Rate/Review: Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington (EABF09)

[Andy]

What starts out as a complaint that Springfield Airport's flight path goes right over the Simpson house ends with Krusty being elected to the U.S. Congress...but he soon starts to toe the Conservative line

This thread shall open once tonight's episode concludes on the East Coast (8:30 pm ET).

[Andy]

MY COPIOUS NOTES

1st ACT

--"Mmm... promo..." Timely, yet a bit weird... may be obsolete in a few years.
--Republican Party HQ funny (except for Dracula and Frankenstein)... everything Reagan very funny.
--The plot seemed very rushed... should have been a better reason to elect Krusty than Bart just thinking about it after seeing him on TV.
--Thank goodness the Rich Texan didn't dance.
--BOB DOLE! YES!
--The airspace gags were overdone... I lived in airspace for years. It's not that bad.

2nd ACT

--BUMBLEBEE MAN SPEAKS ENGLISH?!
--No more "penis" please, writers.
--Cletus scene... very funny.
--FOX NEWS PARODY: Brillance... and the commercial: ADDITIONAL BRILLIANCE. COMRADE!

3rd ACT

--The Yogi Bear maze... heh
--More crawl: yay!

This ep had way too many Looney Tunes characters as congressmen... I was really hoping for a more realistic Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington-type ep. Instead it seemed like Animaniacs. No offense toward Yakko, but eh, that's just not Simpson humor. Well put together, and many funny moments, but it just didn't FEEL Simpsony. Not one of the best.

[Drayken II]

4/5 loved fox news, even though I'm a republican :LOL:

[BlindPsychic]

Good one 4/5

[Rob G]

Pretty Good! Long first act (REALLY long)

It was a bit more cartoony than recent ep's, but it had the quality that is this season.

[Eddie]

Wow, this was worse than "Helter Shelter." :( This sucked. Some great jokes (Brockman's "penis" joke, the Fox News stuff, etc.), but a terrible plot, and unbelievably bad pacing. There was also bad animation (back to the soft, rounded, sloppy work of Season Thirteen) and bad voice-talent (Hibbert especially). What was the deal with the Fox ad joke, the appearance of the Republican Party (AGAIN!), the appearance of Cookie (AGAIN!), and all of those annoying plane and Krusty noises? This was crap! 2/5.

[FlawlessFlanders]

I thought it was a good, solid epiose. It was funny, not too jerkassy, even though I didn't like the "penis" joke... 4/5.

[or_smth]

After watching the episode I'm forced to conclude the same thing as the rest of the season: Fantastic story spoiled by crappy everything else.

It's faced with the same off-planted jokes, weird parodies, over-used jokes, re-used jokes, not so good voice acting and just general stupidity (do the Simpsons have to travel as a family in the same order EVERYWHERE?) as every single episode this season. I'm sure I'll get flamed for this as usual, but it's more letdown for season 14.

The only things I was actually laughing at were the subtleties, like the scrolling text below the fox interview (this interview was done pretty well actually).

I'm being generous with a 3/5.

[Hans Barber]

its was ok, pretty good episode. i liked the first 2 acts the best. id give it a 3\5. season is still going well. i have a feeling the next new episode, c.e.doh, wont be a suprisingly good episode. but well see. this season so far is still great. i also have a feeling this is homers last season as the center of attention, unless his character gets better. he is just getting annoying at times.

[Gabbo]

Not a bad episode at all. The plot was pretty good, and the humor was there. And yes the first act was very long. 4/5

Pros:
Joe Millionaire
Maggie drinking beer
Three Stooges
Grampa
Ch. 6
words they can't use
Cletus
FOX News
menu
bill
Dole
CPR

Cons:
dog hair
plane flying into the house
flying over poor people
planes flying so close
penis

[irv]

that was truly a great episode. not only the most i've laughed at a simpsons episode in a very long long time, but the most i've laughed in real life in a while. sheer enjoyment. swartzwelder truly is a great writer. great ending. great gags.

there was way more than enough good to overcome any flaws (there were very few), so this gets a 5/5 from me.

[ShadowBun]

Mixed feelings...the promo thing gave me a huge laugh, since I thought it WAS an actual promo for a moment.

Most of the episode seemed fairly on-track in terms of overall plot (I liked how it got started quickly, without a rambling 1st act), and there were a few doses of continuity as well (Cookie, Swear Jar). Many of the jokes got a chuckle or laugh (the news parody!), but many others fell flat on their faces. For some reason, the voice acting on Krusty seemed a bit flat...wonder what happened there. And as usual, a few sections had flat-out weird lip-synching.

Otherwise, watchable and usually funny. 3.5/5 for me, not sure what to vote for on the poll yet.

On a side note, I caught the 2nd half of King of the Hill...very enjoyable, second best this season (behind the season premiere).

[SpongeBob No Pants]

marge "quick somebody perform CPR"

homer "i see that bad moon a rising"


best joke ever

and best episode of the season

[Gagnonsux]

After last weeks great episode "Mr. Spritz" seemed very blah and middle of the road. While nothing about this episode was too bothersome, there wasn't much great stuff either. The first act was too long and tedious. I can only take so many minutes of airplane noise jokes. The second act was probably the best, I mainly enjoyed how Krusty bumbled along and the FOx News bit. THe 3rd act was a little better than the first, but the whole resolution wasn't funny and lacked haevy satire. FOr an episode I was hoping to be great, this one is a disapointment, still theres nothing too terrible about it to bring it down to the level of "Helton Shelter" or "Strummer Vacation". 3.5/5

[Stina]

Funny episode. 4/5 ^_^

[Mafia]

i really enjoyed it.

FOX News was awesome. The scroll bar on the bottom was hilarious. 89% of all democrats: gay. Brad Pitt + Albert Einstein = Dick Cheney (i think this one was at the end).

During the C E DOH commercial they had more of the scroll bar stuff. It was on top instead of bottom. Both the in-show one and one during the ad/credits were awesome.

Ah... Man... making fun of FOX News is awesome.

Trent Lott.... BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Promo thing... i'm glad it made fun of all those crappy promos riding across the screen.

Republican Party HQ returns. Good to see Bob Dole talk about Bob Dole.


The plot was a little sketchy, and some jokes failed. 4.5/5 for now.

[ShadowBun]

Also, there were a LOT of Fox jokes tonight. Not necessarily good or bad, just something I noticed. Also, there were a few too many sex jokes, I thought. I also didn't like how the family got involved with Krusty in Washington...this has happened SO MANY times before. I did like the courtroom scene with the paper clip and Homer/North Dakota. Good to see Burns again, too.

C.E.D'oh looks pretty wacky...I'm a little worried.

[Simpson Purist]

8.5/10, I thought it was great (for a silly episode).

Pros
-Pretty well paced, the 1st act didn't last 3 minutes
-Joe Millionaire crawl
-Krusty was his usual wacko self
-Cookie Kwan is my mom
-FOX News crawl, great stuff
-Rich Texan had his mouth shut
-Cletus and Ralph were funny
-No obtrusive appearances by Moe or Carl & Lenny
-The portrayal of Republican politics

Cons
-The Simpsons moving out of the house again? *yawn*
-Kent Brockman saying "penis", utterly stupid and disgusting
-Ending is once again a bit rushed, but at least it was full circle

A pretty darn good Krusty episode, yes it was silly, but it had a straightforward plot and didn't go off on any wild tangents.

Mark

[Moose of Doom!]

I need to rewatch the episode, but didn't the plot descriptions say Krusty would start to fit in with the governors?

I liked it, many past references (swear jar, Second Best Motel, etc.), but I also thought the governors were WAY too cartoonish and cliched. But watching this, then Olvier Beene made it seem so much better. Oh well.

[Sam]

In the absence of my long winded reviews and checklists of good and bad things, ill just leave you to wonder one thing.

Why has Cletus been in every season 14 episode?

I began noticing this a while back, but he is WIDELY used.

4/5. Solid ep.

(Beep)

[Mafia]

where was Dubya? Perfect oppurtunity to see the show's first Dubya impersonation.

I've also been counting cletus appearances. Every week, I see him. I started counting at Strong Arms though.

[NoOneFamous]

Ehh... no sir, I didn't really like it. Normally, when I complain about an episode, its because its too weird and wacky or something. This time, however, is because this episode was really dull. Absolutely nothing in it was memorable, and I think the plot wasn't thought out at all. There was absolutely NO reason for them to have Krusty run for office. It was so random, it was basically like "Hey! Lets have Krusty run for office for lack of a better plotline!" There were a lot of political jokes, but most were just cheap shots at best, nothing close to the political satire they used to do.

What I liked:
Everyone was in character, no one was annoying.
Krusty's commercial
Fox News/CNN thing in the episode and in the credits
A couple of really good jokes, but I forgot what they were.

