go now. and then see the G-Force taking effect on them all and Homer turns into Richard Nixon. why why Why? Why? Someone thought it was funny.
01:44:35
Speaker
And I laughed, so they were right. I was so confused. I see the entire family watching at home, and Bart goes, go, dad, go. Lisa does a little bit of a poem.
01:44:46
Speaker
Everyone looks at her, and then Lisa goes, go, dad, go. I agree, though. If you fucking bust out a poem that you've prepared that no one was out else was prepared for, fuck you. We then see the ah NASA launch thing and the TV ratings are the highest they've been in 10 years. Everyone celebrates and scientist goes, well, how's the spacecraft doing? This is all for just monitoring TV ratings. That was fucking cracking, man. I loved it.
01:45:13
Speaker
We get the wide shot of Earth, and Homer's declaring it's the most beautiful or inspiring sight that he's ever seen. Then he reveals, look, I've snuck aboard, and he's got a bag of potato chips. He then opens it, and... Hell yeah, brother. Then we see the astronauts all panicking, saying they'll clog the instruments, and... Careful! They're ruffled!
01:45:28
Speaker
Homer just says, don't worry, he's got a solution. And then just see Homer start spinning through the air as the...
Media Sensationalism and Heroism in Space
01:45:36
Speaker
As the waltz plays in the background and we just hear Homer. I genuinely think this is probably one of the most memorable bits in all of Simpsons. I think more people remember this than anything else we've watched.
01:45:49
Speaker
So Helmer starts chomping on the things to the tune of the waltz, which is amazing. To see Helmer do the slow spin to go get that one potato chip, unfortunately his momentum starts to take him towards the ant farm.
01:46:00
Speaker
We then see a great furious argument between the ants about protecting the queen, in which they can't decide who is the queen. Who's the queen? I'm the queen. No, you're not. No, you're not. Obis school then goes for the colony and then we see the ants go, freedom, horrible, horrible. Horrible freedom. That's where lines that lives in my head rent free. Horrible, horrible freedom.
01:46:21
Speaker
Oh my god, it gets told off because now they'll never know if ants can be trained to sort tiny screws in space. Science is weird. Yeah. We then get a cameo from James Taylor who's been brought into Mission Control. What the fuck?
01:46:33
Speaker
They just bring in James Taylor! What the balls?!
01:46:38
Speaker
Homer thinks he was the former president. And Buzz Aldrin tries to politely say, we don't really want your unique brand of bittersweet folk rock. Yeah, they they do this twice. They this twice of, like, overly describing James Taylor.
01:46:54
Speaker
James Taylor says, listen, I'm not as laid back as people think. You're listening to my music. I'd always listen to James Taylor. His music's beautiful. He starts doing Bridge Over Troubled Water and we then cut to all three of them looking really pissed about it.
01:47:09
Speaker
Fun fact, um Art Garfunkel did not like Bridge Over Troubled Water where James Taylor thought it was the best song he's ever written. And it was it was because of James Taylor's insistence that it got on the album.
01:47:23
Speaker
right Thank you, Dad. We then cut to the news report on the space shopping and Ken Brockman says we're going to look live inside the spacecraft. And we then see an ant floats past the screen. Everyone panics.
01:47:36
Speaker
Ken Brockman draws the conclusion that ah alien ant creatures have come and taken care of the spacecraft. What a leap, dude. On their way to Earth. And Ken Botman goes a step further by declaring his loyalty to the new space. I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords, insect overlords.
01:47:53
Speaker
even has a graphic prepared. Yeah, where the fuck did that graphic come from? He's... You can just throw the graphics together at a moment. He's a journalist, okay?
01:48:06
Speaker
Yeah, the I for one welcome line is very much a meme I'm sure we're all familiar with at this point. That's become its own thing at this point. I'm fairly certain they use it again and say robot overlords.
01:48:17
Speaker
i I'm fairly certain they use this. I've definitely heard a lot of people use the robots because like that makes sense. AI and stuff. Gestures at everything, but also... Gestures at everything.
01:48:30
Speaker
I don't think specifically from The Simpsons, but all right I could be wrong. thought people were just taking it. John, we've learnt one thing. I remember fuck all from The Simpsons, so you're probably right.
