"Girls Just Want To Have Sums" (HABF12) Preview/Speculation

[Simpsons Forever!]

Get ready, all you number crunchers out there - the new episode airing next Sunday is all about Maths. Well, that and cross-dressing! Girls Just Want To Have Sums sees Springfield Elementary transformed under a gender-controlled teaching system, led by new Principal, Melanie Upfoot and resisted by Lisa;

"Springfield is in an uproar after Principal Skinner makes a sexist comment at the end of an Itchy and Scratchy musical. Principal Skinner is replaced by Melanie Upfoot (Frances McDormand), a women's educational expert, who decides to divide the school into two different schools: one for boys, and one for girls. Studious Lisa soon becomes frustrated when she isn't learning anything from "girls' school." When the Principal refuses to allow her to take math at the boys' school, Lisa decides to dress up as a boy. While Bart teaches her the ropes of boyhood, Lisa wins the math award at the Student Achievement Awards and learns what it's really like to be a part of the "boys' club"."

This episode is also notable as being the 375th Simpsons episode and the 100th since Al Jean took over from Scully back in S13.

Finally, here's the promo:

http://www.cletus.com.ar/habf11.jpg

[garret]

I expect it to be pretty good... That's really all I have to say for now.

[bluemoose]

sounds good, but that picture of Skinner in a skirt is creepy as hell.

[garret]

It actually gave me a good laurgh.

[Wonderlicious]

I'm looking forward to this one; the episodes concerning the school are generally good ones, with classics like Lisa's Substitute and I Love Lisa existing, and My Fair Laddy and The President Wore Pearls being recent stand outs. I like the premise, and hopefully the episode will live up to it.

[Kiyosuki]

I'm looking forward to this one! I like stories with the whole school too, or at least a large majority of the kids in Springfield. They can make for some of the series' best episodes and they're so rarely done now..its a nice breath of fresh air.

Looks like it could also be a great episode for Lisa. I'm all for more Lisa-trouble making. XD

SKinner in the dress made me laugh too. He looks like such a spaz. lol

[bluemoose]

It actually gave me a good laurgh.
I think it looks funny too. Just creepy. So I'll say it look crunny.

[Corkus]

We've been in need of a good Lisa episode this season. Really, all she's gotten so far was "The Girl Who Slept Too Little", and that wasn't even originally intended to be part of this season! I absolutely loathed Jeff Westbrook's episode last season ("On a Clear Day..."), mainly because of the horrible characterizations, but this sounds much more in-character (For Lisa, anyways. Skinner...I dunno). I'm not too fond of Skinner being fired yet again, and the plot has a few vibes of "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", but I'm predicting this will still be above average. Maybe a 'B-' or so.

[Jayrayman]

Looks great.

[coltonwiggum]

Lookin' good!!!!!! :P

[Veryjammy]

No strong opinion about it one way or another at the moment which is unusual. Could go either way, we'll see.

[Good Moleman To Robert]

I think it has the potential to be good, but I can see them taking the easy way out and making lots of stupid jokes. Lisa episodes, especially the ones involving her at school are usually quite good, so I do have hope.

[TheFlandersMan]

I'm sure will get some good 'ol Tress Macneil as Melanie Upfoot. :uhh:

This could go either way.

[John Jay Smith]

After tonight's episode (Wettest Stories) I am thinking this will be a good return to form for season 17.

[Corkus]

I'm sure will get some good 'ol Tress Macneil as Melanie Upfoot. :uhh:

This could go either way.
Frances McDormand has already been stated to be the guest role. Of course, I have no idea who the hell that is.

[Stackhouse]

glad we got the trilogy episode out of the way - this one sounds like a genuinely good simpsons episode.

[Nameless]

This looks like it could be really good. Going in with high hopes.

[Nebuchanezzar]

It has a realistic premise, that being Skinner replaced with a female principal who has sexist attitudes. I've seen that, and it should be good to watch how the Simpsons does it.

Congrats to Mr. Jean.

[Simpsons Forever!]

I'm most looking forward to this episode out of the ones that are left this season. It sounds like a solid plot, the new Principal and the gender classes will be interesting to see and Lisa episodes are usually good. I'm going to be optimistic and predict a 5/5 A-

[Dr. Spirograph]

This sounds pretty good. It's the perfect setup for a Lisa episode, so let's hope they make the most of it.