What I didn't like:
- I guess the chalkboard gags are gone, as well as a new couch gag each episode.
- Three Stooges Beginning - it was funny, but starting each episode with a TV spoof is getting old now. Almost every episode starts like this these days.
- Another appearance of Cletus this season (hes overused lately)
- The Simpsons already went to Washington DC.. in a much better episode with a much better plot and political humor.
- They want to/have to move out of the house AGAIN???
- The airplane thing dragged on for too long, while the rest of the episode was rushed. They shouldn't have wasted time with them trying to sell it.
- The voice acting was off for pretty much everyone, and all the acting sounded forced. Especially Marge.
- The Joe Millionare joke. Joe Millionare is over! This won't be funny or wont make any sense in a month! Real smart to include this joke, writers!
;-/ I hope they edit this for syndication.
- WAY TOO MUCH TASTELESS SEX JOKES!!! I don't want to hear Simpsons characters say Penis! When will the writers realize that their main audience is not immature kids? I'm sorry, but these sex jokes / shock jokes are really beginning to piss me off, especially when theres about 10 of them in each episode. They used to do them every once in awhile, which would actually make it be a shock. Now, when I hear one of these jokes, I just groan and say "not another one." Is it really THAT hard to write a joke with integrity anymore?? Not that hearing sex jokes offends me, but its not funny and I don't want to hear cheap ass sex jokes on what used to be such an intelligent show.

I give it a 2/5. Strange, lame plot. Lots of needless offensive bullshit. 3/5 if I'm feeling generous, but right now, I'm not.

[irv]

this was far and away my favorite episode since lisa's sax

[Kalbelgarion]

Oh, My God! That was stupendous! That was the greatest episode of the Simpsons since…since…The City of NY vs. Homer Simpson.

As a political junkie, I must say that this episode had the best gag since season 9. The FOX News jokes were just *too* good. The Krusty/Armstrong discussion had me laughing, and the news crawl had me in tears.

This episode had a very well made and formulated plot, with a real resolution, and cutting-edge satire and comedy. *This* is how The Simpsons is supposed to be.

A definite 5/5, A+ episode. This could have easily fit into seasons 7 or 8 with no problem.

Now, this season’s scores:

Mr Spritz Goes to Washington-5/5
Pray Anything -4.5/5
Special Edna -4.5/5
A Star is Born Again –4.5/5
The Dad Who Knew Too Little -4.5/5
The Great Louse Detective -4/5
I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can -3.5/5
Strong Arms of the Ma –3.5/5
Bart vs. Lisa vs. 3rd Grade -3.5/5
Barting Over -3/5
Large Marge -3/5
Treehouse of Horror XIII -3/5
How I Spent My Strummer Vacation -2.5/5
Helter Shelter -1/5

[Sam]

Originally posted by Mafia
I've also been counting cletus appearances. Every week, I see him. I started counting at Strong Arms though.

I started counting at Helter Shelter.

(Beep)

[Handsome Pete]

Meh, I didn't have many good thoughts going into this episode, and I don't think I have many of them coming out either. Unlike some episodes, the jokes were fine (I'll list some of my favorites later), but what really got me was the plot. It was just way too outrageous to be entirely believeable. As Psyche said, the whole episode didn't feel very Simpsony. I mean, the whole plane thing in the first act seemed awfully rushed and not well thought out, but, obviously, the focus of the episode was on Krusty getting into Congress. Well, to each his own, I suppose...but I just wasn't very fond of the plot. The government part of it was obviously not up to "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" standards, but I suppose that's to be expected now. Also, the whole putting-the-bill-into-law part with a supposed Walter Mondale at the end was just too ridiculous for me to follow well.

On the plus side, some of the jokes didn't seem bad. Most of the Republican HQ stuff was pretty good (Reagan and Bob Dole jokes good, Dracula and Frankenstein's monster jokes bad), and I thought Fat Tony liking the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood was humorous (especially since I've seen and hated the film). The stock photo of Krusty (by a pool with a topless woman) also had me laughing for some reason. The best jokes, though, were involving the Fox News Channel. Even the news quickies at the bottom of the screen were good (and provided some excellent freeze-frame humor). It's just they way the show presented the channel...the real one actually works like that, and they usually provide a biased view on important things. It's sickening...but it's good that it was finally made fun of.

Overall, the jokes were decent, but the plot was disappointing. 2.5/5, rounded up to a 3. Heh heh..."Dan Quayle: Awesome". Just thinking about that right now.

[Mr. Plow]

I need to rewatch it since I think I missed a few of the jokes. Stiil a great and funny episode. 4/5.

[MaxPlow]

I liked this episode, 4/5.

[Tibor]

Yeah, at first I thought it was a real promo. Then I noticed that the brides were yellow and Homer was looking at it. This was surreal, but I liked it. I guess the producers were as annoyed with this as I was.

They're returning to the rapid fire joke formula that the show originally had, but they're more hit and miss here.

They continue their good use of Maggie, and I liked the Swear Jar. FOX News was sidesplitting, one of the best gags of the season so far. I had a helluva time trying to hear the jokes and read the news crawl. The most flat jokes came in the first act, with the planes flying low (but 'man the rake', and Lisa reciting the plane schedules was pretty good).

The pacing was a little off, and I WISH they would've cut the plane's flying overhead shorter and had more scenes of Krusty in Congress. Walter Mondale the janitor was nice, but like many episodes this season, it seems like the problem doesn't get resolved until the last two minutes.

And that's the only gripes I have. I missed A Star Is Born Again, but from what I've been seeing lately, it's only a steady return to true form. This is probably the most fun I've had this season. The sharpest the shows been in a while. Also the first time in a while that I've missed jokes from laughing at others.

...JFK posthumously joins the Republican Party...

[Hans Barber]

forgot to mention...one thing that makes john swartzwelder sucha great write is subtle messages. that pretty much made the episode. and there we a few random parts i liked. i actually thought the plane crashing into the house was pretty funny. and i really like the fox news and the campaine commercial. id have to really re watch it to catch everything i may have missed.

[homer5000]

I'll make it short because I'm having a "low on energy" moment (Something that happens to me where I lose all energy, I become extremely cold, and I feel very pale)...but great, great episode. FOX News was great and good use of Krusty. I almost went over when the Joe Millionaire thing popped up. Did anyone see what characters were running across the screen (I know one was Ms. Van Houten and Edna)? By the way, did anyone noticed Kruty said "The system works!" just like Lisa on "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"?

[irv]

anyone who gives this less than a 4 is a faggot and should be beaten to death. you don't like the simpsons.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

did anybody else think the CPR joke was the best this season?

[thecapecoddah]

4.5/5 to 5/5, the best and most hilarious episode of the season. That news ticker was ridiculously awesome, the three stooges scene was great, and Krusty was in pre-season 10 form (I agree with Shadowbun on Azaria sounding a lil' weird though).

So many great gags - the only one I didn't care for was the Joe Millionaire "Mmm... promo" bit in the beginning. I can tolerate Kent's "penis" line... but The Simpsons has used it before a few times, so any shock-value it may have once had is gone. Didn't laugh at that this time around.

No more negative crap from me though, that episode rocked. Unlike what Psyche said, the plot didn't feel rushed at all and I'm very glad they didn't feel the need to find a way to get Krusty out of congress in the 3rd act.

In conclusion, make Homer a supporting character in most future episodes. Seriously, the charater's great in that role.

P.S. Rupert Murdoch... Great Dancer

[Wavy Gravy]

Wow, and here I was thinking political satire was dead on "The Simpsons". This episode was great! The opening scenes were funny (especially the knock at those FOX promos). The whole air traffic idea was good , especially Frink's scene ("If I stop pedalling I'll die, but it's still better than US Air!") Seeing Krusty's campaign speeches was cool too. The Washington scenes were also very well done, especially the portrayals of the politicians. I can see some controversy swirling over this episode in the near future. Lots of great jokes, and plenty of satire made this a memorable piece of work. 4/5.

[Mafia]

i remember in high school, being able to watch the congressmen debate over something. i was suprised to see some sense of humor and witty comebacks inside.

I wish I recorded. Can someone who recorded it say all the stuff on the FOX NEWS news ticker on the bottom of the screen in the episode, and on the top of the screen during the next week promo?

[FrankysteinMark II]

Did anyone notice how similar Krusty's commericial in this ep. was to his (Ribwich) commercial in "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"?

[bhlaab]

There was a Bongo doll in the very beginning of the episode. That coupled with the Akbar and Jeff reference in Helter Shelter tonight made me a happy viewer. Things like that excite me.

[Kalbelgarion]

I agree that the subtle touches are what oftentimes makes The Simpsons great. I didn't even hear what was being *said* on FOXnews. I was crying from laughter from the news crawl and the Soviet Symbol over Armstrong's shoulder. I'm going to have to see that scene again. :)

"Do Democrats cause Cancer? Find out at FOXnews.com!" :LOL:

[skittlebrau]

Originally posted by homer5000
Well...my saved spot that was right after the second post was destroyed for some unknown reason (I got away with it last time!)...so I'm saving this spot for my review in hopes it won't be destroyed...
Here's your answer.

http://www.nohomers.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24136

No more saving spots for your reviews, kids.

[Drayken II]

"90% of all democrates are gay..."
Those devil horns were great.

