The Simpsons 196-200

This Little Wiggy

This episode premiered on March 22nd 1998. The lead in show was The World's Funniest and it was followed by the pilot episode of Damon (A short lived police sitcom staring Damon Wayans). The show ran opposite The Wonderful World Of Disney (The Little Rascals, 1994), 60 Minutes and Dateline.

The title comes from the poem This Little Piggy and is a joke on the 60's slang term for the police.

The chalkboard gag is "I was not told to do this" and the couch gag is a repeat of Bart doing graffiti. 

Mrs. Krabappal is teaching kids how to do math on their calculators. Skinner brings in Robbie the Automaton, a promotional robot for the Springfield Knowledgeum. Bart spots the operator in a nearby tree and hits him with an apple, the robot goes out of control and tries to kill Skinner. At the museum Homer tries the ovulation simulator but fails. Bart uses the Mars Rover for a skateboard. The bullies shove Ralph into the ear display, when the staff pop him out with a giant Q-Tip Marge feels sorry and invites him to spend the day with Bart. Bart plays hide and seek with Ralph but doesn't go looking for him. They go to Ralph's house, Bart convinces him to play in his dad's special closet. Wiggum catches them but when he finds out Ralph has a real friend he lets them use the riot gear. Bart finds out the chief has a master key to every door in town he starts drooling thinking about the mischief he can cause. Bart has a sleep over at Ralph's house and steals the master key, they break into the toy store and the bakery. However they run into the bullies, to prove he's cool he shows them the master key. Bart takes them to the abandon prison while Ralph wants to go home, Bart steals his key and ditches him, but then stands up for him when the bullies get mean. Nelson throws the key through the window of the prison so Ralph and Bart have to go try to find it. Just before they get to it a rat runs off with the key, they end up at the electric chair. Bart wants to test it out so he turns on the armed box and they melt the figures they stole from the bakery. The security guard comes along and they run off. The next day they are watching TV, Quimby is reopening the old prison and wants to demonstrate the electric chair, however he doesn't know that the power is on, Bart tries to call but the security guard is on the phone. Ralph suggests they ask Lisa for help. Quimby tells his staff to not stop the demonstration no matter how realistic his performance is. Lisa uses Bart's rocket to send a message but it accidentally lands in Burns' office. They flip the switch and Quimby gets electrocuted however Burns is angry that the prison is getting free power and cuts them off. Lisa gets upset when everyone cheers on Ralph. Ralph's invisible leprechaun friend shows up and tells him to burn the Simpson's house down.

Robbie the Automaton is based on Robbie The Robot from Forbidden Planet. He is called the Automaton as part of a long running gag about copyrighted names.

Springfield Knowledgeum "Where science is explained with brightly-colored balls"

Troy McClure You might know me from such automated information kiosks as Welcome to Springfield Airport and Where's Nordstrom?

Dirty jokes: at the Knowledgeum Bart goes to "toss the virtual salad" / Morningwood Penitentiary / When Bart's rocket lands in Burns' office he tells Smithers "There's a rocket in my pocket". 

Police files at Wiggum's house: Rivera, Dr. N / Krustofsky, H. / Terwilliger, R. / Simpson, Homer. 

Homer reads 99 Hilarious Phone Messages. This is a dated reference to the days when people had actual answering machines instead of call waiting. Marge does a Geraldine one, another dated reference that the Century Kids probably won't get. Homer does a Jerry Maguire one and The Hustle from Soul City Symphony. 

Chief Wiggum watches The Return Of The Pink Panther Returns staring Ken Wahl. After the death of Peter Sellers there were several attempts to create a new character to keep the series running, they were pretty bad. In 1998 Wahl's career had hit a bad spot, mostly due to his alcoholism and a neck injury from where he fell down a flight of stairs.

J.R.R Toykin's (a spin on J.R.R. Tolkien and Toys R Us).

Simpson Tide

This episode premiered on March 29th 1998. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O Disney (Safety Patrol), Touched By An Angel and The NBC Sunday Night Movie (1997's Asteroid). 

The title of this episode comes from the 1995 film Crimson Tide.