[Maxime]

It sounds very good to me, even if I hate maths :D
think it could be like "Little Girl in The Big Ten", maybe better.
Lisa dressing as a boy offers a lot of potential new ideas for this episode.

[Adamm R)))]

We've been in need of a good Lisa episode this season.
Definately. Looking forward to this one.

[Garp]

Mmmh... sounds good but not great. I predict something like a B/B-.

[Gibbles]

This one sounds pretty good, as long as they don't take ages to get to the plot it should be a good episode.

[GrandmaBird!!!]

an Itchy and Scratchy musical^Looking forward to this.

[Binky]

Here's the first promo:

http://www.springfieldpost.com/index.php?topic=98.0

[Mira]

I don't post in these threads often, this one seems really, really good. I have a bad feeling that they'll overdo each plot point and end up with another episode with a 30 second super rushed ending.

[Gay4Moleman]

It sounds promising. Who gets the writer credit for the upcoming episode? I'd like to see Bill Odenkirk get a writers credit instead of the producer tag. He's a genius and very deserving of such an honor. And when are we gonna see the next Swartzwelder masterpiece? All of Swartzwelder's scripts end up becoming instant classicsthat stand the test of time.

[Nameless]

Swartzwelder's currently writing books. See kennydalebooks.com

Odenkirk has written two episodes already and has a third one confirmed, so he's already got a writer's credit.

The writer appears to be Jeff Westbrook.

All of Swartzwelder's scripts end up becoming instant classicsthat stand the test of time.

Take My Wife, Sleaze
Kill The Alligator And Run
Simpson Safari
Monty Can't Buy Me Love
Maximum Homerdrive
The Mansion Family
A Tale of Two Springfields

All Swartzwelders.

[Semaj]

This next episode sounds like it'll be better than the last one.

[garret]

That promo looks pretty good, thanks Binky!

[Drunk Barney]

Lisa looks good as a boy. She doesn't look disturbing or anything. And it looks like Marge is going to support her. I liked the look of the split girls and boys school below Springfield Elementry. Bart's frog part didn't really look exciting, nor too worrying. Overall the promo looks good, just like the description of the episode.

Oh and thanks Binky. :)

[Simpsons Forever!]

Thanks, Binky! The promo looked quite good. Lisa looks a bit like Homer as a boy with that hair. I'm really looking forward to this episode now.

[Nameless]

the speakers on my computer have been removed for some reason, can i get a transcript please?

[Veryjammy]

Voiceover: A new Simpsons tackles school segregation

Bart: Now I can walk down the hall with Bart Junior hanging out, ain't that right Bart Junior?

Corny old joke but meh.

[box elder]

http://www.dvdworldonline.com/images12/Just_One_Of_The_Guys_DVD.jpg


this story sucked as a cheesy 80s movie, and i'm not holding out much hope for it as a Simpsons episode.


*edit: hopefully this image actually works.

[Cartoonnetwork]

The Bart Junior joke is not especially great (still decent and not terribly bad either), but the episode looks good, I like the colouring and facial expressions. The plot sounds more or less interesting and I think it's gonna be a solid outing, probably not spectacular, but a B- at worst.

[Veryjammy]

Actually I was just thinking about it and I'm not sure the joke makes any sense. Why would he be able to walk around with a frog hanging out now the girls have gone? Because girls are scared of frogs or something? In which case why would Bart care anyway? Doesn't really make sense tbh.

[grissom]

Not a huge fan of the Bart Jr. joke. Still looking forward to the episode though

[Gatorgod]

Im looking forward to it! ...cant stop thinking about it.

[GrandmaBird!!!]

I thought Bart Jr. was still in Australia.

[alt.nerd.obsessive]

If the episode is anything like the greatest Lisa-centric episode of Season 17 ("The Girl Who Slept Too Little") then I'll be pleased.

I'm looking forward to Lisa hopefully showing off her intellectual side in this one and no doubt striking a blow for women's liberation at the end of the episode - from the promo, it looks like she reveals all on the school stage in a "Free Tibet!" stylee.

Bart explaining the necessaries on what it's like being a boy to Lisa sounds promising too.

[Binky]

Actually I was just thinking about it and I'm not sure the joke makes any sense. Why would he be able to walk around with a frog hanging out now the girls have gone? Because girls are scared of frogs or something? In which case why would Bart care anyway? Doesn't really make sense tbh.
I hope you're just kidding...

