The Simpsons "Jaws Wide Shut" Talkback

[James Harvey]

So, any thoughts on last night's episode. Is it possible that these episodes are better than the episodes of season's past? Comments on the episode?

[Failure]

I really liked this ep. It wasnt the funniest of eps, although the gay parade parts and the parts with the donkey were funny. But this ep just felt, I dunno, different from the rest of the eps that've been on this season. It kinda felt like old times.

[Clayface]

Eh, it was an ok episode, IMO. For the most part, it wasn't that great, but I did love the Popeye-themed parts.

[Killtacular]

The writers plagarized a plot point from Dexter's Laboratory's "Accent you Hate".

I don't like plagarism.

[DR. BELCH]

Admittedly it felt like "HOMR" in places--Homer suffers a mishap that improved him and brings him closer to his family...but it was more enjoyable. Homer's boorish behavior in a movie theater results in a broken jaw, and his impaired ability to speak forces him to listen a little more. He still behaves a bit like a caveman--e.g. telling Marge "I'm horny" and writing "so hungry" on a piece of paper for Burns--but his lapses are taken for sensitivity and even intelligence ("Why, you're right. This music is from Southern Hungary!")
I am thankful he didn't try to rebreak his jaw in act three, thinking his life was so much better when he was ingorant yet unheard...but Marge's behavor was a total one-eighty. Like Brain in "That Smarts", she realizes she's bored and the marriage needs balance, so she has to become the whacky one.
Unfortunately she finds herself in over her head at a demolition derby.
There was a riotous bit in the third act parodying Popeye shorts--Homer gets drunk and becomes his old self--while Popeye music swells in the background--and Marge becomes a skinny rubber-armed Olive Oyl.
Watch for the gay steel workers from "Homer's Phobia"--although Smithers and John (the gay shop owner) are oddly absent.
Marge's take on alternative lifestyles is interesting--she doesn't directly object to the parade, although she wishes that the man and the woman on the "in the closet" float could meet and fall in love. She has expressed ignorance in the past that Gore Vidal is that way. I suppose she accepts homosexuality as a way of life, but one that can be overcome with effort --like a harelip or a club foot or a stutter.

[Calhoun07]

Sorry to be off topic, but I thought about watching this episode, but opted to watch the A&E Biography on George Lucas. It was quite interesting indeed, tho he never did explain what he was thinking with Jar Jar! :p But it was a great episode overall. They used to release these Biography shows on tape...any out on DVD yet?

And to keep the o/t on topic...I will give the Simpsons another chance next week. I had hopes this season would really improve, but so far it hasn't, and I am pretty close to abandoning the show all together. I still say the comic books are funnier than the current batches of episodes.

[Terminatah]

Last night's episode was really great. I think it might have something to do with the showrunner position recently going to The Critic's Al Jean, who has been a consistently great Simpsons writer over the years. The Simpsons' crappier episodes have coincidentally been during Mike Scully's tenure as showrunner. I'm not absolutely sure that their contributions had everything to do with the show's quality, but it looks like the switch helped.

-Terminatah

[Failure]

Smithers was in the episode, he was one of the people in the closet. The other person was Patty (or is it Selma? I get them confused. Either way, the one that hasnt been married multiple times). Have they ever hinted before that Patty was gay? Besides the fact that she doesnt like men (which I guess is a pretty obvious hint in itself).

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Failure
Smithers was in the episode, he was one of the people in the closet. The other person was Patty (or is it Selma? I get them confused. Either way, the one that hasnt been married multiple times). Have they ever hinted before that Patty was gay? Besides the fact that she doesnt like men (which I guess is a pretty obvious hint in itself).

From the episode Principal Charming:

Homer: Which one's Selma, again?
Marge: She's the one who likes Police Academy movies and Hummel figurines, and walking through the park on clear autumn days.
Homer: Oh, yeah yeah yeah. But I thought she was the one that didn't like to be ... you know ... touched.
Marge: It's Patty who chose a life of celibacy. Selma simply had celibacy thrust upon her.

From the episode Much Apu About Nothing:

Homer: [on phone] Hello, Selma? Selma my dear, how are you? ... Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. Listen, shut up for a second. How would you like to marry Apu so he doesn't get deported?
Selma: I'd rather eat poison. My name's already Selma Bouvier Terwilliger Hutz McClure. God knows it's long enough without Nahassapeema-whatever. From now on, I'm only marrying for love. ... Mmm, possibly once more for money.

From the episode Treehouse of Horror VI:

Patty: How's it hanging, Marge?

Then there's another instance (I forget which episode) in which Selma complains that Patty's always leaving the toilet seat up. That's a lot of gay references, although in that first episode I quoted (Principal Charming), Patty is the one who dates Skinner (Homer meant to set him up with Selma and screwed it up). And they both love MacGuyver.