[Smilin'JoeFission]

Wow!Fantastic episode. Not only was it a solid episode, it was Krusty at his funniest. Excellent story, balanced with excellent gags.

My favorite line was "Bob Dole thinks that Bob Dole should run! Actually, Bob Dole just likes hearing Bob Dole talk about Bob Dole...Bob Dole"

The FOX News parody was excellent. Did anyone notice the scrolling marquee continue during the credits?

The show hasn't lost its edge either. It got FOX back for the Joe Millionaire Promos distarcting us from the show, and Brazil's tourism board for the events after "Blame it on Lisa".

Best epsiode of the season! A++

Do Democrats cause cancer? Find out at FOXnews.com (http://www.foxnews.com)

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
anyone who gives this less than a 4 is a faggot and should be beaten to death. you don't like the simpsons.

I can't wait till you're banned, you opinionated asshole. Whats wrong? Is everyone so mean to you in real life that you have to take it out on people at a cartoon message board?? You don't have your freakin' special privilages anymore, so keep this up. Most of us will be glad to see you gone.

[JonMDavis]

4/5

Favorite episode of the season so far. Loved the FOX News stuff. Can't post more now, too busy. By the way, was there a new chalkboard gag or couch gag? I missed the opening credits, so if there was, that just means that I'll have to tape it when they show it later.
Thanks.

[doyle]

i thought it was pretty good. loved the closing line, and esp the fox news channel

9.4/10

[irv]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous


I can't wait till you're banned, you opinionated asshole. Whats wrong? Is everyone so mean to you in real life that you have to take it out on people at a cartoon message board?? You don't have your freakin' special privilages anymore, so keep this up. Most of us will be glad to see you gone.

"us" being fags who hate the show but watch it anyway, for the sole purpose of giving it a bad review? you assholes should be banned. watching the simpsons is not a chore, but a pleasure.

[Simpson Purist]

Here we go again with this whole opinion thing ;-/. Everyone has an opinion, if you don't like it, just ignore it (or in Paul Anka's case, "Just Don't Look").

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
"us" being fags who hate the show but watch it anyway, for the sole purpose of giving it a bad review? you assholes should be banned. watching the simpsons is not a chore, but a pleasure.
Notice that I have 5 episodes in my signature that I gave Bs and higher, so I don't hate every episode. You're just assuming I am, like the way you assume everything about a person from reading 1 post by them. The episodes these days are either a hit or miss with me. What I think of the episode is my opinion, and I don't give a shit if YOU think the episode was great.

[brentholomew]

Well, I missed the 1st act so my score will be based upon what I thought about the 2nd and 3rd. I think I got what the 1st act was, an airpot was built by the simpsons house and planes were flying over there house. Krusty wasn't out of character at all, he wasn't cynical at all. Homer's whiny voice appeared many times, but the jokes in this ep were grand.

4/5

[irv]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous

Notice that I have 5 episodes in my signature that I gave Bs and higher, so I don't hate every episode. You're just assuming I am, like the way you assume everything about a person from reading 1 post by them. The episodes these days are either a hit or miss with me. What I think of the episode is my opinion, and I don't give a shit if YOU think the episode was great.

your opinion is wrong, though. that's what i wish you would see.

[Gagnonsux]

HOw can an opinion be wrong?

[Maddog53]

Originally posted by Gagnonsux
After last weeks great episode "Mr. Spritz" seemed very blah and middle of the road. While nothing about this episode was too bothersome, there wasn't much great stuff either. The first act was too long and tedious. I can only take so many minutes of airplane noise jokes. The second act was probably the best, I mainly enjoyed how Krusty bumbled along and the FOx News bit. THe 3rd act was a little better than the first, but the whole resolution wasn't funny and lacked haevy satire. FOr an episode I was hoping to be great, this one is a disapointment, still theres nothing too terrible about it to bring it down to the level of "Helton Shelter" or "Strummer Vacation". 3.5/5

I agree 100% You can check out my review here!!!!! (http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/EpisodeReviewPage/showid-146/epid-197294/blockid-97961/) Anyway, I gave the episode a 3/5 (and I liked Strummer Vacation by the way).

Maddog.

[used]

If Jesus's warning points reach 30 will he actually be banned, when did this happen? Not saying he should be banned, because I agree that if you don't like the simpsons you shouldnt be watching it.

[brentholomew]

Well some episodes ARE bad, there is no doubt about it, and the majority are good, so who cares. And Jesus Plays His Hits needs to have a little more knowledge before he gives his 5 year old opinion, seriously.

[NoOneFamous]

But I DO still like the show! For the most part, I've been really pleased with this season. I just didn't like this episode, along with a few others this season that I thought were duds. I try to be completely honest and un-biased with every episode review I give.

[Simpson Purist]

Originally posted by Gagnonsux
How can an opinion be wrong?

Opinions are wrong when they are stated as facts, which is exactly what's happening right now.

[skittlebrau]

Meh, episode was decent at best. I'll give it a 3/5 for now, but I might raise it later because I was doing several things at once and couldn't really pay attention to the TV. Could be a great episode when I see the thing in it's entirety. :rad:

[lisa_the_greek]

Loved it. The Joe Millionaire thing was brilliant, since it annoys the heck out of me when Fox does that (others do it too, but Fox seems to be the worst offender). I loved how they poked fun at Fox News. Actually, I'm a conservative and enjoy Fox News, but I could still appreciate that joke. The plot was very classically Simpsons to me. Very well done, one of the best ones this season.

[Toxic Monkey]

rocked. 4/5. the fox gags were just too hilarious.

btw, was it just me, or did they not air the part that was in the commercial when homer says something about south dakota not being a state?

[Handsome Pete]

If you ask me, the sex jokes are getting to be a bit of a nuisance. Using the word "penis" in such a way as tonight's episode did really bogs down episodes. Also, as good as Cletus's appearance was, I do feel that they are overusing them. There's only so much one can laugh at from a minor character in a given amount of time.

Other than that...no real complaints. Episode still kinda seems mediocre to me, but that's just my opinion.

[ShadowBun]

I've decided to finally bump my rating up to a 4...unfortunately, I already voted 3 on the poll, so disregard that. After reading these posts, I remembered a lot of GOOD jokes in the show, heck, even some great ones (the news flash was seriously great stuff...something you'd see in Season 6 or something...for some reason, reminded me of Homer:Badman; I also liked Krusty's commercial, when a man loves his country!). Just stuff like "Vote Quimby! VOTE QUIMBY!" kinda turned me off to the great things like that scene and the promo gag.

Anyone else notice that the "baby kissing" scene wasn't in the episode? And did anyone see that Oliver Beene show or whatever it was? How was that?

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by Toxic Monkey
btw, was it just me, or did they not air the part that was in the commercial when homer says something about south dakota not being a state?

Yeah, they've been doing that a lot lately. Maybe Fox wants them to create promo clips the same way they do the promo cards: try to get you interested, but usually have something that isn't even in the episode.

[Handsome Pete]

ShadowBun is right, the news ticker does seem like something out of an earlier season. The whole Fox News Channel thing was just well done as a whole, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Krusty's commercial was pretty amusing, too. However, some of the jokes did seem to try to appeal to older fans, and they failed. I'm thinking particularly about the Dracula bit at the Republican HQ: A vampire was in there in "Sideshow Bob Roberts", and I think they decided to put Drac in just to try to make us think about those old times. I didn't mind the swear jar, though.

And there's a whole thread about Oliver Beene here (http://www.nohomers.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24074).

[Gabbo]

Originally posted by FrankysteinMark II
Did anyone notice how similar Krusty's commericial in this ep. was to his (Ribwich) commercial in "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"?

The people talking during the commercial sounded very similar to the one's in the Ribwich commercial. I also loved the CPR joke, and getting back at Joe Millionaire was funny, mainly because at first I thought it was real.

[HomertheGreat]

I liked it a lot, the Joe Millionaire thing was funny and the Fox News headlines was one of the most brillant things I've seen in a couple of years. And what I liked was that the kept the jokes flying from start to finish, thought some of them bombed the majority of them were hilarious
OVERALL: B+/A-

[irv]

it's great that they kept krusty as a congressman at the end of the episode because it provides new opportunites for stories. they can't just keep the characters the same forever, or else there's only so many episodes they can make interesting.

[SeanOhio]

As a political junkie, I was floored by the political satire in this episode. That rectified the bizarre situation in the Capitol. The mockery of FOX News, the oil joke, the supersoldier joke, and the town hall meeting were hilarious.

The final line was, in my opinion, a sharp jab at Republicans. The flight path bill was passed by Republicans and now the planes fly over the homes of poor people. It is making a subtle joke about Republicans neglecting the lives of the poor. It was a bit deep, but I think most will get it once they re-watch the episode.

[Mafia]

when i first heard the supersoldier joke, i thought x-files, but i know that plenty of conspirancy nuts talk about the government creating them.

Drac and Frankenreagan were pretty bad.