The chalkboard gag is "My butt does not deserve a website" and the couch gag is a spoof on the opening of Rocky and Bullwinkle. 

Homer is dreaming about being on the Planet Of The Donuts. Lenny wakes him up for their coffee break however there is only one donut left. Homer plans on placing it in the reactor core causing it to become big, it causes a meltdown instead. When Burns wants to know why he did it he claims it's his first day, Burns almost lets him off until Smithers points out that Homer has worked at the plant for 10 years, he's fired. Homer sees an ad for the Naval Reserve where they say he'll spend most of his time drunk off his ass. When Barney, Moe and Apu find out Homer joined, they all sign up too. Homer mentions the movie The Deer Hunter which reminds Moe to break up the game of Russian Roulette going on in the back room (Krusty and Skinner are playing). At the Naval base Homer puts up a pinup of Marge, Barney puts up one of Homer. At reveille Homer shows up wearing a Foam Dome because a seagull stole his sailor hat. Milhouse gets an earring and Bart is jealous when everyone is impressed. He does The Bartman and Ralph says "That is so 1991". At the Naval Reserve show Bob Denver complains about people hitting him with their hats. Bart gets his ear pierced but finds out everyone did it. Homer is assigned to a nuclear sub because of his background, which they clearly didn't check out. Homer is mad at Bart for the piercing so he gives Homer the earring. When leaving port the sub crew sings a sea chanty, In The Navy by The Village People. The Village People are on the sub deck along with Smithers (wink wink) but drowned when the sub dives under water. The captain goes to check out an obstruction in a torpedo tube and puts Homer in charge, the tube is full of hidden snacks and beer. A sub comes up on them so Homer fires a torpedo shooting the captain into the other sub, they return fire and Homer's sub is damaged. While trying to find their way home they steer into Russian waters. The news runs a story saying Homer stole the sub and they put up a photo of him in a Russian costume and holding vodka while dancing in Red Square. The Russian ambassador accidentally says Soviet Union, suddenly the entire nation reveals its hidden USSR stuff. Lenin comes out of his glass coffin and sets out to crush capitalism in a Frankenstein walk. The sub's engine room springs a pinhole leak, when Homer is thinking of his family he remembers Bart's earring, dives into the engine room and saves the day. When Homer surfaces he tells everyone it's his first day. Homer goes before the Naval Board but they all have to step down due to their own scandals, Tailhook, bribes, torpedoing at Carnival Cruise ship, impersonating the First Lady. All that's left is the janitor and he tells Homer he's off the hook. Homer gets a dishonorable discharge. The closing Simpsons theme is done as a military march. 

Bob Denver does his own voice in this episode and Rod Steiger does the voice of Captain Tennille (a spoof on Captain & Tennille). 

Planet Of The Donuts is a spoof on Planet Of The Apes. 

Homer watches Blacksplotation Theater featuring Blackula and Blackenstein followed by Blunchblack of Blotre Blame. 

The Naval Reserve "It's Not Just A Job...It's a Really Easy Job. 

At the Reserve enlistment office Homer notes there is a question that's crossed out, it's about being Gay. This was part of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell program that President Clinton had put in place in 1993. Homer tries to read and answer the question to the Recruiter's objections.

Homer tries to turn off the light with The Clapper, even though they don't have one. The Clapper was a popular commercial in 1989, "Clap on, clap off, The Clapper."

In the Russian Roulette scene Richie Sakai is in the background, he was the Karaoke singer in the episode One Fish, Two Fish. Mob Louie is also at the game. 

Lisa complains about the Military Industrial Complex. This is from Eisenhower's 1961 speech. 

Barney's mother is in the Navy. 

Homer's pinup of Marge is based on the classic Betty Grable pinup from WWII.

When the drill sergeant asks Homer if he's a comedian he says he's no Margaret Cho and then does a Columbo impersonation complete with the fake eye. 

At graduation the sailors all toss their hats in the air, then the pastry chefs and then the WWI German re-creationists, however they have spiked helmets and it doesn't end well.

Do The Bartman was a 1990 song and video from the Simpsons Sing The Blues album.

Veterans Of Unpopular Wars Hall (Two War-Story Minimum)

Grandpa claims to have been on PT 109 with John F. Kennedy. 

