The Simpson 231-235

E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)

This episode premiered on November 7th, 1999. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by Futurama. It ran opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Annie 1999), 60 Minutes and Third Watch.

The title comes from the song Old McDonald

The chalkboard gag is "I did not win the Nobel Fart Prize" and the couch gag is there is a bouncer in front of the couch, the family is waved in except for Homer who is turned away.

The Simpsons are at the theater and there is a Saving Private Ryan style Normandy Beach scene, but it turns out to be a commercial for Buzz Cola "Buzz Cola, the taste you'll kill for. Available in ze lobby" Homer says " I have to go to ze lobby" Homer gets the pimple face kid to put butter on his Milk Duds. After the movie Snake pushes his way past Marge and calls her Q-Tip, Homer decides to act like Zorro, grabs the janitor's glove and challenges Snake to a duel with a face slap, Snake runs off and the audience cheers. Later Moe calls Homer "heavyset" so he glove slaps him, Moe give him a free beer. Homer gets out of control with his duel challenges, he slaps the toll booth operator, Kirk Van Houten at mini golf and Dr. Hibbert who is trying to give him a shot. When he cuts in line at the Kwik-E-Mart he slaps a Southern Gentleman who accepts the challenge and calls him out for a duel, pistols at dawn. Apu has wills and headstones on aisle 6, Homer buys one. The next day the Southerner shows up, Marge tries to smuggle Homer out in an old Christmas tree, the colonel wants to shoot it up for them, Bart accepts the offer but Marge rushes to the car. They run into Jimmy Carter ands him to build them a house, Homer call him a lousy bum so Carter challenges him to a duel. They end up at the old family farm. Homer starts up the old tractor but it crashes on top of him, this is a running gag in the episode. Lisa finds a sheep in need of shearing but when she finishes it turns out to be a rat. Homer plants random seeds, tobacco and tomatoes, including candy corn. When nothing grows he calls Lenny for plutonium which he sprays on the crops. Tomatoes start to grow however they muted with tobacco, Bart eats one and spits it out, but becomes instantly addicted. Homer calls his new crop ToMacco and charges $1 a basket. Wiggum comes by because Ralph wants to tip over a cow. Ralph and Clancy eat a ToMacco and also become addicted "It tastes like grandma". Laramie Cigarettes show up and want to buy up Homer's crop for $150 million, Lisa complains about the evils of the tobacco company but the family misinterprets her comments and demand $150 billon. When they get back to the farm the discover the neighbor's animals have eaten up all their crops except for one plant. The animals go nuts and try to break into the house, including the elephant the neighbors were using to measure the corn (an Oklahoma musical reference). Homer throws the last plant but Mindy from the tobacco company catches it, they hop in the helicopter and take off. Midair they get attacked by a crazed sheep and crash. The family returns home but then remembers the Southern Gentleman is there to duel with Homer. Just before he fires he smells one of Marge's mince pies and almost ends the duel but Homer complains "are we gonna do this or what?" so the Gentleman turns around and shoots him in the arm. The song Glove Slap plays over the closing credits.

The b-52's perform Glove Slap which is a spin on their song Love Shack and perhaps one of the best songs in the overall series. Many a day I've sang "Glove Slap, shut yer big yap"

Movies at the Springfield Googolplex Theaters: My Dinner With Jar Jar (a combination of My Dinner with Andre and the annoying character from Star Wars) / Mars Needs Towels (A reference to the movie Mars Needs Women and the Douglas Adams book Hitchhikers Guide which suggests always knowing where your towel is) / That 70's Movie (A reference to That 70's Show and sitcoms that later get turned into movies, which will happen to The Simpsons) / Shakespeare In Heat (Shakespeare In Love) / Facepuncher IV / Das Booty Call (a combination of Das Boot and Booty Call)  / The Poke Of Zorro (The Mask Of Zorro)

The Zorro movie has the credits, to see all the names and what character they played check out one of the fan sites. There is one worth mentioning Mule Beating Man...."Gus" This is a reference to Disney's 1976 movie Gus The Field Goal Kicking Mule

The Souther Gentleman's RV has a confederate flag on the roof (The Dukes Of Hazzard reference), an I (Heart) Dueling and Honk If You Demand Satisfaction bumper sticker and mud flaps with his image holding guns (a spoof on the Yosemite Sam mud flaps). 

Homer calls Ned from Donny's Discount Gas. It was first seen in the episode In Marge We Trust.

The farm has a skeleton of a horse standing upright in the front yard.

Sneed's Feed & Seed. Formerly Chuck's. People claim that this is a hidden dirty joke by replacing the first letters in Chucks with the first letters from Feed and Seed. Think about it. 

Homer rubs some plutonium on his teeth to make them glow. This is a bit of a twisted reference to the Radium Girls, these were women who worked in watch factories painting glow in the dark watches, they would rub the radium powder on their teeth. Most died from radiation poisoning. There's a great documentary on the story.

 Homer says two quotes he claims are from movies but were made up by the writers of The Simpsons. He claims one of the lines is from the movie Waiting To Exhale. The movie was also mentioned in the episode All Singing, All Dancing.

When they show a time laps of the crops growing they play the theme song from the 60's sitcom Green Acres.

When the animals attack the farm house this is a spoof on the 1968 movie Night Of The Living Dead.

One of the tobacco executives is on Sugar Busters, a diet plan that came out in 1996. 

Continuity Error: In the episode Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy Homer and Abe burned down the old farm house. 

At a time when The Simpsons episodes were rather iffy this one was actually pretty solid. It had Homer getting himself into a situation, the farm storyline that carried over from a previous episode and a conclusion to the original story of the duel. It also has a great spoof on the song Love Shack and Homer's hi jinx move the story along instead of just being filler. Truly one of the better ones of this time period. 

Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder

This episode premiered on November 14th 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Space Jam), Touched By An Angel and Third Watch.

The title is based on the Alan Sherman song Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh. 

The chalkboard gag is "I won't not use no double negatives" and the couch gag is a cement truck backs up and pours the family on the couch, Homer cracks in half.

Homer hits the snooze button at 7 AM and sleeps until 11. Since he missed the day before he's 26 hours late for work. Homer gets mad at the traffic and drives up the medium. When Wiggum asks him where the fire is Homer points at the police station. Homer gets a ticket for a 3-17, pointing out police stupidity. Homer gets caught by Burns and tries to hide out in the core but Burns grabs him with the arm gloves, and kicks him with the leg protectors. As punishment Homer has to eat all the nuclear waste. Homer calls Marge to tell her that they have to take Lenny to the hospital, even though they've gone bowling, Marge is extra upset. Homer gets super mad and takes his frustration out on the pins, and starts to bowl a perfect game. In the last frame Lenny says a bunch of bowling terms for missing so Homer hits him in the stomach with a ball and then manages to bowl a perfect game. Homer is invited to school to talk about his perfect game and goes on the Springfield Squares, but he doesn't know if he's suppose to read from the jokes or the real answers. Ron Howard insults him and Homer finds out he's the "flavor of the month". He tries to make himself more relevant so he shows up during a Penn and Teller magic act, Teller accidentally talks and says there have been multiple Tellers. Maggie is watching The Happy Little Elves but Homer switches over to Access Springfield, they call him "yesterday's news" and compare him to Fred Flintsone. Homer gets depressed so Marge suggest he talks it over with his life partner, so he goes to Moe's. Homer goes to the top of the Springfield State Building (a spoof on the Empire State Building) and gets in the Jumpers line. He starts talking and the people behind him get tired of waiting so they shove him off. Otto comes along bungee jumping and Homer grabs him. They fall through a hole and spring back up. Homer decides to dedicate his life to his kids. Bart and Lisa don't want his help so he turns his attention to Maggie. When he plays peek-a-boo she tries to escape. He electrocutes himself with the TV. While tossing her in the air she grabs the clothes line and tries to escape again. Homer takes her to swim class but she won't get in the pool. On the way home she points at a butterfly and Homer thinks she wants to go in the ocean. He's carried off by a rip tide and almost drowns so she rescues him. Homer takes Maggie bowling, she gets a perfect strike but he marks her off for stepping over the foul line costing her a perfect game. 

Ron Howard, Penn and Teller, Pat O'Brien and Nancy O'Dell do their own voices.

The song Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh was in the episode Marge Be Not Proud.

Montage as Homer is snoozing, Marge gets up / Bart Steals money out of Homer's pants / Snowball II puts dead bird on the bed, Homer snuggles with it / Otto and his girlfriend sneak in and make out on the bed, she steals money from Homer's wallet. 

Homer is looking at a Where's Waldo on the back of a box of Krusty-O's. He shouts "Waldo where are you?" just as Waldo walks by the kitchen window. 

A guy threatens Moelman with a Details magazine

Krusty Brand Chew Goo Gum-Like Substance. It contains spider eggs and the hantavirus. He's selling the antidote for $5 but gets cut off on the address by Kent Brockman who is reporting on Homer's perfect game. 

