Capsule Submission: Barting Over (EABF05)

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preview from snpp.com

      8:00 . not really the 300th EPISODE . Barting Over (EABF05)
      blink 182, Tony Hawk, and Jane Kaczmarek guest voice as Bart gets
"legally separated" from Homer after he discovers he was a child star in
commercials, only for Homer to waste all of the money

preview from tvguide.com

Simpsons Barting Over 30 min. Bart sues for divorce from his parents in the series' 300th episode. The catalyst for the courtroom confrontation is a videotape that Bart finds in the garage, showing him as a baby in a TV commercial for a product that prevents bad breath in infants. What's even more jarring, the fourth grader formerly known as "Baby Stink Breath" learns that Homer has spent all the residuals earned from the spot. Furious, Bart hires an attorney, and a judge (Jane Kaczmarek) grants him his emancipation, as well as financial support from Homer. That allows Bart to move into his own loft, where his neighbors include music group Blink 182 and skateboarder Tony Hawk. (VCR Plus+ 2332)

OT: 3 Reasons why NASCAR is better than NFL football.

• races almost always end on time
• races can get called early due to inclement weather
• louder noises and cooler fans

I do think that it is cute that something that FOX has been advertising for the last year ended up being rained out after just a little more than half of the race finishes.

Why is SHE back as judge? Jane Kaczmarek should relly not be doing any favors for the Simpsons. While she has to be one of the most annoying characters in the history of television (Lois from Malcolm in the Middle), she represents FOX taking the lowest common denominator while leaving us high and dry from seeing any new episodes of Futurama. I remember in the fall of 99 that Futurama was actually beating the Simpsons in ratings at least a couple of weeks, so what does Fox do? Moves it to a ridiculously early slot and now does not show it at all. Also, Jane has a really annoying voice, and I liked the African American judge and the other woman judge from [1F19] The Boy Who Knew Too Much.

How many shows has Fox had that went 300 episodes? I think that this is the second, along with Married, With Children. Are there any others? Herman's Head? The Chevy Chase Show? Cop Rock? Well, I guess Arsenio Hall went 300 airings, but that should not count.

Best Chalkboard gag? "I will not" followed by Bart smashing the board

Previous Episode References:

Homer loses his kids: [3F01] Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily Homer on the Beach with Hair: [7F02] Simpson and Delilah Old Nelson Ha Haing on the Grave: [CABF04] Homer vs. Dignity

References:

Waynes World-"Were not Worthy" thing towards Lisa.

Evil Dead- Book lisa reads from the Necromomica. I dont know if this is right or not, but it is close.

Micheal Jackson- Homer holding Bart over the balcony and then dropping him? Kinda like what Jacko did in Germany?

Gipeto is spelled with a G, not a J.

Springfield is in Springfield County?

Mary Tyler Moore- Theme when Bart moves to the loft

Kinda Off topic: I used to live in a Loft and had a TWO neighbors that bad 6' vert ramps for skateboarding. Tony Hawk never showed up as far as I can remember.

Warped Tour- Simpsons version of the Skewed Tour

Back to the Future Part 2: Homer's Skateboard is similar to the Hoverboard

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: The fight scene between Homer and Tony

Line of the Episode: "I thought it was 302." That was too good.

REVIEW: I remember like it was just the other day that I was watching the 300th episode of the Simpsons. Oh wait, it was just the other day, and so far no one can tell me why FOX is mis-counting so we can an excuse to parade around some more celebrities. Nothing against Mr. Hawk or Blink 182, but I guess that it is asking a lot to make a "monumental" 300th episode. But, the episode WAS well written and funny. Tony Hawk was even not too over the top and was one of the best guest spots in a couple years. I will give this one a B+, because it was sweet, funny, and smart. (isn't that all I ask)

Stephen wrote:

She's not. Notice the hangman drawing of Homer she was doodling during the trial? She basically throws the book at Homer. (BTW, I wonder if future eps will follow up on the wage garnishment given to Bart?)

She's a ripoff of Judge Judy, who is indeed one of the most annoying characters on t.v.

I hated that. It goes against the whole point of the chalkboard gag which is to be witty, not slapstick.

I liked that final shot of old Nelson doing his thing on Homer's grave.

That was a cool bit. I thought the show was going to turn into a THOH. Might've been the first time they did a sort of supernatural bit in a non-THOH episode.

Yes, I picked up on that...fairly funny.

Homer isn't much of a speller.

That was cool, like a parody of a spinoff show. "Bart's Loft" or whatevertheheck.

My fave is when Homer is up in the air on the skateboard and suddenly realizes, "I can save money by buying nuts separately and mixing them at home!"

I also liked the final scene where Homer is embarrassed by his impotency commercial and someone says nobody will remember it in fifty years, then they flashforward to Homer's grave ("Homer Simpson, Impotency Spokesman) and Nelson doing his Haw-haw.

I give the ep a solid B+. No cringe-worthy moments, which is really saying something this season (e.g. Marge with big tits, Marge insane on steroids...yuck)!

For some reason, that axe he used to chop the blackboard looked like the stereotypical axe used by George Washington to chop down the cherry tree. "I cannot tell a lie". I'm not sure that there is enough variation in axes to say this is a reference, but it did remind me of that tale. And I notice in the US it is President's Day tomorrow.

Maybe Bart was supposed to write "I will not tell a lie"?

Michael

And the best part is, it's a damn good idea.

I wonder if the sales of mixed nuts will be affected anyway.

Lots42:

Nuts and Gum will continue to sell, though.

There are never enough cashews or almonds in mixed nuts, so I usually get another can and toss them in with the mixed nuts hen the "good nuts" supply gets low.

Stephen:

I think the Necronomicon actually originated in the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, with the book in The Evil Dead being a reference to that. I'd guess that the Simpsons reference was to Lovecraft rather than The Evil Dead. Note that there was also a reference to the Necronomicon in "Brawl in the Family," in which Bob Dole read from it.

Phillips

guess

Note

Family,"

I guess it would be to the earlier reference of HP Lovecraft and not to the much later reference of Bruce Campbell kicking butt... I will be honest and say I have never read any Lovecraft and did not know it was used in one of his books. Are they a good read?

Stephen

"Used in," nothin'. H.P. Lovecraft made the whole thing up in the 1920s. It helps to support his works about the Cthulthu Mythos.