The Simpsons 41 through 44

Like Father, Like Clown

This episode premiered on October 24th, 1991. It was in it's usual time slot and ran opposite Columbo (1991) The World Series (Braves vs. Twins) and The Cosby Show. 

The chalkboard gag is "I will finish what I sta" Bart has written a single line and the A drags off the board. The couch gag is everyone sits down and then Bart comes diving in laying across all their laps.

The episode starts at the Krusty show where he hits Mel with an axe handle. His assistant tells him his list of things he's suppose to do including having dinner with Bart but he cancels it, again. There is a hint that the assistant is in love with Krusty. When Krusty fails to show up Bart quits his fan club. The assistant demands that Krusty go to dinner, And while he's there he says grace in Hebrew. Krusty tells the story about how he and his father had a falling out because he is a clown instead of a Rabbi, after dinner Krusty refuses to leave. The next day on his show Krusty starts to have a breakdown, Bart and Lisa decide to get involved. They find out that Krusty's father does a radio show with Reverend Lovejoy, "Gabbin with God". Krusty calls the show but can't talk. The kids try calling to ask about forgiving his son but the Rabbi gets mad. Later Bart pretends to be a Rabbi but again fails. They try to get Krusty and his father together at the Deli but the Rabbi gets angry when he learns what is on a Krusty sandwich. Lisa then gives Bart a bunch of quotes to challenge the Rabbi but they always fail, until they use a quote from Sammy Davis Jr. The Rabbi decides to go see Krusty and they reunite on the show. 

The plot of this episode is based on the movie The Jazz Singer (the modern Neil Diamond version)

Other characters on the Krusty show, Corporal Punishment, Tina Ballerina, and in this episode Donna Mills from Knotts Landing (dated reference). The show also introduces Mr. Genie, Krusty's monkey, but not by name. He's told to go wait in the car when Bart tells Krusty he doesn't have to be "on" and perform at the Simpson house. We also see the band on the Krusty show, Krusty and the Krums.

In this episode we learn that Krusty's real name is Hershel Krustofsky and his father is Hymen Krustofsky, voiced by Jackie Mason. This was a big deal because Mason had pretty much been banned from TV after the infamous "middle finger" comment on the The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Mason would go on to win the Emmy for this episode.

Dated references, Krusty gets his start playing the Catskills, one the hotbed of Jewish talent. Rabbi Krustofsky says "If you were a magician or a jazz singer" in reference to the movie that the plot of the episode is based on. When Krusty is trying to stick around the Simpson's house he pulls out the record The concert for Bangladesh, the album from the live concert George Harrison put on to raise money for India. The kids tell Krusty that Francois Mitterrand wants to meet with him, he was President of France from 1981 to 1995. The kids also tell the Rabbi that Saul Bellow wants to have lunch, he is a multiple award winning Jewish author.

Itchy and Scratchy Show Field Of Screams Itchy and son run over Scratchy and son with a wheat thresher. 

Springfield Background Stuff:

Krusty Non Toxic Cologne The smell of the Big Top. Warning use in a well ventilated area May stain furniture. Prolonged use may cause chemical blisters.

Krusty calls the 1-909-Sex-Chat but it's just a bunch of guys, including Apu.

Yiddle's Practical Jokes, Magic Tricks and Medical Supplies shop. 

Springfield X theater marquee

For Your Thighs Only

Crocodile Done Me

Doctor Strangepants

Issues at the magazine stand

Ballooning Monthly

Cooking With Coconuts Magazine

Faberge Egg Owner

Ballpoint Ben Digest

Modern Jewish Father

When Krusty is hanging out at the bus stop there is a poster for Scenic South Dakota and he's watching a coin operated movie, Hercules vs. The Martians.

Temple Beth Springfield This Saturday "Coping With Christmas"

Radio Station stuff on wall, Autographed Bleeding Gums Murphy poster, Larry David Experience gold record (a band first seen in the Some Enchanted Evening episode)

Sandwiches at Izzy's Deli:

The Joey Bishop, Jackie Mason (the guest voice on the episode),  Bruce Willis and the Krusty (ham sausage bacon with mayo on white bread)

At the library Lisa reads several books:

The Big Book of the Chosen People

Jewishness Revisited 

Jews on Jews

And Bard reads The Pop Up Bible

Treehouse Of Horror II (The Simpson's Halloween Special II)

This episode premiered on October 31st 1991 (Halloween) It ran in it's usual time slot and opposite Gabriel's Fire, Top Cops and The Cosby Show.