At the bowling alley Jacques and Lurleen Lumpkin go by in the background. I should have kept track of the number of times Ruth Powers is in the background. 

When Homer bowls the perfect game it's a spoof on the 1984 movie The Natural complete with the music. 

Homer's List: Before I die I want to - End Crime & Injustice / Bowl a Perfect Game (one check mark) / See Stevie Nicks Naked (checked off three times)

Mrs. Krabappal reads Fear Of Flying a 1973 erotic novel by Erica Jong. 

Celebrities on The Springfield Squares: Rainer Wolfcastle / Krusty / Itchy And Scratchy / Bumblebee Man / Homer / Princess Kashmir / Sideshow Mel / Ron Howard / The Capitol City Goofball. The contestants are Disco Stu and Agnes Skinner.

When wandering around depressed Homer sings This Is The End by The Doors

When Homer and Otto are bungee jumping they go past Morlocks / C.H.U.Ds and finally the Mole People, who are lead by Moleman and his earthquake machine.

Springfield YMCA sign: Daddy And Me Swimming Class -No Stepfathers-

When Maggie rescues Homer the theme from Victory At Sea plays.

Eight Misbehaving

This episode premiered on November 21st 1999. It ran in its regular time slot and opposite Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Touched By An Angel and Third Watch.

The title comes from the musical Ain't Misbehaving. 

The chalkboard gag is "Indian Burns are not our cultural heritage" (ooo, there's a joke that would get you cancelled in the modern era) and the couch gag is the family sits down but then goes through a revolving hidden door, on the other side is Vincent Price torturing an upside-down Ned chained to the wall.

The family goes to Shøp, a spoof on Ikea. The mascot is Allen Wrench. (He's actually an alien that is being held prisoner by the store). Marge picks out a pencil holder called a Pöpli, Lisa says she hates the Pöpli kids. The store cafeteria is Fud (with an accent mark over the u), the forks are made out of Legos. While at the store they run into Apu and Manjula, who gets excited over holding Maggie. When Apu tells Homer that he's trying to get Manjula pregnant Homer goes into a series of internet comments like Too Much Information and so forth. Apu asks Homer if he took any special steps to get pregnant, Homer laughs at that one, he has them have sex at the makeout point while reading a script, the plan works. They skip ahead 9 months, Bart has learned the true meaning of Columbus Day and winter, Marge did a stint as Sideshow Marge, complete with a bone through her hair, Lisa became the most popular girl in school but became conceited. When Manjula's water breaks at the Kwik-E-Mart Gil has to mop it up. Manjula gives birth to 8 kids, Apu freaks out. Manjula had been on fertility drugs, but Apu was also sneaking them in her food, so did Homer, Marge and Bart. Companies send Apu and Manjula free supplies until a Shelbyville woman gives birth to 9 children, then they take all the stuff back. Homer and Marge drop by to discover the place is a mess and the new parents are exhausted. Larry Kidkill shows up and offers to help Apu by turning the babies into an exhibit at the zoo. Butch Patrick convinces Apu to take the offer. It turns out that Kidkill has an hourly show with the babies, Octopia. The babies are all in costumes from a rock star to a WWI baron. When Apu can't legally get the kids back he and Homer break in to steal them. When Kidkill shows up Homer promises to put on an even better show, it turns out to be him and Butch Patrick riding a tricycle through cobras. Homer then calls for the mongoose, which attacks him. He shouts out in pain, and tells people to come see the next show at 8.

This episode is based on the story of the Dionne Quintuplets. After their birth the Canadian government took control of them and basically turned them into a sideshow until they were 18.

Gary Marshall does the voice of Larry Kidkill. Butch Patrick does his own voice. 

Pee 'N' See Home Pregnancy Test. Baby, Baby, Lemon / Baby, Baby, Pirate (pirates are wild so that means Manjula is pregnant.

Springfield Shopper headline: Nahasapeemapetilan-Tastic!

Pepsi-B For Export Only.

There is a picture of Babar in the background of Apu's apartment.

Homer is playing with a View-Master. He's looking at the Hansel and Gretel story. 

Zoo sign: Octo Sapiens. From The Collection of Apu and Manjula.

Kidkill introduces 4 of the kids but then says "and the rest", this is a spoof on the first season theme song from Gilligan's Island.

Kidkill pays off Wiggum in peanuts.

When Homer and Apu escape with the kids a gorilla is at the gate trying to get them to take her baby. This is a dark twist on the U.S. escaping during the collapse of Hanoi and mother's trying to pass their kids over the fence. 

Homer's show song is Highway To The Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins.

This was one of those weird Drop The Cow episodes where they didn't really have an ending, so they kind of made something up. It's not one of my favorites.

Take My Wife, Sleaze

This episode premiered on November 28th, 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite the regular programs. The Disney movie was The Santa Clause

The title of this episode comes from the classic punchline from Henny Youngman, "Take my wife, please".

The chalkboard gag is "I can't see dead people" and the couch gag is a repeat of the shredder.

The family sees a commercial for a 50's retro cafe, they all want to go tonight but Homer says "eh, we'll go next month", cut to 30 days later. The diner has a dance contest for a vintage 1955 Harley Davidson. Homer and Marge enter and go nuts on the dance floor and win. It turns out Homer doesn't know how to ride a motorcycle, Bart laughs at him for a couple of days until Homer asks for a lesson. Homer takes the bike to church and keeps revving the engine until Lovejoy gives up. Homer sees a movie about a teen rebel and decides to form a biker gang, The Hell's Satans. They mock Wiggum and then pitch pennies at the Kwik-E-Mart until Apu threatens them with a broom. Homer sends in a photo of Marge asleep to a biker magazine. The real Hell's Satans show up and force Homer to eat his club jacket. The gang takes over the house, since Homer insulted Wiggum he refuses to help. Homer decides to stand up to them but they've left, and taken Marge. Homer searches for her but they are heading to the biker rally in South Dakota. Marge teaches the gang how to write resumes and get a job. As they are going straight Homer shows up and attacks them. Meathook, the gang leader, challenges Homer to a fight in the circle of death, Homer wins. The credits run under a live video of NRBQ playing the theme song. 

John Goodman does the voice of Meathook, Henry Winkler does the voice of Ramrod. Jay North does his own voice. 

The chalkboard gag is a reference to the 1999 film The Sixth Sense

The family is watching The Guinness Book Of World Records. A man with the least amount of faces, none " help me" / smelliest tumor / dog who can't predict anything / contents of a super model's stomach / three other things. Lisa complains about the show.

There is a commercial for the 50's retro Greaser's Cafe. Wolfguy Jack (a spoof on Wolfman Jack) "Remember television, Coca Cola and Dick Clark?" "Where every day is 1955, actual year may vary, consult current calendar" (Dick Clark was still alive in 1999 and doing Rockin' New Years Eve) Headlines on cafe walls: Herald Tribune: Milkshakes Popular / Beatles Unite / Study: Teens Rarely Pregnant / Hula Hoop Mishap Kills 3 / We All Agree, Conformist Is Best! / Vietnam Situation Solved! / Photo of Ike. Lenny goes to the restroom, one door is marked Cool Cats and the other Squares, he walks in to Cool Cats and all the ladies scream so he goes to Squares and they scream again. The menu has an Alan Ginsburger / Unamerican cheese sandwich / Polio dogs. "Lets spin more platters at Greasy's Cafe where the 50's are never going away", the place is closed down three days later.

The 50's cafe has Meet Jay North, The Original Dennis The Menace. In the episode Cape Feare Bart calls himself this century's Dennis The Menace and in Two Bad Neighbors they do a spoof on the Dennis The Menace storyline. 

The model showing the dance contest motorcycle is Debby (Candy Clark) from the 1973 movie American Graffiti. 

The dance contest uses Mental House Rock by Johnny Bobby, it's an original Simpsons song and is sung by Hank Azaria. Main characters in the dance contest: Homer and Marge / Skinner and Mrs. Krabappal / The Wiggums / Apu and Manjula

First Church Of Springfield sing Today's Topic: There's Something About The Virgin Mary (a reference to the 1998 movie There's Something About Mary)

Homer's biker gang is the Hell's Satans, the members are Moe, Lenny, Carl and Ned (because he lets them use his rumpus room as their headquarters). Homer has a Harley, Moe an old Indian, Carl a scooter he rented from Hertz, Ned on a bicycle and Lenny on a riding mower. 

Among the things Homer has printed Hell's Satans on are Pogs.

Homer visits a biker bar, Poppa Wheelie's, Ladies Puke Free.

The bikers play Me And The Boys by NRBQ

The bikers are heading to Crystal Lake campground. This is the camp from the 1980 horror movie Friday The 13th.

The Homer vs. Meathook fight is a spoof on classic Hollywood sword fights. 

