Reviews - "The Parent Rap"

[SuperShaneSpear]

Grade B-

Moe had both of my favorite lines tonight with "I caught heat ever since those Bush girls were in here..." and "Yeah, I steal now." The fiberoptics things was way too corny and stupid, and I'm wondinging if Marge has just givin up on her son by the way she is so ho-hum towards Bart's trouble.

[Jessica Lovejoy]

I thought it was an okay episode, much better than the season 11 and 12 premieres. The spanking scene was hilarious (WORST PARENTS EVER!) as was the part where the judge revealed that she used to be a boy...ha.

Overall, I give it a B.

[eric]

Not bad, from what I saw... but it wasn't anything great either. I still have to see the first third of the episode..... so I'll give it a more in-depth review later on. The episode ran about 7 minutes late where I live, for whatever reason... I had just gotten out of work when I came home to see the second act.

"Worst parents ever!"

[blockyourfather]

When I first found out Bart and Homer being tethered together at all times, I thought the episode would be awesome. However, the main plot seemed to shift from Bart and Homer being tethered to Marge and Homer attempting to get back at Judge Harm to quickly. Although a bit overused, Homer's cobra nightmares were still funny. I think the highlight of the show was when Homer was dragged through the dirty, glass filled baseball field. Overall, I give it a B.

[bartimus prime]

Originally posted by Number One
The episode ran about 7 minutes late where I live, for whatever reason.

Yeah in here too. King of the Hill, and Malcolm in the Middle too.

[Beyerstein]

I didnt like it, it was too wacky

The Simpsons is becoming Family Guy and that's nota good thing

[barneybeergumble]

Originally posted by Number One
The episode ran about 7 minutes late where I live, for whatever reason...

Same thing happened to me. I don't know what FOX was thinking

[Smilin'JoeFission]

I think it was because of the football game.

I loved the episode. Finally we get to see more of Judge Snyder! It would have been funnier if Phil Hartman was still alive to do Hutz's voice. Oh well.

There were some great scenes and quotes in this episode. can't wait for next week's.

[ILikeTheSimpsons]

I thought the episode was great! I give it an A-. When I first heard about this episode, I didn't think the plot was all that great. Homer and Bart being tethered together? But they really handled it well...it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, I laughed every 15 seconds! The ending made sense too! The only thing that was a little off was the judge's face in the cord...they could have done that better. But it was a great episode. My favorite scene (only seeing it once so far) was the scene with Homer and Marge making out on the bed with Bart reading at the bottom of their bed. I was wondering what was going to happen when they went to bed...hilarious. Great premiere, hope the whole season goes like this.

[Greg Durand]

Anyway, now that it has aired, I saw it. Not too bad, some good laughs. Now, I'm sure this season will be good. I'm glad Homer made sense tonight.
Grade: A-.

[DotheBartman]

Wow, this one was alot better than some of the recent ones. I enjoyed the spanking scene (Worst parents ever!), Moe's crack about the Bush girls, and Bart's prank on Flanders near the beginning (when was the last time we saw Bart doing pranks?). The humor in general could have been more consistent, but it was overall very good. Also, for once the episode felt truly plot driven (rather than Homer's stupidity driven), and I really enjoyed that.

Grade: B

[Mr. Plow]

cant wait 2 hear the review from tomacco!

[Lenny]

Here's what I liked:
-the old lady and Wiggum at the coffee place.
-the scene where Homer and Marge go to the houseboat.
-the cupcake quote by Homer
-the scene where Homer and Marge are at Flanders'es'
-some other laugh out loud moments that I can't remember.
-the humor overall was a lot better than last year's season opener(and most of last year's episodes, for that matter.)

Here's what I disliked:
-the whole fiberoptic thing. That was just stupid and unrealistic.
-the whole bed scene. Where they are about to have sex in front of Bart. That's just kinda going too far.

Overall, I'd give it a B+. It might have deserved an A if they didnt have that fiberoptic thingy.

[Tomacco]

I just wrote the most complicated deep review I've ever wriiten, for this episode of course. Follow this link, and tell me what you think:

www.thespringfieldshopper.com/reviewcabf22.htm

[Lenny]

oh i forgot about the cobras nite terror. that was hilarious.