[Bob Underdunk T]

4/5
Originally posted by JonMDavis
By the way, was there a new chalkboard gag or couch gag?
No chalkboard gag. They used the couch gag from EABF01, "The Great Louse Detective."

[doyle]

Originally posted by Say Days Ago
If Jesus's warning points reach 30 will he actually be banned, when did this happen? Not saying he should be banned, because I agree that if you don't like the simpsons you shouldnt be watching it. i have to say that it isnt a good idea to sign up for this just to complain about the show, not to say that noonefamous does that, he obviously does still like the show. as for the whole controversy that seems to surround jesus sometimes when he posts, i happen to agree with many of his opinions, and looking into it, weve shared the same grades for almost every episode this season. i just suggest that it is taken down a notch as to not be as offensive, because everyones insight should be equally important

[Tibor]

I really wish I had taped this.

I missed Brockman's 'penis' line... What did he say?

[HomertheGreat]

"Were here live at (can't remember name) rally. To prove that were live...penis" I think that's it

[Moose of Doom!]

We're here live- and just to prove it- penis.

[JonMDavis]

Originally posted by Bob Underdunk T
4/5

No chalkboard gag. They used the couch gag from EABF01, "The Great Louse Detective."

Thank you very much!

[Mayor Quimby]

Good solid episode, better then I thought it would be.

[Tibor]

That wasn't so bad...

Did A Star Is Born Again have a blackboard gag? 'Spelling' didn't... Did Bart chopping up the blackboard signify the end of it?

[Mafia]

doubt it. not all the episodes have it. My guess is to make the actual episode 15 seconds longer or something.

[Tibor]

Yeah, but three in a row is unusual. It makes me mad that we still get a commercial cut between the opening and the first act, even when it gets cut short.

[Joe]

i don't know if i was in a good mood or something, but i really enjoyed this episode...the best in a long while...damn...

4/5

[Ned Flanders272]

noy too bad 4/5

[Bubble Crum]

4/5
I'm pretty tired and taped the episode and just watched it. It was good, but I just don't like politics enough and didn't hear enough jokes to give it a solid 5/5. Good for repeat value I guess.

P.S. The Quimby's Opera house joke may be lame, but its based on a true story. Now that's good satire!

[brancely]

WOW!

Without a doubt, tonight's was the best episode of the season! It mixed a coherent plot with some amazing jokes throughout! The pacing was near perfect, the characters were dead-on, and I was laughing out loud frequently throughout the episode!

I really enjoyed the crawl, the Three Stooges, the swear job, Maggie's beer, the Cinnabon joke, Homer waving the rake, CPR, Channel Six, the Republican Party Headquarters (!!!!!), Bob Dole, Flanders, Cletus, "when you look at me like that, it's a joke", Krusty's opponent, the international sketch, Moe's pipes, the 612 train, FOX news, the news bar on the bottom of the screen, Krusty's campaign commercial, the stock photo, the grafiti, dollar coins no one uses, Homer's Yogi Bear maze, the whole plan for the re-routing bill.

Some thigns were out of place: Professor Frink, Fat Tony (surprisingly), Mayor Quimby (!), Ralph (WTF?), Bumblebee Man, PENIS, over the homes of poor people.

The pros seriously outnumber the cons. When I watched this, I really thought I was watching Seasons 8-9. I truly think the Simpsons are coming out of a rut.

However....

WHERE WAS THE NORTH DAKOTA JOKE?!

Anyways, to sum up, "Mr. Spritz" is the best episode of the season thus far. "C. E. D'oh" doesn't look too bad, but they actually put a boobs joke in the ad! WHY?

I gave this episode a 9.5, which equals a 5/5 on your scale, or a solid A on other scales.

BTW, the couch gag is reused from EABF01 "The Great Louse Detective"

[irv]

the penis thing made me burst out laughing. that thing was a reference to the post 9-11 news coverage, where stations would claim to be live, but then would break in with live coverage

[brancely]

Yeah, but they could have easily parodied the news stations without mentioning the male sex organ. You don't understand, it's not that I didn't understand the joke, it's that bursting out "PENIS" just isn't funny

[Tibor]

Could someone who taped this post the whole news crawl?

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
the penis thing made me burst out laughing. that thing was a reference to the post 9-11 news coverage, where stations would claim to be live, but then would break in with live coverage
It wasn't a reference to anything. It was just an excuse to say penis on the air and get all the kiddies to laugh. OMG HE SAID PENIS LOLOL!!!!!1111

[brancely]

Who knows? It could have been a reference, or it could have just been another random joke. We don't know what the writers were smoking on that particular day.

[HomerSimpson69]

Haven't seen it yet (I don't live in the US) but it sounds good.

[irv]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous

It wasn't a reference to anything. It was just an excuse to say penis on the air and get all the kiddies to laugh. OMG HE SAID PENIS LOLOL!!!!!1111

again, you're wrong. i'm really going to have to ask that you be correct the next time you post. thanks.

[Gabbo]

Twice this season they have already used the word penis for no particular reason. When Brockman said it, it was completely random.

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
again, you're wrong. i'm really going to have to ask that you be correct the next time you post. thanks.
Well if I'm wrong, explain how you get a 9/11 coverage spoof out of Brockman shouting "Penis!" Because you've yet to support anything you say.

[Simpson Purist]

This bickering is pointless, but I'll have to side with NoOneFamous one this one. The "penis" joke was the only real low point of this episode, it would've been funnier had they bleeped out what Kent was trying to say. This would've made fun of the infamous 30 second delay that is seen in most award shows.

[DotheBartman]

Okay, granted there were some problems (Homer's suicide ring, the congressman can blab on and on, "penis", and some weird pacing here and there), but otherwise I liked this one. The Fox News jokes were better then I thought they'd be, and in general this episode actually had....satire. There were actually some things The Simpsons had never touched in their political satires that were touched here, like cheaply attaching one bill to another, that I really enjoyed. The episode wasn't amazingly funny (save for some bits like the Fox News scene), but overall a good satirical episode where the jokes didn't always have to be laugh out loud funny to be funny.

B/B+. Second best of the season.

[Tibor]

Sweet Zombie Jesus, DtB liked it! ;)

The Simpsons had never touched in their political satires that were touched here, like cheaply attaching one bill to another, that I really enjoyed.

I hate to mess up a good thing, but...


Bart's Comet

Congressman: I'd like to tack on a rider to that bill... 20 million dollars of tax payers money to support the perverted arts.

Speaker: All in favor of the ammended Springfield/Pervert bill?

I still liked it, though.

[Tomacco]

Well, I have to say I am really starting to expect quality episodes every week now, because that's what I've been getting.

The jokes were top-notch in this outing, and everyone was nicely in character. The story was decent, but in fact, it was really my only problem with the episode. First of all, there didn't seem to be a very logical reason for Krusty to be running for congress. Secondly, he didn't leave congress at the end of the episode, but then again, continuity isn't king on The Simpsons.

Basically, we got everything from governmental and political satire, media satire, direct parody, character humor, and one-liners in this episode. Many minor characters got screentime in this one, from Ralph, to Apu, to Krusty (of course), to Ralph, and Cookie Kwan is becoming an actual secondary character now, which is good. Also, all the congressmen characters introduced provided good laughs. I missed the Dakota joke that was in the commercial though.

So all in all, this episode is a fitting 4.5/5 by season 14 standards. Episodes are just getting really damn good.

And the one-liners in The Simpsons have really been getting seriously good.

[DotheBartman]

Originally posted by Tibor
Sweet Zombie Jesus, DtB liked it! ;)



I hate to mess up a good thing, but...


Bart's Comet

Congressman: I'd like to tack on a rider to that bill... 20 million dollars of tax payers money to support the perverted arts.

Speaker: All in favor of the ammended Springfield/Pervert bill?

I still liked it, though.

Guess I haven't seen Bart's Comet in a long time. But still, it was a great joke, and I'd almost say it was on par or better then the Bart's Comet one, since it was used in the context a full political story and fit well with it.

Actually, one thing I also really liked about this episode, and its something past episodes like this used to always do, is that it managed to show how what was going on with Krusty and the government could effect the average family, and them being let down. That's actually probably one of the reasons "Trash of the Titans" fell short back in the day; it didn't REALLY adress how the average family might deal with situations like this.

So, I guess there were some things that had been done before here (even the airport thing is similar to "Roberts" in a way), but overall I think it added some fresh takes on those ideas, and churned out an overall good episode.

[Tibor]

I missed the Dakota joke that was in the commercial though.

Nah, you didn't miss it; evidently the Homer getting drunk and causing a ruckus was cut. That's the first time in a while they had a good joke in the promo.

Secondly, he didn't leave congress at the end of the episode, but then again, continuity isn't king on The Simpsons.

Do you think they'll just drop it, or do you think there will be any jokes/stories revolving around it in the future?