[Veryjammy]

No, unless I'm being an idiot. I know it's a mislead and they think he's talking about his penis, but it doesn't make any sense that he would be talking that way about his frog. Why would he be able to walk around with it now the girls have gone. It's like they really wanted to make a penis mislead joke and didn't think if it made sense that Bart would talk about walking around with his frog out.....

[Jamie]

Here's the first promo:

http://www.springfieldpost.com/index.php?topic=98.0
How weird. In the framegrabs, there's little shadows behind characters, as if they're on cels.

[Binky]

Well yeah, that's how it's been since they started digital ink and paint production back in season 14. They add shadows to simulate the old cel look, where a layer would be slightly above another and cast a subtle shadow below it. You could see the same thing in King of the Hill after they switched to computers.

Notice that in their previous attempts at digital ink & paint - "Radioactive Man" and "Tennis the Menace" (and probably some others) - they didn't add these shadows (probably because the technology to do it wasn't really feasible at the time, especially the first time) and those shows looked very different and somewhat awkward.

[Gay4Moleman]

All right Nameless, not EVERY Swartzwelder is an instant classic, however more often than not: "Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes", "Homer at the Bat", "Bart the Murderer", "The Itchy & Scratchy Movie", "Rosebud", "Homie the Clown", "Bart's Comet", Itchy & Scratchy Land", "Homer the Great", and "Bart Gets an Elephant", etc., etc. It's not necessary to point out the few episodes that are not spectacular to have your point proved wrong by me. Chill out.

[Simpsons Forever!]

A short clip of the episode is now up at fox.com - unfortunately, they cut it off in mid-sentence, though.

[H Thompson]

.
.

[Veryjammy]

That clip's shit.

[Nameless]

i can't see it, where is it?

[Gibbles]

Go here http://www.fox.com/home.htm

Click The Simpsons button in bottom right hand corner.

As for the clip...well that sucked. Although to be fair with the exception of American dad they all did.

[DotheBartman]

Both gags previewed so far are quite bad, but I won't hold them against the episode yet since obviously neither of them are part of the story.

I really hope this episode is good, because it's a really ambitious topic for them to explore and it could be really interesting. Unfortunately, I find the idea of Lisa disguising herself to be rather cliched and I'm not sure I'll like it that much, not to mention all the other problems this show has had recently with story execution. Looking forward to this, but like Jammy I don't have a strong reaction one way or the other yet. Maybe it's because all the episodes kind of feel like the same thing lately.

[Veryjammy]

Yeah I'm not going to pre-judge the episode based on two bad gags, because it could turn out to be a good outing. There's no context for the clips, but the second one in particular just reminds me how there's little attention to people interacting naturally anymore, they just do whatever suits the joke.

[Klia]

I don't post in these threads often, this one seems really, really good. I have a bad feeling that they'll overdo each plot point and end up with another episode with a 30 second super rushed ending.

That's what I'm fearing, and that Skinner's comment will be OOC....and why is he in a skirt? Is he trying to sneak into the girls school or is it just a joke? I'm going with the latter.

I'm a bit scared that they'll focus more on sexist jokes rather than Lisa and her reaction, which is going to make or break this episode.

I saw the promo on air, and boy did that second joke piss me off. Please dear god, I don't want to even think of Bart saying anything like that.

[garret]

Hopefully the Bart Jr. joke will be one of those things they only show in the promo and cut from the episode itself.

[lisalover1]

I think I will enjoy this one...

[grissom]

Wow, the clip posted on the Fox website sucked. I'm still optimistic though

[Nameless]

and why is he in a skirt? Is he trying to sneak into the girls school or is it just a joke?

It's either indeed a joke or he's pretending to be the new Principal.

The promo on the FOX website did suck, but I'm not judging the episode on two bad jokes either.

[bluemoose]

I agree with (almost) everyone, the clip is shit, but that doesn't ruin my hopes for the episode. I'm still looking forward too it.

[Jake]

I'm a bit scared that they'll focus more on sexist jokes rather than Lisa and her reaction, which is going to make or break this episode.


Once you realize these clips are probably made to appeal to the fans on the offical Simpsons message board (at fox.com), their lowest-common-denominatorness suddenly makes sense.

[caramelbart]

I'll tape this one for sure