The show starts, just like the first one, with Marge giving a warning to the audience that the show isn't suitable for small children. 

The opening credits pan though the cemetery. The Charlie Brown kids are seen running past the Simpson's house. Marge warns the family that if they eat too much candy they'll have nightmares.

Lisa's Nightmare: The family is visiting Marrakech Morocco, Homer buys a Monkey's Paw despite being warned of the curse. Maggie makes the first wish, for a better pacifier. Bart wish for the family to be rich and famous, soon they are swimming in cash but become annoying. Lisa wishes for world peace. Alines see peaceful world and conquer them with sling shot and club. Homer makes the final wish, for the perfect turkey sandwich, which turns out to be a little dry. Homer throws out the Monkey's paw, Ned takes is and wishes to get rid of alines. Moe chases them off with a board with nail. Of course none of Ned's wishes are cursed.

Lisa wakes up from her bad dream and asks if she can stay in Bart's room

Bart's nightmare: Bart has unlimited powers and forces everyone to maintain happy thoughts, when Jasper doesn't do it he's turned into the man/dog creature seen in Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978 version). Homer is watching football but Bart wants to watch Krusty, he turns Homer into the football and he hits the goal post. Krusty has been on the air non stop. Homer tries to kill Bart but is turned into a Jack In The Box. Marge makes Bart go to Dr. Monroe who says Homer needs to spend more time with Bart. Bart and Homer both say they love each other, Bart wakes up screaming.

The kids both ask if they can sleep in their parent's bed.

Homer's nightmare: Homer is fired from the power plant. Mr Burns creates a robot worker but it requires a brain. Homer takes a job at a cemetery but falls asleep in a grave, Burns and Smithers finds him and uses his brain in the robot. The robot has all of Homer's traits from eating donuts to sleeping on the job. When they return Homer's brain to his body the robot falls over and crushes Burns. Homer wakes up because Bart bit him, he finds that Burn's head has been sewn onto his body. 

"Next week on The Simpsons." Conflict arises when Homer wants to go to all you can eat spaghetti night but Burns has an appointment to meet Queen Beatrix. 

Cemetery Headstones:

Bambi's Mom

Jim Morrison (covered in graffiti, hippies sitting by it and there is a bottle on the stone)

Cajun Cooking (a trend in the 90's)

Walt Disney (In Disney script)

Lose weight now, ask me how

The names in the credits have scary monikers. 

Pop culture references:  Homer is found smuggling souvenirs (the scene is a reference to the movie Midnight Express), Kent Brokman mentions that the President Primaries are only a few months away, The episode aired three days before the 1992 election, Clinton defeated Bush sr. England apologizes to Argentina for the Falklands, a war in 1982. Lisa's shirt: I kissed the Balmoujeloud. A misspelled reference to the Bab Bou Jeloud perhaps? An ancient gate in Marrakech and a reference to the Blarney Stone in Ireland. The kids stay up late to watch Johnny Carson do Carnac The Magnificent. While operating on Homer, Mr. Burns hums "If I only had a brain" then while wearing Homer's brain on his head he says "Look at me I'm Davy Crockett", a reference to Coon Skin Cap craze of the 1950's. Burns says he has a meeting with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. She was queen until she abdicated the throne in 2013. The Simpsons Calypso album is released on 8-Track, a popular way to listen to music in the 70's but pretty much faded out in the mid 80's

The Simpson's family costumes, Marge is Bride of Frankenstein, Bart is an executioner, Maggie a Witch and Lisa a Totem poll.  Bart's candy bucket is a severed head

This episode features the first appearance of The Gilded Truffle, the fanciest restaurant in Springfield.

Self Aware, The famous Simpsons start to annoy people "at first they were cute and funny but now they're just annoying" (This was said 32 years ago and The Simpsons is still on the air). Bart shirt for $18, says Hi Man instead one of his famous catch phrases (Yes, I had a "Don't have a cow man" shirt). The Simpsons Go Calypso! On CD and 8-Track. In the real world The Simpsons released 6 albums. 

Popular Bart Simpson Billboard: Get a Mammogram Man. A public service message. 

Headline:

World Peace Declared with photo of Lisa.