[radiationdude7]

I thought the episode was a huge success. It was very good. I thought season 12 was mediocre. This looks to be a huge turnaround.

Grade: A (best being A+ obviously)

[Ilia]

Come on, people! How can you give this an A? Yes, it did have some good jokes, but it clearly wasn't one of the best. I was closer to "season 11, 12" average

• Satiring the law: one judge lets everyone go, the other one punishes everyone, now that's sad
• Homer and Marge plotting revenge 'nuff said
• switches from comedy to emotional to WB toon to Family Guy
• Too much sex themed jokes
• poor, poor moleman
• Third act goes off the topic, as it tends to do in almost every episode in the past few seasons
• What was really the episode statement? Let boys be boys? What a load of ---

3/5
BI.....................G MEANIE

[Centaur]

Originally posted by Tomacco
I just wrote the most complicated deep review I've ever wriiten, for this episode of course.

Yah, that's the thing. The Simpsons is not complicated and deep. Themes or morality should maybe constitute 20% of how good an episode is. But that's like the whole focus of your review, talking about the different underlying themes of the different parts. That's what english teachers do. I don't like english teachers. I'm not using the 'it's a cartoon' argument. What I am doing here is pointing out how people who do lengthy reviews dig too deep and miss the basic point of, was this a funny episode.

The first time I saw this, I laughed a lot. It was very funny.

The waitress lady saying "HaH" like three times, that was funny.

And other quick surprising lines, like "Well, this is unorthodox... so no!".

And the firm breasts remark, ya expected Marge to say that Constance Harm must not have kids because she's such a meanie, but Marge instead noted her firm breasts.

And Homer "Hey, I know! I'll become a milk man!" Marge "Focus, Homer."

And when Homer hit his head, he immediately needed a beer, that was strange and funny, "Moe I hit my head, I need a beer".

And it looks like Homer and Bart are leaving the bar together, but they cut to the next shot and show Bart outside while Homer drinks.

Just lots of funny, surprising things that made this episode solid. Marge never gave in to say they were bad parents. Hey looks like she's a strong woman, a strong parent. Hey, that looks like a theme! Seeing as how that only accounts for about 20% of what I care about in a Simpsons episode, looks like they did a fine job there.

So, overall, great job, great ep, Tomacco. If your gonna write lenghty reviews, don't lose perspective on what the objective of the show is, to make people laugh. It made me laugh. There was even some emotional parts. Gooood enough for me.


As for Jake, dude just stop watching. Homer is who he is now. He is not going to become the season 1 and 2 Homer. That ain't gonna happen. Get over it. If I ever see the word jerkass again, I'm gonna vomit. That word means nothing to me. It's meaningless. Homer is who he is. He's funny. He has changed with the times. Some people apparently haven't.

[Tomacco]

The main point of the review was that it the plot and theme of the episode couldnt seem to figure out what it was trying to do. I think most everyone here thinks plot is important in an episode. Plus, I made it lose marks because I didn't think the jokes were THAT funny. The reason I made it so long was so I could properly explain what I was saying. Believe me, I don't usually write reviews like this. Read ALL my other episode reviews, and you'll see. BUT there's more to 'funny' to the SImpsons. Maybe not to shows like Family Guy, which has always been about pure laughs. But Simpsons has always been about heart, story, and flat-out good writing, as well as comedy.

[Rowdy]

Centaur, are you downloading the episodes ahead of time? ET had an article on that a while back about how the episodes are in satelites about a week ahead of time and hackers download them.

Good review, Jonah. Your best yet and the new grading scale works much better.

As for the episode, the first act was hilarious, but two and three were mostly suck. I laughed once in the second act and once at the end of the third when the credits started playing "Don't Fear The Reaper." Overall, the last two acts were at least interesting even though they weren't funny, so I'm going to give this episode a 3/5.

Season 12 vs. Season 13

THOH XI: 5/5
A Tale Of Two Springfields: 2/5
Total: 7/10

THOH XII: 2/5
The Parent Rap: 3/5
Total: 5/10

Current Leader: Season 12

[eric]

You still have the two THOH scores mixed up, Rowdy.

[The Governor]

Originally posted by Centaur
As for Jake, dude just stop watching.

Don't tell me what to do.