[Tomacco]

That Fox News scene was just a plain overload of hilarity on its first viewing. In interest to the plotline, I was trying so hard to pay attention to the actual stuff happening on screen, but I just had to keep reading those ticker headlines, which had me laughing and distracted even more. I watched this new episode with a couple of friends, and we were laughing out loud during this part quite a bit, and a few times throughout the episode. For example, the editor's note "Krusty's face digitally added to pictures" after showing all the photos was hilarious and had us rolling, Ralph's scene got a laugh, and the Joe Millionaire joke got a nice big laugh. My friend who gave up watching the show for a few years after season 10 (which he hated) loved tonight's episode and plans on watching the show regularly again.

Anyhow, I watched the Fox News again, and turns out the stuff that we were suppose to watch on screen related to the plot was actually really funny too!

[Tibor]

Please, please post the whole news scroll!

I had the same problem with laughing and missing jokes.

[Tomacco]

Pointless news crawls up 37%
Do democrats cause cancer? Find out at foxnews.com
Rupert Murdoch: Terrific dancer
Dow Down 5000 points
Study 90% of democrats are gay
JFK posthumously joins republican party
Oil slicks found to keep seals young, supple
Dan Quayle: Awesome
Ashcroft declares breast of chicken sandwich "obscene."
Hillary Clinton embarrasses self, nation
Bible says Jesus favored capitol gains cut
Stay tuned for hannity and idiot
Only dorks watch cnn
Jimmy Carter: Old, wrinkly, useless
Brad Pitt + Albert Einstein = Dick Cheney
Right Wing of chicken healthier

[|RABiD|]

This is one of the most satirical episodes of The Simpsons ever! The FOX news thing had me laughing non stop. Great characterization also which is a bonus. Season 14 is awesome! A 4/5!

[okayagain]

I looked like it was starting to be a 'crazy' episode in the begining (Homer eating the Joe Millionaire promo...yeah.), but it was a good episode with lots of funny moments. I REALLY didn't want to see Cookie Kwan again, and that suicide pact thing really didn't feel right, but overall the episode didn't have anything that really pissed me off (a recurring theme in Simpsons nowadays). Krusty didn't add much to the plot other than actually being the congressman - he seemed to be forgotton near the end. But, a good episode after all.
4/5

Two things though: 1. I have a bad feeling we're going to see that "sarcastic complaint" guy again. 2. Did you notice that the scolling news kept going during the credits?

[Mike Scully]

Well, it was another decent but not groundbreaking episode. This political satire was, in the humor department, nearly on-par with Much Apu About Nothing and Sideshow Bob Roberts, but had a far less interesting, engaging storyline than those episodes. So, it was harder to care about the fmily's plight, and to appreciate the focus on how what Krusty was doing affected the average family. The problem with the planes dragged on and on, and the plane actually crashing into the house was just wacky and dumb. Also, I would have liked to know more about Krusty's opponent.

Another nit was that the devil horns gag was obviously recycled from Sideshow Bob Roberts, which did it much better.

Still, a pretty funny episode. This season started off in a slump, but it's getting better and better, with the last 3 episodes showing a return to form. Maybe the show still has some brilliance left.

Grade: B-

[melZets]

1/5 - I agree nothing pissed me off, but I can only remember lol-ing once ...and that was during the commercial for that movie where Mike Myers does that "emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble" joke.

[jagrmeister]

As a long-time Simpsons fan, I have had enough. This will be the last Simpsons episode I watch (and I'm sure many here have had enough of my criticism so it's just as well). This ought to be my last post here although I can't promise I won't come back and sling some more arrows. This latest episode "Mr. Spritz" was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was horrific. Let me count the ways:

1. Plane gags- were these even gags? Lisa reciting the planes by departure and arrival. Plane crashing into the Simpsons house with pilot saying "Sorry". Juvenille, unfunny crap.

2. Homer confusing CPR with CCR. Lame.

3. Krusty assuming Bart was dying. Boring.

4. Tired gag of Bob Dole using his own name in conversation. Why don't we just recycle old Judge Ito jokes while we're at it?

5. Homer pounding sign in Ned's lawn because he is "undecided". This is Homer, the idiot, not Homer the misguided.

6. Krusty saying in spanish that he would vomit on your mother's grave. Again, boorish, childish nonsense from what we are led to believe are well-educated writers.

7. Krusty- I had a female character in my skits "Mrs. Bada Boom Boom". Try Nickelodeon.

8. Krusty: $1,000 to get someone whacked. Then claiming he was joking. Neither high-brow nor good slapstick.

9. Brockman: To prove we're live, "penis". Emblematic of what is wrong with the Simpsons. Rather than intelligent humor, they resort to unfunny gags for shock value.

10. Unfunny political cheapshots. Simpsons has a long tradition of being political without partisan. This episode crossed that boundary with bitter, unfunny attacks on Republicans (misyognists, racially insensitive, "slave to big oil", etc.), "gun nuts", Fox News. And yet not a single attack on the other side? I'm sorry- but if the Simpsons wants to be a political propaganda outlet for the DNC, that's their choice. But don't expect me to consider that entertainment.

In short, my opinion is that the Simpsons has "jumped the shark". It appeals to the 2-11 age bracket where it rates #1. It may live on in its current unfunny form, just as Saturday Night Live continues to survive despite its pathetic gags. I'm done being a Simpsons fan and supporting this crap. I know the "true believers" here will go down with the ship and claim you are witnessing true genius when your every instinct tells you otherwise. Good luck with that. Personally, I hope the show dies sooner rather than later so Al Jean won't destroy the legacy of a once great show.

[Moleman...Hans]

This was a really good episode. The Fox News thing was really funny and true. The ticker was probably the greatest gag this episode. 4/5

[Channel Surfer]

Really great episode. There were so many moments: "The Three Stooges" short, The return of the Republican Party Headquarters, the Krusty UN bit, FOX news and the commercial, and the Flags for Orphan's Bill (and the family attaching Krusty's Bill to it) all stick out as classic moments, as well as minor gags like the Joe Millionaire ad, Maggie drinking the beer, the absurd Frink gag ("if I stop peddling, I die"), and the Yogi bear maze, just to name a few. This episode was sharply satirical, especially at the FOX News portion of the episode, and many of Krusty's comments timed well (his Jew comments comes to mind). Few things contracted from the episode (only the pacing at the beginning, the plane stuff [though still funny], use of Krusty at points, and a few other small jokes).

B+/A-

[*Waylon Smithers*]

Very, very good! 5/5!!
My one disappointment is that there wasn't a new couch gag.

[Brian S.]

Well, this was a great episode. Several great gags, I really enjoyed it tonight.

5/5

[Jake]

Originally posted by Wavy Gravy
The Washington scenes were also very well done, especially the portrayals of the politicians. I can see some controversy swirling over this episode in the near future. Lots of great jokes, and plenty of satire made this a memorable piece of work. 4/5.

Controversy, eh? Well, it turns out Mr. Teeny's uncle is the head of Brazilian toursim!

Anyway, I liked this episode quite a bit, although not as much as the best two eps, IMO: "Spelling" and "Louse", but it had its moments like the Fox news scrolling newsbar and the family coping with the planes (I know the feeling, I used to live two miles from the Hubert H. Humphrey airport in Minneapolis!)

I give it a 8.75/10, or an A-.

Other ref--
Krusty on the back of the train reminded me of the picture I saw in a history book of Teddy Roosevelt on the back of a campaign train.

Jake

[Rowdy]

The Good: The hilarious FOX News parody

The Bad: Most everything else.

This is without a doubt one of the worst episodes in the show's history. The storyline was never interesting to me in the slightest and at least 9 out of 10 of the jokes fell flat. Just plain awful.

[Max Power]

Pretty good. The opening minutes were...different, but the rest of the episode was good. 4/5.

[Rowdy]

Originally posted by Bubble Crum


P.S. The Quimby's Opera house joke may be lame, but its based on a true story. Now that's good satire!

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the opera joke was another Citizen Kane parody.

[Tibor]

Krusty on the back of the train reminded me of the picture I saw in a history book of Teddy Roosevelt on the back of a campaign train.

I knew I had seen that somewhere...

Krusty on the back of the train reminded me of the picture I saw in a history book of Teddy Roosevelt on the back of a campaign train.

Yeah, that's what I thought... Didn't Kane build an opera house for that chick, and then all her plays flopped?

[Rowdy]

Originally posted by Tibor






Yeah, that's what I thought... Didn't Kane build an opera house for that chick, and then all her plays flopped?

Yep. There's no way it wasn't a parody of Kane as that was instantly the first thing that went through my mind.

[Voodoo Monkey]

My only problem with the episode is the exaggeration of the fly-overs (I live in a fly-over zone)

[MaxpowerAK79]

I got some good laughs, but I don't think it was that great:

Good stuff, like the CCR/CPR, the Fox News part, the Ronald Regan (Mississippis Regan), Krusty thinks bart is dying, Bumblebee man/hispanic voters, Mondale, etc.

Bad stuff: The promo (come on, that's just not right) all the crude humor (Rack, boobs, melons, etc, penis, words you can't use),

Wow! Jokes about Bob Dole! Can they do that? Why didn't they just thrown in a scene with Judge Ito?