Monsters Okay Slavery Plan

Springfield Background stuff:

Stores in Springfield

Johnson's Shrimp and Crab House

Howard's Movers

Safely Insurance 

Mr. Dave's Donuts

Horseradisheray

Semi-Painless Dentistry (was in the Season One opening credits)

Prank call to Moe's "I'm a stupid moron with an ugly face and a big butt and my butt smells and I'd like to kiss my own butt."

Dr. Marvin Monroe, Child Psychologist, Member of the Bonerland Medical Association. (reference to Bart's answer about the name of the country on his test)

Lisa's nightmare is based on the short story The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs

Bart's nightmare is based on the Twilight Zone episode It's A Good Life about a kid with unlimited powers.

Homer's nightmare ends with a scene from the horror movie The Thing With Two Heads.

Lisa's Pony

This episode premiered on November 7th, 1991 It ran in it's usual time slot and opposite the regular programs.

The chalkboard gag is "Bart Bucks" are not legal Tender and the couch gag is Homer lays down on the couch and everyone else sits on top of him. 

The episode starts with The Dawn Of Man, a spin on the opening of 2001.  While all the other monkeys start using tools Monkey Homer just leans against it and takes a nap, fade to the modern world where Homer is taking a nap at work. Lisa calls Homer because the reed on her saxophone is broken she needs a 4 1/2. Homer stops for a beer instead of going to the store. When he finishes he discovers the music store is closed but the guy is at the bar. He refuses to help Homer until Moe talks him into opening. Homer gets to the recital late and Lisa sounds horrible with the cracked reed. To make up for it Homer takes Lisa out for ice cream, the Mt. Bellyache. Homer tries to spend time with Lisa but fails. He decides to go with the quick fix and buy Lisa a pony. The pet shop guy tells Homer to go to the pony farm on Route 401. Homer writes a check and dates it Jan. 1st 2054. When this show aired that was 63 years in the future, now its 31 years away, more than half the time has passed. Homer goes to the power plant loan office. Mr. Burns handles the loan himself. Homer buys the horse for $5000 and plans on keeping it in the garage but ends up having to pay $530 a month for a stable. Homer tries to fake wining a scratch lottery, Apu offer hims a job on the graveyard shift. Homer is completely exhausted. Lisa and Bart find out Homer working at Kwik-E-Mart, Bart goes in to harass him. Lisa decides to give up the pony. 

Homer's calendar features Miss Atomic Pile. The talent show on Thursday November 12th. However the 12th fell on a Tuesday in 1991.

This episode does the too powerful hair drier gag originally featured in the Ullman Shorts.

First appearance of King Toots Music Store, right next to Moe's Tavern. Phineas Q. Butterfat's 5600 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor. (Homer orders the Mt. Bellyache, a wheelbarrow full of ice cream, for $88, $192.75 in modern money.)

The Talent Show talents: A Chinese kid does chair stacking balancing, Milhouse plays Sweet Georgia Brown on the spoons. Bart does imitations of the teachers and gets in trouble. Terri and Sherri do a knife throwing act. Kid sings Ding A Ling but is cut off, Lisa tries to play Stormy Weather but her broken reed sounds horrible.

Marge imagines what is keeping Homer from the show, flat tire, treed by a bear, abducted by aliens, drunk.

Pop Culture Reference: Waking up with horse head in bed complete with the music from The Godfather. Lisa plays Wildfire, a song about a girl and her horse (both ghosts btw). Homer has dream on way home based on Little Nemo in Slumberland comic strip. Johnny Carson makes a Milli Vanilli joke. Homer says "Take this job and restaff it" in reference to the Johnny Paycheck song "Take this job and shove it".

Dated reference: Homer watches video of Lisa on a Beta player. On video Homer is watching Fantasy Island during Lisa's first steps. Carton of cigarettes costs $10, today a single pack of American Spirits costs that much. Homer says if he spend more time doing girly things with Lisa he'll go fruity, you couldn't say that in the modern woke world. 

Springfield Background Stuff:

Pet Shop: All Creatures Great and Cheap. You pet it you bought it. Rubber bones 99¢. The clerk at the pet shop is the guy with Bronson accent. 

The Grateful Gelding Stables. 

Employee Credit Union Ask about our paycheck docking plan.

Fiesta Terrace For Single Living where Apu hooks up with Princess Cashmere. 

Signs in Homer's dream:

Entering Slumberland

Food

Gas

Beds  

There is a mention of Usury laws, they protect the borrower against excess interest rates.