-Terminatah

[KingKoopa]

Matt, can you tell me what they plagarized? I didn't see it.

[Trent Lane]

I about pissed my pants during the Popeye thing. That was pretty funny. Fuel for me mule, gas for my ass... oh, it was a relief to have some really stupid humor on the Simpsons again... maybe things are changing back to the way they were? Hey, we can all dream....

[Vin]

Originally posted by Jim Harvey
So, any thoughts on last night's episode. Is it possible that these episodes are better than the episodes of season's past? Comments on the episode?

The episode was definitely better than some of the more recent episodes. It kind of made me emotional with Homer learning to love and...Nevermind, we're talking about "The Simpsons." Overall, I thought the episode was nicely done and pretty enjoyable.

[Failure]

Originally posted by Terminatah


From the episode Much Apu About Nothing:

Homer: [on phone] Hello, Selma? Selma my dear, how are you? ... Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. Listen, shut up for a second. How would you like to marry Apu so he doesn't get deported?
Selma: I'd rather eat poison. My name's already Selma Bouvier Terwilliger Hutz McClure. God knows it's long enough without Nahassapeema-whatever. From now on, I'm only marrying for love. ... Mmm, possibly once more for money.

-Terminatah

I was thinking about that exact line, which is why I figured it was Patty who was gay.

[Killtacular]

I wasn't able to watch the episode because my TV Tuner stopped working, but the promo showed Homer at some sort of school building or something, running into a statue with a golden fist and breaking his mouth.

In "Accent You Hate", Dexter's bully confronts him outside the school, and is surrounded by kids. The bully tries to get away, and runs into a statue with golden fists, busting his nose and mouth.

[JohnCrichton]

I didn't watch it out of partial angry that Futurama was pre-empted again and I think I was watching Bruce Willis's most brilliant film, Hudson Hawk instead.

Sorry to hear I missed it tho, from what I'm hearing it didn't suck like alot of Simpsons episodes have been, but it wasn' brilliant like alot of Futurama episodes have been pretty much consistantly.

[Bud 'n Lou]

I remember in one of the Treehouse of Horror episodes (I think it was the segment with the killer Krusty doll) Homer runs through the house naked, past Patty and Selma, and one of them, I don't remember which, said "There goes the last lingering thread of my heterosexuality."
...if that helps.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Bud 'n Lou
I remember in one of the Treehouse of Horror episodes (I think it was the segment with the killer Krusty doll) Homer runs through the house naked, past Patty and Selma, and one of them, I don't remember which, said "There goes the last lingering thread of my heterosexuality."
...if that helps. That was gold.


Originally posted by Matt Wilson
I wasn't able to watch the episode because my TV Tuner stopped working, but the promo showed Homer at some sort of school building or something, running into a statue with a golden fist and breaking his mouth.

In "Accent You Hate", Dexter's bully confronts him outside the school, and is surrounded by kids. The bully tries to get away, and runs into a statue with golden fists, busting his nose and mouth. That's not plagiarism.

-Terminatah

[Killtacular]

Plagarism isn't just copying something word for word, you know. Plagarism includes copying something and then changing the words slightly to make it sound like its yours. The situation leading up to Homer hitting the statue may not have been the same, but the actual act and immediate consequences of the gag were lifted straight from DL.

EDIT: Ironically, the Toonheads at 9 o' clock was The Great Cartoon Controversy.. if you saw it, you'd know what I mean.

[Jetstorm]

I think it was the first ep of the season to not feature a guest star. Cool.

[The Mad Hatter]

...which is why I detested Family Guy, which lifted jokes and situations from every recent cartoon known to man.

Anyway, I thought this was a pretty good episode, maybe even by earlier season standards. The wacky randomness seemed much better paced, there was character intrigue, and the Popeye bit caused me to choke on my coke. Things are looking up.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
Plagarism isn't just copying something word for word, you know. Plagarism includes copying something and then changing the words slightly to make it sound like its yours. The situation leading up to Homer hitting the statue may not have been the same, but the actual act and immediate consequences of the gag were lifted straight from DL.Nonsense, it didn't have anything to do with the plot. Plus, the joke on The Simpsons was that it took place at the unveiling of a statue of boxer Drederick Tatum.

And besides-- who here hasn't ever ran into the fists of a golden statue? It's more common than anvil head injuries.

-Terminatah

[Scythemantis]

The popeye thing was more hilarious than it even should have been...I don`t really even KNOW why I laughed that hard at it! It was just so weird...

For my area however,football continued until more than halfway into the simpsons,so I missed just about everything.I hate sports on fox.So I only got to see a little bit of the simpsons and the episode of malcolm in the middle that really bothered me when he killed the two rats (in real life rats are highly intelligent and make wonderful,sweet,adorable pets) but it was pretty funny when they got back at him.