[irv]

Originally posted by melZets
1/5 - I agree nothing pissed me off, but I can only remember lol-ing once ...and that was during the commercial for that movie where Mike Myers does that "emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble" joke.

again with the incorrect opinions

[irv]

Originally posted by Jake


Controversy, eh? Well, it turns out Mr. Teeny's uncle is the head of Brazilian toursim!

Anyway, I liked this episode quite a bit, although not as much as the best two eps, IMO: "Spelling" and "Louse", but it had its moments like the Fox news scrolling newsbar and the family coping with the planes (I know the feeling, I used to live two miles from the Hubert H. Humphrey airport in Minneapolis!)

I give it a 8.75/10, or an A-.

Other ref--
Krusty on the back of the train reminded me of the picture I saw in a history book of Teddy Roosevelt on the back of a campaign train.

Jake

i think you're thinking of franklin roosevelt. because he had polio they could keep him behind that podium and short wall and nobody would suspect a thing.

the ending of this eipsode was way satisfying, as well. it just felt right. can't say the same about spelling with the giant lisa head.

watching it again, the animation during the "penis" part just looks funny as well.

i enjoy how the plane goes through the house, but makes the beeping noise as it backs up.

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jagrmeister
10. Unfunny political cheapshots. Simpsons has a long tradition of being political without partisan. This episode crossed that boundary with bitter, unfunny attacks on Republicans (misyognists, racially insensitive, "slave to big oil", etc.), "gun nuts", Fox News. And yet not a single attack on the other side? I'm sorry- but if the Simpsons wants to be a political propaganda outlet for the DNC, that's their choice. But don't expect me to consider that entertainment.
This is so true. The political jokes in this episode were not the edgy, smart political satire you guys are making it out to be. In fact, almost every single one was just a cheap shot. Compare these two quotes:

"Your consciense tells you to vote democrat, but deep down inside, you yearn for a cold harted republican to rule you like a king!" ~ Sideshow Bob in "Sideshow Bob Roberts." (an episode that took shots at both political parties equally)

"Study shows 90% of democrats are gay" - Tonight's episode. It would be funny, if you're TWELVE!!!

And thats the problem with the show right now... cheap joke after cheap joke. As someone mentioned, they're back to the rapidfire joke delivery formula that made the show great back in the season 4-6 era. But unfortunately, nearly half their jokes today fail because they're either lame, poorly delivered, or a cheap "shock value" joke. You guys can continue to convince yourselves that cheap, childish sex jokes are intelligent humor, but I know better.

[irv]

well, again, you're incorrect, as the vast majority of homosexuals are liberals, as liberals tend to have gay-friendly policies. haven't you ever heard someone make the ridiculous stereotypical claim that "all democrats are gay black women." seriously, you aren't smart enough to watch the simpsons. go home.

[NoOneFamous]

Face it. You're just trying to justify the childish humor by making it seem intelligent.
Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
seriously, you aren't smart enough to watch the simpsons. go home.And here you are laughing at "Penis" and planes making beeping noises as they back up. Real smart...

[irv]

no, i find both types of humor that were on the show last night funny. man, you sure are wrong lately. also, that sideshow bob quote only takes a shot at repulbicans, not democrats. wrong again.

[NoOneFamous]

It takes a shot at both sides. It says that democrats mindlessly vote democrat, and that republicans rule you like a king.

[Fat Whitey]

I noticed a lot they use "gay" and "penis" c'mon it's not funny

[king of molepeople]

enjoyed it, 5/5

[:bang:]

not all of the jokes were great, but fox news spoof was dead-on and springfield republican party was awesomeness as always. that alone was enough for a 3.5. best ep of the season thus far

[Tibor]

I noticed a lot they use "gay" and "penis" c'mon it's not funny

...Coming from someone with a 'boobies' avatar.

I'm not trying to 'convince myself' anything. There were a lot of good jokes last night. I'm not the only one that seems to think so, either. I laugh when I hear something funny, I don't fight it.

And to be fair, most of the Republican jabs were not necessarily at the Republican party, but at the conservative slant that FOX News has. And I find your citation of 'Roberts' as strange, as that episode is extremely liberal, even if it did take a few shots a democrats.

[Citizen Kang]

4/5 even though I was distracted by a bunch of friends who were over...

Need to watch it again..

[mohammed jafar]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous

"Sideshow Bob Roberts." (an episode that took shots at both political parties equally)


erm....didnt look that way from where i was sitting....

[irv]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous
Face it. You're just trying to justify the childish humor by making it seem intelligent.

And here you are laughing at "Penis" and planes making beeping noises as they back up. Real smart...

look, if this were any other television show, i'd agree with you. but this is the fucking simpsons. a show which we know has a reason for everything and isn't just mindless entertainment. the show has shown this over time. brilliant writers like john swartzwelder have reasons for why they write certain jokes, and know when other jokes are funny. no jokes fell flat in this episode. one of the better swartzwelder episodes over the years in my opinion, which is saying a lot. granted the plot wasn't perfect, but it was one of the most satirical episodes ever and one of the pure funniest episodes in the past while. it's not us lying to ourselves and telling ourselves that it's funny, but it's us laughing at an episode which was marvelously well done compared to the past few years. it's us laughing at an episode which follows a string, with very few exceptions, of strong EABF episodes. it seems to me like the fact that you have such little faith in the intelligent comedic abilities of the writers that you seem to shrug off brilliance as fans tricking themselves. to me, this only further evidence to support that you really aren't a fan of the simpsons. and your mind has become so warped by your hatred that you no longer recognize a good show, yet you continue to post on a messageboard devoted to it because at one point you used to like it.

how could anyone who can still call themselves a fan have such little faith in the show when the episodes lately have been so satisfying?

furthermore, if you don't stop being wrong every time you type something, i'm afraid i'm going to have to send you to hell. please work to correct this at your eariliest possible convienience.

[SpongeBob No Pants]

o yeah i forgot about the plane beeping as it backed up

to quote banya:

"that's gold jerry...GOLD!"

[StrideR]

Ryan, please don't try to turn your opinions into fact. I wasn't able to catch yesterday's episode, but "satisfying" isn't a term I'd use to describe The Simpsons of late. Lots of people I've spoken to are of the impression that The Simpsons is mindless humor (gee, I wonder how they got that opinion).

But, hey, to each his/her own. You find it satisfying, good for you. Just don't tell people they're not fans because they feel different. I'm aware of the efforts that have been put in of late, but I think the writers are still making the mistake of talking down to their audience, instead of taking chances and throwing intelligence at us and hoping it sticks.

[irv]

no, my opinion is fact. i still enjoy the simpsons, so i still post here.

[Channel Surfer]

Originally posted by NoOneFamous
It takes a shot at both sides. It says that democrats mindlessly vote democrat, and that republicans rule you like a king.

It didn't say Democrats mindlessly vote Democratic. Using your own quote (though modified to closer match the real quote).

"Your conscience tells you to vote Democrat, but deep down inside, you yearn for a cold hearted Republican...to rule you like a king!"

And even with some of the lesser of the two evils comments, "Sideshow Bob Roberts" was still very much slanted against Republicans. And just like this episode, if you read the capsule reviews, there were people complaining about it back in the day.

Anyway, as Tibor said, most of the Republican jokes were mocking FOX News’s conservative slant anyway, and not Republicans themselves (except perhaps at the Republican Party Headquarters and a few other one-liners). Just consider Krusty's characterization in this episode. He, a Republican, tries to actually fulfill his campaign promises, and falls into a depression when he realizes he, on his own, cannot. Also considering the lobs the writers took at the Congressional system itself (attachments to popular Bills), it was, to me, more then just 22 minutes of cheap Republican/shock jokes.

[irv]

exactly.

a lot of people are in that stage where they can no longer appreciate jokes that even kids can get, but they do not yet get adult jokes that are on the show. it's like internet simpsons messageboard nerd puberty.

[melZets]

Originally posted by melZets
1/5 - I agree nothing pissed me off, but I can only remember lol-ing once ...and that was during the commercial for that movie where Mike Myers does that "emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble" joke.

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
again with the incorrect opinions

I guess I should change my opinion to: "I loved it because 'jesus plays his hits' told me to love it."
;-/

I didn't attack anyone who enjoyed the episode. If you liked it, then yay for you. I don't tabulate scores weighing in pros and cons. I just rate the eps based on how eager I am watch the episode again. This one scored low.

[irv]

that commercial is not funny. especially the syllable emphasis joke. so horrible. actually causes pain deep down within my being.

incorrect.

[StrideR]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
no, my opinion is fact. i still enjoy the simpsons, so i still post here.

Noone would/should stop you from posting, even if you felt otherwise.

[irv]

that's why there's a problem in this forum to begin with

[StrideR]

that's why there's a problem in this forum to begin withAnd my response to that is :p :p :p

[Warren]

5/5

Awesome episode.

[mohammed jafar]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
that's why there's a problem in this forum to begin with

i expect that the moderators here are more concerned with getting rid of whiny, infantile, feebleminded cretins than they are with regulating everyone's opinions. Which is probably why you have a warning level of 23.