01:48:45
Speaker
The Ken Botman says he can round people up to work in their sugar caves. Marge turns to the kids and don't worry, your dad's going to be all right. And says, what are you pacing that on? Marge is nothing. That's fair.
01:48:56
Speaker
We come back and James Taylor is still singing to the astronauts and he starts struggling for lyrics. He's not struggling for lyrics. It's because the lyrics that he's about to sing are quite negative so he changes it to be happy story. To be fair, it took the second watch before I picked up on that detail but yeah, the line is sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground and then he goes, sweet dreams and flying machines flying safely through the air. Yeah.
01:49:22
Speaker
I see. Unfortunately, the ants get into the instruments so then we see the astronauts running around panicking. Homer's running around on the roof. And James Taylor gives a story about he how he and Art Garfunkel his compressor got rid of all the ants.
01:49:35
Speaker
And he's about to get clubbed, but then the scientist realizes, they can use this to our advantage. This unkempt youngster. Can we also talk about Art Garfunkel with his compressor creating a total vacuum outside the house? Like, we want to know the context of this, but okay. Well, you know, when you've got to protect the vineyard.
01:49:55
Speaker
And they're small town ways. Yep. We then see that a the astronauts blow the hatches and the ants and the chips get blown out and Homer, who forgot to put on his seatbelt and isn't holding onto to anything, dusts his hands and gets sucked out.
01:50:09
Speaker
As the main lead scientist says that this is a disaster, James Taylor goes, well, bye, and runs away. Yeah, I've got go, and drops his guitar. Homer is pulled in, but unfortunately he snapped off the handle. And, uh, Vase then tells Homer that, uh, if he's going to hell, he's taking Homer with him.
01:50:24
Speaker
Homer starts backing away, but he breaks off an inanimate rod. An inanimate carbon rod! And then decides he's going to bust Vase's head and just starts banging it off his helmet. Before it gets stuck in the doorway.
01:50:35
Speaker
Buzz points out if it holds, they'll be able to re-enter the atmosphere and Homer just goes, oh, then tries to pull the rod free as he has to be restrained. Yeah, I'll bash you good. the We go back to Kent Rockman and Kent Rockman says he was a little hasty in declaring his allegiance to the ants and reaffirms that he's following its human president and, though it's not perfect, it's the best government we have.
01:50:55
Speaker
Oh, Kent. He has to quickly remove the Hail Ant sign. Yeah. I'm intrigued as to who who voices Ray Spanion, because I don't, like, Buzz Aldrin and James Taylor are the only two credited guest appearance. and But, like, his his his delivery of his lines is, like, extraordinary. Every line is extremely dramatic. Yeah. Like, he's over the top on every single line.
01:51:16
Speaker
I was wondering, had they got a guest on who wasn't accustomed to, like, doing acting and was, like, doing what he could? Or maybe was a theatre actor. Yeah.
01:51:27
Speaker
I don't know who Ray Spanion is, to be fair, if I'm honest, but um he's not credited as Ray Spanion. So, don't know. Kim Bodman kind is a little bit at the end where he goes, oh yeah, spacecraft in trouble. Might not make it.
01:51:40
Speaker
Now it's time for the movie. Well, we'll be back but after the movie. Or we'll see you after the movie or something like that. The spacecraft starts to re-enter the Earth and we see that Buzz and Rayso are singing the national anthem while Homer is singing the Golden Grahams serial jingle.
01:51:55
Speaker
Okay, just to come confirm, he is a fictional astronaut and he's voiced by Hank Azaria. Ah, do you know, I thought it might be Hank Azaria because it's always Hank Azaria. Hankazori knows how to act, though. This character's so over the top. I was like, this doesn't seem like this is a normal actor. Maybe that's the point.
01:52:11
Speaker
i don't I don't know what the point they're trying to make is, but maybe that's the point. Lisa implores Homer to make it, and Grandpa interjects, of course I'll make it. It's TV. It's TV. Abe Simpson definitely doesn't believe in the moon landing.
01:52:24
Speaker
Abe Simpson definitely doesn't believe in the moon landing. Spacecraft crashes into the National Journalist Convention building, and which was convenient. And the one journalist asks how they close the door, and Buzz gives the credit to Homer and his rod.
01:52:40
Speaker
Homer holds up the rod, and a photo is taken, but the photo cuts Homer out entirely. In rod we trust. It ends up on Time magazine cover, yeah. The rod even gets its own ticker tape for aid. And Homer turns off the TV as Bart laments that they were going to see close-ups of the rod.
