[The long of it]
It's tough these days to be a moral example. Lisa used to be a straight arrow, but when pushed hard enough, she turned to cheating on a classroom exam. Now, it's Marge's turn to show her failings, when she sabotages her competitors' entries in a bakeoff. Sure, she was just returning the treatment she got from a roomful of conniving contestants but still, cheating is cheating. Oh, where will it end? Now I don't believe in nothing no more. I'm going to law school.
Then again, maybe I'll just skip the law degree. "All's Fair in Oven War" is a lighthearted episode focusing on the humor instead of moral dilemmas or dramatic emotions. Matt Selman, the lead writer for this episode, signals this early on when Marge and Homer decide to remodel their kitchen. They hire a contractor, who assures them he will be done in a matter of weeks. The very next scene is captioned, "Two years later." Of course, nobody has aged a bit. And the Simpsons have a kitchen that's three times bigger than the rest of the house. And you just know in next week's episode the kitchen will be right back to normal. The message from the writers is clear: We're not taking this too seriously, and neither should you.
Marge's journey to the bakeoff begins, as do most family calamities, with that kitchen re-do. At first, Homer bristles at the thought of hiring a professional. "Those crooks charge for materials *and* labor. Pick one, jerks!" he says. The writers play at a humor clich� when Homer shocks himself by hammering an electrical junction box, and says, "Now, let's do exactly the same thing again." Eventually, Homer gives in on the contractor issue and Marge gets her dream kitchen. It inspires her to jazz up her cooking, and soon she's competing to win the Auntie Ovenbake bakeoff. If she wins, her face will be on the Ovenbake box. To get there, though, she'll have to go against her sense of fair play. This sounds like a setup where we might see Marge give in to temptation, only to slowly regret her choice -- kind of like Marge and Lisa's gradual misgivings in "Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment (7F13)." This episode goes for the laugh, so Marge's decisions are made quickly, before the story can get too heavy. Instead, we get a bunch of funny sponsors (I liked American Pride Guided Missiles, myself), a good fantasy sequence from Homer, and a funny gag involving Agnes and a metal door.
The kitchen renovation unearths Homer's old stash of "Playdude" magazines. Bart and Milhouse discover these, and decide to re-create the Hefner lifestyle in Bart's treehouse. (John Ashcroft types can relax; the boys only get the magazines after Marge bowdlerizes them by cutting out all the girly pictures.) The boys do a pretty good job of re-creating the 70s-era jet-setter scene, but we've seen Bart pull this faux-sophisticate shtick before, and it's not quite as amusing as the writers think it is. What really makes this story, in my opinion is Bart and Milhouse's naivete regarding things sexual. Bart thinks "getting some" has something to do with toys, and when "Playdude" suggests some tips to throw "orgies," neither boy is sure what the word means. It's nice to see that the writers understand the kids are funnier when they act as kids, rather than really short adults. Come to think of it, many Matt Selman episodes show a deft touch when writing for the younger characters.
There's also a deft touch with the "seriousness level" of this episode. While obviously not deep, it isn't excessively cartoony, either. There are no sturgeons dropping from the sky, fiber optic handcuffs bursting into flame, and no "fictional" characters coming to life and talking to "real" people. (Well, at least not outside Homer's daydream.) I appreciate that.
If you had given me two episodes I'd never seen before, one by Ian Maxtone-Graham and one by Matt Selman, and asked me to pick which one would be silly fun, I'd have answered Maxtone-Graham. Yet the show he did write, "Lisa Gets an 'A' (AABF03)," thoughtfully explored new aspects of Lisa's complex character. With "All's Fair in Oven War," Selman and his team turned in an episode that's often funny, if slightly superficial. In the past, I might have complained about that, but I've come to realize that it's okay for the show to kick back from time to time and just have some fun. Different recipes for different tastes, after all.
[The short of it]
Early on, the writers signal they're not taking this episode too seriously, and neither should you. Marge's moral dilemma, regarding whether or not to sabotage bakeoff contestants before they can sabotage her, takes a back seat to the jokes in this one. Enough of them work to make this episode fun even if it isn't emotionally deep. Bart and Milhouse's attempts to revive the 70s Playboy lifestyle are funniest when the boys expose their naivete on the subject. The home- renovation starting plot is also good for several laughs. In the past, I might have complained that this show didn't explore Marge's dilemma deeply enough, but now I think an occasional "just for laughs" episode like this one is just fine. (B+)
[DYNs]
... Nelson writes "Speedo" on the waistband of his underwear? ... in the wide shot of the convention center, we see that Otto is one of the bakeoff contestants?