[mohammed jafar]

Originally posted by bhlaab
There was a Bongo doll in the very beginning of the episode. That coupled with the Akbar and Jeff reference in Helter Shelter tonight made me a happy viewer. Things like that excite me.

No, the reference in Helter Shelter was to MUTT & Jeff, not Akbar & Jeff. Didn't the fact that Bart said "Mutt" and not "Akbar" give you some clue as to that?

[NoOneFamous]

Alright, Sideshow Bob Roberts was a bad example of the show equally ripping on both parties, but the quote was an example of good political humor. Try to justify the humor as much as you want, but I still say this episode was really just an excuse to do a bunch of cheap political shots.

Also, please understand that I've enjoyed most of the episodes this season. So don't try to tell me I'm not a true fan or any of that.

[Mayor Quimby]

Nothing like the Simpsons to bring out the politics in everyone! Though it seems some on this site are to young to understand politics.

[Thrillhouse24]

i rated 4/5 it was a good episode krusty is one of my fav characters too so it was good. i noticed some episodes this season are real good like this one,special edna,the episode before this where flanders goes out with that sara slone person.

[mohammed jafar]

By the way, why are people heaping praise on Swartzwelder on this thread? His track record in the last few years has been nothing short of dreadful :

[AABF04] Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble
[AABF09] Homer to the Max
[AABF13] Maximum Homerdrive
[AABF17] Monty Can't Buy Me Love
[BABF05] Take My Wife, Sleaze
[BABF08] The Mansion Family
[BABF16] Kill the Alligator and Run
[BABF20] A Tale of Two Springfields
[CABF02] The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
[CABF09] Hungry, Hungry Homer
[CABF13] Simpson Safari
[CABF18] A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
[DABF07] The Lastest Gun in the West
[DABF13] I Am Furious (Yellow)
[DABF14] The Sweetest Apu
[DABF16] The Frying Game

[spiky hair]

i missed this ep. :( :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

[Mike Scully]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
look, if this were any other television show, i'd agree with you. but this is the fucking simpsons. a show which we know has a reason for everything and isn't just mindless entertainment. the show has shown this over time. brilliant writers like john swartzwelder have reasons for why they write certain jokes, and know when other jokes are funny. it seems to me like the fact that you have such little faith in the intelligent comedic abilities of the writers that you seem to shrug off brilliance as fans tricking themselves. to me, this only further evidence to support that you really aren't a fan of the simpsons. and your mind has become so warped by your hatred that you no longer recognize a good show, yet you continue to post on a messageboard devoted to it because at one point you used to like it.


You know, I may agree with you that the writers still can write a decent intelligent episode, but the way you behave in the rest of the thread, you give people who still like The Simpsons a bad name. So STFU!

If you honestly think this was a brilliant episode, then realize that sometimes it takes a while for people to appreciate it. Remember that Homer's Phobia was initially critcized for being degrading to gay people, Homer vs the 18th Amendment was considered a promotion of alcohol, and Sideshow Bob Roberts was viewed as Democratic propaganda. Over time, they became classics. Trying to change people's opinions, however, does nothing. You should be glad that the writers wrote an episode that was able to generate some controversy.

[homer5000]

Originally posted by Mohammed Jafar
By the way, why are people heaping praise on Swartzwelder on this thread? His track record in the last few years has been nothing short of dreadful :

[AABF04] Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble
[AABF09] Homer to the Max
[AABF13] Maximum Homerdrive
[AABF17] Monty Can't Buy Me Love
[BABF05] Take My Wife, Sleaze
[BABF08] The Mansion Family
[BABF16] Kill the Alligator and Run
[BABF20] A Tale of Two Springfields
[CABF02] The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
[CABF09] Hungry, Hungry Homer
[CABF13] Simpson Safari
[CABF18] A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
[DABF07] The Lastest Gun in the West
[DABF13] I Am Furious (Yellow)
[DABF14] The Sweetest Apu
[DABF16] The Frying Game

Not all of them are dreadful. "Hungry, Hungry Homer", "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love", "I Am Furious (Yellow)" and this one are pretty good. Sure, he has many blunder episodes, but they aren't all bad!

[irv]

Originally posted by Mike Scully
You know, I may agree with you that the writers still can write a decent intelligent episode, but the way you behave in the rest of the thread, you give people who still like The Simpsons a bad name. So STFU!

If you honestly think this was a brilliant episode, then realize that sometimes it takes a while for people to appreciate it. Remember that Homer's Phobia was initially critcized for being degrading to gay people, Homer vs the 18th Amendment was considered a promotion of alcohol, and Sideshow Bob Roberts was viewed as Democratic propaganda. Over time, they became classics. Trying to change people's opinions, however, does nothing. You should be glad that the writers wrote an episode that was able to generate some controversy.

i don't know what STFU means, but i'll take that as a complement

[Moose of Doom!]

It means "shut the f*ck up"

[mohammed jafar]

Originally posted by homer5000
Not all of them are dreadful. "Hungry, Hungry Homer", "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love", "I Am Furious (Yellow)" and this one are pretty good. Sure, he has many blunder episodes, but they aren't all bad!

well i would say A Hunka Hunka Burns In Love is fairly dreadful actually, but anyway the point i was making was that if a writer had started on the show with AABF04 and written everything that Swartzwelder had written since, he'd be at Mike Scully levels of infamy!

[HoMeRs DoNuTs]

This episode was pretty good, just finished framegrabbing it for a soon to come framegrab section of A&M.

I thought that some of the jokes in this episode were pretty funny, but I'd say its nothing special...

3.5/5

[Number Two]

4/5 Some pretty good jokes, it looks like Krusty may be coming back as a main character....

[irv]

thanks, i will shut the fasterixck up

[brancely]

Fina-fucking-lly

[HomertheGreat]

I actually found your comments quite funny JPHH

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by HomertheGreat
I actually found your comments quite funny JPHH
Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
anyone who gives this less than a 4 is a faggot and should be beaten to death. you don't like the simpsons.
Yup, he sure is funny... ;-/

[HomertheGreat]

well you picked about the worst comment you could have

[Tibor]

NOF has already said many times that he has enjoyed episodes this season, just not this one. JPHH, if you ever want to get anywhere in an argument, it would help a lot if you actually made an argument instead of just saying 'I'm right, you're wrong.' It's very childish.

If NoOneFamous doesn't like this episode, hey, that's his opinion. If he wants to debate the merits of this episode, I'm all for it.

[HomertheGreat]

I think JPHH was just trying to tick everyone off and cause a mass argument and that probably was the main reason I found it to be funny.

[irv]

wow, you should read my posts more often. that's really all i do here at this board. they should put me on the payroll.

what's not funny about the fatal beating of a homosexual? if that's not pure hilarity, then i don't know what is.

[irv]

Originally posted by jagrmeister
As a long-time Simpsons fan, I have had enough. This will be the last Simpsons episode I watch (and I'm sure many here have had enough of my criticism so it's just as well). This ought to be my last post here although I can't promise I won't come back and sling some more arrows. This latest episode "Mr. Spritz" was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was horrific. Let me count the ways:

1. Plane gags- were these even gags? Lisa reciting the planes by departure and arrival. Plane crashing into the Simpsons house with pilot saying "Sorry". Juvenille, unfunny crap.

2. Homer confusing CPR with CCR. Lame.

3. Krusty assuming Bart was dying. Boring.

4. Tired gag of Bob Dole using his own name in conversation. Why don't we just recycle old Judge Ito jokes while we're at it?

5. Homer pounding sign in Ned's lawn because he is "undecided". This is Homer, the idiot, not Homer the misguided.

6. Krusty saying in spanish that he would vomit on your mother's grave. Again, boorish, childish nonsense from what we are led to believe are well-educated writers.

7. Krusty- I had a female character in my skits "Mrs. Bada Boom Boom". Try Nickelodeon.

8. Krusty: $1,000 to get someone whacked. Then claiming he was joking. Neither high-brow nor good slapstick.

9. Brockman: To prove we're live, "penis". Emblematic of what is wrong with the Simpsons. Rather than intelligent humor, they resort to unfunny gags for shock value.

10. Unfunny political cheapshots. Simpsons has a long tradition of being political without partisan. This episode crossed that boundary with bitter, unfunny attacks on Republicans (misyognists, racially insensitive, "slave to big oil", etc.), "gun nuts", Fox News. And yet not a single attack on the other side? I'm sorry- but if the Simpsons wants to be a political propaganda outlet for the DNC, that's their choice. But don't expect me to consider that entertainment.