This episode got a bit out of hand. Marge suddenly convincing a biker gang to go legit and there is a fight with Homer and Meathook swinging full size motorcycles like swords. It was extremely cartoonish, and not in a good way. When I said I was heading into the bad years of The Simpsons these were the episodes I was talking about.

Grift of the Magi

This episode premiered on December 19th 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite the ABC Big Picture Show (Babe), Touched By An Angel and Dateline NBC. 

The title of this episode came from the O Henry story The Gift Of The Magi.

The chalkboard gag is "I will not sell my kidney on eBay" and the couch gag is the family sliding in on a fireman's pole, except for Homer who gets stuck between floors.

Milhouse is being chased by a hole in the ozone and winds up at the Simpson's house. He and Bart are bored so they dress up in Marge's clothes and wigs and jump on the bed. Homer shows up and yells at them but Milhouse says they are drunk. Bart falls on a bowling ball and cracks his coccyx and has to wear a butt cast. He goes to school in a wheelchair but the elementary school doesn't have a handicapped ramp. Fat Tony shows up and builds multiple ramps but by the time they are done Bart is healed, and then the ramps collapse because it's made from breadsticks. Fat Tony presents a bill for $200,000 which the school is forced to pay and has to close due to a lack of funding, all the kids are happy but the parents are upset. The school holds a play to convince Mr. Burns to donate money, all the kids play stupid and can't save Mr. Burns. The school is bought by Kid First Industries and they fire all the teachers. The new teacher, Jim Hope, asks the kids what they like in a toy, behind the chalkboard is a camera and a recorder to find out what the kids responses are. Lisa gets in trouble for studying and is writing her punishment on the chalkboard. Bart turns off the classroom light and Lisa sees light coming from behind the board and discovers the research lab. A robot toy comes out and asks for a hug. Lisa brings Wiggum to the school to show them the broom closet, Homer asks if it's like a horror movie where they open the door to discover a broom closet but then a hidden evil robot murders them all, when they open the door it's just a broom closet. During the Krusty special Lisa sees Funzo, the new Christmas toy that was created by the research done at the school. Bart and Lisa break into the toy company, Gary Coleman is the security guard and is on the phone arguing with the Chinese restaurant, even though the phone isn't plugged in. The toy company tells Lisa they did it for the children, and they give Bart a free Funzo, he goes through the catalog and wants to order all the expensive accessories. Funzo starts trashing all the other toys. The kids convince Homer to break into everyone's house and steal the Funzos while they carol at the front door. They haul the toys to the tire fire and toss them in. Gary Coleman shows up and they discuss the evil toy company. After talking all night they invite Coleman to dinner. The show does a narration about what other people did during Christmas, Burns is visited by three ghosts and donates money to the school. Moe sees what the world would be like without him and brings a goose to dinner. 

Tim Robbins does the voice of Jim Hope, the toy company researcher. Gary Coleman does his own voice. Clarence Clemons (best known as the sax player in the E Street Band) does the voice of the narrator.

Funzo was based on the Furby toys and the idea of the mass hysteria over the must have present every Christmas. 

In reference to the chalkboard gag, eBay had launched as an on line auction site in 1995. They had officially changed the name to eBay in 1997. It is illegal to sell body parts on the site.

Simpsons games, Clam Traffic Jam / County Seats.

Bart and Milhouse sing Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves by the Eurythmics

The name of Fat Tony's construction company is Valdazzo Brothers Olive Oil. This is a spoof on the Genco Olive Oil company in The Godfather and the Valdez oil disaster.

Bart and Lisa watch Donde Esta Justice. Bumblebee Man is the judge and the case is a car dealer that sold a woman a bad car.

Second chalkboard gag, the research teacher finds out that Lisa is doing actual school work, she's punished by having to write "I will not do math in class"

The sign on the door hiding the toy company's recording devices: Danger! Broom Closet.

Krusty holds his nodenominational fun fest with Tea Leoni, Beck, The Dixie Chicks and Patrick Ewing as the genie. The Dixie Chicks would change their name to just The Chicks during the Woke movement. Patrick Ewing as the genie is a spoof on the 1996 movie Kazaam starring Shaquille O'Neal. 

Kids First Industries Secret Headquarters (in flashing neon red)

In his later years Gary Coleman worked as a security guard including a famous incident where he jumped on the hood of the car of a group of paparazzi. 

This is another episode that doesn't have a real ending so they just tacked on some Christmas stuff and called it good.

This was the last episode of 1999 and the last episode of the 20th century (Unless you're Neal DeGrasse Tyson and then the last of the 20th century will be in December of 2000).  As we move into the new millennia we have to wonder, what lies ahead, what marvels await us? Will there be flying cars? Will we have self adjusting clothes like in the movie Back To The Future II? Will there ever be a final Simpsons episode? I guess we'll see.

 The Simpsons 226-230

Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo

This episode premiered on May 16th, 1999. The lead in show was The Worlds Funniest! and it was followed by Family Guy. It ran opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Father Of The Bride, the 1991 remake), Touched By An Angel and NBA basketball.

The title of the episode comes from the 1944 movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.

The chalkboard gag is "I'm so very tired" and the couch gag is a repeat of the shredder. 

Lisa finds out that a cyber cafe is opening in Springfield and bugs Homer to go, he's not interested until Bart says there is a video of "monkeys doing it". Lisa complains of course. Bart catfishes Carl before catfishing became an MTV thing. Snake robs the cyber cafe with a floppy disk. Homer tries to rob Ned to pay his bills and he finds out that the Flanders are living thrifty by buying stuff from police auctions and getting internet deals. The Simpsons attend a seminar hosted by Chuck Garabedian on how to get bargains, when he tells the audience to squeeze every penny Homer takes him literally but accidentally squeezes a penny into his hand. Lisa complains that they are going to the 99¢ store but they drive past it and the 66¢ store while on their way to the 33¢ store. Homer eats a can of expired plankton and gets red tide poisoning, turning purple. To save money on a vacation the Simpsons go to the airport and wait for last minute tickets, they are arguing over going to Japan when they spot the Flanders and Homer rushes onto the plane. At the hotel Bart turns on the TV and there is a camera in the toilet, just as Homer uses it. Bart watches a Japanese cartoon and the family have a seizure. Homer walks in and sees them thrashing around on the floor so he joins in. The family decides to go to Americatown for dinner, Lisa complains. Homer is upset that their table is Massachusetts which he calls Tax-A-Chusetts. He says he knew a guy from Nantucket and the stories were exaggerated. (adult joke there). Homer buys a $150 watermelon but it pops back into an oval shape and he drops it. Homer insults a sumo wrestler who knocks him down, Bart bashes him with a chair. When the emperor comes to congratulate Homer on winning he airplane spins the emperor and tosses him into the sumo thongs, Homer and Bart get arrested and while in jail they do a painting and partake in a Japanese tea ceremony, be in a kabuki play and learn origami. Homer folds their last million yen into a swan and it blows away, he shouts "D'oh" in Japanese. The US embassy tells the Simpsons they can't help them so they get a job gutting fish at the Osaka Seafood Concern. While there they see the Happy Smile Super Challenge Family Wish Show and make plans to go on to get plane tickets. Homer is put into a piñata and the family is blindfolded and hit him with a stick. The lighting round is Homer tied to the top of the building and struck by lighting. The Simpsons win the airline tickets but they have to get them from the center of a rickety bridge over a volcano. Lisa has to go since she's the lightest, when she gets the tickets the host pushes a button that splits the bridge in half, the family rushes out to save her. When they plunge into the volcano they spill out into the studio because the lava was really an orange drink full of wasabi. Homer lectures them on what games shows should be about, the audience hangs their heads until the Canadian couple covered in scorpions is brought on. As they family heads home they are attacked by Godzilla. The Japanese seizure cartoon runs over the credits. 

George Taki does the voice of the gameshow host. Gedde Watanabe does the voice of the Americatown waiter. Keone Young does the voice of the Sumo wrestler. Karen Maruyama does the voice of the stewardess.

Wired magazine, CyberShorts: Virtually Wedgieproof! Homer thinks it's Weird magazine.

The Java Server Grand Opening - wel.com 

Dated reference, everyone at the cyber cafe is working on the 90's iMac. Remember how big and clunky computers were? At the time home computers were still expensive and required dial up which were slow and tied up your home line so cyber cafes were a cheap alternative, today you can "surf the net" from your phone. The savings guru mentions the Solid Gold Dancers, Solid Gold was a pre MTV, pre In Living Color show featuring music videos and scantly clad dancers, yes I watched every week. Hello Kitty was created in 1974 and became a worldwide sensation in 1994 when it was associated with UNICEF. In 1997 an episode of Pokemon used a strobe effect that caused seizures in children watching the program. In the 90's the trend in Japan was shirts with random English words on them. Square watermelons were first grown in Japan in the 1970's but became popular in the media in the 90's. Japanese game shows became popular in America in the 90's due to their high risk factor, America tried to duplicate them but most failed, Fear Factor was the only successful one. The craze died out when reality shows like Survivor became popular. 