USO Tour Featuring Bob Hope and Cindy Crawford / Naval Reserve Tour featuring Bob Denver and Cindy Williams.

At the mall they have Starbucks, The Jerky Hut, Starbucks and coming soon, a Starbucks. Bart goes to In 'N' Out Ear Piercing "If it dangles, we'll punch a hole in it." This is a spoof on the In N Out burgers. By the time he gets his ear pierced the entire mall is occupied by Starbucks. 

The sub is the USS Jebediah, a reference to Jebediah Springfield.

When the sub is down to just mood lighting The Girl From Impanema plays.

Moe tells Homer everything that is out on the sub, when asked what is in he says Ice blended mocha drinks and David Schwimmer. (was he ever actually "in"?)

Homer tells Sulu to set a course for home, he replies that he's setting the course for Rigal 7,  the Russian ambassador to the UN says they will offer amnesty to the Nuclear Wessle. Two Star Trek references.

Homer wears a "I'm with Admiral Stupid" shirt under his uniform. 

Navys that force Homer to surface, U.S. / Spain / China / Antarctica (sailed by penguins) / Norway (a viking ship)

The Tailhook scandal took place in 1991 and involved officers committing acts of sexual assault at a convention.

The Trouble With Trillions

This episode premiered on April 5th 1998. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Tourist Trap), Touched By An Angel and Dateline NBC.

The title of this episode comes from the Star Trek OS The Trouble With Tribbles.

The chalkboard gag is "I will not demand what I am worth" and the couch gag is a repeat of the sauna.

It's New Years Eve but the ball gets stuck. Wiggum shoots it and it crashes into the roof of the court house which catches on fire. Ned wakes up and starts on his taxes that he mails out first thing in the morning. (The post office is actually closed on Jan. 1st). Jump to April 15th with a mob trying to beat the last minute deadline. Homer comments that he paid his taxes over a year ago, Lisa reminds him that he has to pay taxes every year so he rushes with the forms and lies on the answers. Homer tosses his tax form in at the last second. At the IRS his return accidentally falls in the Severe Audit container. When he's hanging out at Moe's the IRS shows up and hauls Homer in. Homer offers to do anything so the FBI recruits him to spy on people. Homer asks the people at the bar if they committed any crimes. They mention moonshining, telemarking and beating up George Bush sr, all things Homer did. Charlie, some random guy at the bar talks about beating up government officials for dragging their feet on Hi Def TV, the FBI busts in and arrests him. The FBI then wants Homer to find a missing trillion dollar bill that Burns stole. When Homer shows up at Burns house he tries to release the hounds but nothing happens so he boils water to scald Homer but throws it too soon. Burns thinks Homer is a reporter from Colliers Magazine and shows him around. In his family hall of fame Burns has a statue of himself holding a trillion dollar bill, he has the real one in his wallet. When Burns complains about the taxpayer dollars being wasted Homer decides to help him escape. Burns has them go to Smithers apartment. At the airport Homer tries to feed the trillion dollar bill into a soda machine. Burns crashes into Cuba. He is shocked to discover Batista is gone. Castro is just about to declare Communism dead but Homer convinces Burns to let him see the trillion dollar bill, they then get kicked out of the country on a raft headed to Florida. Burns plans to bribe a jury to get out of the treason charges. 

In this episode Marge says that she did the painting of the ship over the couch. 

Waiting at the IRS, Lucus, Gil and Homer.

The FBI van: Two Guys From Quantico Pizza

When Homer finds out about the trillion dollar bill he says "Atsa Spicy Meatball". This is from a 1970's Alka-Seltzer commercial.

Burns flies in the plane, The Spirit Of Springfield.

"This film will self destruct if not properly stored" This is a spoof on Mission Impossible.

Collier's magazine ran from 1888 to 1957. 

Franklin Jefferson Burns (Boston Tea Party)

Springfield Airfield "Birthplace of Wind Shear"

Cuban immigration form: Purpose of visit: A) Business/Pleasure B) Smuggle Cigars C) Assassinate Castro. Homer checks all three boxes. 