[TerdFergusson]

Originally posted by The Mad Hatter
...which is why I detested Family Guy, which lifted jokes and situations from every recent cartoon known to man.
What plagerism has Family Guy done?

[Failure]

Originally posted by Sting chameleon
The popeye thing was more hilarious than it even should have been...I don`t really even KNOW why I laughed that hard at it! It was just so weird...

For my area however,football continued until more than halfway into the simpsons,so I missed just about everything.I hate sports on fox.So I only got to see a little bit of the simpsons and the episode of malcolm in the middle that really bothered me when he killed the two rats (in real life rats are highly intelligent and make wonderful,sweet,adorable pets) but it was pretty funny when they got back at him.

They postponed the Simpsons til 11 for us. And actually shifted the whole schedule back by 15 minutes. Malcolm starting at 8.45, TXF at 9.15 and so on.

[DR. BELCH]

Sort of an odd timing on this ep, considering Iron Mike's latest transgression earlier in the week that probably ended his boxing career. Tatum, of course, is a parody of Tyson.

For those who don't know, the title of this ep is a parody of that of Stanley Kubrick's last film (with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise), "Eyes Wide Shut", but minus that weird plunking piano chord.

Plagiarism is a word thrown around by the lazy a lot. It's a nebulous charge, impossible to prove, and usually winds up dragging into lawsuits, lost jobs, and bruised feelings. No one wins.

I once ran into a glass window a la Chris Farley in Tommy Boy (before ever seeing the movie) ...does that count?

[The Mad Hatter]

What plagerism has Family Guy done?

Simpsons, South Park, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Jimmy Corrigan, the Critic, Duckman, etc. etc. etc. I could go on, but I'd really rather not get another Family Guy flame war started.

Instead, I'm going to bask in the happy glow of that absolutely perfect Popeye sequence. Ah, how Marge's arms waggled...

[Killtacular]

Then I guess The Simpsons is a ripoff of The Flintstones and Titanic is a ripoff of Gone With the Wind?

Seriously, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? :P

[DerekPowers]

this ep had some good laughs in it, but I STILL DONT KNOW WHAT THE HELL THE SIMPSONS WRITERS ARE THINKING! heres what i mean....

this eps central story was a great one. homer gets injured, can be a wild card anymore, so marge feels a strange need to fill that spot, while homer gets to know his family in a new way. so far so good.

but why the hell didnt they write it into a good episode? i mean, this idea wasnt revealed till like the last 5 minutes or 10 minutes of the episode. do we need all those unrelated gags and stuff?? if they had just written it from begining to end with this idea in mind, it could have worked.

instead, like all the other recent eps, the begining, middle, and end seemed to have little if anything at all to do with eachother. the episode becomes tired that way, and when they finally reveal a cool concept to the audience, its rushed in the last 5 mins. that also makes them lack the depth and heart of previous seasons.

so my question is....ARE THESE WRITERS ON CRACK OR SOMETHING??? they had a good idea, so why didnt they write it into a good, solid episode?? i give up on the simpsons, geez.

[langden alger]

i completley missed this ep. what was the big popeye gag that has everybody cracking up? could someone explain? thanx.

[Craig Marinaro]

In the climax, Marge is trapped in the middle of a monster rally, and Homer comes to the rescue. He returns to his old impulsive self when Bart pops a can of beer (a la spinach). Homer goes into some dead-on Popeye mannerisms (from foot-shuffling to wonderful muttered dialogue by Mr. Castelleneta), and rides to Marge's rescue. Marge takes an Olive Oyl part (complete with mouth-only-visible screaming and waggly arms). It was an example of a break from "reality" actually being funny (and fitting in with the plot), unlike a lot of recent eps.

Now why don't they just make episodes like this every week? It can't be all that hard. ;)

[Craig Marinaro]

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
Then I guess The Simpsons is a ripoff of The Flintstones and Titanic is a ripoff of Gone With the Wind?

Seriously, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? :P

I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.

Actually, The Flintstones was a ripoff of The Honeymooners...the only similarity between The Simpsons and The Flintsones is that both feature a family in the title role. Family Guy, on the other hand, features quite a few ideas and characters that are just way too close to stuff that's been done before to be coincedence.

[Brainiac]

This was definitely one of the better episodes...the Popeye segment, and the entire opening scene(s) were great. Pause it and look at the movie titles if you have it on tape sometime...they're pretty funny....Overall, a good ep., but I liked the last one a bit more...

Ralph: "Where's my baby? Where's my baby??"

[langden alger]

cool. thanks for the description..doesn't sound too bad. hopefully they don't wait forever to re-run that one.