Saturdays Of Thunder

This episode premiered on November 14th. 1991 in it's usual time slot and ran opposite the regular programs. 

The title of the episode came from the 1990 racing movie Days Of Thunder

The chalkboard gag is "I will not fake rabies" and the couch gag is when the family jumps on the couch the cushions fall inward and they get stuck with their feet above their heads.

 Bart is building something in the garage while Homer is watching TV. Just as he's about to buy an on line cleaning product when Patty and Selma show up. Homer takes Lisa to the video store. At the beauty parlor Selma suggests Homer take a fatherhood test. Homer laughs at Patty and Selma's new hair. After failing a fatherhood test Homer discovers that Bart is building a soap box derby car. (Bart had talked about building in in the Itchy And Scratchy And Marge episode). Homer calls the National Father's Institute. At the institute there is a disaster when a shark attacks the kid in the Father And Son Underwater Activities experiment. "Dear God, not again!" Homer uses reverse psychology to convince Bart to let him help with the soap box derby car. At race Martin wins, Nelson comes in second and Bart's car falls apart before finish line. Martin breaks his arm and has Bart drive his car instead. Homer is upset that Bart doesn't want to fix up their car, it collapses under his weight. Bart is upset that Homer stayed home to watch TV but then sees dad in the stands. Bart wins and the scientists at the National Father Institute celebrates.

I can't believe they invented it! The Foam Dome (Homer wears one) The Jet Walker, Mr. Sugar Cube (Homer owns one), Spiffy stain remover (invented by Dr. Nick) which they use to clean Edgar Allen Poe's headstone. 

Troy McClure tv shows: Buck Henderson: Union Buster and Troy And Company Summertime Smile Factory.

Homer gives expiration date on credit card, 1989, changes it to 2012 in habitual liar voice based on Jon Lovitz's character Tommy Flanagan "yeah, that's the ticket". That was 11 years in the future when this episode aired.

Pop Culture References: Homer misses Joe Theismann's knee injury (Unless you have a strong stomach do not google that video). National Father's Institute has a mural of a father and son based on Vitruvian Man by Da Vinci. the National Father's Institute's hold song Cat's in the Cradle. Nelson's car has spoke cutters like the chariot in Ben Hur, he even whips Bart during the race. Homer is in stands with the sun behind him like Glen Close in The Natural.

Dated reference: They go to a video store called VHS Video, Formerly Beta Barn

Movies at the video rental store. 

Panic In Alaska

That Night Over In England

Skoal, The Musical

Da Da Da

Border Sista

The Bad Football

Speed Boat Bloopers

Frisbee 1991

Super Jock

Go Fight, A Cheerleaders Story

Death By Knockout

Bench Clearing Brawls

Blood On The Ice

Football's Greatest Injuries

Lisa looking for a Happy Elves film, first seen in the Simpson's Christmas Special

McBain movie: Black partner Skully just about to retire, gets murdered by Mendoza.  Skully's boat is named Live-4-Ever (Skully is based on Danny Glover's character in Lethal Weapon) Dying just days before retirement becomes a comedy trope in more than just the Simpsons.

Fatherhood test

Name one of your child's friends, Homer says "the fat kid with the thing, the little wiener who always has his hands in his pockets." Homer then makes up the name "Hank Jones" When he takes test again says "Martin"

Who is your son's hero? Homer says "Steve McQueen", in the second test he says "Ronnie Beck"

Name another dad you talk to about parenting, Homer says "next". Second test he asks Ned about parenting but leaves before he gets an answer.

Name your son's hobbies. Homer says "well he's always chewing on that phone cord" Marge points out that he stopped doing it when he was two. Homer says Bart doesn't have any hobbies. Second test says "soap box derby"

The Father Institute gives Homer a copy of Bill Cosby's Fatherhood, "Thank you Bill Cosby, you saved The Simpsons" The Cosby Show was running opposite The Simpsons at the time. (After the whole Cosby revelation that joke wouldn't be allowed today)

Soapbox cars, Bart's is the  Lil Lightning. Martin's is the Honor Roller and Nelson's car is the Roadkill 2000 (a spin on the movie Death Race 2000)

Lisa wants to go to the doctors office for a tetanus update, says she's being "anal". You couldn't say that today.

5 more episodes down. I really feel like we're getting somewhere.