Billboard in Cuba: El Duffo O Muerte. "Duff or Death" It has a picture of Che Guevara. His image was popular in the 1990's although most people had no idea about his history. 

In 2011 the US had a budget crisis and one of the suggestions was to mint a trillion dollar coin. Its came up again in 2020. This episode was heavily referenced during that time. 

Girly Edition

This episode premiered on April 19th 1998. The lead in show was The World's Funniest and it was followed by King Of The Hill. It ran opposite The W.W.O. Disney (My Date With The President's Daughter), Touched By An Angel and Dateline NBC. 

The episode gets its name from the afternoon newspaper and the show Early Edition.

There isn't a chalkboard gag and the couch gag is a repeat of the image being spun.

Channel 6's network's license is on the line and the head wants more educational programing. Lindsey Naegle wants a kids news show. Bart does a skateboard stunt but crashes into Willie's leaf pile so he takes Bart's skateboard. To get revenge Bart pumps creamed corn into his shack. Lisa is chosen to anchor the children's news hour, and to be the lunchroom monitor. The cream corn explodes Willie's shack, he vows revenge. When Homer goes to the Kwik-E-Mart he finds that Apu has a helper monkey after being shot and winding up in a wheelchair. Homer applies for a helper monkey but has no disabilities, so he brings Grandpa and runs off with the monkey. Lisa's news is boring but Bart's sports news is a hit so they make him co anchor. Bart overhears Lisa complaining about him when the camera is left on. Bart tries to prove he's not dumb by reading the paper, instead he goes to Kent Brockman who tells him to do schmaltzy news. Bart does a segment called Bart's People, he does a story on a guy who goes to feed the ducks at the park but the ducks are gone, or he's at the wrong bench. Lisa gets jealous of Bart's popularity so she tries to do sappy stories, first she gets attacked by the cat lady, then she does a story on an abandon train track but it's not abandon, and she's attacked by the cat lady again. Homer gets the monkey to break into the bakery but it runs off with all the donuts. Lisa comes up with a scheme to get back at Bart, she sends him to the dump where Willie is living. Homer has ruined the helper monkey, they are both living in their own filth, Marge forces him to return the monkey, Homer just dumps him off at the door. Milhouse does a story on how to cover up wetting the bed. Bart does his story but is attacked by Willie who tells what happened to him as a result of Bart, however Lisa realizes that she put Bart in danger and rushes to his aid. Lisa uses schmaltz to talk Willie out of killing Bart. Lisa and Bart decide to work together, just as their show is replaced by a half hour commercial for chocolate and toys. 

This episode features the first appearance of The Cat Lady.

 Lindsey Naegle was first seen in the episode The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show.

The Itchy And Scratchy Show: The Glass Moan-Agerie (a play on the Glass Menagerie) Scratchy applies for an assistant job at Itchy's Glass Blowing shop. Itchy throws him in the kiln and blows a No Vacancy neon sign out of him. 

Self Aware Joke, when talking about Itchy and Scratchy Krusty says "you think the quality would dip after 5500 shows". 

The cartoon that replaces Kidz News is The Mattel and Mars Bar Quick Energy Chocobot Hour. 

New Bubble Crum: It's Crun-chewy! The gum with the cracker center. 

Homer gets his monkey from Animal Assistants "As felt in Braille Weekly"

Homer names his helper monkey Mojo. This was 7 months before the Monkey Villain Mojo Jojo appeared on the PowerPuff Girls

When Kent does the story on the carousel about to be torn down Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds plays. When Bart does his segment on the missing ducks Where Have All The Flower Gone by The Kingston Trio plays. 

Bart visits the Veterans Of Popular Wars where the seniors sew flags out of random cloth scraps.

Trash Of The Titans

This episode premiered on April 26th, 1998. It ran in its regular time slot and opposite The ABC Sunday Night Movie (Apollo 13), Touched By An Angel and The NBC Sunday Night Movie (Merlin, part 1)

The title of this episode comes from the 1981 movie Clash Of The Titans

The chalkboard and couch gag are combined, the family runs into the class room to find Bart writing I Will Not Mess With The Opening Credits on the chalkboard. 