Willie is checking out Up-Kilt camera until he realizes it's a picture of himself.

Self Aware joke, Homer uses the computer to invest in News Corp until Lisa reminds him it's Fox and he quickly sells. The 33¢ store is selling That 70's Show souvenir mugs. (the show had run after The Simpsons multiple times)

Mega Savings Seminar B.Y.O. Chair.

Uncle Moneybags from Monopoly goes to the money savings seminar and calls the crowd Baltic Ave. yokels but has to leave in his miniature car because he's late for the Short Line railroad. 

Products at the 33¢ store: Onions? / Cool Ranch Soda / Skittlebrau (in the episode Bart Star, Homer asks Apu for Skittlebrau, the beer with candy in it but is told it doesn't exist so he buys a 6-pack and a bag of Skittles) / canned plankton.

The inflight movie to Japan is Jim Belushi in Kanga-Roommate! During the flight he's making Toga 2000 and Homer is pissed that it was his idea first.

Royal Tokyo hotel: Now With 20% More Bowing!

Tokyo sites: The Imperial Gardens / The Meiji Shrine / The Hello Kitty factory (sounds of cats in distress)

While watching TV the Mr. Sparkle commercial comes on. It was first seen in the episode In Marge We Trust.

The Americatown restaurant have the Kool Aid Man, Uncle Sam and Elvis as the fife and drum players from the painting Spirit Of 76 by Archibald Willard. Uncle Sam is using a bucket of chicken for a drum. The tables are all shaped like the states. The animatronic figures are Marlyn Monroe (from Some Like It Hot) / E.T. / Lincoln dancing with the Statue of Liberty / Muhammad Ali boxing with Neil Armstrong in his moon suit. The waiter is wearing a cowboy hat and a shirt that says UCLA Yankee Cola. 

Woody Allen is doing a commercial for rice crackers. He first appeared in the episode The City Of New York Vs. Homer

K (Japanese symbol) TV Home Of The Digital Puppet News Team.

Game show catagories: Ow That Hurts / Why Are You Doing This To Me? / Please Let Me Die.

At Moe's they are watching the game show and see Homer, but wonder who has been putting beer on his tab? It's Barney in a Homer disguise, as he's running out he says several of Homer's catchphrases but also adds "That boy ain't right" which is a Hank Hill phrase from King Of The Hill. 

When Godzilla looks through the plane window at Lisa it's a spoof on the T-Rex scene from Jurassic Park.  The other Japanese monsters are Rodan, Mothra and Gamera.

This episode isn't shown in Japan, for obvious reasons. 

This was the last episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons. 25 more to go, unless they keep adding new ones. I still can't figure out why I started this. And now, on to season 11.

Beyond Blunderdome

This episode premiered on September 26th, 1999. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by Futurama. It ran opposite Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Touched By An Angel and Third Watch. 

The title of the episode came from the 1985 movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

The chalkboard gag is "Fridays are not Pants Optional" and the couch gag is the family comes in to the living room to find their alternate reality Tracy Ullman shorts counterparts sitting on the couch, they all scream and scatter.

Homer sees a commercial for the Elec-Taurus car and he doesn't care, until they offer a free gift for a test drive. Lisa compliments Homer on buying an electric car until she realizes he's just after the gift, then she's disappointed in him again. Homer confuses Electric with Amphibious and drives into the harbor. The salt water destroys the car so Homer grabs his prize and drives off quickly. The gift is free tickets to a screening of a new Mel Gibson movie, a remake of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Mel Gibson is hiding in the back but gets spotted by the crowd. Everyone loves the film except for Homer, when Mel reads Homer's card he insists on going to the Simpsons, he asks Homer for help fixing the film. The family goes to Hollywood, landing at the George Kennedy Airport. Homer gives Mel suggestions like adding a montage, a dog villain and a shooting scene at the end. In the new ending Homer gives Mel a gun and he shoots everyone and blows up the Capitol, he even beheads the President. When the producers see the film they want to destroy it but Homer and Mel steal it and take off to the premier with the producers hot on their trail. After crashing his golf cart Homer steals a Road Warrior car from the Hollywood Auto Museum. Mel jumps on the producers car and gets run over, but it's the dummy from the museum. Mel and Homer moons the producers, Homer gets rammed by the producers car. At the premier everyone hates the movie. In the end there is a shifty eyed dog, which Homer says lets the audience know he's the villain. 

Mel Gibson does his own voice and Jack Burns (best known for playing Warren Ferguson on the Andy Griffith Show) voiced Edward Christian including his famous "know what I mean?" routine.

The couch gag is a reference to the episode The Day The Violence Died when Eliza and Lester save Itchy and Scratchy and Apu.

Things Homer kills with the electric car, dolphins, mermaids, divers. 

Self Aware Joke: Homer and Marge are laying in bed and realize they never checked out gift envelope they got from the car dealer. They say how odd it is they didn't do it right away, while sitcom type of music plays in the background. 

Dated Reference: Comic Book Guy gets kicked out of the theater for trying to give spoiler information on the internet. They know because he as a full size computer with monitor, tower, keyboard and a mouse. Today he'd have his phone. 

In the theater the host points out the people who green lit the Shaquille O'Neal movies including the 1996 Kazaam. They mention the director's cut for the 1997 movie Booty Call they claim it's fabulous.

Movie posters in the lobby: Space Mutants XII / McBain VI. At the studio Homer and Mel crash through a billboard for She's Having A Baby, Again (This is a reference to the 1988 film She's Having A Baby)

John Travolta is flying the plane for Mel Gibson in exchange for help moving. He first appeared in Itchy And Scratchyland. They land at the George Kennedy Airport, a reference to the actor and the Airport disaster series of the 1970's. 

Ironic joke: Mels says he speeds all the time but never gets a ticket, in 2006 he was arrested for drunk driving and made his infamous anti semitic remarks and called the cop "sugar tits".

Homer tells Mel "you had me at hello", this line is from the 1996 movie Jerry Magurie staring Tom Cruise. 

Polystar Pictures "No artistic integrity beyond this point."

Homer compliments Mel on his Dodge Caravan. This is a take on the 1995 movie Get Shorty, which stared John Travolta. It's also a spoof on in-program commercials where one of the characters compliments another's on their choice of vehicle.

Sign at studio: 2nd Floor T.V. Writers / 3rd Floor Studio Bar (this is a running gag about TV writers being alcoholics)

At the studio Marge points out that they're making a movie with Robert Downey Jr. shooting it out with the police, Bart says he doesn't see any cameras. This is a joke on the actor's troubled past that eventually led to him being in court ordered rehab. This was also referenced in the episode The City Of New York vs. Homer 

Hollywood Glamor Bus. The tour guide asks if people want to see the famous Brown Derby Restaurant and points out the empty lot full of homeless where it use to be. The restaurant was closed in 1980 and is currently part of a shopping center. He also points out where Hugh Grant made a movie, Marge says "Ewww" (this is a reference to the infamous Divine Brown incident). The family visits the house owned by the Frasier dog and then they see Ann Heche and Ellen DeGeneres who shout "We're lesbians!" (in 1997 Ellen became the first US show with a Lesbian lead character, her and Heche became a couple the same year.)

Homer says "and now, whatever year this is..." so the show can run in syndication. 

The movie producer calls Mel's new ending worst than Godfather III (the 1990 movie), and that's pretty bad.

Rainer Wolfcastle is filming Saving Irene Ryan, a spoof on Saving Private Ryan and the actress who played Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies. 

When Homer crashes the golf cart Mel says "I'm getting too old for this crap", this is a spoof on Danny Glover's catchphrase from the Lethal Weapon series. 

Cars at the Hollywood Auto Museum: The Munsters / The Monkees / The Batmobile / Flintstone Mobile / Herbie The Love Bug (with Don Knotts behind the wheel, he appeared in Herbie Goes To Monty Carlo) / Dukes Of Hazzard General Lee / Road Warrior. 

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington / A Gibson/Simpson Joint. This is a spoof on Spike Lee films, or should I say Joints.

Mel Gibson references his two Oscars, both were for Braveheart, Best Picture and Best Director.

Mel blames the shift away from violent films on the internet and swing music. Swing Music became a popular trend in the late 80's and early 90's.

Brother's Little Helper

This episode premiered on October 3rd, 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O. Disney (H-E-Double Hockey Sticks), 60 Minutes and Third Watch.

The tile is a reference to the 1966 Rolling Stones song Mother's Little Helper.

The chalkboard gag is "Pork is not a verb" and the couch gag is the family are a paint by numbers outline and a group of Asian artist rush in to fill in the color.