01:52:55
Speaker
That is probably the longest wait they've ever done to call back to a joke, I think, with Bart saying we were going to see close-ups of the rod. because the beginning of the... I'm not crazy, you guys are crazy.
01:53:10
Speaker
Marge and Lisa ah assert to Homer that that he should be very proud of what he's done, and Marge asks Spar, if he's got anything nice to say about her father, Spar has written the word hero on the back of Homer's head, and says, he knows how I feel.
01:53:21
Speaker
Then throws the pen in the air, and it then turns into the Fox satellite, which then crashes into baby Homer's skull. And that's how your episode ends. It's not so clear what that was about. or it' so fit It's a very weird reference to 2001 A Space Odyssey, I think. Was there ah like a fetus in space in 2001 A Space Odyssey?
01:53:40
Speaker
Dude, fucking 2001 A Space Odyssey is the weirdest fucking film. It is a masterpiece, but holy balls. I got the music and the tossing the thing in the air. i don't know what the baby Homer in a bubble thing was about.
01:53:53
Speaker
There's a space baby at the end. Ask me when I haven't been drinking. ah Fine. Just go watch it. It's a classic. I will at some point. Go watch The Thing by John Carpenter. That's the best film I've ever made.
01:54:07
Speaker
Okay. That's objectively true. genuinely is my favourite film of all time. I love John Carpenter's The Thing.
Episode Reflection and Ratings
01:54:12
Speaker
It's amazing. Anyway. Anyway, Simpsons. Or not, because we're done. That's the end of the episode. Holy shit, we're done.
01:54:22
Speaker
What did we think? Again, I think genuinely the the the Homer in Space with the potato chips thing is the most quintessential, most remembered thing of Simpsons.
01:54:34
Speaker
I might be wrong, and but i but I genuinely think that's the case. It does have a lot of great laughs. I think I'd be re remiss if I didn't say it was, you know, like a really good episode, but, you know, is it a Homer?
01:54:47
Speaker
I don't know. I do know because I've written it down, but... i i' going I came into this with extremely high expectations because of the acclaim this episode has and the fame this episode has.
01:55:00
Speaker
um i didn't enjoy it as much as the last episode. No, I think that's fair. Totally fair. i Totally fair. Totally fair. i With this duo, I was like, okay, Lisa vs Malibu Stacy is completely fine. Deep Space Homer, it's it's fucking Homer in space. It's, the you know, classic, famous.
01:55:17
Speaker
Really enjoyed the first one more than her deeps Space Homer. Deep Space Homer was completely fine. Absolutely fine. I would not say it was a bad or even just a good episode of Simpsons. i think it was a great episode of Simpsons.
01:55:29
Speaker
But, you know, yeah, no, I agree. The first if the foot Malibu Cessie was really funny. A lot of people do rate this as like one of the best, if not the best. I think so goods i find so many people rate episodes of Simpsons by one bit.
01:55:46
Speaker
Quite possibly, yeah. They rate it by one bit. that they like the the the app I guarantee that most people's top five episodes of Simpsons they haven't watched since the first time they watched it.
01:55:57
Speaker
Could be, could be. Michael, tell us your Michaels. I enjoyed the episode. It's more bits than overall, but yeah, there's plenty of moments and I enjoyed it.
01:56:10
Speaker
Nah, that's fair. Out of homers? I'm giving it a mean Mr. T at the mall out of homer. Mean Mr. T out of homers. It's his own unique role. That's the first time you've explained you're out of Homer in about like 12 episodes. That seemed appropriate.
01:56:27
Speaker
Thank you. I appreciate it John? I for one welcome our new meme overlords out of Homer. Nice. I gave it a perfectly filled puffy bag of crisps out of Homer.
01:56:40
Speaker
Good times.
01:56:43
Speaker
Very good. A note I just spotted on the Wikipedia article is that Homer's face turning into Popeye and Richard Nixon were some of Matt Grenning's least favourite jokes in The Simpsons because he felt they made absolutely no sense.
01:56:57
Speaker
i am I am glad that I share an opinion with Matt Grenning. Because what the fuck? I'm glad Michael liked them. I'm glad Michael liked them.