Costingtons store wants to come up with a holiday for the post Fourth of July slump. The CEO says they need to come up with something like Love Day but not so lame, cut to Marge announcing "Happy Love Day!" and the house is decorated in Love Day stuff. When they throw away all the Love Day stuff Lisa says Homer has to take the trash out out but he says the rule is it isn't full until it spills, then stomps everything down.  Later Bart can't get a banana peel to stay so he staples it to the trash can. Homer writes B+ on a wrapper and uses a magnet to put it on the fridge however he trips over the trash can and has to haul it out. He just misses the trash guy and yells at them so they back up. Homer comes back covered in trash and the family is cut off from pick up. Homer just starts throwing everything out in the yard. Marge has to use bacon to distract the rats while Bart and Lisa make a run for the bus. The next day Homer wakes up and all the trash is gone, Homer thinks he won however Marge wrote an apology letter to the sanitation commissioner, Homer is extra mad that she forged his signature. The Sanitation Manager is being extra nice to Homer but he is mad because he can't fight City Hall so he runs for Sanitation Manager. Homer sneaks into the U2 concert pretending to be the potato man. After sneaking on stage and causing a disruption Bono tells the audience Homer will get the help he needs but the back stage camera shows Homer getting beat up by security. Homer turns to Moe for help and comes up with the slogan "Can't Someone Else Do It?" At the debate Patterson doesn't show up and Homer claims he was getting drunk, Homer messed with Patterson's breaks. Homer mocks Patterson but he promises to do the actual job. Homer wins and starts implementing his crazy ideas and spends the whole budget. The trash collectors go on strike. Homer gets the money to pay off the garbage men by taking in other cities trash and stuffing it into an abandon mine. The trash starts coming up from underground and the town is buried in waste. They try to reinstate Ray Patterson, but he comes back just to tell them off. The town goes to their emergency plan B. They load up the whole town and move it down the road 5 miles. Homer throws out a potato chip bag and it lands at the foot of a Native American, he's told not to turn around but does and sees the waste dump that Springfield has become. In the end credit scene U2 is on an airplane, Adam Clayton shows off his Springfield spoon. Bono takes the spoon and throws it, hitting Mr. Burns who then calls the band "Wankers". This is a vulgar term in England btw. 

Steve Martin does the voice of Ray Patterson, the Sanitation Commissioner.

Susie Smith, then girlfriend of Adam Clayton, does her own voice in this episode. 

Costington's "Over A Century Without A Slogan"

The Simpson's front lawn has a set of animatronic bears playing Love Will Keep Us Together by Neil Sedaka.

Big John's Breakfast Log is a take on Jimmy Dean breakfasts, the song Big Bad John was his biggest hit.

Patty and Selma are in line to register as sex offenders, Moe shows up and complains about the wait. 

Springfield Shopper headline: New Face In Trash Race, Local Nut At It Again. / Simpson Wins In Landslide, Says "crazy promises" the key. The price of the paper has gone up to 50¢, darn inflation.

Springfield Stadium U2 In Concert, Moshing Room Only. U2 does their own voices and songs.

Ray Patterson says the American Public never tolerated incompetence in their public officials. This episode was waaaaay before trump.

Homer sings The Garbage Man Can to the tune of The Candy Man from the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. 

During the garbage man parade Oscar The Grouch from Sesame Street makes an appearance. The parade is a spoof on the 76 Trombones scene from the 1962 movie The Music Man.

The New York City trash contains used needles, bullet casings, guns and hand grenades. 

The Larry David Experience plays the Sanford and Son theme for Ray Patterson both when he walks on stage and then after he tells the town off. This was based on when Red Foxx was performing in Vegas, the band played the theme song when he walked on stage but the crowd was so small he just kept walking till he was off stage and they kept playing the whole time. 

The scene where Homer throws the potato chip bag out and it lands at the foot of a Native American is based on the anti littering PSAs from the 1970's that featured Iron Eyes Cody. 

Well, there it is, episode 200. When I started this I figured I would get through perhaps 100 or 150 and yet I'm still going. And winter is coming so I'll have a lot more indoor days. Well, at least I'm 1/4 of the way through, for now, who knows how many episodes they are going to make.