During fire safety day Ned Flanders sets himself on fire but Bart has taken the fire hose and flooded the gym. Skinner tells Marge and Homer that Bart has ADD and they need to put him on Focusyn or he'll be expelled. Marge guilts Bart into taking the the pill, the next day he says his testicles have swollen but it's just oranges, Marge packs them in the kid's lunches. In class the kids all rush to see a couple of dogs "doing it", fighting over a fan belt, however Bart stays at his desk, reading a poem. Krusty is almost killed by a spinning bowtie but Bart is more interested in reading. He convinces Homer to turn his pants into cutoffs and organizes all his lawsuits into one class action lawsuit. Marge and Homer go out for the night but when they get home Lisa and Maggie are on the front step. Bart has hung hangers all over his room, he's wearing a trash can lid and wrapping himself in aluminum foil. They take Bart back to the drug lab, the scientists decide to shift Bart over to a different drug, he steals a handful of Focusyn and takes off. Instead of looking for Bart Homer went to Moe's and set up a trap with Focusyn. Bart steals a tank and starts destroying the town. Everyone thinks Bart is going to blow up the school, the church or the discount frame store. Instead he shoots down the MLB satellite. Mark McGwire shows up, he distracts the crowd while grabbing the data from the satellite. He gives Bart a bat with a camera built in. The episode ends with Bart singing a version of the Popeye song praising Ritalin.

The chalkboard gag "Pork is not a verb" is a dirty joke that got past the censors. The couch gag is a reference to the show being animated in South Korea.

Mark McGwire does his own voice in this episode. The computer voice of the satellite is based on Vin Skully and is a reference to Hal 9000 in the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

Fire Safety Day banner: Learn, Baby, Learn. This is a reference to the chant Burn Baby Burn from the 60's Watts riot. 

Ralph thinks Hosey The Bear (Smokey The Bear) is Santa, he says fires at his house are called "uh-ohs"

Marvin Monroe Memorial Gymnasium. This is the second building named after Marvin Monroe (the first was the good hospital in Who Shot Mr. Burn Part 2) and the third reference to him being dead, The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular also said he was dead. 

The drug lab is called The Pharm Team, this joke is foreshadowing for the episode since "farm teams" is baseball jargon and it turns out MLB is spying on America. 

When trying to convince Bart to take the ADD drug Homer mentions celebrities who take drugs, Brett Butler / Tim Allen / Tommy Lee / Andy Dick

The kids compare their drugs, Bart is on Focusyn, Milhouse is on Claritin, Martin takes steroids and Nelson has to wear a shock collar.

Sherri reads Daffodils by Wordsworth. 

Bart reads The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Pre-Teens. He gives Homer a copy of Chicken Soup For The Losers. 

Sodas in the vending machine: Buzz Cola / ??? Buzz / Diet Buzz / Cherry Buzz / Buzz Classic / Caffeine Buzz Free / High Test Buzz

The Aztec theaters is having a Classic Movie Fest and showing the 1995 movie Showgirls. It was 4 years old at this time. 

When Marge calls the police Lou does a sketch of Bart but it looks like Dennis The Menace. Wiggum says  it looks like the guy who roughed up the Wilson widow. 

Bart goes to Fort Fragg. This is a spoof on Fort Bragg and "fragging" which was a term for killing a superior officer during Vietnam.

T shirt at the army base: I went to the Persian Gulf and all I got was this lousy syndrome. Gulf War Syndrome is a real thing.

Bart stealing the tank is based on an incident in San Diego in 1995. It didn't end well. Marge standing in front of the tank is based on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, this too didn't end well. 

While on the tank rampage Bart sings Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac.

Spy bat info: 2 Male / 3 Female / Snack Preference: All / Squalor Index 97

In the episode The Secret War Of Lisa Simpsons Wiggum suggested putting Bart on mood controlling drugs but Marge refused.

In the 1990's it became popular to treat "trouble youth" with drugs. 

People consider this another episode where The Simpsons predicted the future. However instead of the MLB gathering information on average citizens it was the NSA as exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013.

Guess Who's Going To Criticize Dinner?

This episode premiered on October 24th 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W.W.O Disney (Father Of The Bride), Touched By An Angel and the World Series Game 2 (Yankees 7-Braves 2)

The title of this episode is based on the 1967 movie Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

The chalkboard gag is "I am not the last Don" and the couch gag is the floor is signed by Matt Groening, Marge wipes it up. Matt rushes in and resigns it. 

The school is having a field trip to the Springfield Shopper. Homer volunteers to take the kids but winds up at the zoo. While at the paper Homer can smell the retirement cake for the paper food critic. The paper hires Homer to be their new critic. The E doesn't work on Homer's typewriter so he has to write the whole thing without it. Homer recruits Lisa to write his review for him. While at dinner Ned overhears Homer mentioning that he's a critic and the gossip gets around, Sea Captain brings him a special meal. The entire town is getting fat on Homer's recommendations. The other newspaper critics tell Homer that sometimes he has to be negative. Homer goes to the dinner theater, Krusty is in a production of King Lear but finds out, while on stage, that it's a tragedy so he does a series of jokes. Homer criticizes Marge's cooking but still scarfs it down. Homer's new position goes to his head and he starts writing negative reviews. Homer has to go to the Taste of Springfield Festival. All the restaurant owners get together and plot to kill Homer with La bombe, the richest dessert ever made, and poison. Bart overhears the plan, and tries to warn Homer. Just as Homer is about to eat the eclair Lias shouts "it's low fat!" and Homer throws it into Moleman's booth, where it explodes. The police arrest the French chef but he gets away while they're laughing at Lou's love of frittatas. The entire crowd then chases Homer out of the festival.

Ed Asner does the voice of the newspaper editor, a salute to his character Lou Grant from the series of the same name.

The chalkboard gag is based on the 1997 TV miniseries The Last Don.

Bart mentions not seeing Uter since the last field trip. This is a reference to the episode The PTA Disbands when Uter was left behind and attacked by a group of Civil War reenactors. Later Skinner has dinner with his parents but keeps trying to change the subject. 

To get out of work Homer builds a dummy out of a bucket, some old clothes and a tape recorder with him singing She Works Hard For The Money by Donna Summers. Burns promotes the dummy to a corner office. The cassette player sets the office on fire. 

The Springfield Shopper was founded in 1883 by Johnny Newspaperseed. A 14 year old boy who roamed the country founding newspapers. This is a spoof on Johnny Appleseed. The Shopper merged with the Springfield Time (Man Walks On Moon), Post (It's V-E Day, Nazis Sign Full Surrender),  Globe (Titanic Sinks 1500 die) Herald (Zip Crash Kills 35) Jewish News (State of Israel Is Born) and Hot Sex Weekly. Gil makes an appearance trying to sell subscriptions over the phone. The comic artist is drawing Mary Worth, nobody raises their hands when they ask who reads it. Ann Landers and Dear Abby are kept in hyperbolic chambers. 

See the headlines from the day you were born: Homer's is Unusually Large, Ugly Baby Born. The issue cost 5¢

Homer sings about how much he likes food to the tune of I Feel Pretty from West Side Story.

Best line from the show Editor "We're looking for a new food critic, someone who doesn't immediately pooh-pooh everything he eats" Homer "No, it usually takes a few hours".

Restaurants Pate Labelle ( a spoof on Patti LeBelle) Planet Springfield / Springfield Revolving Restaurant (first seen in the episode Principal Charming) / Zesty's Pizza / Springfield Dinner Theater (showing Krusty the Clown in King Lear) / The Legless Frog / Izzy's Deli / The Gilded Truffle / The Yogurt Nook /  Ugli / The Frying Duchman / The Pimento Grove / Moleman's Gruel / All About Muffins / Krusty Burger / Luigi's / The Happy Sumo / The Texas Cheesecake Depository (a reference to The Texas Roadhouse, The Cheesecake Factory and the place Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK from) / The French Confection (a reference to the 1971 movie The French Connection) / Phineas Q. Butterfat's / The Hungry Hun / Ah Fudge

Homer's Headline: Cod Is Great Scrod Is Good / Nuts To Soup / Krusty: Worst King Lear in 400 Years / Thar, She Blows

Planet Springfield posters: Star Wars / The Sound Of Music / It's Pat! / Ernest Goes Straight To Video. The coffee mug from Heartbeeps and the cane form Citizen Kane. The script form The Cable Guy (Homer tear it up)

The Sea Captain's restaurant has a picture of a whale about to swallow a boat.

A Taste Of Springfield Fine Dining In A Bee-Filled Atmosphere.

When talking about his deadly eclair the French chef says "that's a spicy meatball" This is a reference to an Alka Seltzer commercial from the 1970's 

This was another Drop The Cow episode. They created a story about Homer becoming a critic, angering all the restauranteurs and then end it with him being chased but then cut to the credits with the sound of him being attacked. Homer isn't fired or quits, the episode just comes to an end. 