01:57:08
Speaker
I just didn't get it. But that's the thing. i There wasn't anything. It's one of those things. It's kind of like a lot of like Monty Python jokes to bring it back something we talked about earlier is there's not always something to get. It is just absurd.
01:57:19
Speaker
And that's the joke. But with, yeah, with the Popeye and the Richard Nixon thing, I was like, what the fuck?
01:57:29
Speaker
Does anyone have any thoughts about what this episode said about society? don't know. Did it have much? I'm i'm not convinced it did. America loves blue-coloured slobs.
01:57:40
Speaker
i I genuinely did think it had a lot to... so it it It did try and focus on... um It did have a strong commentary on how scientists do their best to seem important, while the heart the average person does their best to not understand why they are actually important. I do think there was a lot of gags back and forth of, oh, science is so dry, and oh, people are so stupid.
01:58:04
Speaker
I do think it did try and do that. I am just not in the headspace to explain how. Fair play. Because this is... i have finished this can and wow.
01:58:16
Speaker
Wow. I mean, I thought this had... It was it was parodying a lot of stuff, but i'm not necessarily sure it came with a lot substance. I mean it should also note that, like, a lot of the the inspiration for this was the Teacher in Space project, the one which famously led to the Challenger disaster, which traumatised a lot of kids.
01:58:39
Speaker
Fuck. Yeah. um So, yeah, he's parodying all sorts of stuff, like, however many sci-fi references and things. I don't i don't know, because because again, Simpsons always makes like weird references, but I genuinely feel like the best Simpsons episodes are the ones where they're not trying to parody things.
01:58:56
Speaker
Again, i've I've said before that Star Craving Dad is one of my favorite episodes of Simpsons, and they're not parodying things. Yes, they have a Michael Jackson reference in it, and they bring up a lot of Michael Jackson, but they're not trying to parody stuff. They're not trying to make loads of references. They're not doing a Little Caesar goes to Washington and sells all the pizza thing.
01:59:16
Speaker
You know, they are just... Simpsons is best when they are being Simpsons, when they're confident enough to tell their own jokes. and that I agree. I don't think a lot of this episode was their own jokes. I think it was connected to other jokes.
01:59:34
Speaker
Michael, you've been awfully quiet. do you have anything dissident to say about this episode? I think we kind of covered it up. Nice. it It's a good episode. I'm not going to poo-poo on people's nostalgia. It's a fun episode, but Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy is objectively better, and I never thought I would say that about a Lisa-focused episode.
01:59:56
Speaker
No, I was earnestly, genuinely cackling throughout Lisa. Absolutely. all they said It was a banger of an episode. Absolutely. I genuinely was really tempted to give it a homer, but I'm trying to be, I'm trying to, I'm trying to be more because I definitely think I've given double the amount of homers than anyone
Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans
02:00:15
Speaker
else.
02:00:15
Speaker
For what it's worth, I wrote down some predictions about what your out of homers would be for Lisa vs Malibu, Stacey. I don't know why I just felt like doing it at the time. Please share! Please share!
02:00:26
Speaker
I half got one of them right. I thought Michael would give it a new hat. Oh, okay. so i so Because I gave it a new hat, right? Yeah. I thought i thought you would give it nuts and gum out of homer.
02:00:39
Speaker
thought it was bit too obvious. I feel like, alright, thanks Mike for mocking my, alright mate, alright, you fucking meet me outside, how about that? Um, no, yeah, no, i was I was surprised how much I liked the Malibu Sesi episode, was great, it was genuinely really good episode.
02:00:58
Speaker
I mean like yeah likewise was like oh is it a homer it's up there um I mean I have been dishing them out way more than anyone else here but also don't know I didn't want to like quite put it on that like like completely top shelf there yeah for for what it is worth the context of Bong Joon-ho means I rate it extremely highly because I fucking love that guy's films yeah that's the thing is it's like it's it's one of those things where it's like is it a episode that I could watch at any moment and be like this is fucking hilarious or is it an episode that is just really good i mean the delays that we've had in getting to record this podcast i did watch this a few weeks ago when we first tried to schedule it so i watched both those episodes i've had to re-watch them both today and so malibu sacy was still funny to you where it still stood up yeah 100 i was still laughing at it today it's still good
02:01:50
Speaker
Yeah. No, i think that I think that says a lot more about the episode than, you know, an out of Homer could. because Because when you watch something, you watch it with, like, a reviewer's eye as well.
