A review of "Midnight Rx (FABF16)"

[The long of it]

Tonight's episode featured a timely topic, one with the potential to zing greedy companies, uncaring politicians, and heartless laws. "Midnight Rx" addresses most of these, yet most of the best jokes in it have little to do with the main subject.

The show opens with a visit to Springfield's Air and Space Museum, courtesy of Homer's employer, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. The folks at the DC Museum would probably be jealous if they got a look at Springfield's version: The town of 50,000 has a museum that features not only a Wright Flyer and a plane similar to the Spirit of St. Louis, but also the huge Plywood Pelican. The latter is an impressive sight, despite the fact it only flew for about six feet ... and caught fire in the rain ... and apparently got Burns dismissed from the German Air Force during World War II. The museum's video tribute to museum videos was also funny. It's a good thing the museum sequence was funny, because it was also the entire first act. At least it led smoothly into the main plot, for the outing was designed to soften SNPP employees up for some bad news: The company is dropping prescription drug benefits from its health insurance package. (There was also a good call-back in the third act, so Act One wasn't just a throwaway.)

Like most of his countrymen, Homer, with the help of his father, discovers that one can avoid high drug prices in America by buying them on the cheap in Canada. Almost instantly, they're supplying the entire town of Springfield with their fix for Propecia, Allegra, Xanax, and what have you. There's one scene where Homer pulls drug- mule balloons from his stomach, complains he has an upset stomach, and consumes all the pills in one of the balloons. Then he realizes he has to take the medicine with food. No problem -- another one of the balloons happens to contain half a sandwich. The way Homer and his gang are finally pinched is funny in a contrived way, but you figure out where the joke is going before the show actually gets there. It's not that these are bad jokes, but the humor here was a little bit broad for my tastes.

Instead, I liked the side-jokes this episode explored. On one drug run, Apu and Ned get into a hilarious debate over who worships the One True God. Ned also has an amusing encounter with his Canadian equivalent. After the gang is arrested, the show has a little fun when two men arrive at their cell to explain the situation in English and French. Canada's language schizophrenia is one of several little digs at the Great North. For example, their relative pacifism, as compared to the US, shows up in a Canadian veterans' organization sign: Veterans of One War. People who thought the OFF's visit to Canada in "The Bart Wants What It Wants (DABF06)" was half-hearted might enjoy tonight's show more. And circling back to the main story, there's a good scene where Wiggum gives his son "medicine" from the police evidence room. The dilating-pupil effect that accompanies his line, "I'm cuckoo for contraband," is at once funny and creepy.

If production codes are anything to go by, "Midnight Rx" was made at about the same time as "Bart-Mangled Banner (FABF17)." The writers must have been in a political frame of mind. After watching "Banner," I wasn't looking forward to another trip to the political well. "Midnight Rx" avoided most of the heavy-handedness that marred the earlier episode. It's not a masterpiece, but it did leave me feeling happier. And hey -- no annoying side effects!

[The short of it]

The producers must have been in a political frame of mind: Like "Bart-Mangled Banner," this episode dealt with one of the major issues of the 2004 election. Fortunately, this show avoids the heavy-handed satire that marred "Banner." Jokes revolving around the central theme of Homer's medicine-running were a bit too broad for my taste, but the side-jokes surrounding it helped make up for this. I enjoyed the museum visit that was the first act, and Ned and Apu's religious debate. "Midnight Rx" isn't a masterpiece, but it did leave me feeling happier. And hey -- no annoying side effects! (B)

[DYNs]

...	Lisa speaks for the first time (so far as I know) during a couch
	scene?
...	the Dudley Do-Right pharmacy apparently wasn't in Quebec?  (See
	"Personal Comments & Observations" section for more.)

[References]

"Midnight Express" (movie) "Midnight Run" (movie) - title is a parody of at least one (or both) of these

National Air and Space Museum - Springfield has a similar museum, with many of the same exhibits

Spirit of St. Louis (historical airplane)
-	Springfield A&S has a plane that looks just like the one
	Lindbergh used to cross the Atlantic, but it has "Spirit of
	Shelbyville" stenciled on the side

The Spruce Goose (historical airplane) - the Plywood Pelican looks similar, and has a parody name - both planes designed and financed by strong-willed millionaires - neither plane was very practical, and both flew only briefly for a short distance

Cocoa Puffs (cereal)
-	after being given the evidence-room pill, Ralph says, "I'm
	cuckoo for contraband," which echoes the cereal's, "I'm cuckoo
	for Cocoa Puffs!" slogan

Farmer John (cold cut container) - Marge and Lisa visit Pharm-er John's Pharmaceuticals

"I Want a New Drug" (song) - drug company promotional film plays this song and video - (and those are scenes from the original video, by the way)

Veterans of Foreign Wars - Canada has "Veterans of One War" organization

Dudley Do-Right (cartoon character) - Dudley Do-Drugs pharmacy sort of named in honor of this Canadian Mountie character

"Sleeping Beauty" (fairy tale) - Burns "kisses" Smithers back to life

"Snow White" (movie) - Smithers's glass coffin reminiscent of the one used for Snow White in the Disney film

[Previous Episode References]

[7G01] The family really does just run to the couch and sit down normally [5F17] Someone admires a velvet rope [9F15] Mr. Burns tries to distract workers from bad news [AABF02] "White Rabbit" plays during drug-related scene [4F15] Homer imports illegal substances to Springfield [DABF09] The "movie jacket gang" appears [1F13] Homer referred to as a "former astronaut" on the Canadian news

[FFF]

Banner at the Air and Space Museum:

              WELCOME
    [Burns] SPRINGFIELD  [Smithers]
           NUCLEAR PLANT
            EMPLOYEES!