Treehouse Of Horror X

This episode premiered on October 31st 1999. The lead in show was King Of The Hill and it was followed by a repeat of Treehouse Of Horror IX. It ran opposite the ABC Big Picture Show (Casper), Touched By An Angel and Third Watch.

This is the second Treehouse Of Horror episode to air on Halloween.

The show opens in a studio, Live from Fabulous Centauri City. The hosts are Kang and Kodos. The Simpsons are watching on the couch and are characters from various past Horror episode, Homer is the Jack In The Box (The Bart Zone), Marge is a witch (Easy Bake Coven), Maggie the half alien baby (Starship Poopers), Bart is the fly (Fly Vs. Fly) and Lisa has a fake axe through her head since nothing has happened to her in any of the previous Treehouse Of Horror episodes. When she complains the Kang and Kodos show doesn't have anything to do with Halloween she is disintegrated by Maggie. 

The Kang and Kodos opening of the episode is a spoof on 1970's comedy variety shows. 

I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did

The title of this episode is based on the 1997 movie I Know What You Did Last Summer

The family is coming back just after escaping from vampires, to get their Super Sugar Crisp back. Due to the heavy fog Marge can't see very well and accidentally runs over Ned Flanders. Homer does a Weekend At Bernies and plans to throw dead Ned off the roof where Maude can see him but she doesn't see the fall, so Homer throws him in the front door. Homer gives the eulogy and almost exposes Marge. On the way home Homer decides they got away with murder and wants to run over Milhouse but Marge stops him. When they get home "I Know What You Did" is written in blood on their door. In the street Wiggum, Krusty, Moe, Sherri and Terri are staring at them, Homer is pointing at Marge. Homer gets a creepy call from someone saying "I know you're alone" but they want Maude, it turn out to be Moe. Meanwhile "I know what you did" is written all over their house and car. They try to flee but run out of gas. Homer suggest Marge hide in the abandon amusement park, Lisa in the pet cemetery, Bart in the spooky Roller Disco, and Homer is going to the lake where the sexy teens were killed exactly 100 years earlier on the very night. It turns out the one chasing them is Ned, he was attacked by a werewolf on the night the Simpsons ran him over and is now one of the undead. Ned kills and eats Homer.

First Church Of Springfield sign: Ned Flanders - Husband, Father, Wacky Neighbor.

Super Sugar Crisps were changed to Golden Crisps in 1985 during the healthy food craze (the overall nutrition content of the cereal wasn't changed). They are still sold a Sugar Crisps in Canada.

Desperately Xeeking Xena

The title of this episode is a combination of the 1985 movie Desperately Seeking Susan and the 1995 tv series Xena Warrior Princess.

The school is holding a halloween candy inspection. Nelson jams his bag of candy into the x-ray machine and when it overloads it gives Lisa and Bart super powers. Lisa is super strong and Bart can stretch. They become Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl. They defeat Hussein and Nazis in a blimp trying to attack NYC. Tonight's Episode: Enter... The Collector. Comic Book Guy is the Collector. Springfield Books is having a Meet Lucy Lawless event. The Collector kidnaps Lucy Lawless by using an electro magnet on her metal breastplate, she's going to take it off but there are too many Nerds watching. Bart and Lisa burst in to the Collectors lair, he pulls a phaser on Lisa, she calls Bart for help but he's stretched around to the Adult Section of the comic book store. The Collector shoots Lisa but Bart keeps stretching out of the way until he uses up all the power in the phaser, but he hits Bart in the head knocking him out. The Collector plans on dipping the kids in lucite to preserve them forever. Lucy Lawless starts seducing The Collector and when he gets close enough she beats him up. The Collector has a double edged Star Wars light saber but he removes it from the packaging, he freaks out at what he did and falls in his own lucite, frozen in a power pose forever. Lucy Lawless grabs the kids and flies them home. When Lisa Simpson says Xena can't fly Lawless replies "I'm not Xena, I'm Lucy Lawless". Lisa say "oh". 

Lucy Lawless does her own voice in this episode.

Other TV characters captured by The Collector. Spock / Gilligan / The Lost In space Robot / 7 Of 9 / Matt Groening / Doctor Who (Tom Baker version) / Yasmine Bleeth (In a Baywatch swimsuit)

In 1999 Saddam Hussein was still the ruler of Iraq.

Life's A Glitch, Then You Die

The title of this episode is based on popular bumper stickers of the day, I think you get the reference. 

It's New Years Eve, 1999 in Springfield and they're holding their Rockin' Eve. Dick Clark is hosting the show. The band can't figure out if it's White Snake, Poison, Quiet Riot or Ratt. Rick James shows up and gets arrested after singing Super Freak. Homer was suppose to take care of the Y2K problem at the power plant but didn't so when it hits midnight the bug hits, Dick Clark turns to dust, McDonalds goes back to Zero Served and the Revolving Restaurant goes out of control, spinning people against the windows and then flying off.  While copying his butt Nelson gets pulled into the copier. All the electronic appliances go crazy and planes are falling out of the sky. At church Lovejoy calls upon everyone to repent their sins until Wiggum shows up to tell everyone that the mall is being looted. The family finds Krusty dead due to his pacemaker but find a note about Operation Exodus to save people by launching them to Mars. Lisa's name is on the list and she has to choose one parent, without hesitation she choses Marge. Homer and Bart find another spaceship and run on board. However they find that the ship is full of not so great people like Tom Arnold and Pauly Shore, and they are heading to the Sun. Homer can't stand having to listen to Rosie O'Donnell sing so he ejects into space and explodes.

Banner at The Simpsons party Happy 2000! Resolve To Use A Coaster. 

The statue of Jebediah Springfield has been decapitated. This is a reference to the episode The Telltale Head.

Tom Arnold does his own voice in this episode. 

Rosie sings The Trolly Song from Meet Me In St. Louis.

The plot of this episode is based on the Y2K disaster and the 1951 movie When Worlds Collide. The second ship full of Earth's rejects bound for the Sun is based on the 1980 book The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe by Douglas Adams. 

We've come to episode 230. I'm really putting a dent in the shows. I'm only 540 episodes away from being done, until they add more. At this point I'm over a quarter of the way through. I think I can keep going.

 The Simpsons 221-225

Simpsons Bible Stories

This episode premiered on April 4th 1999. The lead in show was The World's Funniest! and it was followed by Futurama. It ran opposite ABC Big Picture Show (The Little Rascals), Touched By An Angel and NBA Basketball (Houston 84-Seattle 101)

The chalkboard gag is "I cannot absolve sins" and the couch gag is the family runs into the living room but the floor is covered with bananas, they all slip but end up falling on the couch. 

The Simpsons are at church on Easter but it's extra hot. Homer slips a chocolate rabbit in the collection plate so Lovejoy goes on a long Bible reading. He also shuts off the fans so he can be better heard. To mark the passage of time we see the rabbit melting. 

Part 1

Marge dreams that her and Homer are Adam and Eve. Ned is God. Snake shows up as, well, the snake, and tempts them to eat the apple, Adam scarfs it down and then convinces Eve to do the same. Eve gets caught and kicked out, Adam plans to sneak her back in via a hole a unicorn digs, it then drops dead. God comes back and kicks them both out. Marge wakes up to Lovejoy blathering on.

Eve asks God for some magazines so he gives her copies of People, Adam and Eve are on the cover since they are the only people.

Part 2

Lisa dreams she's in Egypt working on the pyramids. Bart wrote King Butt on Skinner's sarcophagus but is ratted out by the burning bush. Bart is put to work scrubbing the outhouses. To free the slaves Lisa comes up with a series of plagues starting with dumping frogs on Skinner, but he eats them and thinks it's a gift from Ra. To punish them Wiggum throws Lisa and Milhouse into the pyramid. While looking for the secret passage Milhouse pushes a button and the spiked walls start closing in on them, but get stuck because they were built by slave labor, the kids climb up the spikes to the top of the pyramid and announce the people are fleeing to freedom. In order to cross the Red Sea the kids all flush the Egyptian toilets at the same time. When the Pharaoh follows them it refills. Lisa tells Milhouse the Jews have 40 years of wandering the desert, he says "but after that it's clear sailing for the Jews, right?". 

Wille is the slave driver, Skinner is the Pharaoh, Wiggum is his bodyguard, Milhouse is Moses. Mrs. Krabappal is Mrs. Krabapatra.

Wiggum throws Lisa and Milhouse into the pyramid he says "give my regards to the British Museum". This is a spoof on the long standing controversy of the British having looted the ancient world and taken the artifacts back with them. 

The Sphere of Isis is in the Pharaoh's tomb. It was seen in the episode Lost Our Lisa. 

Bart chisels hieroglyphics as punishment. Eye / Well / Knot / D + Face (I will not deface), when Milhouse blows the rams horn Bart runs out like in the opening chalkboard gag. There is also a drawing of Horus in place of the clock.

This segment was based on the 1956 movie The 10 Commandments. Wiggum, who's voice sounds like Edward G. Robinson is animated like his character from the movie. 