In short, my opinion is that the Simpsons has "jumped the shark". It appeals to the 2-11 age bracket where it rates #1. It may live on in its current unfunny form, just as Saturday Night Live continues to survive despite its pathetic gags. I'm done being a Simpsons fan and supporting this crap. I know the "true believers" here will go down with the ship and claim you are witnessing true genius when your every instinct tells you otherwise. Good luck with that. Personally, I hope the show dies sooner rather than later so Al Jean won't destroy the legacy of a once great show.

better yet, shoot yourself in the face. if you have wrist difficulty from typing that long winded crock of horse shit and are unable to perform said face-shooting, i will do it for you. you are the problem with this board, and it is now a better place with you having left.

how are people getting so fed up with the show when it's a million times better than it was between seasons 10 and 12 and a good part of 13.

and if you were going to quit watching the show after any episode this season, at least go out on fuckin helter shelter.

[Jake]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
how are people getting so fed up with the show when it's a million times better than it was between seasons 10 and 12 and a good part of 13.

and if you were going to quit watching the show after any episode this season, at least go out on fuckin helter shelter.

I agree with you, but you're still overreacting.

[NoOneFamous]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
better yet, shoot yourself in the face. if you have wrist difficulty from typing that long winded crock of horse shit and are unable to perform said face-shooting, i will do it for you. you are the problem with this board, and it is now a better place with you having left.

how are people getting so fed up with the show when it's a million times better than it was between seasons 10 and 12 and a good part of 13.

and if you were going to quit watching the show after any episode this season, at least go out on fuckin helter shelter.

29 Warning Points + a few more = So long, asshole!

[Tibor]

I seriously doubt he will be banned.

[Frank Grimes Jr.]

This was an okay episode. Better than last weeks, but not my favorite. Krusty's voice is so annoying, towards the end of the show I was about to lose it..


And Jesus Plays His Hits... Shut the hell up, seriously!

I vote to decrease the ban from 30 to 15 points...I'm tired of seeing these ignorant children posting every other post just flaming and harassing everybody else who doesn't agree with their Oppinion. Grow up!

[irv]

i say anyone who can't correctly spell opinion be banned on the spot. oh, sorry, looks like you'll have to leave, son

[mohammed jafar]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits

and if you were going to quit watching the show after any episode this season, at least go out on fuckin helter shelter.

WHAT? Helter Shelter was an amazing episode, you're not a real fan, you're a homosexual and should be beaten to death. Oh, you don't know how angry I am right now....

[Mayor Quimby]

Originally posted by Mohammed Jafar
By the way, why are people heaping praise on Swartzwelder on this thread? His track record in the last few years has been nothing short of dreadful :

[AABF04] Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble
[AABF09] Homer to the Max
[AABF13] Maximum Homerdrive
[AABF17] Monty Can't Buy Me Love
[BABF05] Take My Wife, Sleaze
[BABF08] The Mansion Family
[BABF16] Kill the Alligator and Run
[BABF20] A Tale of Two Springfields
[CABF02] The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
[CABF09] Hungry, Hungry Homer
[CABF13] Simpson Safari
[CABF18] A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
[DABF07] The Lastest Gun in the West
[DABF13] I Am Furious (Yellow)
[DABF14] The Sweetest Apu
[DABF16] The Frying Game

Actually I enjoyed quite a few of these episodes. I am Furious is my favorite of 13, A Tale of Two Springfield is one of my favorite episodes, and the best from 12. Hungry, Hungry, Homer is a damn good episode too.

[tim_duncan2000]

This was not a bad episode, but it did have quite a few flaws.

What I didn't like:
- The stuff with the planes flying overhead went on too long
- I did not care for Cookie Kwan's appearance. Why the hell is she so popular?
- Ralph's appearance was stupid and awkward.
- Homer eating the promo was one of the worst jokes I've seen in a while, and the use of Joe Millionaire severely dates this episode.
- While I liked the parody of "The Three Stooges", I am getting tired of them starting so many episodes watching some thing on TV.
- The plane going through the house was unfunny and pointless
- The way they did the thing with the old congressman dying was not done very well.

What I did like:
- Some of the stuff with the planes flying overhead
- Krusty's bit about stuff you can't say on TV was good
- Showing how Congress often introduces bills about worthless or frivolous things was funny
- Homer putting the sign in Flanders' yard was funny
- Krusty saying the wrong thing in Spanish
- The "Kids get bored free" sign outside the Town Hall was funny
- Krusty's UN sketch was good

3.5/5

[SpongeBob No Pants]

i thought raplph appearence was the best in a long time

"i'm walking away"

that was funny, much better than last weeks jelly fish fiasco

[necrulez]

This episode was imo brilliant. Even though i ain't no American and therefore didn't understand all off the political jokes, it was still very enjoyable...

Btw (this may sound as a stupid question but hey i'm Dutch)is the Fox Network really that pro-republicans?!

[tim_duncan2000]

I didn't like the Ralph appearance because it did not fit Ralph at all. It was as if he knew how (on some level at least) negotiations work. The writers have nearly ruined his character.

[irv]

which is also false

[Channel Surfer]

Originally posted by necrulez
Btw (this may sound as a stupid question but hey i'm Dutch)is the Fox Network really that pro-republicans?!

They don't wear it on there sleeves like that how they were portrayed here, but they are often accused of being more supportive towards right-wing causes.

[tim_duncan2000]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
which is also false
What is?

[brentholomew]

Originally posted by jesus plays his hits
which is also false


For godsakes, just stop!!! Your opinions aren't facts.

Definition for "opinion" provided by The American Heritage? Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Other important copyright information

NOUN
1. A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth Drew) 2. A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert: "a medical opinion." 3. A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing: "has a low opinion of braggarts." 4. The prevailing view: "public opinion." 5. Law A formal statement by a court or other adjudicative body of the legal reasons and principles for the conclusions of the court.

ETYMOLOGY
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin opinioopinion-, from opinari, to think.


An opinion is a choice and a BELIEF, I think we all learned this when we were in 3rd grade, but of course you need this explained to you. People have different individual tastes, if we all had the same opinion, the world would be pretty fucking boring now wouldn't it? You probably won't be banned because you are favored by the mods, but you're pissing everyone else off. You're no different than any stupid newbie, so PLEASE, stop telling people they are wrong and need too kill themselves on a fucking internet message board.

[OHMSS006]

This episode owned...I loved all of the "timely" jokes, such as the Joe Millionare gag, the Fox News spoof, and the penis joke...which everyone seemed to hate, because it's "gross and immature"...Seriously, some of you people are just stupid. I bet half of you say things far worse at school or work or wherever. Besides, it wasn't taken out of context, it was merely a poke at News networks who claim to have "live coverage" but don't. Ya see kids, if it weren't live, then "penis" would be bleeped out. Hell, would it make any sense if they said wee-wee? What about dang? Quit your whining...

EDIT: My bad then. Didn't know about that, but still, people need to lighten up about the joke anyway.

[MaxPlow]

He didn't choose what is under his name, it was automatically given to him because of how many posts he has.

[DotheBartman]

Originally posted by tim_duncan2000
I didn't like the Ralph appearance because it did not fit Ralph at all. It was as if he knew how (on some level at least) negotiations work. The writers have nearly ruined his character.

I can see where you're coming from, but I have to disagree. I do think Ralph has been mostly bad as of late, but I think this was actually a step in the right direction. Ability to negotiate or not, it was still essentially a return to the innocent, adorable, and somewhat mentally challenged Ralph we know and love, rather then the "I make random quotes about boogers and sex" Ralph we've had in recent seasons. I enjoyed this scene, and liked it much better then more idiotic stuff like "even my boogers are spicy!".

[Jake]

Originally posted by OHMSS006
Hell, would it make any sense if they said wee-wee? What about dang? Quit your whining...

EDIT: My bad then. Didn't know about that, but still, people need to lighten up about the joke anyway.

It would've been funnier if Kent, instead of Penis, said: My news director's a jackass!".

[irv]

disagree

[brentholomew]

We all care, a lot.

[George Cauldron]

What's wrong with 'penis' though? It's all anatomical.

[mohammed jafar]

well George, there's nothing wrong with MY penis, i can tell you that

[kupomog]

Does anybody have the transcript for Krusty's banned word list? I loved that joke.

[Urts]

Ok, here's my review...finally.

The first act was a bit odd. Wacky jokes and strange moments kept it from being great, but it was still a nice, solid act. The episode really picked up during the second act. I thought it was a bit too brief on Bart convincing Krusty, but the Republican HQ was great. The third act was great. Lots of laugh-out-loud gags and a very satisfying ending.

Rating: 4/5

[George Cauldron]

A very good episode. Very good indeed. The characters are kept under a nicely-controlled characterisation, and the jokes are subtle and very well done on the whole. It concludes with a good ending that doesn't cop-out or spoil the episode. The whole Three Stooges and Promo scenes at the episode's beginning weren't really needed, but who am I to complain?

[Channel Surfer]

Originally posted by kupomog
Does anybody have the transcript for Krusty's banned word list? I loved that joke.

Well, better late then never. Copied from tvtome.

Krusty: I could even tell the FCC to take a hike, look at this list of words they won't let me say on the air.

Bart: Aww! All the good ones. Hmm, I never even heard of number nine.

Krusty: That's two-ing thirteen while she's eleven-ing your five.

Bart: Can I keep this?

Krusty: Sure, no twelve off my ass.