02:02:03
Speaker
And I think that kind of taints the experience, which is just just one unavoidable. um Anyway, let's do an outro, because I literally just dropped a pen.
02:02:14
Speaker
Okay. What have you ought to advertise today? Look, I swear God, when I come back from America, I will i will edit All for Arnold and we will do Predator. I'm very excited. Michael, do you want to come and review Predator with us?
02:02:29
Speaker
We'll see. Alright, we'll review Predator. I'm so excited. I'm so excited for Jon to see Predator for the first time. I fucking love Predator. We will review... Because what is it? It's um hard... Hard job?
02:02:43
Speaker
Hard... Raw deal? Raw deal! Is that what you're reaching for? Oh my god, Raw deal. What a fucking weird... felt Right, I'll edit that. I promise I will edit that. Within a week That's my deadline I will do it within a week I will do it within a week of me coming back to England Which is a the 9th So it will be done, it will be edited by then I promise With my renewed interest in movies This past year I have got a Letterboxd account now So you see my reviews of stuff onm moroc we ought two On on Letterboxd Plug that, why not um I swear to God Somewhere on there I do have a review of Raw Deal When I watch that as well
02:03:22
Speaker
it is a it is ah it is it is It is a trip. But anyway, yeah, i also stream on twitch.tv slash MrGablin. I play video games. I'm doing a run through of Baldur's Gate right now where I play through as Gale.
02:03:36
Speaker
I'm tempted to do another run of Rogue Trader after that. We will see. But I'm also going to be making much more of a concerted effort to get into my voice acting. So if my Twitch sort of becomes a bit inconsistent, it's because I'm genuinely trying to build a career.
02:03:51
Speaker
Yeah, John, tell us things. Uh, me? Oh, um, okay, I usually go last, but sure, why not? Alright, Michael, you tell us things!
02:04:02
Speaker
You can follow me on Blue Sky at For a Mash Horse. That's the about it, folks. I don't give up my socials, because leave me alone. John, tell us things. Follow on Blue Sky at Maroka. Follow... I'm the point where I don't want to you to follow my YouTube channel. Don't follow my YouTube channel. i don't care anymore.
02:04:21
Speaker
It's gone. I've got other projects. This. This is my other project. Follow this channel. If you're watching this on YouTube... What's your next podcast then that you're go to rope me into because I'm your only friend?
02:04:31
Speaker
What the hell am I? well What... Apparently, my plan was to move on to Futurama. Futurama event. We're not going to finish Simpsons, though. We're going to have to do both at the same time. We're going to have to.
02:04:49
Speaker
follow Follow this podcast. If you're on the Spotify's or the Apple's, give it five stars. ah If you're on the YouTube's, subscribe to it and oh yeah but leave a comment. i know yeah but again be short to be sure to Yeah, be sure to realise that I do genuinely read every single comment that gets posted. I know we make, i'm I make a bit about the guy that made the comment about us not understanding the Dr. Strangelove joke. I'm not malicious. I genuinely love the fact that people comment. I think it's so awesome that people see references in The Simpsons that we don't.
02:05:23
Speaker
That's awesome. Please, please let us know of references we miss. Also, while we're touching on YouTube, apparently it's our channel's first birthday. guys. Heck yeah!
02:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, we weird to see this. The channel actually doing pretty well as by by by what I feel like as well. like ah Subscribers are massively lower than I ever did on my old channel, but also views are way higher, and I'll take the views, frankly.
02:05:49
Speaker
That's awesome. Yeah, that's cool. Keep watching, folks. If you like it, but yeah, if you do like what we're doing, please do this subscribe or leave a like and a comment because it does encourage us to keep going. And if you do that, maybe you won't have to wait two months for another podcast next time. And if you make a comment, maybe ah one of the hosts will fucking reference it for the foreseeable four episodes since you made that comment.
02:06:13
Speaker
Maybe, don't know. Yeah, Matt will never let your comment go. I'm a very petty man. he's like He's like Rose in Titanic. Oh, shut up.
02:06:26
Speaker
All right. I'm done. We're out. good We're good. We're shot well past the two hour marks. Let's wrap this up. Thanks for watching slash listening, guys. Thank you so much. It means everything.
02:06:37
Speaker
You're awesome. 07, guys. Bye, everybody. Bye.