Part 3

Homer imagines himself as King Solomon. Lenny and Carl have a dispute over a pie so Homer rules that it should be cut in two, he then eats the pie and condemns Lenny and Carl to death. The story then turns into The People's Court with Jesus Christ vs. Checker Chariot. Homer is waken by Bart because he's sitting on his arm.

Part 4

Bart dreams that he is King David. Krusty is the court jester doing biblical jokes. Grandpa comes in and dies, he was killed by Goliath II, Stone Cold "This time it's Biblical." When they face off David forgot his rock, he tries cutting Goliath's hair but finds out that only works on Samson. David gets tossed out of the city so Ralph the shepherd goes to confront the giant, and gets killed. There is a montage of David getting ready for the next fight using sheep. David keeps trying to get into the tower using grappling hooks but hooks guards by mistake. Goliath eats a whale and tosses out the bones, which contain Jonah's skeleton. Goliath also eats a large ear of corn and David uses the holders to climb the wall (a spoof on the 1982 movie Conan The Barbarian when they climb into the Snake Tower). Goliath plans on eating David but he throws an oil lamp down the giant's throat and blows him up. However Goliath isn't really dead, just then Ralph shows up (he wasn't really dead either) and kills Goliath with his headstone. The people are angry because Goliath was actually a great king and arrest David.

Bart is King David, Nelson is Goliath. 

SLH talks to Bart in a spoof of the 1960's TV show Davey and Goliath. 

Jerusalem 970 BC / Tower of Babel -- 9:35 PM

Ralph's headstone: Ralph 975 BC - 970 BC. Is Ralph only 5? I thought he was 8 like Lisa. Perhaps this is just in Bart's dream. 

When Bart arm wrestles the sheep The Winner Takes It All by Sammy Hagar plays, this is a spoof on the 1987 movie Over The Top.

When Wiggum arrests Bart for Megacide he says "Where's your messiah now?" This is a quote by Edward G. Robinson from The Ten Commandments. 

The episode ends with a Belisarius Productions detective show music and the words A Bart Simpson Dream

The Simpsons wake up to find everyone is gone, however it turn out to be the Rapture complete with the four horsemen. The Flanders ascend to heaven, when Lisa starts to go up Homer pulls her back down. Homer runs into Hell because he smells bbq however they are all out of hot dogs, the coleslaw has pineapple in it and it's German potato salad. 

Highway to Hell by AC/DC plays over the closing credits.

First Church Of Springfield, Today's Topic: Christ dyed eggs for your sins.

Mom And Pop Art

This episode premiered on April 11th 1999. The lead in show was The World's Funniest and it was followed by Family Guy. It ran opposite The W.W.O. Disney (Harriet The Spy), 60 Minutes and Dateline NBC

The title comes from the 1960's Pop Art movement.

The chalkboard gag is "A trained ape could not teach gym" and the couch gag is a repeat of the Dr. Strangelove bomb.

Marge tells Homer to take care of some of the jobs he's been putting off around the house so he heads to the mega hardware store. He sees a video on how to build your own outdoor bbq pit and buys the kit. He accidentally dumps everything into the concrete pad and freaks out creating a giant mess which he then attacks with a crowbar. He tries to return the mess but the store won't take it back, he tries to dump it into the Toys For Tots box he gets caught by Wiggum, the mob throws a "beanie baby" in. As Homer is towing it home his bumper falls off and it crashes into a fancy car. The owner of the car shows up and instead of getting mad at Homer she wants to display his bbq mess as a sculpture in her gallery. At the gallery is a piece of cave art, with a caveman artist. Jasper Johns is at the gallery stealing food and lightbulbs. Burns buys Homer's sculpture. To inspire Homer's anger art Bart says he's attracted to Milhouse. Marge is jealous of Homer becoming an artist. When they reveal Homer's new art everyone hates it. Homer falls asleep in the museum and the artwork invades his dream and attacks him. Lisa tells Homer about Christo so he comes up with a plan. Inspired by the painting Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore by Joseph Turner, Homer steals all the doormats and throws them in the storm drains, then he puts snorkels on the zoo animals opens all the fire hydrants flooding the town. Everyone loves it, Marge paints the scene but Jasper Johns steals it. Arrivederci Roma by Michale Dees plays over the closing credits. 

Isabella Rossellini does the voice of the gallery owner Astrid Weller.  Jasper Johns does his own voice. 

Homer sings Put The Lime In The Coconut by Harry Nilsson but he swaps out "beer" for "lime". Ned pops over the fence saying "Homer" where "Doctor" would go.

Homer's garage paint job. One corner with a note that says Star Here Tomorrow 7/7/95. That was four years ago in this episode's timeline and 28 years ago now.

Mom And Pop Hardware, A Subsidiary of Global Dynamics Inc.

The video at the hardware store is Doug Vacccaro, "you know me as Chip, the wise cracking assistant on Toolin' Around". This is a spoof of Richard Karn who played Al on the TV series Home Improvement. It's also a tribute Troy McClure (Phil Hartman)

When the gallery owner shows up at the Simpson's house Homer pulls a shotgun out from behind the wall hanging toilet box. This is a spoof on the hidden gun in The Godfather. He dumps it in Maggie's crib

Homer's license plate is 3FJP24 and he has a Single -N- Sassy bumper sticker.

In high school Homer was voted to most likely be a hillbilly, mental patient or chimpanzee.

The name of the gallery is Louvre: American Style (a spoof on the 1970's tv show Love American Style) The banner out front: Inside: Outside Art / Solo Show: Homer's Odyssey. (this joke is self explanatory) / No Shirt, No Shoes, No Chardonnay. 

Barney's girlfriend Yoko Ono is at the gallery.

To pay for a drink Moe lets Homer use a drawing, Barney draws A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of Lagrange Jatte by Seurat but Moe won't accept it. 

Homer reads Art In America. the magazine has been published since 1913.

Homer says Ray Jay Johnson is as popular as ever. He was on the episode The Gabbo Show.

When Marge takes Homer to the museum they have a drawing of Akbar and Jeff from Matt Groening's comic strip Life In Hell.

Self aware joke, Homer says Groening can barely draw, a pencil come down and starts to erase him. It turns out to be a Clause Oldenberg statue that gallery workers are installing. 

During the flood the oatmeal factory explodes and then flood the hospital,  the people in the burn ward give a sigh of relief.

Best line of the episode "Everything's coming up Milhouse". If you know, you know.

There is a lot of background art in this episode but I'm not going to list it all.

The Old Man And The "C" Student

This episode premiered on April 25th 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite The W. W.O. Disney (Eddie), Touched By An Angel and Dateline NBC.

The title of this episode comes from the novel The Old Man And The Sea (this is the second time they've used it, the first was The Old Man And The Lisa)

The chalkboard gag is "Loose teeth don't need my help" and the couch gag is a repeat of the crowd in the living room.

The Olympic Committee gets into an argument about where to hold the summer games, they read a letter from Lisa and the head of the committee decides to choose Springfield. The town is holding a mascot contest so Homer tries to create one, he puts the cat in paper mache, his second idea is Springy the Springfield Spring, it's picked to be the official mascot. Everyone pitches in to clean up the town, they change the name of the strip club from Lap Dancing to Lapland Dancing, Wiggum forces the rats to all leave. The fire department puts out the tire fire. Burns pretends that he runs a solar power plant. The kids put on a song about the future so the committee is ready to announce Springfield the host of the games until Bart does his ethnic comedy and insults them all, they leave the city and on the way out of town the Russian flicks a cigarette out the window and sets the tires back on fire. As punishment all the kids are assigned 20 hours of community service. Martin is assigned to set up a basketball program for inner city youth, they take a shot at him. Milhouse is assigned to pick up medical waste on the beach. Bart thinks he'll be working at the Fireworks, Candy and Puppy Dog store but instead he ends up at the senior home. Lisa is hosting the Bingo and with every number Jasper shouts "you sank my battle ship". The prize is a banana, Bart objects. Next the nurse announces it's nap time, when the staff takes the opportunity to vacuum the seniors. Homer ordered a thousand springs even though they cancelled the olympics, he tries to sell them door to door. He tries to make a self flipping hamburger pan but sets the kitchen on fire. He also raps Maggie with springs. Eventually he flushes them down the toilet. Bart kidnaps the seniors and takes them on a boat trip. Burns's yacht runs into the boat and it starts to sink. Jack LaLanne shows up and starts pulling the boat to shore with his teeth, only splitting the boat into three parts. Instead of sinking the boat keeps running into the springs Homer flushed. Bart promises to drop by the nursing home the next day. The Beatles "Can't Buy Me Love" plays over the closing credits.

Jack LaLanne does his voice in this episode. This was also a reference to his annual pulling boats to celebrate his birthday. For his 70th he pulled 70 boats through Long Beach Harbor. 