Airplanes at the museum:

    Spirit             The
      of             Plywood
    Shelbyville        Pelican

Party invitation card:

       Employee
        Outing
    --------------
      Featuring
    Nasty Surprise

Employment agency sign:

          SPRINGFIELD EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
    WHEN YOU NEED TO SHOW THE STATE YOU TRIED

Drug company:

    PHARM-ER JOHN'S
    PHARMACEUTICALS

Canadian border sign:

      WELCOME TO CANADA
    NOW CELINE DION - FREE

Canadian vets' organization

    VETERANS
       OF
    ONE WAR

Pharmacy sign

   [Dudley ]
   [tipping]
   [  hat  ]
        DUDLEY
       DO-DRUGS
      \___   ___/
          \ /
       PHARMACY
       PHARMACIE

Words during the drug sequence:

TWO REFILLS REMAINING

take as directed

BLOOD PRESSURE: NORMAL

      DO NOT OPERATE
      HEAVY MACHINERY

CHOLESTEROL: HIGH NORMAL

Winnipeg pharmacy sign:

       NOW ENTERING
      W I N N I P E G
     WE WERE BORN HERE
    WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

Canadian news:

     CANADIAN
       NEWS
       AND
    LOST MITTEN
      UPDATE

[Personal Comments & Observations]

Dr. Hibbert's pharmaceutical babes dance to Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back."

Jefferson Starship's "White Rabbit" played while Homer and Abe stock up on drugs. (Curse alert: Their drummer passed away a few days ago.)

In the Presidential election of 2004, one of the biggest domestic issues was the increasing cost of prescription medicines. For people without health insurance, the cost of live-saving pills was too often unaffordably high. Even those with insurance weren't out of the woods. To cover drug costs, insurers jacked up their rates. People who got their health insurance through their employers, like Homer, were faced with higher co-payments and paycheck deductions, reduced coverage, or both.

The court of popular opinion held the pharmaceutical companies to blame. Some of the expense was justifiable. Medical research is costly, and there's no guarantee when undertaking a research program that it will eventually produce results. But many people think the drug companies are taking unfair advantage of consumers. Drug companies are accused of "bribing" doctors with gifts to get them to prescribe their pills to patients; Dr. Hibbert's pro-drug video strongly suggests he's been bought out. Most infuriatingly, the companies sometimes charge less for the *same drug* when it is sold outside the US. It didn't take long for people living near the US- Canada border to realize they could get their medicine for less by driving up north and bringing pills back to the US. As Homer and company found out, it's against the law to just buy pills in bulk and drive back to America with them. Nevertheless, in real life there are Canadian pharmacies that can sell medicine to Americans (with valid prescriptions, I presume). It's become so popular that Canadian politicians now worry that there won't be enough drugs left for their own citizens.

The drugs that "sponsored" Hibbert's video are:

Allegra -- An anti-allergy medicine.

Celebrex -- Anti-arthritis pills.  Celebrex, like Vioxx, is one Cox-2
	inhibitors suspected of increasing the risk of heart attack and
	stroke.  Hibbert presumably got his "Celebrex" necklace before
	this happened.

Prilosec -- Medication that helps to cure ulcers.  Hibbert's shirt is
	a little out of date.  The patent on Prilosec recently expired,
	meaning that anybody can now make a cheaper generic version of
	it.  To staunch the potential bleeding away of profit,
	Prilosec's makers came up with Nexium, a nearly identical
	medication that is safely under patent protection.

Pfizer, as you probably figured out, is a major pharmaceutical company. I don't know if they make all the drugs I just mentioned, but my guess is that they do.

It doesn't show up in Hibbert's video, but Willie mentions Propecia. This is a hair-growth drug. It's intended for scalp hair, though, not Willie's "chest patch."

Celine Dion: French-Canadian singer best known for her hit, "My Heart Will Go On" (a.k.a., "The Song from 'Titanic'"). Although she has a lot of fans, her critics frequently say she has an over-the-top singing style.

Katherine Hepburn: Actress. Her career zenith ran from the 30s to the 50s, but she remained highly respected long after that. I think for one of her roles she had to wear those Jodhpur pants, which may explain the mistaken identity with Mr. Burns.