[References]
Rep. Fred Gandy Rep. Sonny Bono (Congressmen) - elected to Congress years after cheesy acting jobs
Playboy (men's magazine) - Bart stumbles onto a cache of Springfield's traditional equivalent, "Playdude"
demonstration at Kent State - clash between National Guard and students at this Ohio college left four students dead; "four dead in Ohio"
"Gravity's Rainbow" (novel) - Thomas Pynchon plans a "Gravity's Rainbow Cookbook"
"The Crying of Lot 49" (novel) - one of the recipes is "The Frying of Latke 49" (a latke is a potato pancake, and one of the staples of Eastern European Jewish cooking)
Betty Crocker - Auntie Ovenfresh character vaguely similar - Marge calls the cheating contestants "Betty Crookeds"
Little Debbie's (snack food maker) - one of the bakeoff sponsors is, "Li'l Fatso"
Sherwin Williams (paint) - Drizzler's Gravies logo similar to S-W's "We cover the Earth" logo
Taster's Choice (coffee) - one of the sponsors is Quetzalcoatl's Choice Mexican food
Tastykake (snack food maker) - Stuart calls Marge's recipe a "tasty-fake"
Chicken of the Sea (brand tuna) - McAllister's bakeoff entry is, "Pizza of the Sea"
Pringles (potato chips/crisps) Pillsbury (dough products) Star-Kist (tuna) Froot Loops (cereal) Green Giant (frozen vegetables) Count Chocula (cereal) Land O' Lakes (butter) - the mascots for these products are invited to Homer's imagined party, although they are not mentioned by name [For the record the mascots are: The mustachioed guy (Pringles), the Pillsbury Doughboy, Charlie (Star-Kist), Toucan Sam (Froot Loops), the Green Giant (only his feet are seen), Count Chocula (in the portrait by the door), and the Indian maiden (Land O' Lakes)]
Planter's nuts - Homer identifies Mr. Cashew (cf. Mr. Peanut)
Keebler (cookie maker) - Homer sees the "Koobler dwarves," who spoof of the Keebler elves
Rice Krispies (cereal) - their mascots are Snap, Crackle, and Pop; Homer spots "Snip, Krinkle, and Poof"
Twinkies (snack cake) - Homer bear-hugs "Twinkle the Kid" to death
"Iron Chef" (TV series) - the bakeoff final set looks like Kitchen Stadium
"The Godfather" (movie) - James Caan's character the victim of a hit at a tollbooth (at least, I assume that was Caan's character. The joke doesn't make sense otherwise)
[Previous Episode References]
[4F15] Simpson family member (almost) catapulted [5F06] Cookie Kwan still patrols the West Side for Red Blazer Realty [9F06], [9F19] Bart imitates Hugh Hefner [FABF05] Thomas Pynchon "appears" [FABF13] Homer kills his snack food heroes in one of his fantasies [3G03] Norman Mailer's Playdude/Playboy career mentioned
[FFF]
"Playdude" cover:
P L A Y D U D E
THE GIRLS OF KENT STATE:
FOUR NUDE IN OHIOContractor's truck:
-----
/J & J\
+-- ---+
|CONSTRUCTION|
+------------+THE VAGUE ANSWER PEOPLE
Church sign:
CHURCH POT LUCK:
WHAT A FRIEND
WE HAVE IN
CHEESE PUFFSSpringfield Shopper headlines:
FATHER OF EIGHT MISSING
STEVE BARNES OPENS
CONVENIENCE STOREBakeoff banner:
+-------------+
|BAKEOFF TODAY|
+-------------+
WARNING
FIRST TEN ROWS
MAY GET FATBakeoff sponsors:
Li'l Fatso [gravy boat]
[fat boy] Drizzler's Gravies
CUPCAKES [Earth] AMERICAN PRIDE QUETZALCOATL'S
[missile] CHOICE
RADAR GUIDED /-------\
MISSILE SYSTEMS |Tastier|
[Aztec] < than a |
| human |
|heart. |
\-------/
Mexican FoodBart's treehouse sign:
PLAYDUDE MANSION
- SPRINGFIELD - YOU MUST
BE COOLER
THAN THIS
TO ENTER
[MILHOUSE]Ear medicine bottle:
Rx Springfield Pharmacy
----------------------- B a b y E a r
M e d i c i n eMaggie Simpson
Cap'n McAllister's Pizza:
PIZZA
of the
SEASign by doorknob:
CAUTION:
WET
PAINTED
KEYHOLELisa's homemade card:
[front] [inside]
I look up ... because you
to you... let me down
[Happy] [Sad ]
[Lisa ] [Lisa][Oops!]
= After they are catapulted, the family's angle of descent looked a little off. It looked as though they were launched from a point behind the audience.
Anti-Goof: Agnes's dent stays in the metal door even after it's no longer needed for the joke.
[Personal Comments & Observations]
Mulling over the prospect of being the model for Auntie Ovenfresh, Marge says, "It would be a hoot to have my face on everything." She needs to check out what the "Simpsons" licensing department is up to nowadays.
Homer imagines himself blasting Journey's "Separate Ways" on the stereo.
Sub-Zero is the best-known maker of "in-cabinet" style refrigerators. These are the kind designed to blend in with the rest of the kitchen cabinetry. They're shallower than the standard refrigerator and wider to make up for the lost volume. Homer assumes the name means they'll keep food cooler than usual, but their advantage is purely in looks; functionally, I don't think they do anything a run-of-the-mill Kenmore won't do. In spite of this, Sub-Zero fridges are a big-ticket kitchen item, and would be right at home in the Simpsons' new $100K kitchen.
Bella Abzug -- Pro-feminist Congresswoman, er, Congressperson.
Virginia Woolf -- Author. I think the recent movie "The Hours" was based on either her work, or a specific book she wrote.
Thomas Pynchon -- Another writer (which is going to be a theme for tonight). In spite of his *two* appearances on one of America's most popular TV shows, Pynchon remains very publicity-shy. I doubt he goes outside with a paper bag over his head, but there are no official publicity photos of the man.
James Caan -- Actor, famous for roles in "Brian's Song," "The Godfather," and "Rollerball." He must have honked off somebody in Hollywood, because his career went into a chill after that. (Although according to his Imdb.com biography he has had comeback roles, like the detective in the movie version of "Alien Nation.")
John Cheever -- Writer. I'm not too ashamed to admit that I only recognize the name from that episode of "Seinfeld" where Susan's cabin burns down.
Norman Mailer -- Writer and frequent "Playboy" contributor.
Mickey Mantle -- Famous baseball player. Mantle had a storied career, but what's important for this story is that he also had to battle some personal demons. This is why Marge cites him as a hero with "feet of clay."
James Caan and Brandine drive off in a powder blue 1965 Mustang convertible.