Notes for JABF18 (The Homer of Seville)

I'm not sure exactly what it is that I saw tonight, but I can say it didn't seem like a rehashed plot! Perhaps if I were more familiar with opera, I'd pick up on some similarity to an existing story, but as it stands now I guess it was good. From the singing lying down (which I still don't get) to Marge's reactions to Homer's new lifestyle, to the old lady groupies, to the mysterious stalker lady Julia, though, it didn't stay on any one topic for very long, which is a little unusual but did avoid beating things into the ground. The most amusing part was the groupie demographic; the most *conf*using was why so much stress was put on Homer's only being able to lie down (couldn't it at least have had a payoff at the end, e.g. he wouldn't be able to see his impending doom?). Oh well. I'll definitely have to see this again to make more sense of it, but in general I liked it throughout.

DYN: ...another new sax solo? (They're really rolling in - this is the third new one in this calendar year/production season, and the third consecutive one in a standard opening!) ...the couch gag ends, as has become the fashion lately, with a variation (Marge asks Homer "did you bring the milk?" instead of "what took you so long?")? ...Homer's opera singing voice sounds a fair deal like Sideshow Mel?

Previous episode references 3F06: Homer falls into an empty grave (Homer in a grave also in 8F22, 5F21) 7F75, DABF11: Burns moves his limbs about with outside assistance BABF19: Marge's fancy dress looks a lot like the one in this episode, but a much lighter shade of green 2F05: National anthem sung at hockey game (elsewhere: 7F05, AABF07) 2F06: Infrared thermo-vision used AABF09: So TV sensation Homer Simpson *does* say "uh-oh, Spaghetti- Os"! EABF01: Mystery figure trying to kill Homer CABF19: I'm not sure why Marge said "Chief Wiggums" tonight, but (Constable) Wiggums is said here

Other references Seinfeld ("The Doll"): Jose Carreras, oft-forgotten member of the Three Tenors (now down to 2, though no mention seemed to be made of Pavarotti's recent death), referred to as "the other guy" ("that other guy" here) - this could be more widespread as well Raiders of the Lost Ark: (eye) love you gag

Goofs Homer's sung many a time before, and fairly well, though perhaps never as deeply and from the diaphragm. Assuming Homer sang the national anthem at the start of the game, why were there players already in the penalty box?

Meta-reference corner Marge, after Homer sings a "d'oh": "That doesn't sound like Homer's usual annoyed grunt" ((ANNOYED GRUNT) is how it always appears in scripts) Just for the record, since I'm sure no one missed it: Homer's "d'oh," "woo(-hoo)," and "stupid flanders" warmup scales

Other junk -At one point, an electronic sign above the stage flashes English translations of the opera; is that a common thing now? -Did I miss something in the extended crappy snipers sequence? Or just more of a rake scene (note how short the episode was)? -Wiggum makes some opera puns about Julia, including "Madame Butterface"; obviously the play is on "Madame Butterfly," but the term butterface refers to an otherwise attractive woman with a less attractive face. I guess it's just meant to be a poorly-thought-out joke on his part...

Till next week!

When is that psycho naked chick going to come back and try to whack Marge?

Homer has sung many times in the past, IIRC, but I distinctly remember this time: http://www.snpp.com/episodes/BABF19

     Homer:  [comes through the door dressed in black, a cape, top hat
and
             fake mustache; laughs evilly; sings] Where is the rent?
I must
             have the rent.  Dollars, dimes, and nickels -- I need
them all
             right now!

Mr. Museum

wrote

Looking at the title I was really hoping we'd get at least a snippet of "Largo al factotum". Alas it was not to be...

In article , Matt Garvey wrote:

I can't speak for other opera houses, but the San Francisco Opera has featured "Supertitles" for many years now.

Mark Mellin wrote:

Supertitles have their problems - occasionally, they put two lines up at once, so the audience reads what is intended to be a joke and laughs before the appropriate lines are sung.

(Also, I think the Metropolitan Opera House in New York uses subtitles on the backs of seats rather than overhead supertitles.)

-- Don

5F21)

While I'm thinking of that, 8F02 too.