Canada actually has two official languages, English and French. This explains both the bilingual sign, and the French translator provided at the jail (despite the fact that none of the prisoners speaks French). In Quebec, where most of Canada's French-speakers reside, the signs not only have to be bilingual, but the French translation must be first, and in a larger font than the English. (What's French for, "So there"?) The Dudley Do-Drugs pharmacy is therefore not in Quebec, or courting a big fine from the sign police.

In the end, Burns decides to reinstate health insurance for all his full-time employees. The catch is, he makes most of his work force (like Homer) part-timers and consultants. That's not so far removed from real life. Some time ago, UPS (that's a package-delivery company, for those of you outside the US) felt the backlash from its part-time employees, who lobbied for the same benefits as their full- time counterparts. The UPS case was unusual in that many of its ground troops were part-timers; many more than you might expect. What's more, many of these "part-time" employees had to work 35 hours a week -- just five hours less than a full-time worker.

Benjamin Robinson wrote:

It's been so long since I've seen either of these movies; doesn't Prince Charming also kiss Snow White back to life?

It looks like the only one of the three that they make is Celebrex... now that I think about it, though, it's worth noting another major product of theirs, Viagra (just why were those women dancing around, eh?).

Why don't you just pray to Hawk Man?

Air And Space Museum

Didn't the Germans have a bomber during WWII that caught fire when it got wet? I think it was made out of Sodium though, not wood. Air And Space Museum

Very good, comprehensive post as always. A minor nit is that the group was called "Jefferson Airplane" when they released that particular song.

tieus:

They set the stage for the Alan Parsons Project. Which I believe was some kind of hovercraft.

Of course, they weren't Jefferson Starship until the drummer left the band (or more likely kicked out) and some years had passed, like a few years into the seventies.

They were Jefferson Airplane when they recorded the song, and by the time it morphed into Jefferson Starship, it was not the same line up.

I can't remember the full sign. If you're arguing that the name of the company needs to be in French, that's a gray area. I don't think it's ever been illegal to have an English name for a store or company, but some of the chains have misread the rules, like the department store chain Eaton's dropping the apostrophe, or Staples using a french name, Bureau en Gros, in QUebec. There has been grumbling by some that there are too many English names, but it can only be grumbling unless the law changes. I suspect some companies have even made a business decision, like Shopper's Drug Mart being Pharmaparix here in Quebec, adapting not to a law (or a misreading of a law), but adapting to the market. Or in their case, Pharmaprix may have existed and then bought by the other chain.

At one point, a bookstore chain opened here, and though they had no French books, the section labels were in French. Bookstores come under a cultural clause and such French labelling should not have been required, but the carpetbaggers didn't realize that.

If there was more on the sign, and I don't remember, then yes that would get in trouble with the language laws.

Michael

<snip>

I really think you spend too much time writing these, especially for half-assed, lackluster episodes.

If you're not sure, why even include this?

In alt.tv.simpsons, on the "Re: A review of "Midnight Rx (FABF16)"" thread, XPeeple wrote:

Jeez, you're cranky today. Did someone cut you off on the freeway this morning?

Anyway, I included it because, if I was right, it will be on the record for capsule compilation and, if I was wrong, someone likely to come by and post a correction.

Benjamin Robinson wrote:

In THOHX she spoke during the couch gag, and she's made noises before (grunts, moans, screams, etc.)

Have we heard "I like the cut of your gibberish" before? Sounds familiar

Burns has said the actual phrase "I like the cut of your gib" at least once, maybe twice. Ned was making a pun on it, turning "gib" (meaning giblets) to "gibberish," which is exactly what the Flanders language often is (unless I'm mistaken and it's Hindi).

XPeeple wrote:

Where did you ever get that? It's "jib", i.e., the forward sail on a boat, not "gib" (short for "giblets").

From: http://forum.leo.org/archiv/2003_10/06/20031006151603g_en.html

In the days of sailing ships, nationality and rigs could often be distinguished by their jibs. A Spanish ship, for example, had a small jib or none at all. Large French ships often had two jibs and English ships normally had only one. From ships, the phrase was extended to apply to men. The nose, like the jib of a ship arriving in harbor, is the first part of the person to arrive at a designated place. Figuratively, it implies the first impression one makes on another person.''

A jib is a sail, the one most forward on the boat, I guess. ''Giblets,'' pronounced the same, is funny -- esp. because giblets is sometimes used in a sexual context for male anatomy.

I just realized that the most definite use of the line "I like the cut of your jib" was in the episode where Homer joins the Naval reserve. The captain, or whoever was in charge of the submarine, said it to Homer in response to something Homer said, and gave Homer a promotion.

Michael

out of interest, what is the one war?

cheers

andy

"Andy healey" wrote in news:csr2e7$8pq$[email]:

I believe that Canada officially participated in World War II.

Jason LaRue wrote:

As well as the first Gulf War.

digging out more useless facts

as well as the two conflicts above

they had 450,000 men in the Great War, (WW1) 10,000 in the Vietnam war, (unoffically) 25,000 in the Korean War

cheers andy

or is that the "won war"? I don't know, something about burning the white house to the ground; I saw it on a chain email once. ;)