International Olympic Committee: Now with Myanmar! In 1989 Burma changed its name to Myanmar.

Former Olympic mascots, The Atlanta Whatzit and the Montreal Vampire. 

The actual 2000 Summer Olympics were held in Sydney Australia

Springfield Shopper headline: Town Prepares For Olympics, Pickpockets Call Up Reserves.

Springfield Tire Fire: Est. 1989 (This is a continuity error because in the episode Flaming Moe's Kent Brockman reported that the fire had been burning since 1966)

Chief from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest shows up at the senior's home to drop off casino pamphlets, then throws the water fountain through the window and takes off.

When the seniors are running around outside Can't Buy Me Love by the Beatles plays and they do a spoof on A Hard Day's Night.

Boat Cruise $5 Not Responsible For Lost Lunches

On the boat Bart says "Full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes". This is a quote from Admiral Farragut.

Smithers is drawing Burns in a spoof from Titanic.

Burns' boat name, Gone Fission II

The closing credits do a spoof on the Beatles Hard Day's Night album cover, Homer, Marge Lisa and Bart are in the place of the Beatles and the title is The Simpsons A Bart Day's Night.

NRBQ performs all the Beatles songs.

Monty Can't Buy Me Love

This episode premiered on May 2nd, 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite the regular programs. The Disney movie was Phenomenon

The title comes from the Beatles song Money Can't Buy Me Love, which was featured in the last episode. 

The chalkboard gag is "I have neither been there nor done that" and the couch gag is a repeat of the circus background.

The family is laying around the house, Marge complains that they need to go for a walk. When they refuse  Marge offers to read her poem she wrote about a duck, cut to them walking down the street. The family comes across a megastore grand opening, Marge doesn't want to go since it's not on their route but the family takes off without her. The store has a Shoplifting Department. Bart puts a penny on the track of the kids train and causes it to derail. Burns gets stuck in front of the store so he deploys the cow catcher on his car but gets stuck in Comic Book Guy. He goes inside the mega store as they announce the most popular billionaire but it's Arthur Fortune, everyone loves him and Burns gets jealous. Burns recruits Homer to help him become beloved, Homer convinces him to toss silver dollars onto the people but they all flee, Lenny gets one stuck in his forehead. Homer suggest donating money to charity so Burns sends him off to the hospital with a check. The next day Burns goes to the hospital and finds they named a wing after Homer and put up a statue of him in the lobby. Lisa suggests going on the radio, Burns wants to go on Don McNeill but Bart tells him he has to go on Jerry Rude and the Bathroom Bunch, Burns collapses while being mocked with fart sounds. When Homer tells Burns that Fortune donated two pandas to the zoo he sets off to Scotland to capture the Loch Ness Monster. Homer goes in the loch with a diving suit but winds up in the pub where he's playing pinball. Burns decides the only way to capture the monster is to drain the lake, he floods the town in the process. They find the monster but it turns out to be the homecoming float, then the actual monster shows up. Burns manages to capture the monster, off screen of course. Back at Springfield Burns is met at the dock to reveal the monster. Burns warns the crowd that they are enraging the beast but it loves the attention, however the flash bulbs cause Burns to lose his balance he knocks over the lights and sets the docks on fire. Homer tells Burns that it's easier to be hated than loved so he decides to go back to his old ways. Burns makes the monster the greeter at a casino. The show ends with a bagpipe versions of the theme song. 

The family is watching Cash In Your Legacy, a spoof on The Antique Roadshow. Simpsons regulars, Herman with a German WWI helmet, Dr. Hibbert with a vase, Miss Hoover with a stack of books, Comic Book Guy with a copy of Sad Sack comics, Krusty with a menorah (scratching himself with it), Apu with a statue of Ganesha, Skinner with a musket. Moe has an antique beer tap but it has no value since Homer carved Homer Rocks into the handle.

Sad Sack comics ran from 1942 until 1982. 

The button shop is called Dick's Buttons (this is a spoof on Dick Button, olympic skater)

Lisa watches The Postman with commentary, it turns out to be Kevin Costner apologizing in real life. 

Arthur Fortune is a spin on Richard Branson.

Small detail, Burns has a console TV and the dial is on channel 6 as he watches Kent Brockman.

Line of the episode Burns "I need your help, I want to be loved" Homer "Well, I'll need some beer"

Burns reads Billionaire Beat, a spoof on Teen Beat, he complains that he's less popular than Adam Sandler, and that's pretty bad even in 1999. 

Don McNeill's Breakfast Club ran from 1933 to 1968.

Jerry Rude is a spin on Howard Stern.

The homecoming Nessie float is a spoof on the 1975 underwater photos which claimed to be absolute proof of the monster, but then turned out to be a sunken prop from a 1968 movie. 

Burns on the Springfield dock with the reporters is a spoof on King Kong. 

Burns goes to the Vegas Town Casino in Las Vegas. This was probably going to be The Burns Casino in Springfield but then they remember that they exploded it in the episode Viva Ned Flanders.

This was a Drop The Cow episode. They went through all the trouble to capture the Lock Ness Monster but then didn't know where to go with it so they wound up in Vegas, for unknown reasons and discuss shrimp cocktails. No resolutions or real endings will become a bigger problem in the future. 

They Saved Lisa's Brain

This episode premiered on May 9th 1999. It ran in its usual time slot and opposite the regular programs. The Disney movie was Flubber.

The title of this episode comes from the 1968 movie They Saved Hitler's Brain. (Madman of Mandoras)

The chalkboard and couch gags are repeats,

Grandma Plopwell's Pudding his hosting a contest to win a trip to Hawaii, the grossest person in Springfield will go to Maui. When the people get to the contest they find out the trip is to Hartford Connecticut. Bart swallows anything people throw at him. Barney drinks six beers at once but his real act is jugging chickens. Homer wears a suit of popcorn and is attacked by the chickens. (Lisa complains). Moe shows up wearing a kid's sailor suit. Kirk wears a diaper, Lenny comes as a urinal, Apu is in a cow suit (a spoof on Hindus and cows), Burns and Smithers as a horse, Smithers in the rear of course. Rainer Wolfcastle declares himself the winner and starts a riot. A mobile Van Gogh exhibit gets shoved over and set on fire. Lisa writes a letter to the editor complaining, of course. Homer steals the second place prize, a free boudoir photograph, he has to look it up in the dictionary. Lisa goes around and bugs everyone about reading her letter in the paper. Lovejoy comes by with his Book Burning Mobile. Someone throws a paper airplane through Lisa's window, it's a note saying to come to a meeting of a secret society, naturally she goes. Lisa gets accepted into Mensa and is finally happy. While the photographer is at the house Bart shows up but Homer won't let him in the room, so he sneaks out and peaks in the window, and brings Milhouse. The Mensa members go to the park to do their Renaissance cosplay but drunks have taken over the gazebo they rented, when they ask Wiggum to help he goes for a beer. The group goest to city hall to talk to Quimby but he flees so they take over. The smart people convert Springfield to Metric Time. They start fighting over the ideas they want to implement. Homer's erotic photos inspire Marge to redecorate the basement. The nerds announce they are banning sports, future breeding will be based on the Vulcans 7 year cycle and introducing broccoli juice. The nerds start fighting over who is in charge until Stephen Hawking shows up. He points out that they are corrupted by power. A riot breaks out. Homer takes Hawking to Moe's to discuss his donut shaped universe theory.

The family is watching Ethnic Mismatched Comedy #644. It's a spoof on both the odd couple and the hot wife/fat husband sitcoms that were popular. 

Grandma Plopwell's Pudding (poop joke)

The gross out contest judges are Krusty, Madeline Albright and Rainer Wolfcastle. 

Springfield Shopper editorial headline: Pudding Spree Not Enjoyed By All

The Mensa society meets at 13 Euclid Street. Euclid was a Greek mathematician and the father of Geometry. 

Mensa Members: Dr. Hibbert, Skinner, Frink, Comic Book Guy, Lindsey Naegle. 

The boudoir photographer is based on Annie Leibovitz, famed Rolling Stones photographer.

Large sign on the van, Boudoir Photography Discretion Guaranteed. (get it?)

Mensa changes the jury duty notices to "You have been chosen to join the Justice Squadron, 8 AM at the Municipal Fortress of Vengeance." I know that would work in my town.

One of Homer's erotic photos is him wrapped in a hose. This is a spoof on the classic photo of Natassja Kinski with a snake draped over her.

In the mid 90's I came up with an idea for a Metric clock, 20 hours, 100 minutes per hour, 100 seconds per minute. However it was one of those things I never followed up on and when the joke ran on The Simpsons I realized people would think I was just copying it so I never did it. (I realize other people probably came up with the same idea but it was pre internet so nobody bragged about it)

Yea, we've reached episode 225. I figure I would have quit some time in the hundreds but I'm still going. I wonder what adventures await me in the next five episodes?