Homer is who he is now. He is not going to become the season 1 and 2 Homer. That ain't gonna happen. Get over it.

Homer has. I found Season 12 to be the best characterized "Homer" of the past five seasons. Maybe you've seen it.

If I ever see the word jerkass again, I'm gonna vomit. That word means nothing to me. It's meaningless. Homer is who he is. He's funny. He has changed with the times. Some people apparently haven't.

Go right ahead and vomit, I'm sure your toilet can be flushed more than once. And don't be a hypocrite. If "Jerkass" had not semantic meaning, you wouldn't have fired off you sophomoronic, juvenille response.

[Centaur]

Originally posted by Rowdy
Centaur, are you downloading the episodes ahead of time? ET had an article on that a while back about how the episodes are in satelites about a week ahead of time and hackers download them.

Yes and no. Yes, I get em ahead of time. No, I don't hack into satellites.

I don't wanna get into specifics about how the encoders are capturing the eps. I wouldn't want a network person to read this and develop a workaround. I wonder if they are aware of how much the tv capping scene has exploded in the last year. Heh, I hope not.

[Centaur]

Originally posted by Jake


If "Jerkass" had not semantic meaning, you wouldn't have fired off you sophomoronic, juvenille response.

The word itself means nothing to me in regards to Homer.

The only meaning that word has for me is the feeling it invokes when I read the reviews of people who used that word in their reviews of middle season eps at snpp.com.

When I first got on the internet like 5,6 years ago, I started going to Simpsons web sites. And I was like, what the fuck? Jerkass Homer? Wtf are they talking about at snpp? The middle season eps were great.
To me, there never was and there still is no such thing as jerkass Homer. The middles seasons were simply perfect. I never saw fit to attach that derogatory word towards Homer in describing what are classic episodes. So whenever I see that word now, I question the perspective from which that reviewer is coming from. People who used that word years ago obviously were wrong about those eps.


And I don't know where people are coming up with strange views about Season 12. It wasn't vastly different from 10,11, or 13. Homer is not experiencing wild swings and changes of character in this short span of years. What next? Next week, you'll think he's normal, and then the following week, you'll declare him a jerkass.

It is for those above reasons that the word "jerkass" really has no meaning for me in regards to describing Homer.

[Beyerstein]

Originally posted by Tomacco
I made it lose marks because I didn't think the jokes were THAT funny.

Right. I didn't really laugh the entire show. It was lame. and they're making it too wacky.

[Doaho]

Not a bad episode but not great either.

[The Governor]

Originally posted by Centaur
The only meaning that word has for me is the feeling it invokes when I read the reviews of people who used that word in their reviews of middle season eps at snpp.com.

As far as I can remember, "Jerkass" doesn't predate "Joy of Sect" before Homer yelled: "Outta my way, Jerkass!".

When I first got on the internet like 5,6 years ago, I started going to Simpsons web sites. And I was like, what the fuck? Jerkass Homer? Wtf are they talking about at snpp? The middle season eps were great.

No arguement here. I was a non-computer CBG who defended the show against people who said season 5-7 sucked.

To me, there never was and there still is no such thing as jerkass Homer. The middles seasons were simply perfect. I never saw fit to attach that derogatory word towards Homer in describing what are classic episodes. So whenever I see that word now, I question the perspective from which that reviewer is coming from. People who used that word years ago obviously were wrong about those eps.

IMO, I think it's wrong to compare the Modern Homer to the "Classic" Homer from the fifth-seventh season. He was the best those years and Season 12's Homer, other than A Tale of Two Springfields, came pretty damn close. (barneybeergumble, shut up) Also, my term is most valid since the show has become far more Homercentric since the middle seasons.

You can tell me not to watch it, but then I'd miss Marge, Lisa, Bart, and the Other One.

Jake

[rockdiva]

"Parent Rap" was good. No, it wasn't the best, but it beat most of season 12.

[lisa_the_greek]

NM...

[mitch mitchell]

Some of the stuff was funny, but it seemed like they had half an episode, and just put a bunch of silly stuff around. Seems like they kind of half-assed this one. I liked, but it wasn't great. Kind of disappointing for a season premier, but its not like I changed the channel or anything. I'll give it a B-